Kenisha Arora is a Forbes-recognized leader with a strong record in global health, education and policy. She holds a Master of Science in Global Health and Economics from Johns Hopkins University and a degree in Medical Sciences from Western University.
Her academic achievements have been recognized with prestigious awards, including the $20,000 Founders Award, Life Science Scholarship, and the AstraZeneca Eureka Fellowship for Youth Changemakers.
She was recently named one of the UN’s Top 30 Under 30 global leaders advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.
Passionate about equity in health and education, Arora has led at local, national and global levels. Serving on Western’s Board of Governors and Senate, she oversaw a multi-million dollar budget.
Internationally, she serves as the youth representative on the UN High-Level Steering Committee for SDG4-Education, collaborating with global leaders like the UNESCO Director General and the French Prime Minister to shape global education policy.
She co-authored the Youth Declaration for Transforming Education, presented at the UN General Assembly, and helped launch a campaign reaching 77 million people.
A dedicated advocate for adolescent health, Arora joined the WHO Director General in Switzerland to launch WHO’s first campaign on youth health.
She has shared her vision at the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings and G20 Education events in India.
At 16, she became one of Canada’s youngest elected school board trustees, introducing a policy to provide free menstrual products in schools. She is the founder of The HopeSisters, a non-profit supporting vulnerable children, and has earned global recognition including a top 10 finish for the $100K Global Student Prize, the AsiaNet Canadian Health Excellence Award, and London’s Top 20 Under 20.
Most recently, she contributed to shaping adolescent health strategy during the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva. As a future physician, Arora combines her expertise in medical science and policy to transform systems.
Adeeb Kutty