Environmental, Social, Governance and Sustainability.

GELA is a New York–incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young leaders and advancing global sustainable development. Headquartered in New York, with an expanding presence in Shenzhen, Beijing, Hong Kong, and university communities worldwide, GELA connects students, universities, industry leaders, investors, researchers, and cross-border institutions to foster meaningful collaboration in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). GELA has also been a member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) since June 2025.

GELA’s journey began with the CGELA. Conceived in December 2022 by a group of Columbia University graduate students in New York, CGELA was founded on a shared belief that young people should play a more active role in shaping solutions to global sustainability challenges. Building on this vision, members of the founding team established GELA as an independent nonprofit organization in New York in June 2023. In December 2023, GELA received federal recognition as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, marking its evolution from a university-based initiative into an institutionally governed global platform.

Today, CGELA remains GELA’s founding university chapter and a core part of the broader GELA ecosystem. Under a “global headquarters plus university chapters” model, GELA provides strategic direction, institutional resources, brand coordination, partnership development, and operational support to chapters and student communities at leading universities worldwide. This structure enables locally driven initiatives to benefit from a shared international network while maintaining strong connections to their respective campuses.

GELA operates through three core pillars: the University Chapters Alliance, the AC Accelerator, and the SustainX Institute.

The University Chapters Alliance brings together student-led organizations and emerging chapters across leading global universities. It promotes sustainability awareness, youth leadership, interdisciplinary exchange, and collaboration across institutions and regions. The AC Accelerator supports early-stage, innovation-driven, and impact-oriented ventures through incubation programs, mentorship, industry partnerships, international market connections, and access to global investor networks. It serves as a bridge between young innovators, entrepreneurs, universities, corporations, and the broader innovation ecosystem. The SustainX Institute serves as GELA’s research and knowledge platform. It develops research, policy insights, and collaborative initiatives at the intersection of emerging technology, climate resilience, responsible investment, sustainable innovation, and global development.

Through international forums, sustainability summits, policy and industry dialogues, university-based initiatives, research programs, entrepreneurship programs, and cross-sector partnerships, GELA creates opportunities for young leaders to engage directly with experts, entrepreneurs, investors, academics, and decision-makers. Its initiatives are designed to equip participants with the knowledge, networks, practical experience, and global perspective needed to address complex sustainability challenges.

GELA’s vision is to build a connected global ecosystem in which young people play a central role in shaping sustainability solutions. By integrating education, research, entrepreneurship, and international collaboration, GELA seeks to nurture responsible leadership, accelerate sustainable innovation, and contribute to a more inclusive, equitable, and resilient future.