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Opportunity—for education, employment, income, raising a family—divides those with a promising future from those without. Today’s global inequality levels are alarming, unprecedented, and inexcusable. To close the gaping divide, we must help create a world in which every person has the opportunity to pursue happiness, peace, and prosperity.

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219453
The Skoll Foundation Joins "BuildUS" Fund to Accelerate U.S. Government Efforts Toward a More Equitable Economy
Skoll Foundation - , September 26, 2023
The Skoll Foundation has invested in a pooled fund alongside several philanthropies to accelerate the transition toward a more equitable and worked-centered U.S. economy. With an initial commitment of $50…
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214374
Land Tenure: A Cross-Cutting Solution for Poverty, Climate Change, and Women's Rights
Esther Mwaura-Muiru - Landesa , October 11, 2022
Women farmers feed their communities and the world. From the paddy terraces of Asia to the maize fields of sub-Saharan Africa, the woman farmer tills, plants, waters, and harvests crops…
212973
How Land Tenure Reform is a Critical Climate Solution
James Pippim - Skoll Foundation , May 9, 2022
To address the climate crisis and reach sustainable development goals, Indigenous, community, and Afro-descendant land rights must be secure. While communities claim and manage roughly half of the world’s lands—including…
211859
2021 Annual Letter
March 21, 2022
210427
Making Sanitation Everyone’s Business
I remember walking into the offices of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA) along with my colleagues at Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) nearly eight years…
210090
Living the Values, Upholding the Legacy: The Archbishop Tutu Fellows Without the Arch
Jackie Chimhanzi - African Leadership Institute , January 24, 2022
Even as we come to terms with the passing of our dear Patron, we celebrate a life of service well- lived and the values and ideals he espoused and bequeathed…
209655
Equipping Change Leaders to Reimagine and Reset Our Broken Systems
As I write, yet another new variant of Sars-CoV-2, Omicron is spreading concern and contagion around the world. Though we don’t yet know the implications of Omicron’s emergence, it’s a…
208864
Equity, Proximity, and Trust: How Philanthropy Measures Up to its Aspirations
Kathy Reich - Ford Foundation , Nidhi Sahni - Bridgespan , November 30, 2021
Every organization driving social change deals with resource and capacity limitations. Each is in a constant search for funding to implement its mission and develop its potential. During the pandemic,…
208867
Wealth, Power, and Social Change: Funding at a Systemic Level
Shivani Garg Patel - Skoll Foundation , Alix-Ines Lebec - Lebec Consulting , November 29, 2021
Shivani Garg-Patel, Chief Strategy Officer at the Skoll Foundation, recently joined philanthropy consultant Alix Lebec in a conversation for her series Wealth, Power, and Social Change. They talked about Shivani’s…
202968
Justice40 Accelerator Reimagines Federal Climate Funding System to Heal Black and Historically Disinvested Communities of Color
Zach Slobig - The Bridgespan Group , October 25, 2021
Communities at the frontlines of climate, environmental, and social injustices have the wisdom and the solutions to create systemic, transformational change. Historic and persistent structural racism though has meant that…
202877
How to Build an Inclusive Economy
October 13, 2021
  The U.S. has long operated without being an inclusive economy.  It’s a fact of American life that’s most apparent in data on racial wealth gaps. In 2019, the median…
202464
How EYElliance is Accelerating the Inclusive Optical Sector in Latin America
Zach Slobig - The Bridgespan Group , September 7, 2021
Scaling a solution is not the same as solving a problem at scale. Nearly 1 billion people around the world live with blindness or vision impairment that is correctable with…
202313
United Nations General Assembly Resolution on Vision: Eye Care For All By 2030
August 11, 2021
  For 20 years, VisionSpring (2009 Skoll Awardee) has worked towards its goal of reaching and providing affordable, quality glasses to the 2.5 billion people worldwide who need them. In…
202276
Why Philanthropy Needs to Change the Way it Thinks About Proximity
Tulaine Montgomery - New Profit , August 2, 2021
In 2020, somewhere around 20 million people took to the streets in what researchers believe was the largest movement in U.S. history. During the summer of Black Lives Matter protests…
202199
The Skoll Foundation and Capricorn Investment Group Partner with Inclusive Funds Investors to Close Racial Wealth Gap and Spur Economic Mobility
Marla Blow - Skoll Foundation , July 22, 2021
When a Foundation invests its endowment in alignment with its core mission, it compounds its grantmaking impact, driving towards transformational social change. The Skoll Foundation in partnership with our investment…
202105
Skoll Foundation and Capricorn Investment Group Partner With Apis & Heritage Capital Partners to Spur Economic Mobility
July 6, 2021
The Skoll Foundation and Capricorn Investment Group are proud to partner with Apis & Heritage Capital Partners in an innovative initiative aimed to spur economic mobility in historically marginalized communities…
201957
Rethinking Possible Episode 10 | Halla Tómasdóttir | Can Capitalism Save the Planet?
