Global Youth Leadership Center (GYLC)

What Global Youth Leadership Center (GYLC) does

The Global Youth Leadership Center (GYLC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2022 by Ejaj Ahmad and headquartered in Milpitas, California, with a stated mission of building the leadership capacity of youth in climate-vulnerable countries to take climate action at local and global levels. The organization operates a platform-plus-modules architecture: its flagship is the annual Global Youth Climate Summit (GYCS), a hybrid (in-person and virtual) multi-day convening rotated across continents — Khulna, Bangladesh (2022); Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (2023); and Belo Horizonte, Brazil (April 2025) — each drawing roughly 500 delegates from 40+ countries. The Youth Climate Champions program awards $1,000 seed grants to competitively selected delegates to implement community-based climate projects; to date, 39 champions across 18 Global South countries have been supported with a cumulative $39,000 in prize money, with documented outcomes including mangrove restoration (Indonesia), compost-from-waste systems (Bangladesh), and school-based climate curricula (Brazil, Nigeria). GYLCx, the organization's online learning academy, delivers self-serve courses on climate science, leadership, and green skills at gylcx.org, and supporting modules include the Green Accountability Youth Initiative (GAYI, with World Bank GPSA), TikTok for Climate Action workshops, TechCamp Bangladesh for media literacy, and the Amplifying Youth Voices policy engagement program.

Name

Global Youth Leadership Center (GYLC)

Legal name

Global Youth Leadership Center

Website

https://gylc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Global Youth Leadership Center (GYLC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2022 that mobilizes youth aged 18–32 in climate-vulnerable Global South countries through annual hybrid Global Youth Climate Summits, $1,000 Climate Champion seed grants, and the GYLCx online learning academy, reaching 1,500+ youth across 70+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Climate Leadership Development & Education

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Conservation & Sustainability Volunteering (EDAIAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Climate Adaptation & Resilience Programs (BPADALAD), Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA)

Keywords

• Youth climate leadership
• Climate education programs
• Leadership development training
• Climate action funding
• Nonprofit climate summits

Headquarters

HQ city

Milpitas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, GYLC operates primarily through donations and grants. All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. EIN 86-1803624.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GYLC organizes Global Youth Climate Summits (hybrid in-person and virtual events held annually in different countries), runs a Youth Climate Champions program that provides selected young leaders with USD 1,000 seed funding for community climate projects, and operates the GYLCx online learning academy delivering free and affordable courses on climate science, leadership, and green skills to youth in climate-vulnerable countries of the Global South.

Product overview

GYLC offers a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on youth climate leadership education. The core platform includes the Global Youth Climate Summit (GYCS) - flagship hybrid summits held across continents - supplemented by the Youth Climate Champions program for sustained project-based engagement and GYLCx Online Learning Academy for scalable digital education. Supporting modules include the Green Accountability Youth Initiative (GAYI), TikTok for Climate Action, TechCamp Bangladesh, and Amplifying Youth Voices in Policy Development. Programs span in-person summits, virtual learning, workshops, mentorship, small grants, and youth-led project support across 70+ countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GYLCx: GYLC's online learning academy designed to equip young people in climate vulnerable countries with knowledge, leadership skills, and tools needed to drive climate action. Offers courses on climate science, leadership, and green skills through global partnerships with NGOs, private sector, and youth-led initiatives.
• Global Youth Climate Summit
• Youth Climate Champions
• Green Accountability Youth Initiative (GAYI)

Products and services

• Global Youth Climate Summit (GYCS) GYLC's flagship multi-day hybrid summit bringing together 500 young climate changemakers aged 18-32 from across the Global South (200 in-person and 300 virtual) for climate science education, leadership development, expert-led sessions, small group dialogues, and field experiences. Held annually in different host countries.
• Youth Climate Champions Program Accelerator-style program that competitively selects 10 youth delegates per summit cycle from climate-vulnerable countries and awards each USD 1,000 to design and implement a community-based climate action or adaptation project, supported by intensive training, mentorship, and project-based learning.
• GYLCx Online Learning Academy Online learning platform providing free and affordable self-paced courses on climate science, adaptive leadership, and green skills, designed to equip young people in climate-vulnerable countries with knowledge, leadership skills, and tools for climate action. Courses available globally through NGO, private sector, and youth-led partnerships.
• Green Accountability Youth Initiative (GAYI) Online education and small-grants program delivered in partnership with the World Bank GPSA that strengthens youth leadership in climate-vulnerable countries through courses on climate science, green skills, and social accountability, plus small project grants.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70+ countries reached through programs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, local partner, outreach partner, key partner and host partner.

