The MSC’s chief executive Rupert Howes is among those to be recognised by the Schwab Foundation as Social Entrepreneurs of 2014. The thirty seven winners have been selected in recognition of their innovative approaches and potential for global impact.
The awardees, from the fields of health, education, employment, and the environment, will be announced during a livecast session at The Huffington Post, Monday, 24 March at 13:00 EST/18:00 CET.
The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship is an independent and neutral non-profit organisation. It was cofounded in 2000 by Klaus Schwab, founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, and his wife, Hilde.
Social entrepreneurs drive innovation
"Social entrepreneurs are the driving force behind innovations that improve the quality of life of individuals around the world, and they represent an integral and dynamic community of the World Economic Forum.” Hilde Schwab comments. “The 37 outstanding social entrepreneurs we have selected into the Schwab Foundation community this year are designing transformative models in collaboration with government and business partners to generate truly inclusive growth."
The awardees will become part of the broader Schwab Foundation community of Social Entrepreneurs, which includes 250 outstanding individuals from 60 countries. The social entrepreneurs are fully integrated into the events and initiatives of the World Economic Forum. They contribute actively to and benefit from peer-to-peer exchanges with other social entrepreneurs as well as interactions with top leaders in business, government, civil society and the media.
Partnerships helping social and environmental change
“A growing number of corporations see income inequality and environmental problems like climate change as fundamental threats to their long-term growth,” said David Aikman, Senior Director, World Economic Forum, and Head, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. “Many governments are starting to rethink the way they deliver goods and services that improve social outcomes. We are seeing greater appetite among other stakeholder groups of the Forum to learn from social innovation models and collaborate with social entrepreneurs in innovative ways. I am confident this trend will only continue to grow in the future, and the World Economic Forum is proud to be at the forefront of catalysing partnerships among these stakeholder groups for social and environmental change.”
Visit the foundation’s website for more information on Social Entrepreneurs.
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