Nguhi Mwaura - Co-Impact , Courtney Martin - FRESH Speakers , June 23, 2021
Capitalism has arguably accelerated many of the world’s problems, from climate change to economic exclusion. What role can—and should—it play in accelerating solutions? Halla Tómasdóttir of The B Team offers…
201855
Rethinking Possible Episode Eight | Colette Pichon Battle | Lessons from the Bayou on Climate Change and Community Power
Nguhi Mwaura - Co-Impact , Courtney Martin - FRESH Speakers , June 10, 2021
Step foot into Louisiana's bayous and you’ll smell the strong scent of azaleas even before you smell the cooking. Amidst the sweet fragrance of flowers and mouth-watering cuisine, an odious…
201639
Rethinking Possible Episode Four | Dr. Christian Happi | The Decolonizing Power of African-led Scientific Innovation
Nguhi Mwaura - Co-Impact , Courtney Martin - FRESH Speakers , May 12, 2021
Based in Nigeria, Dr. Christian Happi is a molecular biologist whose day job is combating infectious diseases. Alongside his life-saving scientific work, he’s on a mission to embolden young African…
201525
How An Atlanta Park Became an Intergenerational Multiethnic Hub of Community Resources During the Turbulence of 2020
Like many people, at the start of 2020, I had big plans for the year ahead. In addition to family reunions and work trips, I intended to spend a few…
201492
Rethinking Possible Episode Two | Alessandra Orofino | Democracy—There’s No App for That
Nguhi Mwaura - Co-Impact , Courtney Martin - FRESH Speakers , April 28, 2021
If there’s one thing Alessandra Orofino won’t accept, it’s the status quo. She believes democracies can’t be healthy and thrive unless citizens roll up their sleeves and do the hard…
201412
Rethinking Possible Episode One | Rodney Foxworth | Community: The Driving Force Behind Economic Inclusion
Nguhi Mwaura - Co-Impact , Courtney Martin - FRESH Speakers , April 21, 2021
Rodney Foxworth says the racial "wealth gap" is a misnomer because it implies something that’s achievable to close. "Wealth chasm" is more on the nose since we’re talking about disparities…
200737
How African Visionary Fund Built an Organization Centered on Equitable Funding for Local Leaders
Atti Worku - African Visionary Fund , Katie Bunten-Wamaru - African Visionary Fund , April 2, 2021
Led by the desire to invest in funds that prioritize equity, the Skoll Foundation partnered with other major foundations to seed the African Visionary Fund, an organization that drives unrestricted…
199597
2020 Annual Letter
March 30, 2021
199583
How Colombia Cuida Colombia Launched a Collective Movement to Address the COVID Crisis
Colombia Cuida Colombia (CCC) is a national COVID response movement of over 400 organizations across civil society and the private sector. It launched in March 2020 to mobilize a coordinated…
199459
De-Centering Whiteness in Public Imagination
Jimmie Briggs - Skoll Foundation , March 4, 2021
The early months of 2021 have failed to mark a transition from the divisiveness and turbulence of the prior year—and not solely due to the disturbing acts of violence in…
199427
Connecting Communities TEDx Style: Pandemic Responses and Reasons for Hope
Michael Ryan - TED Conferences LLC , Claire Wathen - Skoll Foundation , March 3, 2021
In a year with lockdowns and border closures, TEDx Skoll Conversations took us around the world to hear how frontline workers and community leaders are responding to the pandemic. Virtual…
199190
EYElliance Brings Systems Change into Focus in Liberia's Schools 
Zach Slobig - The Bridgespan Group , February 23, 2021
Systems orchestrators are leaders and organizations who shape transformational social change behind the scenes by connecting people, providing resources and support, and mobilizing collective, unified efforts. At the Skoll Foundation, we…
198808
Surviving a Pandemic with Grit, Innovation, and Creativity in South Africa  
Kelo Kubu - Gamatong , February 1, 2021
TEDxJohannesburg explores the issues with local innovators and social entrepreneurs.   Many countries in Africa were not adequately equipped to withstand the shock of the coronavirus pandemic. While the continent was…
