Hej Akanksha! So glad we caught you before you head off to Montreal for the One Young World Summit. Do you have a minute?

Hej! Absolutely. Let's chat 😊 

So Akanksha, you attended the One Young World Summit for the first time last year, right?

Right! In 2023 I attended as a delegate and this year as an IKEA ambassador and part of the strategy and organising team to further strengthen our programme. Our partnership with One Young World is still quite new so there are many opportunities to keep improving how we show up for delegates.

Amazing! How would you describe your experience of the summit last year?

I think it's such a fantastic opportunity that IKEA has invested the time, competence and energy into having this really cool partnership with One Young World. It is an event like no other – it’s such an eye-opening platform!

Being able to go to Belfast last year and represent IKEA was amazing. We got to learn a lot from people who come from different walks and paths of life – from heads of big companies and young entrepreneurs, to politicians, sports personalities, and activists too. 

To listen to so many stories and perspectives about the issues that plague our world and what people are doing about it and how individuals can make a difference in their own right. There was such a lot of hope, determination and drive to change the world for the better.   

It sounds like an amazing opportunity to learn so much from such a wide variety of backgrounds and disciplines.
What were you able to bring back into your practice as a designer at IKEA?

One Young World focuses on critical global issues like sustainability, climate change, and social impact. Attending this event aligns with the ambitions and committments that IKEA has made towards people and planet, and means we can bring back fresh ideas and initiatives, driving progress toward our long-term goals.

As a business, IKEA is such a huge ecosystem and can seem a bit intimidating at first, but there are so many opportunities to make things happen and be a leader. My One Young World experience has impacted me in my journey to try and look at the bigger picture and to be more entrepreneurial in my spirit. It has sparked my desire to ensure that more and more people can get the opportunity to go!

We see you’ll be presenting this year! Without giving away too much, can you tell us a bit about what you’ll be speaking on?

Yes! I will be speaking with IKEA’s Chief Digital Office Björn Block on the interactive stage. We’ll present a 15-minute talk on inclusivity and accessibility in the physical and digital world. Among other things, we’ll be addressing the principles of universal design, which aim to create environments that can be accessed, understood, and used by all people, regardless of their age, size, ability, or disability.

Oooh, we’d love to be in the audience for that talk! One Young World sounds like a singular experience. What is it about it that makes it different to other summits and conferences?

A big difference is that this is not a business conference made exclusively of big companies. One Young World is about the most pressing issues in our global society. There are so many life-changing talks, workshops, seminars and opportunities for conversation between different people, so you learn a lot about how different people are looking at the same issues and trying to address them. 

One Young World focusses on human and planetary rights and raising the voices of minorities. It’s fascinating to see how a summit can exist being so activistic and political at its core, and still have different big and small companies come and participate.

Looks like you've got a plane to catch! Before you head off, can you tell us what you're most looking forward to about this year's summit in Montreal?

I'm really looking forward to meeting all the One Young World delegates in person. We’ve met online a few times, but it’s a very different experience to spend some intense days together as a team.  I’m also really looking forward to supporting the next crew of delegates.  

And of course, I am excited to hear some fascinating key notes from the lineup of speakers. Like Margaret Atwood! I am dying to see her! I’m also really looking forward to hearing Professor Muhammad Yunus again. There are so many speakers I have never heard before who I am also excited to learn from. It’s a great opportunity to understand and know amazing leaders in their fields. 

Thanks for chatting to us, Akanksha! Have an incredible time!

Thank you! Catch you later 😊