Mark Leschinsky

Mark Leschinsky
Leschinsky in 2023
Born	United States
Nationality	American
Known for	Social entrepreneurship
Title	Founder of Student World Impact Film Festival
Awards	Diana Award 2023 2024 Coca-Cola Scholar

Mark Leschinsky is an American student and change-maker who has gained recognition for his contributions to the fields of education, the arts, and invention.

As of 2024, Leschinsky is a student at Stanford University (Stanford, CA).^[1]

Prior to attending Stanford University, Leschinsky founded the Student World Impact Film Festival or SWIFF, a student film festival that does not charge submission fees and that prioritizes underrepresented students.^[2][3][4][5] Since December 2020, Leschinsky led his organization to spotlight 12,156 young filmmakers from 149 countries.^[6][7][8][9]

In 2023, Leschinsky's leadership and humanitarian work led him to receive The Diana Award^[10] from the British Royal Family along with being named a Prudential Emerging Visionary by Prudential Financial.^[11] In 2024, Leschinsky was named a Coca-Cola Scholar by The Coca-Cola Company.^{[1][12][13][14][15]}

In late 2023, Leschinsky became an advisor to multiple socially-driven organizations, including UNICEF at the United Nations, Nickelodeon, PBS, and the Association of Children's Museums.^[16][17][18] As a young advisor, he provides organizations with advice on growing their initiatives focused on youth agency and change-making.^[19]

In 2014, to protect healthcare workers fighting Ebola in Africa, Leschinsky developed a novel design for a hazmat suit, which was self-disinfecting.^{[20][21][22][23][24]} In 2015, he was inducted into the National Gallery for America's Young Inventors at the National Museum of Education in Akron, Ohio for his design.^{[25][26][27][28]} Leschinsky received a United States Patent for the "Self Disinfecting Protective Garment" in 2016 (patent number US9392824B1).^{[29][30][25][31][32]} In 2023, a second Patent was received for a "Wearable Air Sterilizer with Slidable Face Shield" (patent number D986510).^[33]

Leschinsky has also appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon for his invention of a snack-on-the-go recorder, the "Eat-Corder."^[34]