Songqiao Yao is an activator, facilitator and supporter for the resilience of change leaders and networks in the climate and nature field, in China and globally. She is the founder of WildBound, an innovative social enterprise based in China and the UK.
WildBound cultivates sustainability leaders and systems transformation through deep ecology experiences, activating networks of change and engaging intergenerational, cross cultural and interdisciplinary stakeholders.
Prior to founding WildBound, Songqiao was a researcher, actionist, and social entrepreneur on environmental issues in China and globally. Over the past 15 years, she has led and advised youth climate organisations and projects, worked to conserve China’s rivers as a National Geographic Global Explorer and consulted on agricultural development projects in Sierra Leone, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe.
Songqiao was the first Chinese participant and faculty member for Homeward Bound, the largest all-female science and leadership expedition to Antarctica. She has subsequently led and organised over 10 learning expeditions to the Arctic, Antarctica and the Himalayas.
Songqiao received a Master of Philosophy in Geography from the University of Cambridge as a Gates Scholar and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Oxford as the first Skoll Scholar from China. She graduated summa cum laude from Mount Holyoke College.
