Meet Sophia Kianni | Founder of Climate Cardinals

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sophia Kianni and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sophia, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The thought process behind starting Climate Cardinals was driven by a strong desire to address a critical gap in climate education. I realized that much of the available climate information was only accessible to English speakers, leaving out a significant portion of the global population. My goal was to democratize climate knowledge and empower people from diverse linguistic backgrounds to take action against climate change. I wanted to create an inclusive platform that harnessed the power of youth activism and volunteerism to bridge language barriers. By leveraging the passion and skills of young people around the world, I believed we could make a substantial impact on raising awareness and driving change. The idea was to build a scalable and sustainable model that could continuously expand and adapt to meet the needs of different communities.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My work revolves around making climate education accessible to everyone, regardless of the language they speak. What sets Climate Cardinals apart is our unique focus on breaking down language barriers and leveraging the power of youth activism to drive change. I’m most proud of our ability to engage and mobilize young people from around the world to volunteer their time and skills for a common cause. Seeing our translations reach millions of people and empower communities is incredibly rewarding.

Getting to where I am today professionally was not easy. There were many challenges along the way, including building a team, securing funding, and managing large-scale translation projects. One of the biggest challenges was ensuring the accuracy and cultural relevance of our translations. We overcame these challenges through building a strong network of volunteers and vetted translation partners such as Translators Without Borders and Google who share our vision and worked tirelessly to overcome obstacles.

The lessons I’ve learned along the way include the importance of resilience and the power of community. I’ve learned that making a meaningful impact requires dedication, adaptability, and a willingness to learn from failures.

What I want the world to know about me and Climate Cardinals is that our work is driven by a passion for climate justice and a belief in the power of education. Our story is one of young people coming together to make a difference, proving that age is not a barrier to creating positive change. We are committed to continuing our work and expanding our reach to ensure that everyone has the knowledge they need to take action against climate change.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’d take them to Georgetown, DC. We’d start with brunch at Farmers Fishers Bakers and stroll around the historic streets. We’d visit the Smithsonian museums, shop on M Street, and dine at Il Canale. Outdoor adventures would include biking the Capital Crescent Trail and kayaking on the Potomac. We’d explore Georgetown University, tour the Kennedy Center, and enjoy dinners at Blue Duck Tavern and Fiola Mare. We’d end with a visit to Dumbarton Oaks and a relaxing day at Blues Alley.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a heartfelt shoutout to the incredible Climate Cardinals team. Hikaru Hayakawa and Sophia Suganuma were two of the first people to start the organization with me, and their dedication and vision were instrumental in getting us off the ground. I also want to recognize our new directors, Bernice Deng and Kennedy Hocker, who have worked tirelessly to bring new initiatives to life and expand our impact. Their passion, hard work, and creativity have been essential to our success, and I am deeply grateful for their contributions.

Website: www.sophiakianni.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiakianni

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiakianni/

Twitter: https://x.com/SophiaKianni