Sophia Kianni

Social Entrepreneur and Tech Innovator, Co-Founder of Phia, Co-Host of The Burnouts Podcast, and Founder of Climate Cardinals

Sophia Kianni

Social Entrepreneur and Tech Innovator, Co-Founder of Phia, Co-Host of The Burnouts Podcast, and Founder of Climate Cardinals

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Biography

Sophia Kianni is an Iranian-American entrepreneur. She is the founder of Phia, an AI alignment layer for commerce. Phia has 1M+ users and has raised $43M+ from Tier 1 VCs including Notable Capital, Khosla Ventures, and Kleiner Perkins. She also hosts The Burnouts, a business podcast with an 800k+ audience and 700+ million views. She graduated from Stanford University and is the founder of Climate Cardinals, the world’s largest youth-led climate nonprofit. She is the youngest United Nations advisor in U.S. history.

Sophia has amassed a following of over 500,000 followers across social media platforms and her work has been profiled by The New York Times, CNN, Vogue, Business Insider, BBC, NPR, ELLE, The Guardian, NBC, and even on the front page of The Washington Post. She has also authored opinion pieces for outlets such as TIME Magazine, MTV News, Cosmopolitan, Teen Vogue, and Yale Climate Connections.

Sophia is a prolific storyteller and has spoken at universities across the world including Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, MIT, Oxford, Cambridge, and Princeton, as well as at events including Web Summit, the European Union, BoF Voices, Global Citizen, Vogue Business Fashion Futures, and New York Times Events. She has sat on boards and advisory councils for The New York Times, World Economic Forum, Ashoka, American Lung Association, Reform Alliance, Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation, and EPA. She won the TED global idea competition and her debut TED Talk has 2+ million views.

She has been named VICE Media's youngest Human of the Year, a Gloria Steinem Fellow, a Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awardee, a National Geographic Young Explorer, one of BBC’s 100 Women, and named to TIME 100 Next and Forbes 30 Under 30.

Speaker Videos

Activist Sophia Kianni Cuts Her Hair in Protest for Women’s Rights | Global Citizen Festival 2023

CGI 2023 | Story Studio with Sophia Kianni

Sophia Kianni Introduces The Solv[ED] Youth Innovators at Solve At MIT 2023

Language Shouldn't Be a Barrier to Climate Action | Sophia Kianni | TED Countdown

Is climate salvation lost in translation? | Sophia Kianni

Kianni on accountability and the individual carbon footprint

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Speech Topics

Building Phia: Lessons in AI Entrepreneurship from a Viral Consumer Startup

What does it take to turn an idea into a product that captures attention in one of the most competitive technology markets in the world? Sophia Kianni shares the story behind Phia, the AI-powered shopping assistant that grew to more than 1 million downloads while attracting backing from leading investors and high-profile supporters. Drawing on her experience as a founder building in the rapidly evolving AI landscape, Kianni offers an honest look at the realities of entrepreneurship, from identifying meaningful user needs and developing product-market fit to fundraising, scaling growth, and navigating an increasingly crowded marketplace. She explores the opportunities and responsibilities that come with building AI-powered products, emphasizing the importance of trust, ethics, and user experience. Through practical lessons and real-world examples, Kianni provides a modern roadmap for founders, innovators, and aspiring entrepreneurs looking to transform ideas into impact. This engaging keynote offers valuable insight into what it takes to build, launch, and grow a company in the age of AI.

Audiences will learn:

How to identify real-world problems and build products that create immediate value
Lessons on entrepreneurship, fundraising, and scaling growth in the AI era
The role of ethics, trust, and responsible innovation in building successful technology products

It Starts with You: How Young Voices Can Change the World

What if the most powerful tool for creating change is the one you already have—your voice? Sophia Kianni shares her journey from a passionate student to an internationally recognized changemaker, becoming the youngest United Nations advisor in U.S. history, winning the TED Global Idea competition, and founding one of the world’s largest youth-led climate organizations. Through personal stories and lessons learned along the way, Kianni demonstrates that leadership is not defined by age, title, or experience, but by the willingness to take action. She challenges audiences to see their ideas, creativity, and networks as powerful tools for making a difference in their communities and beyond. With authenticity, energy, and practical insight, she shows how small actions can grow into meaningful movements. This inspiring keynote empowers young people to stop waiting for permission and start creating impact where they are.

