Marina Ponti

Biography

Marina Ponti, Global Director of the United Nations SDG Action Campaign In her role, Ms. Ponti led several global initiatives, including the award‑winning #TurnItAround and #FlipTheScript campaigns, which mobilized more than 350 million SDG actions across 190 countries. She also spearheaded the Heroes of Tomorrow: UN SDG Action Awards, elevating changemakers from every region and sector who are driving transformative solutions on the ground. A strong advocate for social, economic, and climate justice, Ms. Ponti champions the power of creativity, storytelling, and collective action to accelerate progress toward more inclusive, sustainable, and peaceful societies. Her leadership has increasingly focused on advocacy for a more equitable global financial architecture, contributing to high‑level consultations and multi‑stakeholder dialogues aimed at reshaping financing systems so they better serve people and planet. She brings a unique ability to translate complex economic and governance debates into compelling narratives that galvanize political will, public engagement, and cross‑sector collaboration. Previously, as one of the main architects of the UN Millennium Campaign, Ms. Ponti served for over a decade as Global Deputy Director and Regional Director for Europe, where she stood at the vanguard of innovative global mobilization efforts. She built broad coalitions, mobilized resources, and forged long‑term partnerships across civil society, local governments, parliamentarians, media, the private sector, and the UN system. She also served as a Special Advisor on the post‑2015 process during the final negotiations of the 2030 Agenda, and held leadership roles at UNICEF, the UN Secretariat, and Catapult, a pioneering crowdfunding platform advancing the rights of girls and women.