The Skoll World Forum is going virtual again this year on April 13-15. The program is a mix of plenaries, sessions, networking activities, and more. Our theme “Closing the Distance”…
Social media and short videos are critical ingredients for storytelling today, but how can organizations break through the noise and reach their target audience? Join this workshop to walk through…
Social entrepreneurs, funders, business, and civil society leaders want to create systemic impact. But how can we best measure progress towards systems change? In this interactive workshop, participants will dive…
When we say “Accelerating Possibility”, who gets to decide what that possibility looks like? Many in the philanthropic and social entrepreneurship ecosystem strive to elevate local leaders and local solutions,…
The global food system is responsible for one third of greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, climate disruptions are projected to lead to a 17 percent reduction in crop yields by 2050--the…
As the uses of artificial intelligence grow exponentially each year, there is a possible future where AI exacerbates injustice, deepens societal divides, and becomes a tool to violate or deny…
Our modern world is a paradox: we are more virtually connected to each other, but many would say that we are less connected personally. For those on the front-lines of…
According the UNHCR, there are 25.4 million people currently registered as refugees, and over half of them are under the age of 18. These numbers will continue to grow as…
As the #MeToo movement continues to dominate global headlines and SDG 5 to achieve gender equality by 2030 seems out of reach, many are asking: what role should men and…
Realizing opportunities requires both imagination and courage. This lunch session features the next generation of social entrepreneurs, selected worldwide as part of the 2019 Emerging Leaders Initiative. Listen to their…
This lunch session will explore ways the next generation of social entrepreneurs are reimagining what’s possible. Listen to diverse changemakers from around the world, selected as part of the 2019…
Can art catalyze positive social change? Does culture drive or reflect the collective values of societies? This interactive town hall forum will examine these questions from a critical perspective using…
From smallholder plots to indigenous territories, people depend on land to survive. Evidence links secure land rights to bigger, better, and faster development outcomes. Still, it’s an often-overlooked lever for…
Social issues are more global, complex, and interdependent than ever. While social innovators continue to drive progress in specific areas, systems change requires an approach that unearths the root cause…
Join us for the emotional highlight of the week—our celebration of the 2019 Skoll Awardees. We’ll honor five remarkable social entrepreneurs from around the world who truly embody the spirit…
Systemic social change requires reimagined narratives that reshape mindsets. Our species is hardwired to learn through stories. How does the power of storytelling advance social impact and mobilize us toward…
Around the world, freedom of the press continues to be threatened, and journalists are at risk of being silenced, jailed, and even killed. At a time when seeking and sharing…
To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, private financing and access to blended finance is not only critical but required; the public and social sector simply cannot reach the…
Laughter is a universal language. Globally, comedy can be a powerful voice for change: speaking truth to power and shaping public opinion and social norms. Comedy can challenge the status…
For many social entrepreneurs working towards universal health access, government partnership is a critical strategy for achieving systems-level change. Partners bring unique value to the table but forging effective and…
The world of philanthropy is no stranger to critique, but over the past year, the field has weathered sharp and sometimes scathing criticism. Many agree that philanthropy can and should…
While investors are deploying more capital than ever in socially and environmentally responsible ways, there is still an expectation that impact investments must produce a market rate return. In 2019,…
The current global economic system fails to serve everyone. Over the last 40 years of hardy global economic growth, income inequality within countries has grown, leading to political turmoil. There…
By 2050, the global urban population will double, and nearly seven of every 10 people will live in cities. This exponential growth brings challenges for equality and inclusion, yet surfaces…
We often find ourselves impatient with the pace of social change. As our community convenes, we’ll explore how global leaders, thinkers, and doers Accelerate Possibility. We’ll consider the growing sense…
