Ashley Lashley is a Barbadian youth leader, social entrepreneur, and Founder & Executive Director of The Ashley Lashley Foundation (ALF). Her advocacy journey began at the age of 16 and has since grown into a global platform for action. She currently serves as a UNICEF Youth Advocate and as a Youth Advisor to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Change, representing the Caribbean at the highest levels of international decision-making. In 2018, she was also crowned Miss World Barbados and served as Barbados’ CARICOM Youth Ambassador. Through ALF’s flagship programmes, Ashley has mobilised and supported tens of thousands of young people across more than 40 countries, translating youth leadership into tangible climate, health, and community impact. Her work bridges policy, grassroots action, and innovation—from youth-led climate advocacy and community resilience projects to sustainable entrepreneurship and environmental education. She has collaborated with global partners including UNICEF, UNDP-GEF Small Grants Programme, the Clara Lionel Foundation, IUCN, CARICOM, and national governments to ensure young people are not only heard but empowered to lead. Ashley’s leadership has been recognised internationally, and at the heart of her work is a guiding principle: young people, especially from small islands, are not victims of the future, they are its architects. Through ALF, she continues to create pathways for youth to build healthier, more resilient, and more equitable communities across the Caribbean and beyond.

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