Entrepreneurs are the spark for global change Global Entrepreneurs Council 2013-2014
PHOTO CREDITS: Front Cover – Peacekeeper with baby (Photo credit: UN Photo/Marco Dormino); Woman with cookstoves (Photo credit: SNV); United Nations (Photo credit: UN Photo/Andrea Brizzi); Woman and girls with paper (Photo credit: Frédéric Courbe 2013); “Leading Innovators Take on New Challenge” – Opening of 67th General Assembly (Photo credit: UN Photo/Marco Castro); “MY World” – Children coloring globes (Photo credit: Proctor and Gamble Thailand 2013); Woman with clipboard (Photo credit: Mark Cogan/UNDP Thailand 2013); MY World flag (Photo credit: UNIC Mexico 2013); Boy talking to woman (Photo credit: AFRC India/ UNV 2013); Three men (Photo credit: UNCRO Maldives 2013); Volunteers on steps (Photo credit: MY World volunteer/UN Jordan 2013); Boy and girl with signs (Photo credit: Make Roads Safe/Georgia Goodwin 2013)
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Entrepreneurship is about innovating, breaking down barriers, taking risks and showing that new business models can tackle long-standing problems. — Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General
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Back Row (L –R): Barbara Bush, Julie Smolyansky, Tina Wells, Ido Leffler, Haroon Mokhtarzda, Ingrid Vanderveldt, Diana Walker (GEC Managing Director 2011-2013) Front Row (L-R): Narry Singh, Elizabeth Gore (GEC Chair), Ted Turner (UN Foundation Founder & Chairman), Troy Carter, and Neil Blumenthal
A Letter from Ted Turner,
Chairman and Founder, UN Foundation
Dear Friends of the United Nations Foundation, I founded the United Nations Foundation because I believe the United Nations is the world’s platform for peace and progress, and by supporting the UN, each of us can play a part in building a better world. I’m thankful that members of the UN Foundation’s Global Entrepreneurs Council can join us in this shared effort. The UN plays an indispensable role in bringing together countries, citizens, and sectors to address our shared challenges. Today’s toughest issues – from climate change to disease outbreaks to inequality – know no borders, so our solutions must transcend boundaries and involve all of our world’s stakeholders. Entrepreneurs are essential to finding new solutions that will help the UN expand opportunity to people everywhere. The UN Foundation is dedicated to building partnerships with innovators who bring new skills and ingenuity to help the Foundation address the world’s most pressing issues and broaden support for the UN. We look forward to continuing to work with entrepreneurs and creative change makers. I am honored to partner with you and the UN and ask you to continue partnering with us to make the world better, safer, and healthier now and for generations to come. With best wishes,
TED TURNER
Leading Innovators Take on New Challenge:
Helping United Nations Foundation Solve Global Problems The United Nations Foundation is driven by the belief that a better world is within reach and that everyone has a role to play in helping the United Nations make this vision possible. At the UN Foundation, partnerships are an important part of the success of our work to support the UN. Founded by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner, the UN Foundation brings together individuals, corporations, and governments to support the life-saving and life-changing work of the UN in new and impactful ways.
THE UNITED NATIONS FOUNDATION ADVOCATES FOR THE UN AND CONNECTS PEOPLE, IDEAS, AND RESOURCES TO HELP THE UN SOLVE GLOBAL PROBLEMS.
As interdependence continues to propel global prosperity, it has become more important than ever to bring global citizens together to combat the world’s most pressing challenges. Entrepreneurs have the chance to lend their out-of-the-box thinking to help catalyze solutions that advance development opportunities. The UN and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon continue to seek innovative partners to accelerate progress on our collective goals for a more peaceful, prosperous, and just world. By connecting entrepreneurs with the UN we can help foster creative ideas to help solve the world’s toughest challenges. In recognition of the fact that entrepreneurs and innovators can lend a unique skillset to development issues, the UN Foundation established the Global Entrepreneurs Council in 2011. The Council is a strategic advisory board comprised of 10 leading, high-profile entrepreneurs - under the age of 45 - who have made a commitment to finding innovative solutions to global challenges. This group aims to carry out Ted Turner’s bold example of global leadership and his desire to bring entrepreneurism and creative ideas to humanitarian issues. Each class serves a two-year term with the option to transition to Emeritus status. As Emeritus members they maintain work with new Council members and continue the close relationship with the Foundation.
