# Varshini Prakash

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American climate activist

Varshini Prakash Born 1992 or 1993 (age 32–33) Massachusetts, U.S. Education University of Massachusetts, Amherst (BA) Known for Former executive director and co-founder of the Sunrise Movement Political party Democratic

**Varshini Prakash** (born 1992/1993) is an American [climate activist](/source/Climate_activist). She co-founded the [Sunrise Movement](/source/Sunrise_Movement) in 2017, serving as its executive director until 2023.[1] She was named on the 2019 [Time 100](/source/Time_100) Next list,[2] and was a co-recipient of the [Sierra Club John Muir Award](/source/Sierra_Club_John_Muir_Award) in 2019.[3]

## Early life and education

Prakash was born to and raised in [Massachusetts](/source/Massachusetts) by parents from [Southern India](/source/Southern_India);[4] her father was from [Tamil Nadu](/source/Tamil_Nadu).[5] She first became aware of [climate change](/source/Climate_change) when she was 11 while watching news coverage of the [2004 Indian Ocean tsunami](/source/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake_and_tsunami) which impacted [Chennai](/source/Chennai), where her grandparents lived.[6][7] Growing up, she wanted to become a doctor.[6]

Prakash went to college at the [University of Massachusetts Amherst](/source/University_of_Massachusetts_Amherst) where she began organizing around climate issues.[6][7] In late 2015, [devastating floods in South India](/source/2015_South_India_floods) seized her attention, having caused flooding up to the level of her grandparents' apartment in Chennai.[4][5] To help combat climate change, Prakash became a leader of the school's [fossil fuel divestment](/source/Fossil_fuel_divestment) campaign. Prakash also worked with a national organization, Fossil Fuel Divestment Student Network. In 2016, a year after she graduated, UMass Amherst became the first large, public university to divest.[6][8]

## Career

In 2017, Prakash launched the Sunrise Movement, an American youth-led [political movement](/source/Political_movement) and [501(c)(4)](/source/501(c)(4)) that advocates [political action on climate change](/source/Political_action_on_climate_change), with seven other co-founders. Those other founders include [Sara Blazevic](/source/Sara_Blazevic), [Victoria Fernandez](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Victoria_Fernandez&action=edit&redlink=1), [Guido Girgenti](/source/Guido_Girgenti), and [William Lawrence](/source/William_Lawrence_(activist))[6][9]

In 2018, she became the Sunrise Movement's executive director after the group organized a protest occupying U.S. House Speaker [Nancy Pelosi](/source/Nancy_Pelosi)'s office asking that a [congressional](/source/Congress) task force be established to [address climate change](/source/Climate_change_mitigation).[6]

As part of her work with the Sunrise Movement, Prakash advocated for proposals like the [Green New Deal](/source/Green_New_Deal).[10] In 2020, the organization endorsed U.S. senator [Bernie Sanders](/source/Bernie_Sanders) in the Democratic Primary for the presidency.[7] Prakash was named as an adviser to Joe Biden's climate task force in 2020.[11][12][13][14] She is also an advisory board member of Climate Power 2020, a group that includes Democrats and activists advocating for increasing the interest American voters take in climate action.[13]

Prakash edited the book written by Girgenti, *Winning the Green New Deal: Why We Must, How We Can*, released August 2020.[15][16][17] She also is a contributor to *The New Possible: Visions of Our World Beyond Crisis*.[18][19] Prakash appeared in [Rachel Lears](/source/Rachel_Lears)' 2022 documentary film, *[To the End](/source/To_the_End_(2022_film))*, which focuses on the effects of [climate change](/source/Climate_change). The film debuted at the [2022 Sundance Film Festival](/source/2022_Sundance_Film_Festival)[20][21] and was presented at the [Tribeca Film Festival](/source/Tribeca_Film_Festival) in June 2022.[22]

In September 2023, Prakash stepped down as Sunrise executive director, succeeded by Sunrise activist [Aru Shiney-Ajay](/source/Aru_Shiney-Ajay).[23]