Join us for a deep exploration of the structural and intersectional forces that keep people on the margins with activist Darnell Moore and On Being’s Krista Tippett. An award-winning writer,…
We're thrilled to announce CNN's Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour; domestic rights activist Ai-jen Poo; Amnesty International Secretary-General Kumi Naidoo; actor, writer and producer, Chiwetel Ejiofor; futurist and filmmaker Anab…
Proximity is powerful. It’s a value that I’ve shaped my career around: bringing people from disparate places together, in person, to connect. While we live so much of our lives…
Ruth Norris - Resources Legacy Fund , April 27, 2017
"Global health is a marathon, not a sprint." -- Barbara Bush, Global Health Corps The race often starts with great excitement over big breakthroughs: new vaccines and treatments, new technologies…
Ruth Norris - Resources Legacy Fund , April 13, 2017
In the past five years, 70 countries have passed restrictive laws controlling civil society organizations, with more than half of them restricting foreign funding. There is a crisis of effectiveness…
Skoll World Forum delegates often talk about the “magic” that happens in Oxford; an ineffable quality turns a gathering of some thousand people into an experience of unquantifiable value. We’ve…
On January 21st, my daughter and I joined the sea of citizens marching in solidarity down Independence Avenue in Washington, D.C. Humanity in all colors, ages, and genders jostled along,…
Zach Slobig - The Bridgespan Group , March 6, 2017
On an unusually mild Sunday in mid-April of 2010, June Cohen stood on a London stage and welcomed a disoriented crowd. “How many of you are stranded here?” she asked.…
Curating the programming of the annual Skoll World Forum is a monumental undertaking. Planning for the next year begins soon after the delegates leave Oxford, and often is ongoing right…
When people come to the Skoll World Forum for the first time, there’s often a moment when something clicks, and they say, “I’ve finally found my tribe.” To share a…
Last summer, the Skoll Foundation surveyed our Board, partners, and Awardees about trends and issues influencing the work of social entrepreneurs and other change agents. As a curator of the…
This is part of a series of articles about the 2016 Skoll World Forum, which took place April 13-15 in Oxford, England. In April, I had the privilege of moderating…
More than 1,000 social change agents converged on Oxford, England, to explore fierce compassion as a driver of social progress at the 2016 Skoll World Forum. Here are some highlights…
Fierce compassion: what a stimulating theme for deep connection at the 2016 Skoll World Forum. At first, fierce compassion may sound like a paradox. We tend to associate fierceness with…
Is "fierce compassion" an oxymoron? Is it possible to be both fierce and compassionate? What other seemingly contradictory ideas do we accept at face value? Based on the theme of the…
Barry Kerzin - Altruism in Medicine Institute , March 29, 2016
"Fierce compassion" is the theme of the 2016 Skoll World Forum. Some people view compassion as weakness or passivity, but this is a misunderstanding. Some of the strongest and most…
From the program of the 2016 Skoll World Forum. Justice is our north star. It provides the bearings to guide us through territory fraught with tests of character and will.…
Ambition translates aspiration into action. It's the secret sauce that accelerates problem solving, spurs entrepreneurship, and galvanizes leadership. Most important, ambition is what drives human beings to improve their lives.…
“Ambition is what’s in your heart.” Since the age of 10, Malala Yousafzai has campaigned for the rights of girls to receive an education. At the age of 15, she…
Where does “belief” fit into social entrepreneurship? What kind of role does it play? To Sally Osberg, it is all about deeply and truly believing that you can achieve what…
I’ve been asked what makes a great leader. The first quality is a moral compass, an ethical direction of knowing right from wrong. Second is belief that you can accomplish…
The driving force for change is the quintessentially human drive to set things right. To get beyond just making things better—to bring a true end to injustice and corruption, and…
Through a partnership with The MasterCard Foundation, Young Leaders from around the world had the opportunity to experience the Skoll World Forum first hand. Participants included: Lashon Amado, 25, USA…
At the Skoll World Forum last month, Jeff Kehoe of the Harvard Business Review Press led a conversation about how social entrepreneurs are transforming society’s unjust equilibria. Skoll Foundation President and CEO Sally Osberg and strategy…
We sang. We saw images of war. We saw beautiful art that inspired a little boy who eventually became president of a large foundation. We heard a musician from Mozambique…
There is no better way to open an Awards Ceremony than with the Soweto Gospel Choir dancing down the aisles. So began the 2015 Skoll Awards Ceremony. Yesterday, Skoll Foundation…
