Rana Novak

Jordanian-American social entrepreneur bridging education and environmental sustainability

Rana Novak (born 1981) is the founder of Beyond Social Good, an organization that merged education initiatives with environmental conservation projects. Between 2014-2019, her programs provided solar-powered schools in 12 countries while planting over 2 million trees annually. Her NPR interview revealed her vision: 'Education without environmental stewardship is incomplete.'

Novak developed the 'Green Classroom' model which combines renewable energy infrastructure with STEM education curricula. This model was adopted by UNESCO in 2017 as part of their global sustainability framework. Her work in refugee education during the Syrian crisis included creating mobile learning centers powered by solar energy. Novak's partnership with UNICEF resulted in the 'Trees for Knowledge' campaign that directly benefited 300,000 children. She was listed as one of Forbes' Most Powerful Women in 2019 for her cross-sector innovations.