Joseph NGUTHIRU

Joseph Nguthiru is a Kenyan climate-tech engineer and systems innovator, dedicated to advancing Planetary Health by converting environmental crises into scalable socioeconomic opportunities.   He is the Founder and CEO of HyaPak, a circular economy startup that transforms the world's most invasive aquatic weed, water hyacinth, into biodegradable packaging as an alternative to single-use plastics, simultaneously creating green jobs for vulnerable fishing communities. His technical expertise, rooted in his engineering background from Egerton University, is complemented by his other impactful ventures, including M-Situ, an AI-powered early warning system for forest protection, and AfroClimate, a nonprofit empowering African climate entrepreneurs.  Joseph's commitment to evidence-based, community-centered restoration has earned him the UN Young Champion of the Earth title and Obama Foundation Leader, in addition to being featured in 40 Under 40 Africa. Notably, he has been honored as the best innovator in Kenya by the East African Community and received the COP28 Prototypes for Humanity prize for nature, food, and water systems. Joseph continues to be a leading voice in bridging the gap between engineering precision and high-level policy advocacy to safeguard the planet’s future, especially for the Global South.