Council members are selected and invited to join based on personal recommendations made by UN and UN Foundation leadership and at the advice of Emeritus members. Members are chosen based on their leadership qualifications, success in business, and interest in and connection to global issues. Council members demonstrate the importance of taking risks, act with a global perspective, represent various communities and industries, and have a major interest in working to affect global change. As an advisory board, their primary goal is to provide strategic advice and counsel, helping the Foundation take its existing work to the next level of impact. Council members have focused their work with the UN Foundation on issues such as education and empowerment, support for refugees, bringing citizen voices to the UN at-scale, and broadening the scope of and ability to create partnership opportunities with the UN.
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To help the UN solve global problems, we must foster an entrepreneurial approach, turning the challenges of this generation into opportunities. The young leaders of the Global Entrepreneurs Council are bringing a fresh way of thinking to our efforts and will help us sharpen support for the UN’s best work around the world. — Kathy Calvin, UN Foundation President & CEO
Over the last four years, the two classes have brought in resource support for UN Foundation campaigns; met with Congressional Members to show business leader support for the UN; brought new marketing tactics to expand the Foundation’s reach; and individually brought their expertise, talents, and time to help the UN Foundation support the UN.
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Global Action. Global Progress. With the vision of our founder, entrepreneur Ted Turner, the UN Foundation brings together new audiences to help solve global challenges with innovative solutions. In partnership with the UN, the 2013-2014 Global Entrepreneurs Council’s work with the UN Foundation has brought impact and return on investment to help build better lives for people around the world.
Supporting UN causes ¡¡ Hosted unique, tailored events for the UN Foundation’s work from
Sharing our story ¡¡ Amplified storytelling efforts on the UN’s work to new audiences through personal blog posts, social media outreach, external speaking engagements, email appeals, and special initiatives such as the Global Mom Relay. ¡¡ Advised and connected partners to UN Foundation communications-
based initiatives such as the International Press Fellowships, #GivingTuesday, SXSW Social Good Hub, and the Social Good Summit.
¡¡ Incorporated the UN’s work into media coverage and social media,
reaching new audiences with millions of media impressions.
coast-to-coast to raise funds and awareness and to share UN Foundation stories of impact on women’s empowerment, girls’ education initiatives, public-private partnership opportunities, and public health.
¡¡ Launched fundraising campaign to raise money and bring attention
to refugees in Uganda, while supporting increased access to tech- nology and vocational, technical, and business skills training.
¡¡ Launched cause marketing efforts with Warby Parker’s Leith Parker eyeglasses line to raise thousands of dollars for Girl Up. ¡¡ Supported fundraising efforts for the Foundation’s annual Global
Leadership Dinner.
Engaging new audiences ¡¡ Hosted the first-ever Global Accelerator at the UN to catalyze opportunities for impact with entrepreneurs around the world, mobilize the expertise of business and non-governmental organiza- tions on challenges facing the UN and helped create new connections between the UN and UN Foundation partners. ¡¡ Brought 10 partners together to provide business, marketing, and
technology expertise in support of the UN’s MY World initiative to ensure more global citizens share their priorities for the next devel- opment agenda.
¡¡ Supported the establishment of new partnerships and engagements
with companies such as Dell, Lifeway Foods, Target, Walgreens, Warby Parker; media organizations such as Seventeen; and initiatives such as and DELL Women’s Entrepreneur Network.
Advocating for a better world ¡¡ Participated in meetings and events with U.S. Members of Congress, the White House and government agencies such as USAID and U.S. State Department to demonstrate business leader support as global advocates for the UN. ¡¡ Highlighted new voices and perspectives during advocacy engagements on Capitol Hill.
¡¡ Authored op-ed pieces urging governments to prioritize supporting
girls and women around the world.
¡¡ Shared personal narratives in Why We Care advocacy essays to
support access to health services for women globally.
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While each of the entrepreneurs on the Council vary in background we all share the same belief – an entrepreneurial mindset can be used by anyone to creatively solve some of the world’s most intractable problems. Through unique convenings like the Global Accelerator and private dialogues with UN officials, we are able to share this approach with new audiences and begin to affect positive change.
