Melissa Kilby

As executive director of Girl Up, a part of the United Nations Foundation, Melissa Kilby works everyday toward the lofty goal of international gender equality while firmly holding on to the belief that teenage girls will change the world. Kilby has raised almost $15 million to support girls’ leadership programs since joining the UN. She collaborates with companies like the Walt Disney Co., Caterpillar, Johnson & Johnson, and Oath (now known as Verizon Media Group) to connect, train, and inspire young women around the globe to take on leadership roles. She has traveled to Guatemala, Ethiopia, Malawi, and India to meet with the young girls impacted by her program. Under her watch, Girl Up has gained 700,000 supporters and impacted the lives of more than 65,000 girls around the world.