Based in McLean, Virginia, Sophia Kianni is a transformational entrepreneur and activist studying technology and society, whose work focuses on climate change policy at Stanford. Kianni spent last year with the Stanford Climate Ventures cohort, which is related to her work to resolve the climate crisis.
“It basically walks you through building climate tech companies, and it was really fascinating how the role technology can play and accelerate climate solutions,” she says. Kianni sees herself working in the private sector intersection eventually, but now her hobbies mainly deal with adapting to the social media world. She aims to push herself and her lived experience to the forefront of the public eye.
“I spend a really heinous amount of time on LinkedIn,” she says.
As Kianni is an activist who works with social media and is technologically savvy, she realized that the internet and social media have a huge impact on the world we live in today. “I realized as a kid I knew more than my relatives and the people around me, and I had an opportunity to serve as a messenger for change,” she says.
Her passion for climate solutions comes from her experiences as a child, when she took a trip to Iran, seeing firsthand the way that pollution blocked out the night sky.
“It was my tradition growing up with my dad for us to stargaze and for him to show me the different constellations every summer break, but I couldn’t see the stars because the pollution was so bad,” she says.
As an Iranian-American, Kianna visited with her family in her hometown in Iran when she was 12 years old, witnessing the devastating impact of pollution in her own home country. Kianni wanted to see the stars but could not because of the pollution.
17-year-old Kianni could not vote yet but decided she could help by pressuring government officials.
“It’s really going to come down to people power. If you look at every major movement in history, women’s suffrage movement and civil rights era, it was people coming together to call for change, and the same thing has to happen for climate change.”
Climate Cardinals, Kianni’s foremost achievement to date, is the nonprofit she founded to address a lack of information literacy about the issue of climate change. Her simple solution, after becoming interested in the issue, was to make resources and reading about the climate accessible to all, no matter the language. Her wide-reaching network now translates climate-related writing across the world, helping to spread accurate and impactful information about the issue to everyone.
Part of why Kianni’s work, even at a young age, has been so effective, is her use of social media as a tool to involve and activate youth volunteers.
Kianni is the youngest climate advisor to the UN Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change. She is the founder and executive director of Climate Cardinals. One of her most memorable experiences was being on Lady Gaga’s foundation for TED conferences; with the knowledge of the experience, she is growing when and doing a lot of self-reflection. Kianni has also been recognized by Vice, National Geographic Young Explorer, and Business Insider for her influence.
Being the youngest United Nations Advisor, she shared her experience being under the wing of Antonio Guterres.
“I was selected for the advisory group for establishing my nonprofit climate cardinals, and it was an amazing experience to see how the U.N. works … how decision-making happens and to get an opportunity to platform and amplify young people’s work.”
Kianni uses social media as a tool to effectively communicate with a group of young, motivated activists. Understanding the levity of the climate issue, but often ignored by older generations, Kianni hopes to use education and climate literacy to channel the network she has built.
“I think even though [climate change is] a topic more covered in media and culture, it’s still not being treated with the immediacy and urgency required, so I hope to convey to people why it’s so important to work on this issue and what personally they can do,” she says.
Now she works with celebrities such as Greta Thunberg, a Swedish activist for climate change. Her rapid, expansive engagement with young climate activists, launching her into a sphere of influence, brings paramount self-expectation.
“With great power comes great responsibility, and I think that having a following that people should take seriously to an extent because each one of us has the potential to change people’s hearts for the better.”
Now a junior in college, Kianni is continuing to learn and be curious about the world. She also wants to grow, evolve, and work on an initiative beyond Climate Cardinals, which she started in high school.
Kianni is telling university students what they should do now to help with the climate change impact. First, vote and get involved politically. Second, we need to be elected and support organizations in your area that have to do with climate and get involved with local groups. Finally, you can donate to support fundraisers and use social media to inspire change. Using your social media is very powerful in the generation that we live in today, and getting involved is what it’s going to take to stop climate change.
