Brilliant Innovators 2025 winner, Sandra Challma, is a cognitive neuropsychologist turned medtech entrepreneur, with a background in cognitive neuroscience from San Diego State and Stockholm University. She is dedicated to transforming how dementia is detected and managed. As CEO and co-founder of Cognes Medical Solutions, Sandra leads the development of AI-powered tools for early, non-invasive detection of dementia through facial analysis. She has secured early-stage funding, built global research partnerships, and developed technology that could cut diagnostic delays from years to months.

Sandra’s mission is deeply personal – driven by her mother’s dementia diagnosis. She envisions a future where dementia is detected early, enabling longer, healthier lives with dignity and independence.

The jury’s motivation:
“From neuropsychology researcher to trailblazing entrepreneur, Sandra embodies the spirit of innovation that changes lives. She is committed to solving a global human problem: the undiagnosed early signs of dementia. We hope that advances in the latest technology, with Sandra and her team at the forefront, will lead to families identifying and potentially treating dementia at an early stage with a screening process that is accessible, painless and affordable – improving the quality of life for tens of millions around the globe.”

Simon is a spark that ignites passion and ideas. He envisions a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are, and end the day filled by the work they do. As an unshakeable optimist, he believes in our ability to build this world together. A trained ethnographer, Simon is fascinated by the people and organizations that make the greatest and longest lasting impact. Over the years, he has discovered some remarkable patterns about how they think, act, and communicate, and also the environments in which people operate at their natural best. Simon may be best known for his TED Talk on the concept of WHY, which has been viewed over 60 million times, and his video on millennials in the workplace—which reached 80 million views in its first week and has gone on to be seen hundreds of millions of times. He continues to share inspiration through his bestselling books, including global bestseller Start with WHY and New York Times bestsellers Leaders Eat Last and The Innite Game, as well as his podcast, A Bit of Optimism. In addition, Simon is the founder of The Optimism Company, a leadership learning and development company, and he publishes other inspiring thinkers and doers through his publishing partnership with Penguin Random House called Optimism Press. His unconventional and innovative views on business and leadership have attracted international attention, and he has met with a broad array of leaders and organizations in nearly every industry. He frequently works with different branches of the US Armed Forces and agencies of the US government, and is an adjunct sta member with the RAND Corporation—one of the most highly regarded think tanks in the world. Simon is also active in the arts and with not-for-prot work, or what he likes to call the for-impact sector. In 2021, he founded The Curve: a diverse group of forward-thinking chiefs and sheris committed to reform modern policing from the inside-out. Their purpose is to build a profession dedicated to protecting the vulnerable from harm while advancing a vision of a world in which all people feel justice is administered with dignity, equity, and fairness. 

Trevor Noah is the most successful comedian in Africa and was host of the Emmy® Award-winning “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central for seven years. “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” broke free from the restraints of a 30-minute linear show, producing engaging social content, award-winning digital series, podcasts and more for its global audience.

Trevor served as the Grammy Awards host for three consecutive years, with the 2023 show garnering the highest viewership since 2020. A 2020 Grammy nominee himself, his stand-up special “Trevor Noah: Son of Patricia” was nominated for best comedy album. He has written, produced, and starred in 12 comedy specials, including 2022’s “I Wish You Would,” and has sold out stand-up comedy shows, including his current “Off The Record” World Tour.

Trevor is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller “Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood. The book received the Thurber Prize for American Humor and two NAACP Image Awards. Trevor is writing a new untitled book scheduled for Fall 2023. Trevor’s new book is a gorgeously illustrated and moving modern fable for readers of all ages about forgiveness, acceptance, and the secret to solidarity.

He is now developing and producing diverse, high-quality creative content with Day Zero Productions, Trevor’s joint venture with Paramount Global. Noah also launched the Trevor Noah Foundation to improve equitable access to quality education for underserved youth in South Africa.