198691
Eight Breakthroughs for Land Rights in 2020
Chris Jochnick - Landesa , January 21, 2021
2020 was a tough year on many fronts, and land rights were no exception. COVID-19 hindered land rights advocates from doing field research, meeting with government officials, prioritizing policy initiatives,…
198648
New Allies: How Governments Can Unlock the Potential of Social Entrepreneurs for the Common Good
Shivani Garg Patel - Skoll Foundation , January 19, 2021
In our journey at the Skoll Foundation of supporting social entrepreneurs and other social innovators, we collectively seek paths to scale impact beyond the footprint of a single organization or…
198458
Unpacking EYElliance’s Role as a Systems Orchestrator  
Zach Slobig - The Bridgespan Group , January 6, 2021
Social change is a team sport. We hear that a lot these days. The scope and scale of a problem that impacts billions of people demands deep, systemic collaboration and coalition building. Never will a single organization—or…
198413
Families and Workers Fund Raises Nearly $30 Million for Workers Hardest Hit by COVID-19
December 16, 2020
  The Families and Workers Fund, a collaborative philanthropic effort designed to support and empower workers, families, and communities devastated by the health and economic crisis caused by COVID-19, is…
198275
How Skoll Awardees Faced the Pandemic with Innovation and Resilience
Jude O'Reilley - Skoll Foundation , December 7, 2020
Facing the historic global challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Skoll Awardees and our larger portfolio of grantees have met this moment with empathy, determination, and innovation. “This is the moment…
198215
TEDx Skoll Conversations: Community-Driven Responses in a Global Pandemic
Claire Wathen - Skoll Foundation , December 3, 2020
Never has listening to ideas that help us reflect about different points of view, our next steps, and our human condition been more necessary. -Elena Crescia, TEDxSãoPaulo The COVID-19 pandemic…
197241
Secure Land Rights: A Sustainable Solution at the Intersection of Climate Change and COVID-19
Rachel McMonagle - Landesa , September 20, 2020
COVID-19 and climate change are impacting all of us, but the dual disasters have a disproportionate impact on communities in emerging economies. These impacts are felt most acutely in rural…
197150
COVID-19 Action Agenda: Why Social Entrepreneurs Are Needed Now More than Ever
September 16, 2020
  As the massive scale of the COVID-19 pandemic became apparent, social entrepreneurs across the world, including many Skoll Awardees, have stood on the frontlines as first responders in this…
196899
YouthBuild’s Formula for Wellbeing
Dorothy Stoneman - Opportunity Youth United , September 3, 2020
Where does the concept of individual and universal “well-being” fit in the future society we aim to create?   It is, of course, central to both the goals and to the…
196590
When the Phone Rang, Harambee Answered – Over 1 Million Times: Partnering with Government in Complex and Uncertain Times
African governments have historically relied on face-to-face services as a key mechanism for supporting citizens. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with those services largely suspended, there was an…
195767
Confronting Modern Philanthropy’s Role in Racial Injustice
Sibabalwe Mona - African Visionary Fund , Atti Worku - African Visionary Fund , July 29, 2020
The myth of the corporate American do-gooder is a thinly veiled attempt at upholding the capitalist systems that produce and entrench systemic injustice and inequality. The philanthropic community must—and can—change…
195538
Sustainable Textiles and Vulnerable Communities: Thinking of Tomorrow While Managing Today
Tanushri Shukla - Intellecap , July 9, 2020
Ever since the pandemic touched our shores, we've been concerned about two broad things at the Circular Apparel Innovation Factory (CAIF). One, what happens to the members of the textile…
195400
The Story of Hem Moktan: 152 Million Children Around the Globe Labor in Bondage