The Skoll World Forum is coming up very soon (in fact, most of the Skoll Foundation staff is heading to Oxford this week!) so here are some highlights from 16 new…
We recently shared some top media coverage from the 2014 Skoll World Forum—here are some highlights from major blogs. Kimberly Sedmak, executive producer of Jane Pauley’s AARP show, focused on…
Delegates of the 2014 Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship were invited to contribute their answers to the question: "What is the reason you exist?" VIDEO CREDITS Executive Producers - Phil…
Delegates celebrate a productive and inspired time at the Forum by gathering together in this final plenary for the 2014 Skoll World Forum. MASTER OF CEREMONIES Stephan Chambers, Chairman, Skoll…
The Skoll World Forum has long attracted provocateurs and disruptors who are rethinking old paradigms and building new entrepreneurial environments and cultures around the world. Designed to expand the imagination,…
Female entrepreneurship is an "economic promise" capturing attention of governments, corporations, and civil society all over the world, since small- and medium-sized enterprises are engines of economic growth and stability.…
Can introverts, quiet leaders, and process-oriented technocrats compete with “typical” charismatic leaders in the noisy marketplace of talent acquisition, funding, and social change? Everyone already possesses a unique style of…
An emotional highlight of the event, the Skoll Foundation invites you to attend the Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship to honor the 2014 Awardees and to celebrate all those who…
The Skoll World Forum delegation comes together for the first time at the Opening Plenary to celebrate social entrepreneurship and the work being done in pursuit of large-scale systemic change.…
Ambition. It's the reason we're all here, at the 11th Annual Skoll World Forum, focused on the most ambitious endeavor imaginable: solving the world's most pressing problems. In this video…
Excerpted from How Social Entrepreneurs Unleash Human Potential (Rotman Magazine, Spring 2013) Without ambition, I would argue, dreams risk remaining ethereal and untethered to reality. Ambition moves human beings from…
Mark Tauber - HarperCollins Publishers , Christopher Joyce - National Public Radio , Wendy Levy - The Alliance for Media Arts + Culture , Cara Mertes - International Resource for Impact and Storytelling , March 30, 2012
Vinod Thomas - Asian Development Bank , Sipho Moyo - ONE , John Gershman - Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University , Joe Madiath - Gram Vikas USA , Camilla Toulmin - International Institute for Environment and Development , March 29, 2012
Pamela Hartigan - Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship , April 1, 2011
Pamela Hartigan speaks at the closing Plenary at the Skoll World Forum 2011. Hartigan is director of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and thanks Paula Kravitz, the curator of…
Fadi Ghandour, founder and CEO of Aramex, the first company from the Arab world to be traded on the NASDAQ, delivers his speech on entrepreneurs, networks and collaborative action at…
Queen Noor of Jordan at the 2011 Skoll World Forum: The Democratic Deficit and the Reinvigorated Movement for Freedom and Justice Across MENA. In her keynote at the close of…
Pamela Hartigan - Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship , April 1, 2011
Pamela Hartigan speaks at the closing plenary of the 2011 Skoll World Forum. Hartigan is the head of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship. She believes an ecosystem approach is…
This panel discussion at the 2011 Skoll World Forum was called "The World in 25 Years: Megatrends and Context for Large Scale Change." Developments in the global economy, business, demographics,…
Stephen Carver, Consultant Lecturer at Cranfield University, speaks at a session at the Skoll World Forum 2011. He talks about how real change really occurs.
Daniel Franklin, Executive Editor of The Economist, speaks at the Skoll World Forum 2011. He shows two short videos and talks about the themes of the next 25 years.
At this panel at the Skoll World Forum 2011, this intellectually provocative conversation centers around the question, "Is Heroism Obsolete?" Drawing upon themes relevant for social entrepreneurs, host and BBC…
Peter Gabriel and Baaba Maal perform Biko as a tribute to Archbishop Desmond Tutu after he was awarded the Skoll Global Treasure Award at the 2011 Skoll World Forum on…
The Skoll Foundation invites you to revisit the Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship where we honour the 2011 Awardees and to celebrate all those who are working to create a…
Sally Osberg, president and CEO of the Skoll Foundation, says "we all want to change the world." She then gives more opening remarks at the 2011 Skoll Awards ceremony.
