This was my first time at the WEF. Peers of mine had told me about Davos and their experiences in this small mountain town. I had heard about the shops and restaurants along the promenade being turned into Houses run by companies, governments, and coalitions, about the fun nights at the Piano Bar, about the fondue and views from the Berghotel Schatzalp, and about the mountain magic… the serendipity of meeting cool people doing cool things. I’m glad I had the opportunity to experience it myself. With my Arctic Basecamp peers, I camped under the starry skies for five nights, in front of the Berghotel Schatzalp, and wow - this was an experience for the books! I had previously camped (really glamping) in Wadi Rum, Jordan, where my car got stuck in the sand at night - whoops, but I had never camped in the snowy mountains. I cherished each second of the four-minute funicular ride down to the promenade, and each day I experienced this “mountain magic” I had heard about. Here are 5 Changemakers I met, who inspired me or taught me something:

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1. Dr. Sylvia Earle - I had met Her Deepness before, but it was so lovely to see her again, still going strong at age 90! She has been a lifetime champion for nature, especially oceans, and has been the first woman in many spaces, thereby paving the way for many of us. I admire her curiosity, perseverance, and determination to uplift women and protect our ocean. Her insatiable curiosity inspires me most – there’s so much to explore, and not enough time, as she’d say. 

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2. Gail Whiteman - It was awesome meeting the force that is Professor Gail Whiteman at the Arctic Basecamp. She is an expert on global risk arising from the systemic changes occurring in the natural environment, the founder of Arctic Basecamp, and Hoffmann Impact Professor for Accelerating Action on Nature & Climate at the University of Exeter’s Business School (UK). She works on integrating science-based targets in the business world for a future low-carbon economy and helps popularize science. Science is cool, and so are Gail and other female scientists I met throughout the week. 

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3. Gail Gallie - I had known Gail’s work from a distance through her work on Project Everyone, the campaign that helped launch the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and later learned about her work with Jay Lipman through the impact advisory Ethic, which explores how private capital can advance nature-positive solutions. She and Jay realized it would take a new movement to close the global nature-finance gap of $711 billion annually, which equates to just 2% of privately held wealth, so they collaborated to start The NAT. This is a platform designed to get culture behind nature, just like The MET and MET Gala. Gail inspires me to take bold action, and stretch the limits of what I think is possible. Her way of working has encouraged me to believe in the power of the collective and reinforced my support for culture-based climate solutions.

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4. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim - I have known Hindou for several years now, and she is a true grassroots leader who speaks from experience and with heart. I admire her ability to tell stories and capture audiences, and enjoy learning about her ideas and actions to integrate indigenous knowledge with scientific approaches, properly compensate indigenous peoples for their knowledge, support indigenous women and girls, and protect nature. She is from a pastoralist community in Chad and serves as the Co-chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change, and I am grateful for the privilege to be moved by her words time and time again. 

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5. Ellen Monielle - Last but not least, I could not have survived the WEF experience without my Arctic Basecamp buddy, Ellen Monielle. She is a super cool female scientist and communicator from Northeast Brazil. She is currently the Research Director at Palmares Lab, where her work focuses on the intersections between climate change, social justice, and just transition. I love that she uses her voice and knowledge to inspire and educate others across Brazil and the world about climate change. Check out her TEDx Talk here.  

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It was incredible to meet these Changemakers and many others, to hear their stories, break bread, and walk away with new friends and connections. I am excited to see how collaboration unfolds in the coming year, and next time, I hope to see more young people on the promenade.

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-Pooja Tilvawala, Walking Softer Ambassador