Nina Smith - GoodWeave , June 11, 2020
To be a hero is to take a risk. Hem Moktan does this every day, facing his brutal past as an enslaved child. He is featured in the documentary film Hem…
195333
Impact in COVID-19 Era: Lessons from Social Entrepreneurs on “Scaling Through Mass Disruption”  
Elyssa Lewis - Skoll Foundation , June 8, 2020
How do social enterprises and the funders that support them achieve impact at scale even in times of acute crisis?  This is the question that prompted the Scaling Pathways partners—Skoll Foundation, Mercy Corps…
195224
Fragile Futures for Hidden Workers When Consumers Stop Buying
Nina Smith - GoodWeave , May 26, 2020
With demand for toilet paper and other household items in the headlines, the COVID-19 crisis has made supply chains news, highlighting what disruptions mean to consumers, companies, and workers. This…
195089
Why Investment Decision Methodology Needs a Gender and Racial Lens Now More Than Ever
Bahiyah Yasmeen Robinson - VC Include , May 20, 2020
At VC Include, we’ve built a platform for diverse fund managers to develop relationships with and learn from investors who are interested in finding new market opportunities that align with…
194952
The Role of Urban Innovation in Africa's Emerging Cities in the Time of COVID-19
Emmanuel Adegboye - Andela , May 4, 2020
When we set out to organize an event on urban innovation in Africa as part of this year’s virtual Skoll World Forum week, we knew we wanted to draw attention…
195005
How Chinese Social Entrepreneurs Stepped up to Respond to COVID-19
Changkun Shen - TEDx , May 4, 2020
Last September, we held a TEDx Skoll Conversation in Chengdu, which brought together social entrepreneurs from different regions across China to demonstrate the positive role of social innovation in shaping…
194694
Global Ecosystem Builders: How We're Responding to COVID-19
Anika Horn - Social Venturers , Michelle Arevalo-Carpenter - Social Capital Markets LLC , April 21, 2020
For several years, we both have actively supported entrepreneurial ecosystems in our respective regions. We are both what some call ecosystem builders. As ecosystem builders, we act as intermediaries, cheerleaders,…
194542
Skoll Foundation Announces 2020 Awards for Social Entrepreneurship
Suzana Grego - Skoll Foundation , April 15, 2020
The Skoll Foundation has announced the five winners of the 2020 Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship. “The Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship shines a light on emerging leaders who fearlessly…
192744
Sohini Battacharya on How Small Sparks of Change Turn the Tide on Gender-Based Violence and Discrimination
Sohini Bhattacharya - Breakthrough , March 6, 2020
Sohini Bhattacharya is the CEO and President of Breakthrough, a global human rights organization working to drive culture change to build a world where all people live in dignity, equality,…
190457
Scaling Pearls of Wisdom
Kimberly Bardy Langsam - Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship , Erin Worsham - Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship , February 4, 2020
One component of the Scaling Pathways series is Scaling Snapshots, which are glimpses into one organization’s scaling journey, including the strategies pursued, implications of those strategies and “Pearls of Scaling…
190441
Levers to Unlock New Capital
Kimberly Bardy Langsam - Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship , Erin Worsham - Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship , February 4, 2020
What internal and external levers can social enterprises activate to finance impact at scale? Root Capital on the challenges of blending colors of money inside an organization: Willy Foote, the…
189733
Apopo's Lifesaving Rats Have Freed Over a Million People from Landmine Threat
Charles Richter - APOPO , Bart Weetjens - APOPO , January 23, 2020
For two decades, innovative social enterprise and 2009 Skoll Awardee APOPO, has researched, developed, and implemented detection rats technology for humanitarian purposes, most notably for demining operations. It has freed…