This panel at the Skoll World Forum 2011 was called Markets: Reform or Rebuild. Social entrepreneurs working to transform markets offer tremendous promise for large scale change. Strategies vary, with…
This panel at the Skoll World Forum 2011 is about deep leadership. Those working to change the world face obstacles rarely addressed in traditional leadership doctrines. Vision, risk and uncertainty…
Stephan Chambers' closing remarks at the Skoll World Forum 2011. Chambers, chairman of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, thanks and congratulates attendees.
A panel of three microfinance experts discussed Large Scale Change in Action: Microfinance in the Balance at the 2011 Skoll World Forum opening plenary. We are living in a "backlash…
Dr. Ngaire Woods, professor of International Political Economy and Academic Director of the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford, delivers a speech on globalization, governance and large…
Jeff Skoll, Founder and Chairman of the Skoll Foundation, Participant Media and Skoll Global Threats Fund, delivers a speech on the power of the collective at the 2011 Skoll World…
Stephan Chambers of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship welcomes guests to the 2011 Skoll World Forum. He shares his thoughts on large-scale change.
Stephan Chambers, MBA and EMBA Director at the Said Business School at the University of Oxford presents the opening remarks of the 2011 Skoll World Forum.
These are the Skoll World Forum 2010 Closing Remarks by Stephan Chambers, chairman of the Skoll Centre Standing Committee at Said Business School. Saying it's not easy to summarize the…
Tim Smit, CEO of Eden Project, speaks on "Realizing a Vision" at the closing plenary of the Skoll World Forum. "We all sort of think death is optional, so we…
Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey and Shankar Singh speak at the closing plenary on "The Anatomy of a People's Movement" at the Skoll World Forum 2010. Roy talks about how important…
Caroline Casey, Founder & CEO of Kanchi, shares her disability that surprises the audience, and how it's helped her become persuasive in her lifetime. Her talk, "The Power of Persuasion:…
Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship Director Pamela Hartigan reflects at the 2010 Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship in her opening remarks at the closing plenary. She talks about the…
Investors are looking beyond the single bottom line, but still seek commercial returns on their investment. Philanthropists want to maximise impact with constrained resources. Governments recognise the limitations of development…
With social challenges facing all governments, how many are turning to innovative social entrepreneurs for new approaches and operating models? What opportunities does this present for social entrepreneurs working globally?…
Jimmy and Donnie Demers perform a song called "Benediction" at the Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship ceremony. Part of the Skoll World Forum 2010.
At the 2010 Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship, listen as each awardee gives a short, inspirational acceptance speech. Awardee Marc Freedman of Civic Ventures talks about going from aspiration to…
Environmentalist and entrepreneur Paul Hawken, CEO of OneSun Solar, an energy company focused on ultra low-cost solar based on green chemistry and biomimicry. His speech at the Skoll Awards for…
This session brings together senior staff working in development agencies that have engaged, or attempted to engage, directly with social entrepreneurs working in emerging markets. To what degree have these…
The idea of using profit-seeking investment to generate social and environmental good is moving from a periphery of activist investors to the core of mainstream financial institutions. This emerging class…
To achieve impact at scale, social entrepreneurs are inventing new ways to collaborate with a diversified range of partners. This session will share three successful approaches that have led to…
Pamela Hartigan - Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship , April 14, 2010
Pamela Hartigan, director of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, gives closing remarks at the opening plenary of the 2010 Skoll World Forum. She thanks everyone who put the Forum…
Dr. Paul Farmer, co-founder of Partners in Health, gives a presentation called "Catalyzing Collaboration: Our Humanity at Stake" at the opening plenary of the 2010 Skoll World Forum in April.…
This panel at the 2010 Skoll World Forum was called "Governance, Transparency and Collaboration: Beneficiaries in the Balance." The moderator was John Ydstie, economic correspondent, NPR. Paneists were, from left…
Lakhdar Brahimi, Veteran UN Envoy and advisor, and former foreign minister to Algeria, speaks at the Skoll World Forum 2010 opening plenary. His talk, called "The Imperative to Cooperate: a…
Colin Mayer - Saïd Business School , April 14, 2010
Colin Mayer, Peter Moores Dean and professor of management studies at the Said Business School at Oxford, talks about skepticism of financial markets. At the Skoll World Forum 2010 opening…
Vusi Mahlasela, South African singer/songwriter and poet activist, performs two songs, including one in Sotu, one of South Africa's official languages. At the Skoll World Forum 2010 opening plenary.