• World Bank Global Partnership for Social Accountability (GPSA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024GYLC collaborates with World Bank GPSA on the Green Accountability Youth Initiative (GAYI), empowering youth in climate-vulnerable countries with climate leadership skills, green knowledge, and social accountability tools. Reached 400+ learners from 25 countries with 300 full scholarships.
• TikTokflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2023Year-long TikTok for Climate Action partnership launched September 2023 in Bangladesh. Implemented with support from BYLC, engaging Bangladeshi youth through 10 interactive workshops focused on climate awareness, leadership skills, and constructive dialogue.
• Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGYLC is built on the 16-year track record of BYLC in providing adaptive leadership training to youth in the Global South. BYLC serves as implementing partner for GYLC programs, including TikTok for Climate Action initiative.
• Doors of Hope Foundation (Tanzania)local partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal Youth Organization Partner for GYCS 2023. Founded by Shamim Wasii Nyanda, the organization helped facilitate summit activities in Tanzania.
• Global Shapers (World Economic Forum)outreach partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOutreach partner for GYCS 2023, helping to mobilize youth delegates from climate-vulnerable countries.
• Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Network (CYCN)outreach partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOutreach partner for GYCS 2022, mobilizing youth delegates from Commonwealth countries.
• YouthNet for Climate Justiceoutreach partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOutreach partner for GYCS 2022. Robert Chatterton Dickson served as Executive Coordinator and Shakila Islam as Chief Coordinator.
• WWF Indonesiakey partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Samantha Aulia Ramadhanti's Tanam Taman Mangrove project. Provided technical expertise for volunteer training on mangrove ecology and restoration techniques.
• Tangerang Regency Marine and Fisheries Departmentkey partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner in mangrove restoration project. Facilitated expert trainers for capacity-building workshops and helped secure restoration sites.
• Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG)host partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for GYCS 2025 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. President Sandra Regina Goulart Almeida and Director Ricardo Goncalves participated as speakers.
• Invest Minaskey partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for GYCS 2025. CEO João Paulo Braga served as a speaker. Invest Minas promotes economic development in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
• African Development Bankkey partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerWinnie Chepkemoi Mutai from Climate Change and Green Growth Department participated as a speaker at GYCS 2025.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ashoka: Global network for social entrepreneurs; Ashoka East Africa is already a GYLC knowledge partner and founder Ejaj Ahmad is an Ashoka Fellow. Ashoka is the closest large-scale analog for identifying and supporting young changemakers, including those working on climate.
• Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC): GYLC's sister/incubator organization founded by the same founder (Ejaj Ahmad) in 2009. BYLC provides adaptive leadership training to Global South youth and serves as GYLC's primary implementing partner, making it the most directly comparable organization in mission, audience, and operating geography.
• Generation Climate: U.S.-based youth climate organization mobilizing young people to advocate on climate policy at UN COPs and domestically. Comparable to GYLC in its youth + climate + policy focus, though Generation Climate skews toward advocacy while GYLC emphasizes leadership training and project funding.
• TakingITGlobal: Online platform and nonprofit that engages youth globally in social-action programs and digital learning, with a strong climate and sustainability portfolio. Shares GYLC's hybrid digital-plus-community model for Global South youth engagement.
• Peace First: Nonprofit supporting young leaders (typically ages 13-25) globally with small grants, mentorship, and a community of practice to lead social-change projects. Highly comparable to GYLC's Youth Climate Champions model in structure (seed funding + mentorship + global cohort), though Peace First's themes extend beyond climate.
• Global Shapers (World Economic Forum): WEF-founded network of under-30 leaders running local hubs focused on global issues including climate. GYCS has leveraged Global Shapers as an outreach partner, and the two share an explicit model of identifying, training, and connecting young leaders across geographies.
• Climate Cardinals: Youth-led nonprofit focused on climate education and translation of climate science for non-English-speaking communities. Operates at a similar scale and audience (Global North/South youth) and pursues an overlapping climate-literacy mission that complements GYLC's leadership-development focus.

Broad incumbents

• The Climate Reality Project: Al Gore-founded nonprofit that trains climate leaders and runs youth-focused climate leadership programming globally. Overlaps with GYLC's leadership training and COP-advocacy work but at materially larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• UNICEF Generation Unlimited: UN-led global initiative engaging young people in education, employment, and climate action. Comparable as a youth-development platform with climate components and far larger institutional backing, making it both a potential partner and competitor for GYLC in climate-vulnerable markets.
• UNDP Youth-Led Climate Action: UNDP runs multiple youth-climate programs including NDC support and climate-vulnerability adaptation. Overlaps directly with GYLC's mission in climate adaptation and policy engagement but operates at vastly greater scale and through government channels.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gylctweets
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=LhnLh_6dk8Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/gylc2022
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youthleadershipcenter

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Global Youth Leadership Center (GYLC)