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- Neil Blumenthal
I was inspired working with the UN Foundation because I was able to witness firsthand how remarkable the UN truly is – the UN listened, welcomed new ideas and partnerships, and acted on what they heard – it made all the difference. I’m so proud to have supported the UN’s MY World survey and I am filled with hope that we will shape the world we want and that each of us can make a difference. - ruma bose
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I have been constantly inspired by the diversity and creativity of my fellow Council Members who are bringing wildly unique expertise, perspective, and experience to work together to achieve equity on a global scale. - barbara bush
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Since working with the UN Foundation I have witnessed the strength of public-private partnerships. By working in collaboration we can truly change the world.
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It’s been an incredible experience working with the UN Foundation and seeing their commitment to solving global problems through the Global Entrepreneurs Council. - TROY carter
- IDO Leffler
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Ottawa, canada
CHICAGO TORONTO Washington, DC San francisco Los angeles
DUBLin LONDON
Moscow, Russia Kiev, Ukraine
boston NEW YORK
Philadelphia DALLAS
Tel Aviv, Isreal
AUStin mexico El Salvador, Guatemala
La Venta, Honduras HAIti nicaragua GHANA
kampala
uganda Mbarara, uganda kenya Rwanda
Ecuador Burundi peru
Malawi Zambia
South africa
Global Reach. Global Impact.
The Global Entrepreneurs Council leverage their connections worldwide and provide in-country expertise to support and amplify the work of the United Nations Foundation and the United Nations.
Map Legend Neil Blumenthal, Co-CEO and Co-Founder, Warby Parker
Neil believes Florence Nightingale is one of the most dynamic social entrepreneurs in history.
Ruma Bose, President, Chobani Foundation
Ruma believes Mother Teresa’s management and leadership principles can be used to build successful organizations.
Barbara Bush, CEO and Co-Founder, Global Health Corps
kabul, afghanistan NEW DELHi INDIA
Barbara believes a global community of emerging leaders and change- makers can build the movement for health equity.
Troy Carter, CEO and Founder, Atom Factory
Bangladesh
Calcutta, India
Troy believes entrepreneurs are like artists, they are out to make a cultural impact.
Ido Leffler, Co-Founder & CEO at Yoobi; “Chief Carrot Lover” and Co-Founder, Yes To Carrots.
Ido believes you need to be really connected with your society and the people around you.
Haroon Mokhtarzada, CEO and Co-Founder, Webs; Vice President of Digital Products, VistaPrint
Haroon believes entrepreneurs are the spark for lasting change.
Narry Singh, Head of Digital Business (Europe, Latin America and Africa), Accenture
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
Narry believes in the American dream and is the proud grandson of a United Nations peacekeeper.
Julie Smolyansky, President, CEO, and Director, Lifeway
Foods, Inc.
Julie believes entrepreneurs are the spark for gender equity & change.
Ingrid Vanderveldt, Chairman / CEO, Empowering a Billion Women by 2020 (EBW2020)
Ingrid believes entrepreneurs are the spark for innovative, global game change.
Tina Wells, CEO and Founder, Buzz Marketing Group
Tina believes entrepreneurs are the spark for important change.
KEY:
Base
Global Connection
Local Connection
Special Connection
April 9, 2013
Global Mom Relay
Global Entrepreneurs Council 2013-2014 April, 2013
Council members advise on UN Foundation’s press fellowship trip to India
September 22-24, 2013
November 6, 2013 Global Leadership Dinner
2013 Social Good Summit
August 27, 2013
Girl Up Leadership summit
Work directly with the UN team on technical modifications to enhance the voting experience. Consult on overall strategy, provide technical direction, and media outreach support.
September 25, 2013
Council announces public commitment to help MY World reach new goal of 1 million youth votes at Clinton Global Initiative.
November 6, 2013
UN Under-SecretaryGeneral Peter LaunskyTieffenthal challenges the Council to connect entrepreneurial ideas with the UN’s work.
November 6, 2013
Provide strategic advice during brainstorm session that helps refocus MY World efforts to include global surge week.
