Young Leaders See Technology and Entrepreneurship As Key to Solving Global Challenges

Maxwell Hall, Public Engagement, Tel.: +41 228 693 691 Email: maxwell.hall@weforum.org

• The World Economic Forum’s communities of Young Global Leaders and Global Shapers are working together on initiatives on inclusion, human rights, entrepreneurship and sustainable development
• More than 800 young leaders from both communities have been in Geneva this week for their annual summits
• Technology is seen by 20-40 year olds as the best chance to drive positive change

Geneva, Switzerland, 14 August 2015 – Tomorrow’s young leaders (between the ages of 20 and 40) are optimistic about the future. Despite being aware of the considerable risks faced by the world, they see technology and entrepreneurship as offering new ways to address global challenges.

The World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders (YGLs) and Global Shapers took part in workshops today to turn that optimism into concrete projects spanning over 100 countries. Some of the initiatives include:

• MUrgency, led by founder Shaffi Mather: a project supported by a mobile app designed for emergencies that could save millions of lives by connecting people with timely healthcare, particularly in countries where infrastructure is poor.
• Social Credits, led by Ali Adnan Ibrahim: a project incentivizing private-sector investment in poverty reduction, development and public services.
• Mobil-Eyes Us, led by human-rights advocate Sam Gregory of WITNESS, on using video and disruptive technologies to connect people to activism.
• Project 360Data, led by Rina Kupferschmid-Rojas, to provide training to investors on making private-equity investments based around concerns for the environment, society and good governance.
• The De-Carbonathon, led by Jane Burston and Raphael Schontgen: a project that supports innovations tackling the world’s biggest decarbonization challenges.
• The YGL Sustainable Development Goals Initiative, led by Marieme Jamme, Brendan Cox and Lisa Witter, on getting the message of the global goals to 7 billion people in seven days.
• Thirst, led by YGL Mina Guli and Shaper James Flanagan: a project that started in China to preserve the world’s water supplies by creating a generation of young, water-smart consumers.
• Bordofarms, led by Shapers from Tijuana, where more than 60,000 Mexican deportees end up each year without opportunities or infrastructure. The project aims to provide jobs through vertical urban farms.
• Young Hearts, led by Shapers in Hubli in India, a project that enables mass screening of schoolchildren for heart disease using Viscope, a visual stethoscope that enables mass screening.

YGLs are all in the 30-40 age bracket and Global Shapers in the 20-30 one. Members of both are already proven leaders, having achieved personal professional success as well as having contributed to wider societal improvements. In keeping with other Forum meetings, these leaders come from a wide range of stakeholder groups – from business and government to social entreprise, academia and the media.

Notes to Editors:

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Learn more about the Global Shapers: https://www.globalshapers.org/
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