Abigail Grace Larsen is the heart behind Thallo - a youth-led platform built to connect people with causes that matter. But Thallo wasn’t born in a classroom or a boardroom. It was born in the backyard of a children’s home in East London, where Abigail spent part of her gap year volunteering. There, she witnessed 50 children living in shipping containers due to overcrowding - a moment that moved her deeply and ignited a question that wouldn’t leave her: What if young people had a simple way to help?

Her journey didn’t stop there. From caring for the dying in the slums of Mumbai to running a stationery fundraiser for a special needs school in Rwanda, Abigail saw a pattern: extraordinary organisations doing powerful work, but struggling to be seen and supported.

“The world doesn’t lack compassion,” she says, “it lacks connection.”

In 2024, she teamed up with Mia Olivier and Michael Manley to enter the Hult Prize Challenge. What began as a student pitch is now a growing mission: to build a platform where volunteering is as accessible and rewarding as scrolling a feed.

Currently pursuing her BCom in International Business at Stellenbosch University, Abigail also serves as an ambassador for the US–Africa Trade Summit. She leads Thallo with clarity, conviction, and a strong sense of calling.

“We’ve been told to look inward for purpose. But purpose often lives outside of us: in others, in community, in showing up. Thallo exists to make that easier.”

Her belief is simple: small acts of kindness can change the world; especially when made visible.