Universal Music Group Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Sir Lucian Grainge has transformed UMG into the most successful music company in history, pioneering new approaches to signing and developing the most successful recording artists and songwriters and championing innovative business models with a wide range of media and technology partners. Over the span of more than four decades at UMG, he has signed and worked with many worldwide stars including ABBA, Lady Gaga, Elton John, Queen, Rihanna, The Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift, U2 and Amy Winehouse, among many others. A native of London, Sir Lucian was bestowed with a knighthood in 2016 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the Queen’s 90th Birthday Honours list for his vital contributions to music, culture and business.

Matt Mullenweg is co-founder of the open-source publishing platform WordPress, which now powers over 40% of all sites on the web. He is the founder and CEO of Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Tumblr, WPVIP, Day One, Beeper, and Pocket Casts. Additionally, Matt runs Audrey Capital, an investment and research company. He has been recognized for his leadership by Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek, Inc. Magazine, TechCrunch, Fortune, Fast Company, Wired, University Philosophical Society, and Vanity Fair.

Matt is originally from Houston, Texas, where he attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and studied jazz saxophone. In his spare time, Matt is an avid photographer. He currently splits his time between Houston and San Francisco.

DRIFT manifests the phenomena and hidden properties of nature with the use of technology in order to learn from the Earth’s underlying mechanisms, and to re-establish our connection to it. With both depth and simplicity, DRIFT’s artworks illuminate parallels between man-made and natural structures through deconstructive, interactive, and innovative processes.

The artists, Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta raise fundamental questions about what life is and explore a positive scenario for the future. All individual artworks have the ability to transform spaces. DRIFT brings people, space and nature on to the same frequency, uniting audiences with experiences that inspire a reconnection to our planet.

Bryan Adams will release his 17th studio album, ‘Roll With The Punches’ in 2025. Over the past four decades his music has achieved #1 status in over 40 countries and is the recipient of numerous Awards including a Grammy, American Music Awards and 3 Academy Award, 5 Golden Globe nominations and he is a Companion of the Order of Canada.

Yeonmi Park is a North Korean defector, human rights activist, and bestselling author who has become a powerful global voice for freedom. Born in Hyesan, North Korea, Park endured unimaginable hardships under a brutal regime—witnessing death, extreme hunger, and the imprisonment of her father. At 13, she escaped to China, only to fall into the hands of traffickers before ultimately making a harrowing journey across the Gobi Desert to freedom in South Korea. Her memoir, In Order to Live, recounts this extraordinary escape and her fight for human dignity. A TED speaker and global advocate, Park has addressed the Oslo Freedom Forum and One Young World, where her emotional speeches have reached over 320 million viewers. She continues to speak out against totalitarianism and censorship in all forms, warning of rising authoritarianism worldwide. The BBC recognized her as one of its “Top 100 Global Women.”

Estefania Castillo is a youth leader and project communicator at Right By Me. She facilitates workshops for young people and companies, focusing on inclusion, diversity, and the courage to speak up. With a bachelor’s degree in media and communication, she also plays a key role in shaping the organization’s messaging and tone. Estefania has prior experience working in schools and with youth, where her passion for supporting young people has grown. She helps youth explore ways to express themselves through storytelling and creative methods.

Annika Sten Pärson is a social entrepreneur, investor, and board member with over 25 years of experience in various C-level executive positions and serving on boards of public and private companies. She is the Founding Partner and Executive Chair at The Inner Foundation, a non-profit foundation investing in solutions that strengthen inner health and promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, through a hybrid model. With a special focus on emerging adults (18-30).  Uniting public, private, and non-profit efforts in a diverse portfolio of 35+ organizations across Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and North America.  

Annika serves on the board of Meela, The World Childhood Foundation, Strong Minds, Tiimo, and EsterCare, among others. As part of her work at The Inner Foundation, Annika volunteers as a therapist at the non-profit clinic 1825 – Therapy Center for Young Adults in Stockholm, an organization she co-founded and is a Board Member of.