DEC 2013
NOV 2013
OCT 2013
SEPT 2013
AUG 2013
Hold series of focus groups to refine campaign tactics.
JULY 2013
JUNE 2013
Council develops MY World business plan for the Council’s work with the initiative
MAY 2013
Council commits to support the UN’s MY World project
April 2013
MY World
Council launches publicly with an article in Fast Company
Global Accelerator
June 11, 2013
February 11, 2013
April 13, 2013
Thank A Peacekeeper campaign
October 22, 2014 Global Leadership Dinner
September 22, 2014
February 16–21, 2014
Learning Trip – Council members travel to Uganda to learn how the UN creates local solutions to local problems and how entrepreneurial ideas are building a path to development.
Council promotes experiences and work of the UN and UN Foundation partners in media stories and publications ranging from Devex to Glamour to Inc. magazine
September 9, 2014
Fundraising efforts for Nakivale begin
Council members commit to raise necessary resources for Nakivale Refugee Settlement, a UNHCR refugee community in southwest Uganda
June 10, 2014
Council nominates invitees and speakers for summit
May 8, 2014
june 2014
may 2014
apr 2014
mar 2014
feb 2014
JAN 2014
#GlobalVote launches with new voting platform aimed at empowering the user and showcasing more compelling content.
Global Accelerator digital site continues to grow and expand reach
First Council member contributions to the Global Accelerator site
July 18, 2014
Nelson Mandela Day – secondary MY World surge
September 20, 2014 MY World reaches 5 million votes
aug 2014
Work begins on Global Accelerator digital site
Ongoing
july 2014
Council develops concept for Global Accelerator – harness problem-solving abilities of the entrepreneurial community and apply them to the UN’s work – in partnership with the UN.
In partnership with the UN Department of Public Information, the Council hosts the Global Accelerator, an active, solutions-focused day-long event; digital site launches to continue engagement opportunities.
SPET 2014
International Learning Trip
2014 Social Good Summit
MY World
Capturing people’s voices, priorities and views around the world In 2000, world leaders took unprecedented action for global development when they adopted a set of eight goals to address issues including extreme poverty, access to education, global health, and water and sanitation by 2015. These Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have since provided a unifying framework for global development and made a significant impact on the lives of millions.
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The support of the Global Entrepreneurship Council challenged us to think differently and brought partnerships and resources to refresh and revive MY World at a critical moment. This support was crucial in driving innovation and creativity through the project and helped us develop a robust and compelling digital and mobile platform for citizen engagement. - Corrine Woods, UN Millennium Campaign
As the MDGs near their target in 2015, the world is in the process of determining what the next development agenda will include. Through the United Nations’ MY World initiative, www.myworld2015.org, citizens everywhere are able to participate online, offline and through mobile platforms in a global survey to tell the UN which issues matter most to them. MY World incorporates digital and mobile technology, big data, social media and more traditional communication vehicles to encourage engagement. In 2013, the UN Foundation’s Global Entrepreneurs Council committed to ensuring citizens around the world, particularly youth, women and girls, shared their voices through MY World. The Council leveraged their resources and knowledge to help MY World reach an additional one million youth by 2014. They brought to the UN their technology, marketing, and youth trends expertise; access to their networks; and innovative ideas to help elevate and grow MY World. Seeing the potential of the innovative and globally-oriented platform, the Council held various consulting sessions with the MY World team to advise on tech modifications, visual enhancements, and storyline development. Through these consulting sessions a more visually impactful platform was developed which highlights the individual responsibility to foster change, while creating a sense of urgency.
The MY World results are being used to inform the UN’s ongoing efforts to eradicate extreme poverty and formulate a post-2015 development agenda that builds upon the MDGs while also addressing economic and environmental issues in a universal framework. Importantly, MY World has helped answer the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s call for the next development agenda to be the most inclusive and transparent agenda the world has ever seen.
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We are often asked what took the survey over the tipping point in civic engagement and I would say there are four key components: first, an incredible group of entrepreneurial youth; second, effective multi-sector partnerships; third, innovation throughout the supply chain; and finally, the political will and timely input of citizen voice into the various intergovernmental processes.
