UNHCR
Emtithal (Emi) Mahmoud
Poet, Activist, Founder, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador
World Champion Poet and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Emtithal (Emi) Mahmoud advocates for refugees and disadvantaged communities the world over. In 2018, Emi walked 1000km for peace (Darfur to Khartoum) mobilizing thousands. Emi served as an independent advisor to the 2020 Juba Peace Talks creating unprecedented recommendations on civil liberties, gender equality, and more. Named one of BBC’s 100 Most Inspirational Women, the TED speaker and author co-founded an international Sickle Cell research initiative at age 19. She has since worked with President Obama, the Dalai Lama, Forbes 30 Under 30, Google Zeitgeist, and more. Emi graduated from Yale in 2016.