New York, NY — 22 September 2025

At the heart of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the Gates Foundation’s flagship event, Goalkeepers 2025, convened hundreds of global leaders, innovators, youth advocates and cultural voices under a singular theme: “We Can’t Stop at Almost.”

Represented by its Founder, Artem Shestakov, and President, Dr. Priyanka Chahal, Faces of Impact took its place among influential changemakers, aligning the organisation’s mission — to transform recognition into real-world impact via culture, storytelling and youth leadership — with the event’s urgent call to action.

The 2025 Global Goalkeeper Award was presented to Pedro Sánchez, President of the Government of Spain, in recognition of his leadership in advancing the global goals and strengthening international development partnerships. At the same time, a remarkable list of speakers and performers gathered on stage, including Bill Gates (Chair, Gates Foundation), Jon Batiste, Olivia Wilde, Dr Opeyemi Rebecca Akinajo, Dr Hellen Barsosio, Krystal Birungi, and many more.

A Stage Where Culture Meets Global Impact

Walking through the event halls at the iconic Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York, Shestakov and Dr Chahal joined the gathering of global voices beneath bright LED signage proclaiming “The Global Goalkeeper Award 2025.” In one of the featured moments, they posed for photographs at the SDG wheel installation, where youth delegates held signs bearing SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 13 (Climate Action) — a vivid symbol of the convergence between culture, youth, and global ambition.

For Faces of Impact, attending this event represented more than presence — it was a moment of alignment. While the Goalkeepers agenda centred heavily on health and preventable child death, the organisation elevated the cultural dimension: how art, media, storytelling and cross-disciplinary collaboration amplify solutions for health, education and equity.

Charting the Roadmap Ahead

In his remarks, Bill Gates reminded attendees that humanity stands at a crossroads, emphasising that accelerating progress toward ending preventable child deaths and combating infectious diseases will require innovation, sustained funding, and partnership.

Brazilian data suggest the world has already halved the under-5 child mortality rate since 2000. The question now is: how to halve it again. Goalkeepers 2025 showcased the latest research, from advanced maternal vaccines to AI-driven delivery systems — and the role of cross-sector leadership.

Faces of Impact emerged from the event with a sharpened focus: to expand its global cultural network, deepen youth-led programmes, partner with health and education institutions, and translate artistic recognition into measurable development outcomes. By bridging cultural diplomacy with the hard metrics of global health and education, the organisation is positioned to capture unique opportunities in the years ahead.

Looking Forward: From Vision to Action

As Goalkeepers participants dispersed and high-level commitments were renewed, the tone was unequivocal: progress is possible — but only if we refuse to stop at “almost.” With thanks to the dossier of champions honoured — including community pioneers, scientists, youth advocates and cultural icons — the signal was clear: leadership for the Global Goals must now come from every sector.

For Faces of Impact, the 2025 Goalkeepers event marked an important milestone in its evolution: joining a global coalition, deepening its influence at the intersection of culture + impact, and reinforcing its commitment to amplify voices and drive change. As the world takes its next steps, the message remains: culture is not separate from global development — it is central to it.