189154
#GoodNews December: Highlights from Social Entrepreneurs in 2019
December 9, 2019
As the end of 2019 approaches, we’ve gathered up the good news: the progress and accomplishments of Skoll social entrepreneurs, hard at work on the world’s thorniest problems. We are…
189102
Darren Walker on Justice-Based Philanthropy
Darren Walker - Ford Foundation , December 2, 2019
In the summer of 1965, a government worker walked up a dirt road and onto the yard of a shotgun house in rural East Texas and told a young Darren…
188981
Ai-jen Poo on Her Vision for Universal Family Care
Ai-jen Poo - The National Domestic Workers Alliance , November 22, 2019
Ai-jen Poo is a leading labor activist and the founder of National Domestic Workers Alliance. The Alliance works to bring dignity and fairness to the growing numbers of workers who…
188995
Muhammad Yunus on the Power of Imagination to Create Change
Muhammad Yunus - Grameen Bank , November 21, 2019
In this video, Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank imagines a future with “poverty museums” and shares his vision for creating change. “If we imagine today…
188825
Blue Carbon: A Pioneering Mangrove Conservation Project in Madagascar
November 1, 2019
In a remote corner of southwest Madagascar last month, local communities launched the world’s largest mangrove carbon conservation project, sequestering a huge amount of carbon and securing an ecosystem vital…
188810
James Mwangi on the Problem With Innovation
James Mwangi - Africa Climate Ventures , October 31, 2019
James Mwangi, Executive Director of the Dalberg Group, has spent decades designing and supporting innovative approaches to tackling the world’s most stubborn problems. His recent work has focused on helping…
188322
A Tech Bootcamp in Peru to Close the Gender Gap
Mariana Costa Checa - Laboratoria , October 30, 2019
When Mariana Costa Checa was bootstrapping a software development start-up with partners in Lima several years ago, finding the right talent for the team was a challenge. There simply weren’t…
188716
Why Women Farmers Deserve the Right to Identity
Shipra Deo - Landesa , October 14, 2019
On the 2019 International Day of Rural Women, Landesa’s Shipra Deo explores how land rights are an essential element for overturning misperceptions about the role of women in society and…
188602
Pioneering Spirit of Chengdu on Display in TEDx Skoll Series
Changkun Shen - TEDx , October 2, 2019
Last month, we successfully organized the TEDxChengdu 2019 annual event, and celebrated the TEDx Skoll Conversations series in Chengdu, one of the biggest city in western China, with its unique…
188558
Why Financial Inclusion is Critical to Meet Sustainable Development Goals
Robert Annibale - Citigroup, Inc. , September 27, 2019
Bob Annibale is the Global Director of Inclusive Finance for Citigroup and leads their partnerships with global, national, and local organizations to support inclusive finance and community development through economic…
188476
CollaborAction: Lessons from Latin America in Sustainable Development
Sean McKaughan - Fundación Avina , September 23, 2019
Sean McKaughan chairs the board of Fundación Avina, which focuses on sustainable development through collaborative change processes in Latin America with the aim of large-scale positive impact. He recently published…
188461
International Aid Reimagined: Participatory, Community-Driven Change
Degan Ali - African Development Solutions , September 23, 2019
Degan Ali is the director of Nairobi-based Adeso, an organization that’s trying to change the way people think about and deliver humanitarian aid. Adeso envisions an Africa not dependent on…
188430
2019 Social Progress Index: Measuring Real Things That Matter
Michael Green - Social Progress Imperative , September 18, 2019
We’re 43 years behind schedule in our progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. That’s the sobering takeaway from the recently released 2019 Social Progress Index (SPI). The report gauges social…
188293
After the Amazon Fires, What's Next for Stopping Deforestation?
