The 2026 class · Nomination only · No pay to play
20 under 20, from anywhere on earth.
Every year we name young people who are already building, researching, creating and leading. We tell the world who they are. Nobody pays to be here, and nobody applies.
The 2026 Global Changemakers
fifteen named · six countries
An annual class, not a ranking. Names appear in no order of merit. Click any name to read their story.
Selection was nomination-led and reference-checked. Every Changemaker was interviewed, and every feature was written by our editors and approved before publication. No student, school or sponsor paid to appear here.
- Entrepreneurs
- Researchers
- Creators
- Leaders
- Abhi SinghPalo Alto, CA“Character over résumé”Leaders
- Alima YahiaBronx, NY“From the Bronx to the bottom of the ocean”Researchers
- Antoan UzunovBucharest, Romania“Fourteen, and already patented”Entrepreneurs
- Aziza Ne’matovaNavoi, Uzbekistan“What is behind it?”Creators
- Ganesh Sai TalluriPhoenix, AZ“The high schooler running a funded AI lab”Entrepreneurs
- Haashini BalasubramanianConcord, NC“Making difficult things human”Creators
- Khac Nhat Nam NguyenHanoi, Vietnam“Engineering a model of the human mind”Researchers
- Kopal TareDublin, CA“Decoding the world, one pattern at a time”Researchers
- Noah HofmanNewport Coast, CA“From the crash to the cause”Entrepreneurs
- Parikshitsinh JadejaVadodara, India“From failing homework to MIT CSAIL”Researchers
- Shalvee KastureCleveland, OH“Giving a name to invisible pain”Leaders
- Tam-Anh VuHuntington Beach, CA“The commander who builds systems that outlast her”Leaders
- Varnessa Kayen VarlyngtonPort Harcourt, Nigeria“Present leaders, not future ones”Leaders
- Wanruo WangSaratoga, CA“Where art meets engineering”Creators
- Zheyun “Zion” ZhangSeattle, WA“Engineering serendipity”Entrepreneurs
What a Changemaker receives
A written feature
A professionally written profile of your work, approved by you before it publishes, and permanently hosted here.
A permanent page
Your own page at 20under20.org, yours to share with colleges, employers and anyone who asks what you have done.
A village of champions
Readers who want to back your work can champion you directly on your GiftedTalented profile, where mentors and supporters gather.
You cannot enter the Global Changemakers. You can only be named one.
Nominations for the 2027 class open after the 2026 celebration closes.