RSA NextGen: Neisha Hussain

Where did you grow up? 

In East Bristol, a vibrant and culturally diverse community that, alongside my mixed heritage upbringing, has shaped how I connect with people across different perspectives and lived experiences. It deeply influenced why I approach diplomacy and collaboration with empathy, nuance and curiosity.      

What did you want to be as a child and what are you now?

An actress, a scientist, an author. I certainly never planned to be working with multilateral organisations, governments and foundations!  

At 18 (I’m 20 now), I became the UK’s sole United Nations Youth Delegate to the UN Commission on Population and Development, and I’m now the first Senior Youth Delegate. Along with the international delegation – the UK Mission to the United Nations – I work on UN agreements that progress international development and the rights of women and girls globally.  

I am also an adviser at Mission 44, [Formula 1 racing driver] Sir Lewis Hamilton’s global charitable foundation, where I explore innovative and participatory approaches to philanthropy – I joined at age 16 as the foundation’s youngest adviser.  

What is one thing the world needs to know about you? 

I have walked into spaces which felt out of reach and elitist. I believe in un-gatekeeping processes, so much of my work centres on making global institutions feel less distant and more accessible to the people most affected by their decisions. 

I want a world where women and girls are not expected to shrink themselves in order to stay safe, be respected or be heard.

Share a book/album/television show you’re reading/listening to/watching right now 

I’m a big horror cinephile, so lately I have been catching up – watching Hokum, Passenger, Obsession and the classic Scary Movie!  

What are you most passionate about and why? 

Changing the narrative that leadership is one singular image. So often we are taught that a leader is a man in a suit bossing people around. As someone who doesn’t fit that stereotype, I have worked on redefining what leadership means to me: listening, compassion and vision. 

If you had one wish to change the world, what would it be? 

I want a world where women and girls are not expected to shrink themselves in order to stay safe, be respected or be heard. 

Tell us about someone who has inspired you 

Growing up, I loved movies and books. For me, they were a way of seeing the world from the comfort of my bedroom, at a time when I didn’t feel in control of my own story. My biggest inspirations are female protagonists such as Beth Harmon (The Queen’s Gambit), Tris Prior (Divergent), and Elle Woods (Legally Blonde).  

Why did you decide to become a Fellow of the RSA?

The RSA hosts such a cool community of innovative thinkers. I want to soak up all the available knowledge and contribute what I’ve learnt.