Ahmed Hassan OAM

Co-founder and executive director of Youth Activating Youth

2022 VIC Young Australian of the Year

Dedicated, hardworking and fearless, Ahmed Hassan has a clear vision on how to best assist and advocate for disadvantaged young people from multicultural backgrounds. He possesses an innate ability to relate and connect, passing on critical life skills around education, employment, health and wellbeing.

In 2014, at the age of 18, Ahmed co-founded Youth Activating Youth, alongside fellow community leader and current CEO, Ali Ahmed.

Youth Activating Youth offers support to marginalised and disadvantaged young people – particularly those who consistently fall through the cracks. It provides them with the essential skills needed to build self-confidence and self-sufficiency. Originally a youth-led committee, Youth Activating Youth has grown into an established not-for-profit organisation with a committed team and a diverse and multidisciplinary board.

Born in the northern suburbs of Melbourne to parents from Somalia and Eritrea, Ahmed is driven by a desire to form social cohesion, bridge cultural divides and achieve the best outcomes for young people from multicultural backgrounds across Victoria.