Zikora Akanegbu is a social impact leader and Urban Planning student at Cornell University.

At just 15, Zikora founded GenZHER™, a global digital publication created to amplify youth perspectives on current events and social issues. What began as a small passion project grew into a platform that reached 103 countries and published over 440 articles. Leading a team of contributors from across the world, she built a platform grounded in collaboration.

Zikora speaks often about the value and influence of her generation, guiding institutions to think boldly about youth engagement. She views young people not as future stakeholders, but as active collaborators in shaping the systems that impact their lives. Through her research and advisory work, she helps organizations create inclusive, accountable frameworks and practices that effectively serve and reflect the communities they engage.

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AS FEATURED IN

The logo of TeenVogue with the words 'teen' in bold red and 'VOGUE' in black.
Book cover titled "The Politics of Genz" by Melissa Deckman, with a subtitle "How the Youngest Voters Will Shape Our Democracy," featuring diverse young women on the cover.
A black silhouette of a dog sitting on grass with a sun and birds in the sky, along with a tree on the left.
Black background with the word 'BLAVITY' in bold white letters, with the letter A stylized as a triangle.
Word cloud with the words 'the' and 'griot' in different sizes and shades of blue.
DC Public Library logo with stylized book icons and text
The word 'People' written in large, light blue text with a white outline.
Essence You logo in white text on a black background

Zikora has served as a Youth Advisor to Hollister Co. and to the Making Caring Common Initiative at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. In 2022, she was honored with The Diana Award, an international recognition celebrating young people who create positive social change through their leadership. As the founder and president of the Homelessness Action Project at Cornell, she mobilizes students to support individuals experiencing homelessness.

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Navigating the Field of Urban Planning: Resources for Students

Zikora entered the field of urban planning driven by a commitment to social equity. To help others explore and engage with the field, she has curated a set of resources.

View Resources

Follow her Work

zakanegbu@gmail.com