The visit marked the latest milestone for Generation17, an initiative established in 2020 between Samsung and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to equip young changemakers with the technology, mentorship, and networking opportunities to amplify their stories and solutions.

Generation17 members gather at Samsung Digital City.

Galaxy Tech Driving Real-World Impact

At Samsung Digital City in Suwon, conversations highlighted how tools such as the Samsung Global Goals app and AI can turn innovative ideas into scalable, real-world impact. Held alongside personal mentoring sessions, these discussions deepened participants’ understanding of Samsung’s sustainability commitments, expanded their networks and reinforced their pride in the Generation17 community.

The weeklong program featured a dynamic mix of interactive sessions on topics including Galaxy for the Planet, Samsung’s brand philosophy and the future of AI. Throughout the sessions, the Young Leaders engaged directly with senior leadership on how technology can shape a more sustainable future.

The Young Leaders also participated in a Samsung Global Goals app workshop. This was designed as a collaborative, workshop-style session to explore how the Samsung Global Goals app can better support awareness, engagement, and impact, while allowing members to contribute ideas for its future development.

Generation17 members collaborating at the Samsung Global Goals app workshop.

These experiences fostered meaningful connections across the broader Samsung ecosystem and reinforced the collective impact and potential of the Generation17 community.

“I see technology as a tool. Its possibilities are endless,” said Generation17 member Efe Johnson. “It can help amplify impact, connection, and accessibility. I’ve already seen its importance in my work so far, and as I transition more fully into advocacy, I know technology will continue playing a major role in storytelling, community building, education, and reaching people across borders.”

Fellow Generation17 member José Francisco Ochoa added, “The tour gave me a deeper understanding of Samsung’s vision for innovation, sustainability, and social impact. It allowed me to see not only what Samsung creates, but also the values, people, culture, and long-term thinking behind the company.”

Hands-On Collaboration With the UNDP

In partnership with the UNDP, the Young Leaders also had the opportunity to join local innovators, entrepreneurs and students for a youth engagement session and mini-innovation sprint. The hands-on session focused on finding tech-enabled solutions to challenges related to digital inclusion, sustainability and equity.

Throughout the exercise, the Generation17 members shared perspectives on how cross-sector partnerships can help amplify youth-led innovation and drive meaningful change.

“It’s imperative to understand multiple perspectives since it makes it harder to then play the blame game,” said Generation17 member Soumya Dabriwal. “Samsung and UNDP coming together is one of the most unique cross sectoral partnerships that I have come across and it gives me a lot of hope and inspiration.”

The Generation17 team at the mini-innovation sprint co-hosted by UNDP.

Cultural Immersion and Reflection

The Young Leaders wrapped up the week in Seoul, enjoying a range of cultural experiences including a visit to Gyeongbokgung Palace where they tried on traditional Korean clothing.

Marking the one-year anniversary of the fifth cohort of the Young Leaders, the trip provided opportunities for new connections, shared learning and conversations on the future of the Generation17 community.

“Representing Generation17 in a global setting like this means a lot to me because I am not only representing myself and my own work, but also the impact created within my community and the challenges that many young people face,” explained Generation17 member Rahaf Abu Mayyaleh.

“It is an opportunity to share our stories, ideas and solutions on a global platform while expanding the reach and influence of the work we are doing. It also gives me the chance to inspire others, connect with different experiences and perspectives, and show how youth led initiatives can create meaningful change toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.”

Learn more about Generation17 here: https://www.undp.org/generation17

Generation17 merges the power of Samsung Galaxy smartphone technology with UNDP’s platform to galvanise an entire generation of young people to achieve the 17 Global Goals in less than ten years. The initiative will elevate the stories and share the impactful work of young leaders who are already making considerable strides in support of the Global Goals.

“We are excited to better connect these inspiring advocates to their peers, enable their generation to take bold action on the Goals, and make their voices heard loud and clear with the latest Galaxy technology and our shared vision,” said Dr. TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. “With a purpose as grand as the Global Goals, we strongly believe a collaborative, rallying effort will be imperative in sparking meaningful change.”

The 2020 cohort of Generation17 is made up of four trailblazers who are mobilising communities from Mali and Argentina, to Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, to tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our lifetimes:

• Máximo Mazzocco (Argentina): A 30-year old who founded Eco House, a non-profit that promotes sustainable development through education, volunteering, advocacy and environmental certification
• Sadya Touré (Mali): A 23-year-old author who founded Mali Musso, an organisation which empowers women through education to destigmatise gender-based violence
• Shomy Chowdhury (Bangladesh): A 26-year-old Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) activist seeking to ensure access to clean water and sanitation for all through her global organisation, Awareness 360, working across 23 countries
• Tafara Makaza (Zimbabwe): A 24-year-old junior at Williams College, in Williamstown, MA, studying astrophysics who has launched diverse startups to build transportation, energy, agriculture and education solutions

The 2020 Cohort of Generation17 Young Leaders

Young people of today wield incredible influence in catalysing change as tech savvy global citizens in an increasingly borderless world, with their unwavering and relentless optimism leading the charge on climate change and racial justice and influencing policymakers and businesses to chart a more sustainable course for our collective future. Generation17 is our answer to their call-to-action.  

“Young people are advancing the Global Goals through their work as innovators, entrepreneurs and advocates, and we must properly engage them today for the success of our global agenda tomorrow,” said UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner. “They harness incredible power in advocating for positive, systemic change, and we must support them in their roles as torchbearers of the Global Goals. This initiative complements other initiatives across the UN system, strengthening the foundations for a UN that delivers with and for young people through the UN Youth Strategy: Youth2030.”

UNDP and Samsung will provide mentorship, networking opportunities, and Galaxy devices to help broaden the reach of each of the young leaders’ voices and strengthen their organisations and businesses. They will also use the Samsung Global Goals app, which is preinstalled on the latest Galaxy smartphones, to show users how they can make a difference across the 17 Global Goals in their daily lives. Through educational content, the app aims to increase awareness of the Goals and has so far raised $1M in donations[1] for UNDP.

[1] The Samsung Galaxy Community Raised $1M to Support the Global Goals