Monirath Siv was born and raised in Cambodia by a single mother who, despite being at the top of her class, was forced to withdraw from school due to financial pressures on her family. Moni’s mother loved learning and overcame numerous obstacles to ensure that Moni received a quality education so that his opportunities in life would not be limited. At the age of 16, Moni moved to the U.S. to live with his father in California. While it was difficult to leave Cambodia, relocating to the U.S. provided Moni with the means to expand his academic potential. The first in his family to finish high school, Moni earned a Bachelor's degree in Biology from Washington University in St. Louis. In 2012, he joined Teach For America and taught high school biology and environmental science for two years in Camden, New Jersey. During this time, Moni earned an M.S.Ed from the University of Pennsylvania. This solidified his decision to return to Cambodia, working towards impacting the lives of children in his own country towards sustainable, system-level change. Moni founded Teach For Cambodia and now serves as its Chief Executive Officer, while lecturing at the Royal University of Phnom Penh’s Graduate School of Education. Moni was recognized in Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia for Social Entrepreneurship and selected as an Obama Leader-Asia Pacific. He is also the Outgoing Curator of the Global Shapers Community's Phnom Penh Hub.