Personal Tragedy to Action

Angela was born and raised in one of the most polluted cities in the world, Skopje, in North Macedonia. As a result of the toxic pollution, her aunt, a social worker who previously struggled with cardiovascular difficulties, passed away.

She channeled her grief and sadness from the loss to further understand who caused the air pollution. It broke her heart to understand that fossil fuels weren’t the leading cause of the pollution, yet it was fast fashion, the massive production from rich companies who exploited the labor and damaged the environment, and us the consumers who are tirelessly chasing the newest Instagram trends. To share her knowledge and help people around her live more sustainably, she started the non-profit organization EnRoute. At the start, EnRoute was a small organization sharing climate knowledge among local schools. However, as COVID hit, schools closed, Angela had to pivot and find another way to share her mission.

She learned how to code, and in 2020, she created the app EnRoute. EnRoute helped over 60000 people across the Globe reduce carbon emissions from their daily activities. Recognized as Forbes 30 Under 30, GreenTech Honorees, she worked alongside Shawn Mendes Foundation and National Geographic to develop a strong community of climate activists who continue to share the mission worldwide. In three years, EnRoute helped over 100000 people reduce carbon emissions in 50 countries. This keynote will prompt young people to think about the problems in their surroundings, help them design simple solutions, and use the power of building communities to take their idea globally.

The Bullied’s Dream

Born and raised in a patriarchal society in a low-income village, far away in North Macedonia, Angela’s interest in technology wasn’t well supported by her family and friends. From her earliest age, she was bullied and teased. However, no matter the insults received, she never felt guilty about who she was. She only felt guilty when she played who she was not.

But, It wasn’t until one morning in May that things changed forever. After classes, Angela’s classmates decided to push her down the stairs - into the basement. As if that wasn’t enough, one of them even marked her forehead with a tattoo, a red one which said: “I’m a loser”

As she was lying down, she knew at that moment she would either get up and change her life for the better or surrender and let them win. At that moment, she created her Bullied’s Dream: a utopian world where bullied people use their past trauma to realize their wildest dreams.

Fast forward, 8 years after that event, Angela has remarkably transformed her life. She shed over 60 pounds, achieved the title of national math champion, became the youngest Macedonian to be featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 List, walked numerous red carpets, interned twice at Google, and spoke at countless events worldwide.

Through this keynote, Angela will convey her story and explain how to use bullying as fuel for success. She will convey how fear of not returning to the places where she felt like a square peg to a round hole allowed her to go beyond what she believed was possible.

She is nowhere near done, but she can proudly say that she is living her Bullied’s Dream."