Adam is an experienced debater who has been participating at a competitive level for over 7 years. He has won many speaker and team awards at international tournaments such as Harvard, Princeton, Georgetown, and the Tournament of Champions. Adam first heard about debate at a seminar and decided to pursue it further. From debate, he has learned to think more critically, to write more effectively, to speak more convincingly, and to pay more attention to the world around him. In his free time, Adam likes reading, playing the piano, and going out with friends. Adam first came up with the idea of Youth Debate League when he offered to teach a debate class free of charge for 15 students but received over 40 sign ups in less than 4 days. The number of people that signed up in the short amount of time despite the limit helped him realize the need for free, accessible debate education and inspired him to create an organization of like-minded people that work to make the art of debate an opportunity available to everyone.

Owen Kan began as the president of Youth Debate League, after assuming leadership of its youth division in 2024. In his role at YDL, Owen manages international branches, corporate outreach, tournaments, events, and communications. Notably, he directed and executed the YDL rebrand, revitalization, and redirection initiative, taking YDL’s operations into the 21st century though re-integrating 23 international branches, managing over 60 staff members, and serving as the organisation’s informal legal and debate consultant.

Wilson joined YDL as a result of a merger led by his former organization, Rise Youth Debate Academy. During his tenure, he grew his academy to coach 400 students and turned it into a profitable business earning five figures in revenue. Student accolades under his leadership included over 430 awards, with 56 Top 10, 96 Top 20, and 140 Top 50 placements in tournaments across six countries, of ~500-1,500 competitors.

Timmy Jin is a high school student with a strong interest in both STEM and global affairs. He is passionate about Model United Nations, where he enjoys researching international issues, debating different perspectives, and collaborating with others to find meaningful solutions. Alongside MUN, he is deeply interested in STEM fields, valuing critical thinking and problem-solving. Through his role in YDL, Timmy focuses on outreach and marketing, helping promote initiatives, grow engagement, and present ideas in a clear, compelling way to a wider audience.

Hey, my name is Kalan Xie and I’ve been a debater for 4 years and a coach for 2. I am comfortable with many debate formats: Canadian National Debate Format (CNDF), British Parliamentary (BP), and Worlds Scholars Cup (WSC) teaching over 100+ students over my 2 years. I am currently the head coach at Dr. Charles Best Secondary, guiding my Senior teams in local competitions, I love creating a fun, but also competitive learning environment for my students. I hope to help you win!

Ali Cheraghi began at YDL in March 2024 as a coach, teaching more than a dozen beginner-to-advanced classes before being promoted to the International Coaching Coordinator. In that role he manages the interviewing, hiring, training, and ongoing support of YDL’s 72-member coaching team, overseeing classes, performance reviews, and day-to-day mentoring across regions. Winning multiple national CNDF awards through exceptional public-speaking, Ali primarily advises coaches on pedagogy and competitive strategy.

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