Katia Thomas

2025 Eco-Hero

FINALIST

Katia Thomas
Age 16
Beverly Hills, California, USA
Environmental Justice & Sustainable Innovation

Katia Thomas’ journey in activism began at the young age of six, when she first started collaborating with nonprofits like Grades of Green to reduce waste at her school. Her commitment to environmental justice has since grown to a global scale, leading her to work with Indigenous communities in the Amazon rainforest.

Katia’s work with the Cofan community of Ecuador is a testament to her dedication. She has spearheaded fundraising efforts to purchase boats for river patrols, protecting their land from illegal logging and fracking. She has also helped them with the intricate paperwork to secure 32,000 hectares of ancestral land to be converted into a sustainable city, empowering the community to protect their own territory.

Beyond her on-the-ground activism, Katia is also an inventor. At age 14, she created DAESSE (Daily Aerodynamic Electric Sustainable Engine), a device that generates electricity from garbage, which earned her an honorable mention at the Los Angeles Science Fair. This innovative spirit, combined with her activism, highlights her commitment to creating tangible solutions to environmental problems.

Katia’s passion is now reaching a worldwide audience as a protagonist in the documentary Green SuperHeroes 2030, which showcases the efforts of youth climate activists globally. She is also in the process of launching her own nonprofit, the Green Superheroes Movement, to continue inspiring and supporting young people in their environmental projects.

greensuperheroesfilm.org/katia-thomas