## Recognition

Prakash was named on the 2019 *[Time 100 Next](/source/Time_100_Next)* list of emerging global leaders.[10] She was a finalist for the 2019 [Pritzker Emerging Environmental Genius Award](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pritzker_Emerging_Environmental_Genius_Award&action=edit&redlink=1) from the [University of California, Los Angeles](/source/University_of_California%2C_Los_Angeles).[24] She received [Dickinson College](/source/Dickinson_College)'s Rose-Walters Prize for [Environmental Activism](/source/Environmental_activism) with a college residency in the 2021–2022 academic year.[25]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Pascoe, Alley (May 2021). ["Who Will Save The Planet? Meet The women Rallying For Climate Justice"](https://www.marieclaire.com.au/meet-the-women-rallying-for-climate-justice). *Marie Claire Australia*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210518041917/https://www.marieclaire.com.au/meet-the-women-rallying-for-climate-justice) from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["TIME 100 Next 2019: Varshini Prakash"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210428081352/https://time.com/collection/time-100-next-2019/5718838/varshini-prakash/). *Time*. Archived from [the original](https://time.com/collection/time-100-next-2019/5718838/varshini-prakash/) on April 28, 2021. Retrieved April 23, 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Sierra Club Announces 2019 National Award Winners"](https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2019/09/sierra-club-announces-2019-national-award-winners). *Sierra Club*. September 16, 2019. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210423202103/https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2019/09/sierra-club-announces-2019-national-award-winners) from the original on April 23, 2021. Retrieved April 23, 2021.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-bg2019_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-bg2019_4-1) Prakash, Varshini (September 17, 2019). ["Older generations broke the climate. It's up to young people to fix it"](https://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2019/09/17/older-generations-broke-climate-young-people-fix/eDldPRIKVOadSXQLiQws0H/story.html). *[The Boston Globe](/source/The_Boston_Globe)*. Retrieved March 10, 2023.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-2020sierraclub_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-2020sierraclub_5-1) Prakash, Varshini (December 22, 2020). ["Varshini Prakash on Redefining What's Possible"](https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2021-1-january-february/feature/varshini-prakash-redefining-whats-possible). *Sierra Club*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210502192122/https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2021-1-january-february/feature/varshini-prakash-redefining-whats-possible) from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2023.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_6-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:1_6-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:1_6-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-:1_6-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-:1_6-5) Solis, Marie (November 18, 2019). ["How a 26-Year-Old Activist Forced the Democratic Party to Get Serious About Climate Change"](https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-a-26-year-old-activist-forced-the-democratic-party-to-get-serious-about-climate-change-v26n4/). *Vice*. Photos by Nathan Bajar. Retrieved March 10, 2023.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:2_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:2_7-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:2_7-2) Adabala, Srihita (March 26, 2020). ["Meet Varshini Prakash, Leader of The Sunrise Movement"](https://web.archive.org/web/20201031172212/https://www.nextgenpolitics.org/meet-varshini-prakash-leader-of-the-sunrise-movement/). *Next Generation Politics*. Archived from [the original](https://nextgenpolitics.org/meet-varshini-prakash-leader-of-the-sunrise-movement/) on October 31, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Elton, Catherine (March 3, 2020). ["Varshini Prakash Is Trying to Save Boston From Climate Change"](https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2020/03/03/varshini-prakash/?fbclid=IwAR1ddTC-UIuCYvw3jWxBbwe_ONWQxSZSx4gUhr9OUxzaULwavnVyeDBq4e0). *Boston*. Metro Corp. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210423200512/https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2020/03/03/varshini-prakash/?fbclid=IwAR1ddTC-UIuCYvw3jWxBbwe_ONWQxSZSx4gUhr9OUxzaULwavnVyeDBq4e0) from the original on April 23, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Hyland, Véronique; Rougeau, Naomi; Vadnal, Julie (June 6, 2019). ["27 Women Leading the Charge to Protect Our Environment"](https://www.elle.com/culture/a27733802/women-in-conservation-list/). *Elle Magazine*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210512182843/https://www.elle.com/culture/a27733802/women-in-conservation-list/) from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2023.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:3_10-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:3_10-1) Inslee, Jay (2019). ["Varshini Prakash Is on the 2019 TIME 100 Next List"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210428081352/https://time.com/collection/time-100-next-2019/5718838/varshini-prakash/). *Time*. Archived from [the original](https://time.com/collection/time-100-next-2019/5718838/varshini-prakash/) on April 28, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Specter, Emma (October 26, 2020). ["Why 2020 Is a Climate Election"](https://www.vogue.com/article/why-2020-is-a-climate-election). *Vogue*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210612165820/https://www.vogue.com/article/why-2020-is-a-climate-election) from the original on June 12, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Rathi, Akshat (September 15, 2020). ["The Activist Trying to Bend the U.S. Congress Toward Climate"](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-15/sunrise-movement-and-varshini-prakash-pressure-joe-biden-on-climate). *Bloomberg*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20201031034505/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-15/sunrise-movement-and-varshini-prakash-pressure-joe-biden-on-climate) from the original on October 31, 2020.