Schwab Foundation Celebrates a Decade of Social Entrepreneurship in Davos

Thilo Bode, Founder of Foodwatch, will be recognized at the 10 Year Anniversary Reception on 28 January as the Social Entrepreneur of the Year Germany

Davos, Switzerland – The 40th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting also marks the 10th anniversary of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. For a decade, the Schwab Foundation has brought visionary social entrepreneurs together with global business and government leaders at the World Economic Forum. This year, 31 leading social entrepreneurs will share their compelling ideas for sustainable solutions for the benefit of society and the environment in 160 sessions under the Annual Meeting theme of Improve the State of the World: Rethink, Redesign, Rebuild.

“Over the last decade, we have seen how the role of social entrepreneurs has become increasingly more relevant and important. Their projects are helping to build a more equitable and sustainable world," said Hilde Schwab, Chairperson, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. “We are proud to have provided a unique community, network and platform to accelerate and support proven solutions to improve society,” added Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum and Co-Founder, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.

During the Annual Meeting, the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship will host a 10 Year Anniversary Reception celebrating a decade of social entrepreneurship, with more than 200 participants, including its community of social entrepreneurs, its partners and leading business figures.

On this occasion, Thilo Bode will be recognized as the winner of the Social Entrepreneur of the Year competition in Germany, a prestigious award given in partnership with the Boston Consulting Group and the Financial Times Deutschland. Professor Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Laureate and Managing Director, Grameen Bank, Bangladesh, will give the award in his capacity as Foundation Board Member of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.

As the world rethinks the aftermath of the economic crisis, several social entrepreneurs taking part in the Annual Meeting have made pertinent contributions towards key challenges as they typically emphasize long-term sustainability and equitable growth instead of short-term gains. Schwab Social Entrepreneur, Vikram Akula, Founder and Chairperson of SKS Microfinance, India, will share his insights with William H. Gates III, Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USA; Jeffrey D. Sachs, Assistant Director-General, United Nations Millennium Project, USA; and Morgan Tsvangirai, Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, in a plenary session reviewing the Millennium Development Goals on Friday 29 January.

Paulo Coelho, Author and Board Member of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, considers the Schwab social entrepreneurs to be true alchemists of our time, crafting real solutions to seemingly intractable problems. Commenting on the role of social entrepreneurs in the rebuilding of our global systems, he said: “For extraordinary results, we need to take extraordinary steps.”

The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, an affiliate organization of the World Economic Forum, began its activities in 2000, promoting and raising awareness of social entrepreneurship as a key solution to societal challenges. By identifying and recognizing leading social entrepreneurs globally, it has established the world’s foremost community of over 17 pragmatic visionaries who are actively rethinking, redesigning and rebuilding a more equitable, sustainable and values-oriented world, in such diverse areas as education, healthcare, alternative energy, access to finance and unemployment.