MY World Results: Over 5 million citizen votes from 194 countries, including 3.8 million youth votes MY World surge day held during the Global Week of Action brought in 1 million new votes, the largest single voting day in MY World’s voting campaign Media attention through outlets such as CNN, Huffington Post, SmartPeople Podcast, Washington Post, Thomson Reuters, and others outlets With new MY World partner, Johnson & Johnson, the Council increased capacity of the UN team to address core communications, technology, and design needs
- Anand Kantaria, UN Millennium Campaign
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United Nations Foundation International Learning Trip
Entrepreneurs Without Borders: Supporting the UN’s entrepreneurship and innovation work The United Nations is the only global organization with the reach, reputation and scale to tackle the toughest and most persistent problems around the world. The United Nations Foundation’s Global Entrepreneurs Council traveled to Uganda in February, 2014 to better understand how the UN is exploring local solutions to local problems. Council members connected and exchanged ideas with Uganda-based entrepreneurs, including refugees, met with local experts, and experienced first-hand the entrepreneurial spirit found in UN agencies and UN Foundation partners. Council members began their trip by visiting Nakivale, one of the oldest and largest refugee settlements in the world, located in southwest Uganda. Nakivale is fertile ground for some of the UN Refugee Agency’s (UNHCR) most forward-leaning ideas on how to enhance refugees’ lives and living conditions by promoting entrepreneurship, livelihood opportunities, vocational and computer skills training. The Council visited a small rural island off the coast of Lake Victoria to learn about the programs Pathfinder International has established to promote small businesses and communal mentoring in farming, health services, and business skills. While in the in the bustling city of Kampala, the Council visited one of UNICEF’s innovation labs, which supports the incubation of new ideas to create change in rural communities through portable schools, computers and learning tools. Additional learning components of the trip included: meeting with a female Ugandan Parliamentarian who gave insight on Uganda’s post-2015 agenda and her work with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) to ensure citizen voices are heard, particularly those of women and girls; exchanging ideas with Unreasonable Institute Fellows in Kampala who are creating businesses to provide clean cooking
solutions, sanitation improvements, access to energy through affordable solar, and safer public transportation; learning how Global Health Corps effectively trains health fellows in small and large communities to fill the shortage of skilled health professionals; and how clean cookstoves make a difference in the health, well-being and finances of families both in rural and urban settings. The trip enabled the Council to develop a more extensive understanding of how the UN and UN Foundation partners work in places like Uganda to promote entrepreneurship and innovation to improve lives and foster sustainable development. Upon returning from the trip, the Council committed to raise supplemental funding for UNHCR educational and technical opportunities for refugees in Nakivale.
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A big part of what we offer our entrepreneurs is a massive global network. To this end, our fellows loved learning from and building relationships with the Global Entrepreneurs Council who were excited to learn more about them, share their experiences and open up their network for them. These relationships continued and three of them were able to travel to New York for the Global Accelerator. - Joachim Ewechu, Unreasonable Institute East Africa
Learning Trip Results: Deepened understanding of the unique challenges faced
by UN offices all over the world, leading to collaboration and thought sharing between the Council members and various UN agencies and partners
Financial support for refugees in Nakivale to gain increased access to technology and vocational, technical, and business skills training Exchanged ideas with the UN and local partners on how to
improve entrepreneur support services
Council members raised awareness with new audiences on the challenges and opportunities of the UN’s work and it’s innovative approaches
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In order to understand the life-saving and life-changing work of the UN it is vital to see the UN in action. The Council experienced first-hand the work of UNHCR, joined UNICEF’s groundbreaking innovation lab, and met local entrepreneurs and partners who are on the leading edge of creating companies for social change in Uganda. The trip solidified the concept that entrepreneurs are the spark for global change. - Elizabeth Gore, UN Foundation & Dell Inc.
