Aya Youssef is an architect graduate from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. She is also an entrepreneur and researcher specializing in sustainability and spatial sciences. She was a Millennium Fellow for the class of 2019 and a Top 50 finalist of the first-ever Chegg Student Prize, and has since remained actively engaged in strengthening youth networks, empowering leadership community building over the past 7 years.

Through her work, Aya has engaged with diverse communities, from displaced populations to alumni leaders across the MENA region, always centering her efforts on creating inclusive spaces for dialogue, connection, and action towards the world's most pressing challenges. At the intersection of design, storytelling, and leadership, Aya believes that co-creation and collaboration can spark lasting change