Melati Wijsen

Founder of Bye Bye Plastic Bags and YOUTHTOPIA

Melati Wijsen

Founder of Bye Bye Plastic Bags and YOUTHTOPIA

Melati is a full time changemaker. She has founded Bye Bye Plastic Bags with her younger sister and has been leading the movement driven by youth since 2013 at the age of 12. She has also started the people movement One Island One Voice and the social enterprise, Mountain Mamas. Melati has given two global TED talks before she turned 21 and has spoken on world stages such as the UN and has also been selected as FORBES top ten most inspiring women in the country. She graduated from high school one year early and has since been honored by TIME as part of the annual list of most influential teens in the world along with CNN Heroes Young Wonders and FORBES 30 under 30. Recently, Melati has co-chaired the World Economic Forum GPAP committee, sat on the inaugural Expert Advisory Panel for the Earthshot Prize, and has had her film, Bigger Than Us, premiere at the 74th Cannes Film Festival 2021. Today, Melati has launched her new company, YOUTHTOPIA, which is all about youth empowerment through short and meaningful peer to peer programs and providing them the tools they need to be changemakers. Melati believes that young people can accelerate change and her vision is to make YOUTHTOPIA the go to platform for young people to learn about frontline skills.

About Melati Wijsen

Melati is a full time changemaker. She has founded Bye Bye Plastic Bags with her younger sister and has been leading the movement driven by youth since 2013 at the age of 12.

She has also started the people movement One Island One Voice and the social enterprise, Mountain Mamas. Melati has given two global TED talks before she turned 21 and has spoken on world stages such as the UN and has also been selected as FORBES top ten most inspiring women in the country.

She graduated from high school one year early and has since been honored by TIME as part of the annual list of most influential teens in the world along with CNN Heroes Young Wonders and FORBES 30 under 30. Recently, Melati has co-chaired the World Economic Forum GPAP committee, sat on the inaugural Expert Advisory Panel for the Earthshot Prize, and has had her film, Bigger Than Us, premiere at the 74th Cannes Film Festival 2021.

Today, Melati has launched her new company, YOUTHTOPIA, which is all about youth empowerment through short and meaningful peer to peer programs and providing them the tools they need to be changemakers. Melati believes that young people can accelerate change and her vision is to make YOUTHTOPIA the go to platform for young people to learn about frontline skills.

Topics

  • A roadmap for young changemakers
  • Our campaign to ban plastic bags in Bali
  • Climate Change
  • Youthopia - Globalisation and the future of youth

Books

  • Change Starts Now, 2025