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_13-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_13-1) Teirstein, Zoya (May 20, 2020). ["How Climate Leftists and Moderates Are Working Together to Beat Trump"](https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/climate-leftists-and-moderates-are-working-together-to-beat-trump-2020-1002931/). *Rolling Stone*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210615203752/https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/climate-leftists-and-moderates-are-working-together-to-beat-trump-2020-1002931/) from the original on June 15, 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Calma, Justine (May 14, 2020). ["How the climate movement is trying to fix Joe Biden"](https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/14/21258678/joe-biden-climate-change-task-force-sunrise-movement-varshini-prakash). *The Verge*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210505015318/https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/14/21258678/joe-biden-climate-change-task-force-sunrise-movement-varshini-prakash) from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Ottesen, KK (September 22, 2020). ["'Adults are asleep at the wheel' in climate crisis, says co-founder of youth-led activist group"](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/adults-are-asleep-at-the-wheel-in-climate-crisis-says-co-founder-of-youth-led-activist-group/2020/09/21/960327f0-e7ac-11ea-bc79-834454439a44_story.html). *Washington Post*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210612024902/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/adults-are-asleep-at-the-wheel-in-climate-crisis-says-co-founder-of-youth-led-activist-group/2020/09/21/960327f0-e7ac-11ea-bc79-834454439a44_story.html) from the original on June 12, 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** ["Nonfiction Book Review: Winning the Green New Deal: Why We Must, How We Can by Edited by Varshini Prakash and Guido Girgenti. Simon & Schuster, $18 trade paper (256p) ISBN 978-1-982142-43-8"](https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-982142-43-8). *Publishers Weekly*. June 2, 2020. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210424092203/https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-982142-43-8) from the original on April 24, 2021. Retrieved April 23, 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** Stephenson, Wen (October 12, 2020). ["The Hardest Thing About the Green New Deal"](https://www.thenation.com/article/environment/climate-green-new-deal-2/). *The Nation*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210424131701/https://www.thenation.com/article/environment/climate-green-new-deal-2/) from the original on April 24, 2021. Retrieved April 23, 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** *The new possible : visions of our world beyond crisis*. Philip Clayton, Kelli M. Archie, Jonah Sachs, Evan Steiner, Kim Stanley Robinson. Eugene, Oregon. 2021. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-7252-8583-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-7252-8583-5). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [1236337736](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/1236337736).{{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_location_missing_publisher)) CS1 maint: others ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_others))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** ["Varshini Prakash on Redefining What's Possible"](https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2021-1-january-february/feature/varshini-prakash-redefining-whats-possible). *Sierra Club*. December 14, 2020. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210502192122/https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2021-1-january-february/feature/varshini-prakash-redefining-whats-possible) from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved April 23, 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** Dennis Harvey (January 23, 2022). ["'To the End' Review: A Doc on Pushing For Climate Policy Change"](https://variety.com/2022/film/festivals/to-the-end-review-1235158133/). Variety. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220520181346/https://variety.com/2022/film/festivals/to-the-end-review-1235158133/) from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** Leslie Felperin (January 23, 2022). ["'To the End' Review: Rachel Lears' New AOC Doc at Sundance – The Hollywood Reporter"](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/to-the-end-review-sundance-2022-1235079660/). Hollywoodreporter.com. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220520181346/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/to-the-end-review-sundance-2022-1235079660/) from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-22)** Jill Goldsmith (April 19, 2022). ["Tribeca Festival 2022 Lineup With Jon Hamm, Ray Romano, Bryan Cranston – Deadline"](https://deadline.com/2022/04/tribeca-festival-2022-lineup-film-tv-1235005218/). [Deadline Hollywood](/source/Deadline_Hollywood). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20221006034640/https://deadline.com/2022/04/tribeca-festival-2022-lineup-film-tv-1235005218/) from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-23)** Frazin, Rachel; Budryk, Zack (September 26, 2023). ["Meet the new leader of the Sunrise Movement"](https://thehill.com/newsletters/energy-environment/4224721-senate-pitches-stopgap-with-disaster-aid-funds/). *The Hill*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20231214154025/https://thehill.com/newsletters/energy-environment/4224721-senate-pitches-stopgap-with-disaster-aid-funds/) from the original on December 14, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-24)** ["Previous Candidates: Pritzker Emerging Environmental Genius Award"](https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/pritzker-genius/previous-candidates/). *UCLA Institute of the Environment & Sustainability*. The Regents of the University of California. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20251210031911/https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/pritzker-genius/previous-candidates/) from the original on December 10, 2025. Retrieved March 10, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-25)** ["Sunrise Movement Leader Varshini Prakash to Receive Dickinson College's Rose-Walters Prize for Environmental Activism"](https://www.dickinson.edu/news/article/4678/sunrise_movement_leader_varshini_prakash_to_receive_dickinson_college_s_rose-walters_prize_for_environmental_activism) (Press release). Dickinson College. April 28, 2021. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20251110065112/https://www.dickinson.edu/news/article/4678/sunrise_movement_leader_varshini_prakash_to_receive_dickinson_college_s_rose-walters_prize_for_environmental_activism) from the original on November 10, 2025. Retrieved March 10, 2023.

## External links

- [Interview in the "How I Built This" podcast](https://www.npr.org/2020/10/28/928810660/how-i-built-resilience-varshini-prakash-of-sunrise-movement)

- [Profile by Forbes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYKnfrSKXTA)

Authority control databases International VIAF Other Yale LUX

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Varshini Prakash](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varshini_Prakash) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varshini_Prakash?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.