Stephanie started as a new graduate nurse in the year 2017, as a transplant nurse, certified in transplant and med-surge, and promoted through the clinical ladder at Weill Cornell: NYP. She graduated with her MSN in Feb 2023 at Columbia University in Advanced Clinical Management and Leadership. She was awarded the Rising Star award of Nursing Clinical Excellence in 2019. She became the chair of the EBP/ Committee and Healthy Nurse of Operations, as well as Nursing Board representative for the enterprise prior to her nursing leadership role. Stephanie in her spare time is a transition to practice coach and lead for mentoring new graduate nurses. Her first leadership job was managing the hemodialysis/ Apheresis and inpatient acute rehabilitation center in Dec 2021. She completed several IRB studies and published a chapter in Nurturing Leadership Growth in a Millennial Clinical Nurse: A Blueprint Through Mentoring. In: Mentoring in Nursing through Narrative Stories Across the World. Stephanie also is a human centered nurse leader currently a co-lead for two Quality and Patient Safety Goals for the hospital and enjoys mentoring nurses and volunteering in the community on her spare time. Stephanie wished to take her experiences to the global world of nursing and joined the Nursing Now Challengers Committee in 2023.

I am a Canadian RN with 4 years experience, beginning my career in Medical-Surgical nursing,
while working contractually as a clinical instructor. After a few years in hospital, I decided to
branch out becoming a mental health and addictions community crisis nurse while holding a
casual position working at our local Corrections facility. I was working at both of these jobs
when I received acceptance to the University of Edinburgh as a Master of Advanced Nursing
Student, which I am currently completing. I am set to graduate this winter, specialising in nursing
education. I have also taken in interest in global nursing initiatives during my studies, and hope
to work in this field in the future.

Lincoln Gombedza graduated from Keele University as a Learning Disability Nurse and is now a multi-award-winning Learning Disability (LD) Nurse and Practice Educator at North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust. He is actively involved in working with partners across the NHS and beyond, bringing AI (Artificial Intelligence) and digital technologies into healthcare practices. He has collaborated successfully with NHS Digital Decision-Making Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council, Speakers for Schools, CHIME International, Foundation of Nursing Studies, Florence Nightingale Foundation, Sigma Nursing, Daisy Foundation, and has been invited to speak at conferences and events such as Digital Rewired 2023, International Daisy Day Conference Why Nurses and Midwives Stay? And CHIME CIO Summit. Lincoln has demonstrated excellent collaboration and leadership skills that have led to measurable, data-driven improvements in healthcare. He has promoted the use of AI and digital technologies and his speaking opportunities have helped to accelerate their adoption.
He was the first student nurse to join NHS Digital Shared Decision-Making Council and proposed innovative ideas such as empowering nurses to be innovators, leverage low code such as Microsoft Power Platform. He has also volunteered with the "Speakers for Schools and program and reached over 300 pupils through community outreach, inspiring many of them to consider a future in healthcare. Moreover, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lincoln played a crucial role in the adoption of digital healthcare solutions. He supported telehealth and virtual consultations, making sure that over 10,000 patients received continuous care during the peak of the pandemic. A key part of this digital transformation was working with other industry professionals to improve the quality and accessibility of these virtual healthcare services.

I have always been a very striving person and the same on my academic performance as well as on my professional aspect.

I have really high hopes for myself as well as for the organisation to achieve impressive milestones and help the people in every way possible, contribute to the greater good.

Ratna Suryani Gandana is a PhD student at the University of Edinburgh with a diverse background in nursing, including three years as an anesthesia nurse. An alumna of the University of Indonesia and the University of Edinburgh, she has actively led initiatives to close the gap in nursing education and improve healthcare access through her two startups. With numerous accolades, including recognition for her contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ratna is dedicated to driving impactful change in the nursing profession on both national and global levels

Tsung-Po Huang, originally from Taiwan, has dedicated himself to the field of healthcare. With three years of experience as a registered nurse in a medical centre, he has demonstrated compassion and expertise in patient care. Additionally, Tsung-Po Huang is a certified aromatherapist, blending traditional and holistic approaches to healing.

Currently pursuing a master's degree in nursing with a specialisation in education, Tsung-Po Huang is committed to empowering future generations of healthcare professionals. His passion lies in investigating how individuals' lived experiences shape and are shaped by their embodiment of health and illness, thus contributing to society through research aimed at improving healthcare practices and outcomes.

Darcie is a passionate third-year nursing student from Australia and is dedicated to fostering a positive and sustainable nursing profession. Currently undertaking a Bachelor of Nursing (Advanced Studies) at the University of Sydney as a recipient of the prestigious Susan Wakil Scholarship, she is committed to strengthening professional identity and advocacy within the nursing community. As Treasurer of the Sydney University Nursing Society and a student representative for Sydney Nursing School, she actively engages in initiatives that support nursing students' transition into the profession.

With hands-on experience as an Undergraduate Nursing Assistant at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Darcie understands the challenges and opportunities within the healthcare system. She is particularly interested in professional well-being, career development, and creating a culture where nurses feel valued and empowered. As a co-lead of the Sydney Nursing School Green Team, she also explores the intersection of sustainability and healthcare, advocating for responsible nursing practices that benefit both patients and the profession.

Through leadership, advocacy, and research, Darcie aims to contribute to a resilient and empowered nursing profession, ensuring that professional identity and workplace culture remain central to the future of nursing.

