Asha Clementi

CEO, Girls Run The World

Asha Clementi is the Founder and CEO of Girls Run the World. She is an award-winning gender equality activist creating opportunities for young women in leadership and diplomacy. She graduated from the Australian National University with a Master of Diplomacy in 2022 and a Bachelor of International Security Studies in 2021. 

At the age of 17, she co-founded The Girls Leadership Network. The program holds a series of free leadership workshops for young women aged 16 to 21, inspiring participants to create and run their own initiatives – from school clubs to social impact start-ups. In 2018, Asha founded Girls Run The World – a program that encourages young women to consider careers in diplomacy. It has given over 300 participants the opportunity to spend a day in 50 participating Embassies and High Commissions, meeting with ambassadors and making tangible contributions to the embassy’s work. She has recently started the Women in Strategic Policy program - a new initiative, funded by the Department of Defence that trains and supports young women to contribute to Australia's strategic policy debate.  

 She was named the 2022 ACT Young Woman of the Year and one of the 40 Under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australians. Her work has been recognised internationally, as she received a Commonwealth Points of Light award from Queen Elizabeth II and a Hän Honour from the Government of Finland.