Esha Venkat is a sophomore at Georgia Tech who is driven by a passion for creating positive, sustainable social change.  As a Public Policy major with concentrations in Energy & Environment Policy and Science & Technology Policy, she combines her passions for STEM fields, climate activism rooted in the community, and volunteerism to aid marginalized communities worldwide.  Venkat is the founder and COO of the 501©3 nonprofit NEST4US (www.nest4us.org), which wasformed as a philanthropic platform built upon kindness, generosity, and social good.  Of the organization, Venkat says:

Our mission is to make the world better through kindness by mobilizing volunteers worldwide to advance progress on societal issues and spark equitable solutions for the greater good. Through NEST4US, we tackle over 14 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and a plethora of societal issues including global hunger, climate change, mental health, poverty, quality education, social justice, etc. What once began as a small project eight years ago is now a multifaceted global organization fueled by 7,500+ volunteers who altogether have contributed $4.5+ million dollars in value of volunteer hours, impacting tens of thousands in 30+ countries across 6 continents.

NEST4US has five core programs providing volunteer opportunities for people to give back to their communities.  Recently, she has sought to scale up one of those programs, NEST Nurtures, through an application to the Clinton Foundation's 2024 Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI) Cohort.  The CGI University is a student leadership development program for those seeking to develop innovative solutions to complex global challenges, including those addressed by NEST4US.  NEST Nurtures focuses on tackling global hunger, poverty, and food waste through a three-pronged approach: food rescues, hunger-based service projects, and feeding thehungry initiatives.  Venkat says:

By organizing zero hunger service opportunities, hosting sustainability workshops, and advocating for zero waste through awareness campaigns, we engage the public to drive collaborative civic action. Over the years, through NEST Nurtures, we’ve served 300,000+ meals, executed 18,000+ food rescues, and recovered 2.5 million pounds of surplus food, equivalent to $4,25,0000+ in value of meals donated and 1,705,000+ pounds of carbon emissions saved.

She hopes that CGI University will provide the tools and skills to increase awareness and action around food waste reduction.

We are excited to see the next steps for Esha and for NEST4US.  The work with CGI University will continue the collaborations that Esha has had with national and international organizations and events such as Points of Light, Giving Tuesday, Rileys Way Foundation, UNESCO, YOUNGA, Global Youth Climate Network, ICANHELP, Good Deeds Day, Civics Unplugged, Be Strong Global, World Bank Group, UNA-USA, Global Peace HQ, and Youth Service America.  Esha Venkat is certainly being the change that she wants to see in the world!

Follow the work of Esha Venkat and NEST4US across a variety of social media channels.

Accolades for Esha Venkat

Accolades for Esha Venkat

August 6th, 2024 05:00 PM