Hikaru Wakeel Hayakawa

Hikaru Wakeel Hayakawa was born in Maplewood, New Jersey, to a Guyanese American mother and a Japanese immigrant father, and attended Columbia High School. His experience with the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy sparked his interest in climate justice and shaped his understanding of the social impacts of environmental disasters. In high school, Hayakawa received the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange & Study Abroad Program scholarship from the U.S. State Department to study in Skopje, North Macedonia, where he was recognized by the Bureau of Cultural and Education Affairs for his commitment to citizen diplomacy. Hayakawa graduated magna cum laude from Williams College with a bachelor's in history and minors in Global and Environmental Studies, earning highest honors for his thesis on the global Indigenous rights movement. He was also an undergraduate visiting student at the University of Oxford, studying abroad his junior year through the Williams-Exeter Programme at Oxford. == Climate Cardinals ==

In 2020, Hayakawa joined the founding team of Climate Cardinals, led by founding president Sophia Kianni. Starting as partnerships director, Hayakawa became the organization's first full-time executive director in 2024. He is best known for establishing Climate Cardinals' signature translation program, which collaborates with partners like Google Cloud and Translators Without Borders to make climate information accessible in over 100 languages. Hayakawa has also overseen key partnerships with major organizations such as UNICEF, UNESCO, and Google Cloud. His work is recognized for breaking down language barriers in climate communication and empowering youth leaders to champion climate action in their local communities. == Advocacy and public speaking ==

Hayakawa has become a prominent voice in the global climate movement, advocating for climate justice and youth empowerment at major international forums. He has spoken at events organized by the United Nations Development Programme, UNESCO, and Deloitte. == Awards and recognition ==

Hayakawa's work has earned him numerous accolades, including: • Grist 50 Class of 2024, recognizing influential leaders in the environmental movement • Williams Bradford Turner Citizenship Prize, for outstanding service and leadership at Williams College • American Councils for International Education: 50 Alumni for 50 Years, recognizing his contributions to youth leadership and diplomacy == References ==