This will be your third year at MWC, but your first time participating in the Ministerial Programme. What does that represent for you?
Avanti Sharma. – “It’s a huge honour. This is the third year I’m going to MWC as a speaker or contributing to discussions. I became Luxembourg’s first speaker representing at MWC in 2024 and also the youngest speaker that year. The Ministerial Programme is invitation-only. The CMO of GSMA, Lara Dewar, reached out to me to participate in this closed-door programme. It’s under the Chatham House Rule, so I can’t share more about the senior leaders who will be there. The idea is to bring together decision‑makers and some members of governments from across Europe and focus on what we can do to make telecom and technology more open and welcoming to youth and women, and to bring forward certain DEI initiatives.
What will you personally bring to those discussions?
“A lot of my initiatives are based around youth--Gen Z and those below 16. What we’re seeing across Europe, and globally, is that youth are being targeted online. According to a European Parliament study, 37% of children aged 5 to 17 have communicated with a stranger online. Another study found that over half of internet offenders disguise their identity, and on average they are older than their victims. Often, young people don’t have a way of distinguishing whether an account messaging them is actually their age or someone much older trying to catfish and impersonate someone their age.
Right now, many policies are directed towards the victim--blocking youth or restricting them. I understand why those measures are brought about. But I think the primary objective, if we want sustainable change, should be to target the predators and stop them at the source. Instead of penalising the victim, we penalise the perpetrators.
You have launched initiatives such as Studified and R-U-SURE. How do they work?
“Studified is a software plug-in that has to be integrated directly into social media platforms. It’s not being used currently. It’s still in what I would call the prototype phase two, where we’re actually trying to implement it. To take it forward it has to be in tandem with both the institutional level and platforms like Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. The purpose is not to limit teens from going on social media but to give them additional information--to distinguish whether an account contacting them is actually their age or someone older impersonating someone their age.
R-U-SURE is to basically tell teens, “Are you sure you want to go on this online chat website?” It’s less about social media and more about online websites and risky information from there. It hasn’t been implemented yet. We still have to make it fully developed before having it available to the public, but that’s not dependent on another party--it depends on how fast our team can bring it forward. It’s probably going to be the end of this year or early next year. It would be something like a Chrome extension, so it could be downloaded anywhere. Instead of blacklisting websites, the idea is to empower youth with information so they can make an informed decision.
Technology is going to advance and progress--that’s something we can’t and shouldn’t hinder. But we should curate it and make sure it’s not used for bad.
Yet you are also very engaged in artificial intelligence (AI) and innovation--notably as Director of AI & Growth at Workshop4Me. How do you reconcile the two?
“I get this question a lot. I support innovation and the progress of AI, but at the same time I’m doing initiatives to protect youth. I think both come in tandem. Technology is going to advance and progress--that’s something we can’t and shouldn’t hinder. But we should curate it and make sure it’s not used for bad. AI, when used for good, has created huge advancements. Education is more accessible, healthcare solutions are improving, and large models can analyse data quickly and accurately. So it’s not about stopping progress--it’s about making sure it’s used responsibly. That’s why Studified and R-U-SURE are being developed.
Through Lëtz Make SDGs Happen, you aim to reach one million young people by 2030. Why one million?
“It’s a huge number. The way we, me and my co-founder, settled on one million was we wanted it to be self-fulfilling. If we reach one million, we want those one million to continue the cycle generation after generation. We felt that once we cross that threshold, it will keep continuing.
How do you work towards that goal in practical terms?
“There are different streams of impact. One is speaking at conferences and events--that’s one way we can reach people. We also work with corporates in Luxembourg and beyond to run workshops, usually with smaller groups, maybe 50 students at a time, focusing on developing skills. And then there’s the institutional level--speaking to government leaders and institutions about how they can better adapt their policies and frameworks to nurture what we call a “changemaker mindset”.
What does that “changemaker mindset” mean?
“We want to instil that mindset in Gen Z so that by the time they’re around 45-50 and in decision-making positions--as CEOs or on boards--they naturally make the correct decisions when it comes to sustainability and innovation. There are two ways of seeing sustainability. One is as a nine-to-five job. The other is as a value system--something that’s part of your lifestyle. We want it to come naturally, not as an obligation.
Workshop4Me recently celebrated its tenth anniversary. What changes have you observed over that period?
“When we started, coding seemed boring and unappealing. That’s why we launched Codeutainment--a live show blending science, technology and coding in an engaging way. The first of its kind happened in a cinema hall and families would come watch it. What we saw is that youth signed up proactively and found coding fun. The whole perception of coding completely transformed in just the three shows we had.
More broadly at Workshop4Me, another change is digital fluency. When we started, we had to teach children how to use a mouse and keyboard. In the past five years, we haven’t had to do that again. In terms of reach, we’ve definitely worked with around 300 young people in Luxembourg, probably more-- maybe 500 including globally.
We have to focus on protecting the youth through punishing the perpetrators instead of the other way round.
You have worked in Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands and rural India. Did you adapt your approach depending on the country?
“In rural India, our team focused on tangible outcomes. Instead of just teaching something abstract, we taught girls how to build a mobile app they could actually use on their phones. In some countries and cultures, people really want to see what they get out of it--an immediate, tangible outcome.
In the Netherlands, I’ve seen state‑driven, challenge‑based projects where young people are asked to solve real missions--for example, can you get this rover on Mars, can you code it to do this, and it’s a real thing, they actually run that challenge.
Belgium is very open and dynamic. They reached out to me because they have a state project to bring in a scientific culture in their citizens, and I really like that openness to dialogue and collaboration.
Luxembourg--maybe I’m biased because I’ve spent my whole life here--is definitely very advanced when it comes to technology in the curriculum.
Are there any projects you're currently working on, beyond the ones we’ve mentioned?
“Yes. This is something I’ll only say a little bit about because I’m already speaking to stakeholders and we can only share so much. But through Lëtz Make SDGs Happen, we are working on launching a new set of green assets classes. The idea is to appeal to youth and to Gen Z. In the context of the great wealth transfer, Gen Z will have a lot of power, but their investing habits are very different from previous generations. They are more focused on the value system behind an investment. That’s why they’re more drawn to green investments or innovative investments rather than traditional standards that were set before.
How would this be implemented in practice?
“It’s going to be a new product. We are already speaking to different banks--both private and retail banks--within Luxembourg and beyond.
You are often the youngest person in these senior rooms. Why is it important that a Gen Z voice is present in the Ministerial Programme?
“I think it’s important because it shows they’re willing to open and listen to Gen Z. When we’re talking about empowering the next generation, it’s important that there is a voice from that generation in the room, giving the real-life, on-the-ground situation.
And what will be your key message in Barcelona this year?
“I would say that we have to focus on protecting the youth through punishing the perpetrators instead of the other way round.”