Colin Mayer - Saïd Business School , March 27, 2009
Colin Mayer, Peter Moores Dean and Peter Moores Professor of Management Studies at Said Business School, gives closing remarks at the closing plenary of the 2009 Skoll World Forum. "History…
Jeff Skoll talks at the closing plenary of the Skoll World Forum 2009. His talk, called "Collective Power: A Call for Urgency," is about urgency and hope. "Urgency is on…
Soraya Salti, senior vice president MENA of INJAZ Al-Arab, gives "A Social Entrepreneur's Perspective on Power," at the Skoll World Forum 2009. She says we have drifted far from the…
Lord Puttnam of Queensgate, C.B.E., speaks on "Citizens, Institutions and Shifting Power" at the Skoll World Forum 2009 closing plenary. He speaks about education and shows an emotional 7-minute video…
Pamela Hartigan - Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship , March 27, 2009
Pamela Hartigan, director of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, shares some final words at the closing plenary of the 2009 Skoll World Forum.
We are witnessing the destruction of the old media order—and the noisy, thrilling invention of something new. Tectonic shifts in technology and human behavior have changed forever the way we…
Fascination with leadership is growing daily, fuelled by global complexity, free-falling capital markets, conflict and growing environmental and social deterioration. Key business leaders will discuss the kind of leadership required…
Sally Osberg, CEO of the Skoll Foundation, ends the awards ceremony of the 2009 Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship. She quotes Darwin, then says, "We are heading towards a brighter…
Skoll Awardes at the 2009 Skoll World Forum receiving their awards: Bart Weetjens of APOPO; Soraya Salti of INJAZ Al-Arab, JA Worldwide; Jordan Kassalow of VisionSpring; Paul Van Zyl and…
Dr R. K. Pachuari - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , March 26, 2009
Dr. R.K. Pachauri, Chair of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, speaks at the Skoll Awards ceremony at the Sheldonian Theatre at the Skoll World Forum 2009. One of the questions…
Jeff Skoll speaks at the Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship ceremony in 2009. He introduces Dr. R.K. Pachuari, or "Patchi," including a fun story about how they met and then…
Sally Osberg, CEO of the Skoll Foundation, gives an introduction at the awards ceremony at the Skoll World Forum 2009. "We meet this year at a defining moment," she says.…
Philanthropy has too often remained trapped in the 'small is beautiful' world of social innovation - while for-profit investors have striven to avoid any taint of compromising returns for social…
With shrunken investment portfolios and budgets, corporations, investors and philanthropists are facing hard choices. What will be the impact on social entrepreneurs and social impact investing? Will the increased emphasis…
Social entrepreneurs may have comparative advantage in generating new ideas or innovations, but may struggle with execution and control. Is it possible to build innovative institutions that are around for…
Kenneth Brecher, executive director of the Sundance Institute, speaks at the 2009 Skoll World Forum's opening plenary. In his talk, "Unfinished Portraits of Powerful Ideas," he talks about the significance…
Panel called Power to the People: Citizen Engagement and Social Transformation at the Skoll World Forum 2009. The moderator is Ray Suarez of The NewsHour on PBS and panelists are…
Roger L. Martin, dean, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto speaks on "The Power Paradox" at the 2009 Skoll World Forum. Martin studies leaders and shares his findings on…
Stephan Chambers, chairman of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, speaks at the opening plenary of the Skoll World Forum 2009. He quotes a Polish poet saying, "The passionless cannot…
Closing remarks by Skoll Foundation CEO Sally Osberg at the 2008 Skoll World Forum. She speaks of the first Skoll World Forum in 2004, saying that one of the ideas…
This panel at the 2008 Skoll World Forum was entitled: Working Within Cultures and Contexts - Lessons Learned. David Bornstein moderates, and panelists were, from left to right: Rupert Howes,…