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The United Nations is a global convener and catalyst for action, but we cannot work alone. The Global Accelerator enabled us to the engage the unique skills, assets and expertise of both the public and private sectors to help accelerate progress on our collective goals to build a more peaceful, prosperous and just world. — Maher Nasser, United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI)
It was inspiring to be in the room with so many entrepreneurs who are trying to make the world a better place. The innovation stations were a great opportunity to talk about the challenges and potential solutions for how we go about implementing a global data sharing platform for the humanitarian community. The UN Foundation plays a critical role in bringing new ways of working and thinking into the UN. — Sarah Telford, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Information
Global Accelerator
Entrepreneurs and innovators accelerating humanitarian solutions The United Nations supports the idea that entrepreneurship is an important pathway to sustainable development. In 2013, UN UnderSecretary-General for Communications and Public Information Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal challenged the Global Entrepreneurs Council to bring more entrepreneurial thinking into the work of the UN. With a clear directive, the Council developed the Global Accelerator – a day-long convening at UN Headquarters that brought together over 100 of the world’s leading entrepreneurs to meet with policy leaders and UN representatives and identify scalable solutions for current challenges faced by specific UN projects or initiatives. The Global Accelerator allowed entrepreneurs, all of whom are passionate about humanitarian issues, to work with UN experts on real-life issues in need of innovative thinking. It was a day of learning, engaging, and creating connections among experts from varying fields, who connected over a shared desire to make catalytic impact on some of the UN’s most difficult problem sets. Action-oriented brainstorm sessions, titled Innovation Stations, facilitated big ideas relevant to humanitarian and development challenges. These stations highlighted the mutual benefits of convening two different audiences for the purpose of reframing and iterating on key innovation problems. As Jason Pronyk of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) described it: “It was a rich day of discussions, very operational with entrepreneurial flair and enthusiasm to move the project from initiation to immediate implementation.” The Global Accelerator succeeded in connecting the UN’s work with entrepreneurs from around the world and mobilizing the energy and expertise of business and non-governmental organizations to help tackle global development challenges.
Global Accelerator Results: Global Accelerator digital site, www.GlobalAccelerator.org, created to provide a forum to highlight stories of impact from entrepreneurs and innovators whose work improves lives and supports the goals of the UN. This platform acts as an
information hub for entrepreneurs and innovators
passionate about humanitarian issues.
30 Innovation Stations provide the UN a new perspective to view current challenges and consider new remedies. Real-life examples raised awareness about the UN’s efforts to build a better world and save lives, and identify opportunities to find creative solutions. 100 participants helped tweak, refine, or iterate the problem statement enabling 15 UN experts to recast their approach to the issues and move projects forward.
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It was all about ‘thinking outside the box’ – discovering how an entrepreneurial mindset can address some of the challenges we face in our daily work, stimulating new insights and the use of innovative approaches in our work.” — Dr. Teresa Attina, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
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At the Nakivale refugee settlement in Uganda, I saw how struggling communities were able to thrive as a result of entrepreneurial ideas and structured strategies. I am proud to continue to support these fellow entrepreneurs through my work with the Global Entrepreneurs Council. - Tina Wells
We witnessed firsthand the multitude of challenges that people in the developing world are facing, and the courageous entrepreneurial spirits who are stepping up to meet them. Innovation is the only path towards solving the world’s greatest problems and the Global Entrepreneurs Council is a great step in that direction - Haroon Mokhtarzada
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Rarely does one get the opportunity to work on such big problems with a more driven and accomplished team. I have learned, been humbled, grown and hopefully progressed the cause of the UN Foundation. - Narry Singh
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At the Global Accelerator everyone harnessed an entrepreneurial mindset and pushed the needle on current, real challenges. It is clear that entrepreneurship is a vehicle to support empowerment, especially for girls and women, and can help us all build a better world. - Julie Smolyansky
From connecting with global leaders to visiting with women entrepreneurs in Uganda to joining the Advisory Board of Girl Up, the UN Foundation has been a key vehicle to learn and grow. I can’t imagine doing my work on Empowering a Billion Women by 2020 without the partnership of the UN Foundation and grateful and honored to be part of the experience. - Ingrid Vanderveldt
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When the chips are down and the pressure is on, it’s amazing to see how creative people can be. — Ted Turner, Entrepreneur & UN Foundation Founder and Chairman
” Continuing the Conversation
The United Nations Foundation and the Global Accelerator links the UN’s work with entrepreneurs around the world, mobilizing the energy and expertise of business and non-governmental organizations to help the UN tackle global development challenges. www.GlobalAccelerator.org