Opening Plenary of 2014 Skoll World Forum

Speakers

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  Miri Ben-Ari

  ,

  Miri Ben-Ari is a Grammy Award-winning violinist/producer, UN Goodwill Ambassador, humanitarian and the Global Brand Ambassador of Harman Kardon. Originally from Israel, she is a recognized musical pioneer, having created her own unique sound – a revolutionary fusion of classical, soul and dance music. She has worked with artists such as Kanye West, Jay Z and Armin Van Buuren and has been honored by First Lady, Michelle Obama at the White House as a “Remarkable Woman”. Ben-Ari is the CEO and co-founder of “Gedenk,” a nonprofit dedicated to promoting awareness of the Jewish Holocaust among young people. To learn more about Miri Ben-Ari visit www.miribenari.com, visit Facebook.com/MiriBenAri and follow her on Twitter (@MiriBenAri)

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  Richard Branson

  Founder, Virgin Unite

  Sir Richard Branson is Founder of the Virgin Group. Virgin is one of the world’s most irresistible brands, with more than 100 companies worldwide and approximately 60,000 employees in over 50 countries. Branson has found entrepreneurial ways to provoke positive change in the world. In 2004 he established Virgin Unite, the non-profit foundation of the Virgin Group, which strives to make business a force for good.

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  Arif Naqvi

  Founder & Group Chief Executive, The Abraaj Group

  Arif Naqvi is the Founder and Group Chief Executive of The Abraaj Group which he established in 2002. Under his leadership, The Abraaj Group has emerged as a leading investor in growth markets with US$ 7.5 billion in assets under management and returning c. US$ 4 billion to investors. With over 25 years’ experience of investing in public and private companies, Mr. Naqvi has led the Group’s involvement in some of the most notable private equity transactions in growth markets over the last decade. Mr. Naqvi has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Oslo Business for Peace Award, the highest form of recognition given to individual business leaders for fostering peace and stability through creating shared value between business and society, and the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, a prominent civilian honor awarded by the Government of Pakistan. Mr. Naqvi is a graduate of the London School of Economics and Political Science.

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  Marcus Bleasdale

  Managing Director, Wilstar Social Impact

  Marcus is the Managing Director of Wilstar the non-profit social impact investing arm of Aweco AS a Norwegian asset management company owned by the Arne Wilhelmsen family. His work there has focused on financing social entrepreneurs and assisting them in a sustainable change to create a better world. With a proven ability to oversee major philanthropic and social impact investment operations, He has a passion for social and environmental impact, climate change advisory, and social advocacy tactics. Marcus has also worked, together with Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership to engage understanding around climate challenges and innovative solutions for a better world. Marcus is also one of the worlds leading documentary photographers and a contributing photographer for National Geographic Magazine. He uses his work to influence decision-makers and policymakers around the world. His work on Human Rights and Conflict has been shown at the US Senate, The US House of Representatives, The United Nations and the Houses of Parliament in the UK and the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

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• 
  Mindy Lubber

  Chief Executive Officer and President, Ceres

  Mindy Lubber is the CEO and President of the sustainability nonprofit organization Ceres. She has been at the helm since 2003. Under her leadership, the organization and its powerful networks have grown both in size and influence. As a well-known global thought leader, Mindy has inspired coalitions of institutional investors, corporate boards, C-suite executives and capital market leaders to factor sustainability risks and opportunities into decision-making. In 2020, Lubber received the 'Champions of the Earth' award - the highest environmental honor from the United Nations. That same year, she made Barron’s Magazine’s inaugural list of the 100 most influential women in U.S. finance and nominated again in 2021. Prior to Ceres, Mindy served as a Regional Administrator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under former President Bill Clinton. She also founded Green Century Capital Management and served as the director of the MASSPIRG

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  Stephan Chambers

  Director, The Marshall Institute, London School of Economics

  Stephan Chambers is the inaugural director of the Marshall Institute at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is the co-founder of the Skoll World Forum and was chair of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, Director of International Strategy at Oxford’s Saїd Business School, and Senior Research Fellow at Lincoln College Oxford.

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  Sir Ronald Cohen

  Chairman, Portland Trust

  Sir Ronald Cohen is Chairman of the Social Impact Investment Taskforce established by the G8 and The Portland Trust. He is a co-founder of Social Finance UK; co-founder Director of Social Finance USA, Social Finance Israel, Big Society Capital; and was co-founder Chair of Bridges Ventures. He chaired the Social Investment Task Force (2000-2010) and the Commission on Unclaimed Assets (2005-2007). In 2012 he received the Rockefeller Innovation Award for innovation in social finance. He was co-founder and Executive Chairman of Apax Partners (1972-2005), and a founder director of the BVCA and EVCA. He is a graduate of Oxford University and Harvard Business School and an Honorary Fellow of Exeter College. He is a director of Harvard Management Company and Vice-Chairman of Ben Gurion University. He is a former member of Harvard University Board of Overseers and former Trustee of the British Museum. In 2007, Sir Ronald published: "The Second Bounce of the Ball–Turning Risk into Opportunity"

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  Jeff Skoll

  Founder & Chairman, Jeff Skoll Group

  Founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Skoll Foundation Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Participant Media Founder of Capricorn Investment Group Co-founder and GP of the RISE Fund First fulltime employee and President of eBay

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