Paul Collier - University of Oxford , March 28, 2008
Paul Collier, professor of economics at the University of Oxford, speaks at the closing plenary of the 2008 Skoll World Forum. His talk was entitled, "Social Entrepreneurship and the Bottom…
Stephan Chambers, chairman of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, gives opening remarks at the closing plenary of the Skoll World Forum 2008. He shares highlights and inspiration from the…
Financing the growth of operations to achieve major scale is without a doubt the biggest challenge facing social entrepreneurs. Not only are larger amounts of capital hard to obtain, but…
The 2008 Skoll Awards ceremony. Winners were Bill Strickland, Manchester Bidwell; Amazon Conservation Team, Michael Eckhart of ACORE, Connie Duckworth of Arzu, Jeremy Hockenstein and Mai Siriphongphanh of Digital Divide…
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter shares thoughts on social entrepreneurship at the 2008 Skoll World Forum awards ceremony. He also talks about the people who most affected his life and…
Sonidos de la Tierra perform at the 2008 Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship. Afterward, its founder Luis Szaran shares some early stories, including one of his first trip to Paris.
This interactive session recorded at the 2008 Skoll World Forum explored various approaches to assessing impact and leveraging these efforts to attract resources and drive organisational learning. Key questions included:…
Non-profit social entrepreneurs often struggle to scale up their innovations without adequate access to the growth capital, distribution systems and infrastructure readily available to conventional businesses. Rather than accepting these…
Phil Hope, MP, parliamentary secretary, Minister for the Third Sector, speaks on Culture, Context and Policy Innovation at the opening plenary of the 2008 Skoll World Forum.
This panel at the 2008 Skoll World Forum was entitled, "The dynamics of working cross culturally - experienced voices from the field." Pat Mitchell, president of the Paley Center for…
Jeff Skoll gives opening remarks at the Skoll World Forum 2008. He bought an original picture of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race to commemorate the five-year anniversary of the…
Musician and co-founder of Witness, Peter Gabriel, talks about human rights at the 2007 Skoll World Forum. He talks about the first call he got from Bono and later learning…
This panel at the 2007 Skoll World Forum explored funding strategies from multiple perspectives including innovation from within foundations, private sector investment for public good, non-profit venture investing and cutting-edge…
This Moving Capital panel was about how social ventures can access different sources of external capital to increase their impact. The panelists are creating new ways to use finance that…
Salman Ahmad sings and plays guitar along with a tabla player at the 2007 Skoll Awards Ceremony at the Skoll World Forum. Later, Sally Osberg gives a talk about the…
Jeff Skoll gives opening remarks at the 2007 Skoll World Forum. He talks about an Oxford pen he purchased and gifts it to Stephan Chambers. He welcomes everyone to the…
Geoff Mulgan, now Chief Executive of the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts (NESTA), talks about social innovation at the 2007 Skoll World Forum. Later, Rushanara Ali, Labour…
Charles Handy, Irish author/philosopher who specializes in organizational behavior and management, speaks at the 2007 Skoll World Forum. The topic was Social Innovation: The New Philanthropists.
David Galenson, economics professor at the University of Chicago, and a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research, speaks at the 2007 Skoll World Forum. The topic was…
Pat Mitchell sits down with Muhammad Yunus at the Skoll World Forum 2007. She talks about his life story and road to the Nobel Peace Prize, then asks him questions…
Queen Rania of Jordan speaks at the 2007 Skoll World Forum. She starts by talking about her husband's love for Star Trek, then talks about social entrepreneurism, and the growing…