Audiences will learn:

How to use their voice, ideas, and experiences to create meaningful change
Why leadership begins with action, not position or age
Practical strategies for turning passion into purpose and impact

Mission Is Strategy: Winning Consumers by Leading with Purpose

Today’s consumers, employees, and stakeholders expect more from organizations than products and services—they expect purpose, accountability, and action. Sophia Kianni bridges the worlds of activism, technology, and innovation to help leaders understand how mission-driven organizations can build trust and create lasting impact. Drawing on her work with the United Nations, The New York Times, the World Economic Forum, and the Born This Way Foundation, Kianni explores how sustainability and social responsibility have evolved from corporate initiatives into strategic business imperatives. Through real-world examples and data-driven insights, she examines how organizations can authentically engage consumers, strengthen brand loyalty, and align purpose with performance. Rather than treating mission as a marketing strategy, she demonstrates how integrating values into decision-making can drive innovation, employee engagement, and long-term growth. This timely keynote offers a practical framework for organizations seeking to lead with purpose in an increasingly values-driven marketplace.

Audiences will learn:

How purpose-driven strategies influence consumer trust, brand loyalty, and organizational growth
Practical ways to align mission, sustainability, and business objectives
Why authenticity and accountability are critical to engaging today’s consumers and employees

Testimonials

"Sophia was a lively speaker at our panel, distinguishing herself as a passionate leader with a sternly unique vision and powerful insights to initiate global change. At Panel to the People, we always stressed that conversations are give-and-take, and Sophia perhaps best embodied that spirit through her amazing ability to form insights across different domains of work. She was a dynamic panelist and contributed significantly to our vibrant discussion through her interdisciplinary insights. Through her compelling message and powerful delivery, she inspired me and our many attendees. As a highly passionate and eloquent student, activist, and changemaker, I strongly recommend Sophia for any future speaking engagements."

- Baltimore Ethical Society

"She was very impressive, speaking from her own experiences and perspective as a young woman in the movement, which made it personal and distinctive. She was organized, confident, professional, and prompt. She overviewed her speech before getting into the presentation, stayed within her time, and answered questions thoroughly and concisely. I appreciated that her presentation was a visual aid to her speech, rather than text that was being read verbatim. She’s a very empowering role model, especially for young women of color. Sophia’s speech brought up topics of environmental justice such as indigenous rights, intergenerational learning, disability rights, and environmental racism, sexism, and ageism. She also offered ways for people to get involved at multiple levels as well as structural changes needed to forward the movement. Sophia really was inspirational in her knowledge and passion and is a terrific speaker."

- St. Louis Earth Day Festival

"We at MUN Impact work to empower students around the world to take action for the SDGs and believe that their youth is not a disadvantage, in fact it is a strength. Ms. Sophia Kianni’s work is testament to that very statement and hence, we were delighted to have her present at the MUN Impact Global Summit 2020. Her passion for environmental advocacy shined through in the enthusiastic manner in which she delivered critical information on the climate crisis and proposed solutions to the same. Though climate change is an issue we’ve heard of frequently, Ms. Kianni was able to re-ignite curiosity and zest in our audience for the cause. Her journey with the Climate Cardinals allowed her to cite an inspiring personal story that motivated our audience. She undoubtedly has my full endorsement."

- MUN Impact Global

“Sophia Kianni was a pleasure to work with. Sophia was our closing speaker at our Diversity Week event, and she did great!”

- Women in Cable Telecommunications