Emi Gaçaj is Co-Founder and Head of Operations at Manglovo Health, a groundbreaking reproductive health startup, and Founder of The Body Org, a national youth-led organization reimagining sexual wellness and education. Rooted in her identity as a lifelong resident of South Minneapolis, Emi’s journey into reproductive health and advocacy began with grassroots organizing and meeting young people where they are. At just 17, she founded The Birth Butterfly Collective, a circle of youth uplifting and empowering peers through their reproductive experiences, and began serving her community as a full-spectrum birth doula.

Emi’s work is guided by a deep commitment to honoring the stories, perspectives, and lived experiences of young people, particularly those navigating the intersection of marginalization and systemic inequities. Through Manglovo Health, she leads the development of Aya, a once-weekly, non-hormonal contraceptive oral film that challenges the status quo of reproductive healthcare by prioritizing accessibility, safety, and autonomy. With The Body Org, Emi amplifies youth-driven health initiatives, providing peer education and wellness resources to communities across the nation.

A sophomore at Columbia University, Emi studies Evolutionary Biology of the Human Species, combining her academic focus with a passion for community-centered advocacy. She translates her grassroots organizing into scientific inquiry, conducting research on cancer metastasis, microfluidic devices, Alzheimer’s disease, and cardiac remodeling during pregnancy and postpartum. Her work bridges science and social justice, centering lived experiences as critical to innovation. Emi serves on the Muslim Youth Leadership Council, the Educate Us Youth Advisory Board, the Annex Teen Clinic board, and proudly works as an Albanian and Spanish medical interpreter, advocating for equitable, inclusive healthcare in underserved communities.

In her fellowship, Emi aims to amplify Manglovo Health’s mission by building partnerships that scale innovation in reproductive health while fostering the impact of youth-led wellness initiatives through The Body Org. Long-term, Emi envisions herself as a transformative leader in reproductive healthcare, dismantling systemic barriers and advancing solutions that prioritize equity, bodily autonomy, and justice for marginalized communities worldwide.