Rakhshanda Ramzan, MHS, BSN, RN, is a registered nurse and emerging global health leader from Pakistan, currently based in the United States. She holds a Master of Health Science in Environmental Health (Public Health) from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she earned multiple graduate certificates in Climate Change & Public Health, Public Health Preparedness, Risk Sciences & Public Policy, Environmental & Occupational Health, and Food Systems & the Environment. Her capstone project explored how microplastic exposure and climate stressors exacerbate pediatric asthma in urban communities, integrating environmental epidemiology, health equity, and policy translation.

Rakhshanda currently serves as a nurse and environmental health and climate change researcher, with a focus on mobilising nurses as advocates for planetary health. She has led climate-health campaigns, disaster risk reduction workshops, and policy dialogues, aiming to bring nurses’ voices to decision-making tables. Her passion lies in empowering early-career nurses to champion environmental justice and resilient health systems across the Eastern Mediterranean region.

I joined the Challengers' Committee to help strengthen the capacities of young nurses and midwives across the globe, provide leadership skills, advocate for nurses and provide mentorship to young nurses, and also find innovative ways to support the nursing profession. As a challenger I am committed to empowering young nurses and to prepare young nurse leaders that are able to handle leadership positions at their home country and influence their health systems, also to achieve greater engagement of nurses in global health and innovations.

Zipporah Iregi is a Registered Nurse with five years of experience in advocacy and communication geared towards Health Workforce and System Strengthening. She is currently working with AfyaReach to coordinate and support the training of Community Health Promoters in Kirinyaga County, Kenya.
Over the past 5 years, Zipporah has been at the forefront of advocating for the Healthcare Worker and Universal Health Coverage. She has spoken at several Nursing and Global Health Events including the White House Covid-19 Summit, Switchpoint Exchange, and World Hospital Congress, utilizing her platform to speak on supporting healthcare workers to get fair pay, adequate PPE, and the investment in training, recruiting, and research. She was awarded the Global Nursing Now Challenge Advocacy and Communication award in 2022 for her work and efforts.
Following her passion for nursing leadership and mentorship, she was one of the founding members of the Kenya Students and Novice Nurses (KESNNUR), a leadership training, and professional development program for student and novice nurses in Kenya. The program has now grown to reach over 3,000 nursing students in over 15 institutions around Kenya.

Dr Maurine Rofhiwa Musie an Advanced Midwife specialist, Senior Midwifery lecturer and Clinical programme manager in the Nursing Sciences Department, University of Pretoria, South Africa. Profiled as Youngest Women in Science (STEM) under the category Youngest Scientist. Also, recently bestowed an award of being the Youngest PhD holder in the Nursing Sciences Department, University of Pretoria and by the National Research Foundation (NRF) in 2023. In 2015 she was the first African student to be awarded Cum Lauda in Bachelors degree of Nursing Sciences.

Dr M Musie has demonstrated an unwavering passion for her chosen Midwifery field of study and has consistently displayed a high level of expertise and innovation. Beyond her research accomplishments, Dr Musie has been an exemplary mentor
and role model for aspiring young women scientists. Through various outreach programs, workshops, and talks, she has encouraged and inspired the next generation of female scientists to pursue their passions and overcome challenges in
the male-dominated field of science. She is a finalist for Woman in Nursing Education, Woman of Stature awards in South Africa (WOSA) 2024. She was also a recipient of the Overall winner in Young Researcher category: Emergent Research

Excellence Award at the University of Pretoria in 2021-2023. She represents South Africa at the Nursing Now Global Research Challenge of the Burnett Trust of Nursing. She was appointed in Board of Director, Secretary Sigma Thetha Tau
International, Chi-Xi chapter.

Her research focus is on developing an innovative and hybrid training programme for continuing professional development (CPD) for midwives to managed obstetrical emergencies and complications which is one of the global targets to attain the
Sustainable developmental goals. The project fosters policy development, collaborative efforts with fellow researchers, both nationally and internationally, fostering an environment of cooperation and knowledge exchange that enriches the scientific community.

Sanele Lukhele is a Midwifery Lecturer in the School of Nursing at the University of the Western Cape and holds a Doctor of Nursing degree from the University of Pretoria. Her academic and professional interests focus on maternal, child, and neonatal health.
Sanele's leadership and advocacy in nursing and midwifery have earned her both national and international recognition. In 2017, she
was selected as Africa’s sole representative on the Sigma Nursing Next Generation Leaders Task Force, a prestigious eight-member global team. The following year, she was named one of the Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans, a recognition she dedicated to all nurse-midwives working to restore the image of nursing and midwifery in South Africa. In 2019, she received the Gauteng Premier’s Excellence Award in the health category.

Her collaborative and people-centred approach has enabled her to build strong, enduring professional networks. In 2022, she was appointed to the global Nursing Now Challenge – Midwives in Focus Steering Committee. In 2023, Sanele joined the Nursing Now Challenge and WISH delegation at the Pre-World Health Assembly Workshop in Geneva, Switzerland.
Most recently, Sanele was elected to the Executive Committee of the Society of Midwives of South Africa, where she serves as both Secretary and Social Media Correspondent. She also contributes her expertise as a member of South Africa’s National Technical Working Group on Safe Surgery.
Most recently, she has been appointed to join the Nursing Now Challenge Africa Regional Hub Leadership, a role she embraces with pride and a deep commitment to the organisation’s mission.