Compassionate leadership, which combines emotional intelligence with strategic thinking, is being celebrated through the Compassionate Leader Circle Awards. This year, 11 individuals were selected from 200 nominations, all of whom are addressing major global issues, including climate change and mental health. Among those honored is Sabitri Sanyalis, the founder of the Kyokan Foundation in India. Sanyalis uses her skills as an educator and mental health professional to cultivate emotionally resilient and compassionate youth. She works with children, adolescents, and families in vulnerable situations, integrating self-compassion, trauma-informed education, the arts, movement, and counseling into her approach to healing.
Another honoree, Julia Sekula, is a climate-tech executive and author with over a decade of experience in Europe, Silicon Valley, and Latin America. As the CFO and Head of Brazil at Terradot, Sekula spearheads efforts to reverse climate change through innovation. She is leading initiatives to scale scientific and technological solutions for large-scale carbon removal via Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) in the Global South. A champion for Brazil and the Amazon Ecosystem, Sekula dedicates her work to mitigating the adverse effects of global warming.
The Director of the Worldwide Women