Julie Wathuti

A Kenyan environmental activist and entrepreneur leading global reforestation efforts through innovative tech solutions

Julie Wathuti (born 1989) is a Kenyan environmentalist and tech entrepreneur whose work has profoundly impacted global reforestation efforts. As founder of Greenpop Africa, she pioneered the use of blockchain technology for tracking tree planting projects across 12 African nations. Her innovative approach combines mobile apps with satellite imagery to ensure transparency in conservation projects, a methodology now adopted by UN Environment Programme.

Wathuti's 'Trees for Goals' campaign during the 2018 FIFA World Cup engaged over 2 million youths in planting 3 million trees. Her TED Talk "Our Trees, Our Future" has been viewed over 5 million times. She also co-founded the Young Leaders for the Amazon Rainforest initiative, creating cross-continental partnerships between African and South American conservationists.

In 2021, she launched the Seedcoin cryptocurrency to incentivize tree planting, raising $12M in its first year. Her work with NASA's citizen science program has enabled real-time deforestation monitoring in Kenya's Mau Forest Complex. Wathuti's impact extends to policy - she advised the Kenyan government's 2030 Green Economy Strategy and sits on the African Union's Climate Change Advisory Board.

Her grassroots approach trains local communities in agroforestry techniques, creating sustainable income streams through eco-tourism and carbon credits. Over 15,000 smallholder farmers now participate in her programs, achieving 90% tree survival rates using her patented drought-resistant seedling technology. Wathuti's vision bridges technology, ecology and social justice, earning her the 2022 Goldman Environmental Prize and inclusion in Time Magazine's 'Next Generation Leaders' list.