Today, The Diana Award launched ‘Pledge to Invest’ an initiative which puts the spotlight on the future of youth leadership and how forward-thinking businesses can support.
Today, The Diana Award launched ‘Pledge to Invest’ an initiative which puts the spotlight on the future of youth leadership and how forward-thinking businesses can support.
They were joined at the launch event by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, The Diana Award has the support of both her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.
Dr Tessy Ojo CBE, CEO of The Diana Award, chaired a conversation with the Duke, two young people who hold the Legacy Award in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, and Paul Fipps, ServiceNow President of Global Customer Operations, within the Executive Circle at Knowledge 2025 hosted by ServiceNow, the AI platform for business transformation.
The Duke and Dr Tessy Ojo CBE met with ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott along with over 20 senior business leaders, changemakers and donors at a private roundtable prior to taking the stage.
The onstage discussion, driven by two young Diana Legacy Award recipients - Sikander ‘Sonny’ Khan, from Michigan USA and Christina Williams from Jamaica - focused on youth leadership and how employers can proactively create pathways for young people to enter and thrive in the workplace. The conversation highlighted what can be done to improve outcomes and emphasised the resilience and agency of young people.
As industries navigate rapid technological disruption, global economic shifts, and increasing ESG demands, one constant remains: investing in young people is not just a moral imperative – it is a smart business strategy.
The Duke's participation in ‘The Knowledge’ event underscores his continued commitment to redefining how we invest in the future. In partnership with The Diana Award, he is helping bridge business investment and youth development, championing a vision where innovation, equity and service unite—not only to address today’s workforce challenges, but to unlock the full potential of the next generation of leaders. In doing so, he continues the legacy of his mother, Princess Diana, whose unwavering belief in the power of young people remains at the heart of this mission.
“Through The Diana Award, I've had the privilege of meeting young people who have turned adversity into action. That’s not just inspiring—it's the kind of untapped potential we can’t afford to overlook,” said The Duke. “Far too many young people are locked out of leadership pipelines because we’ve failed to build truly inclusive and accessible pathways.”
“This generation isn’t waiting for permission to lead—they are already doing it,” he continued. “They bring emotional intelligence, social awareness, and an honesty about mental health that previous generations struggled to express. What sets them apart isn’t just their boldness, but their refusal to settle for the status quo... If we’re serious about a better future, we need to stop underestimating them and start listening.”
To fellow panellists Sikander ‘Sonny’ Khan and Christina Williams, The Duke added: “We're in an era now where we are looking for more companies to be serving the greater good – the majority, not the minority. Every single young person has potential. From a younger generation standpoint, in an apathetic world, there’s more empathy in this generation than I’ve ever seen before... It’s the empathy, the authenticity, the truth, the honesty and the fearlessness... When they stand up for themselves, and stand up in their communities... That is what we need. We need fearless leadership. So I tip my hat to both of you and what you represent.”
Speaking to business leaders at the event Christina Williams said; “Providing up skilling and education opportunities and workplace mobility isn't an act of charity. It is in your benefit to do this now so you have a competent and capable generation to take on the torch from you in a few decades to run your companies.”
Talking about the importance of mentoring, Sonny Khan said “I want people to understand all of us have been in that position, where we've been young people looking for a chance, and then somebody gave us that chance. It's our responsibility to lift when we rise, and open doors for other people. And that's something as a young person I’ve tried to do every single day - being that mentor for younger people and trying to create that ripple effect.”
Speaking at the event, The Diana Award CEO Dr. Tessy Ojo, CBE, framed the urgency of the moment – youth employment, mental health decline, widening inequalities – and emphasised the role of business in co-create the future: “Behind every thriving industry is its people. We don’t just develop young people – we co-create the workforce of tomorrow. Companies that invest in youth leadership today are cultivating the workforce, innovators, and consumers of tomorrow. I urge businesses to find out more diana-award.org.uk/pledgetoinvest”
Paul Fipps President, Global Customer Operations, from ServiceNow says: “At ServiceNow, our purpose is to make the world work better for everyone, and that starts with the next generation. We’re proud to partner with Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and The Diana Award to provide a platform that encourages other business leaders to invest in young people. We are committed to investing in the next generation, empowering them to tackle the pressing issues of our time.”
ENDS_
Further information: Emma Pelling, 07958558172, emma@pellingpr.co.uk
About the charity – The Diana Award
The Diana Award was set up in memory of The Prince of Wales and The Duke of Sussex’s mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, and her belief that young people have the power to change the world.
The charity exists to empower young people to make positive change by unlocking potential, creating opportunities and inspiring action through four key programmes which include; a mentoring programme for young people at risk, a youth-led anti-bullying ambassadors campaign, a collaborative Changemakers programme that aims to reimagine mental health support for young people from racialised communities and a prestigious award which publicly recognises young changemakers – The Diana Award.
Further Information about the Pledge to Invest can be found here.
Further information about Knowledge 2025 can be found here.
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Media spokespeople:
Dr Tessy Ojo CBE, Chief Executive, The Diana Award
Tessy is a passionate and practical campaigner who has gained an international reputation for fostering positive change in the lives of young people and the impact it has on communities around them. At the heart of her work is the belief that with the right support and investment, young people are the best instigators for achieving real, sustainable change in their lives, their communities and the lives of their peers.
Christina Williams – Legacy Award Recipient
Christina Williams is a powerhouse advocate and Attorney-at-law from Jamaica with a 15-year track record of leading high-impact policy reforms, championing youth empowerment and marginalized groups' equitable access to education, healthcare and technology. Christina’s influence and impact is far-reaching, spanning global institutions, including the European Union, various United Nations agencies and the Commonwealth Secretariat.
Her dedication has earned her prestigious accolades, including The Princess Diana Legacy Award which is the highest award a young person may receive for their social impact work and a Community Hero award.
Sikander ‘Sonny’ Khan – Legacy Award Recipient, Founder & CEO of Paani Project and Product Marketing Manager at Microsoft
Sonny is a Diana Legacy Award recipient who leads Paani Project, building 20,000+ wells and spearheading diverse humanitarian initiatives across Pakistan. At Microsoft, he works on Copilot AI products. His innovative, community-centered leadership has earned him recognition in Forbes 30 Under 30.
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Deputy CEO of The Diana Award recognised in The King’s New Year Honours 2025
