Pooja Tilvawala

Pooja was born in India but raised in a suburb of Philadelphia. In 2018, she graduated from American University in Washington, DC with degrees in Economics and International Studies, specializing in justice, ethics, and human rights, and South Asia. After graduating, Pooja worked as a Project Associate for the Meridian Institute, committed to collaborative problem-solving on environmental issues. From November 2020-21, she served as the Founder and Director of Youth Climate Collaborative. Now, she is the Youth Engagement Manager for The Climate Initiative. On the side, she is starting a podcast called Dare to Envision, interviewing youth who, no matter their circumstance, dared to envision a better life for themselves and their communities and took action to bridge the gap between reality and their vision. Outside of work, she participates in different organizations and programs such as YOUNGO (the official UN youth constituency), Global Youth Climate Network, Coalition WILD, and Unleash the sHERO in you! For fun, Pooja enjoys bhangra dance, paddleboarding, hiking, game nights, and food parties with friends and family. Her purpose in life is to nurture her curiosity, creativity and talent, challenge the status quo, and bring others together to improve the quality of life for all.