Carlos Souza, Jr. - Imazon , September 2, 2019
More than 26,000 fires have raged throughout Brazilian Amazon in August alone—the fastest rate of destruction since record keeping began. President Jair Bolsonaro campaigned with a promise to open the…
188276
Why Water and Sanitation are the Foundation for Sustainable Development
Eleanor Allen - B Lab , August 26, 2019
Water For People's goal is clear and ambitious: lasting quality water services for every family, clinic and school—forever. When people have access to clean water all the time, their lives…
188105
How Five Dangerous Myths Keep Water and Sanitation from 883 Million People
What does it mean to give one person access to clean water or safe sanitation? For them and their family, it means the world: dignity, health, more time to work, study,…
187850
Don Gips on Designing New Systems and Innovative Multi-Sector Partnership
Zach Slobig - The Bridgespan Group , Donald Gips - Skoll Foundation , July 1, 2019
Don Gips joined the Skoll Foundation in early April, taking over leadership responsibilities from Interim President and COO, Richard Fahey. Don brings a wealth of experience in both the public…
187825
Five Questions for Former Secretary Madeleine Albright
The two “mega-trends” that occupy much of Secretary Madeleine Albright’s attention these days are globalization and technology and their intersection. “Globalization is not a four-letter word,” she told a small…
187573
Community Entrepreneurship: Solving Problems and Weaving Society Back Together
Gurpreet Singh - Skoll Foundation , May 13, 2019
“The idea of ‘social entrepreneurship’ has struck a responsive chord. … Though the concept of ‘social entrepreneurship’ is gaining popularity, it means different things to different people. … The language…
187475
Balancing Power Dynamics in Philanthropy
Atti Worku - African Visionary Fund , May 1, 2019
Imagine the impact if the untapped, underfunded, and underappreciated talent and tenacity of leaders from developing countries was fully utilized. At the 2019 Skoll World Forum, my co-facilitators and I…
187402
The Promise and Peril of ‘Tech for Good’
Grace Mzumara - Saïd Business School , April 24, 2019
How would you explain the world today, to the world that was, a hundred years ago? I imagine my wide-eyed self, sharing the marvels of modern day transportation and music from the…
187357
Rewriting the Rules for an Economic System that Serves All
Bruce Lowry - Skoll Foundation , April 23, 2019
Few issues generate more debate today than economics. Occupy Wall Street, the 99 vs. 1 percent, unequal development, and other impacts of globalization have spawned bestsellers, undergirded contentious political campaigns,…
186667
Financing Myanmar’s Smallholder Farmers With Patient Capital
Connor Macdonald - Proximity Designs , April 3, 2019
We’re sometimes asked why we work in farming. Why, of all the many things we could task ourselves with, did we choose the incomes of smallholder farmers? The answer is…
186623
What Systems Change and Starfish Have in Common
Tim Hanstad - Chandler Foundation , April 3, 2019
As we gather in Oxford to discuss how humanity can accelerate a future that is fair, inclusive, and sustainable at this year’s Skoll World Forum, it is helpful to remember…
186015
Meet the 2019 Skoll Awardees for Social Entrepreneurship
Suzana Grego - Skoll Foundation , April 1, 2019
We are delighted to announce the five winners of the 2019 Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship, one week before we head into the 16th Annual Skoll World Forum: Crisis Text Line, Harambee  Youth Employment Accelerator, mPedigree, mPharma, and Thorn. …
185905
The College Cheating Scheme and the Broken Mirror of Philanthropy
Edgar Villanueva - Decolonizing Wealth Project , March 26, 2019
You would be hard-pressed to pick up a newspaper, scroll through an online media platform, or check social media without being bombarded with stories on the U.S. college admissions scandal.…
185160
Introducing Our 2019 Skoll World Forum Emerging Leaders
Erin Harrington - Rosewood Family Advisors , Ariane Campbell - MasterCard Foundation , March 19, 2019
As we look forward to next month’s Skoll World Forum, the Skoll Foundation and the Mastercard Foundation are honored to introduce our 2019 Emerging Leaders! Launched in 2013, the Emerging…
184926
Six Books for Your Reading List by 2019 Skoll World Forum Speakers
Kathara Green - Skoll Foundation , March 18, 2019
Looking for the perfect bedside reading as you prepare for the Skoll World Forum? Whether you’re joining us in Oxford or engaging through the Digital Pass, there are plenty of great reads by Forum speakers to expand…
183340
Andrew Youn on Putting Farmers First to Beat Africa's Hunger Crisis
James Nardella - Last Mile Health , February 28, 2019
In May 2015, a group of ambitious philanthropic collaborators, including the Skoll Foundation, pledged to make a measurable dent in Africa’s hunger crisis through a catalytic $100 million investment to…
182478
Co-Impact Announces First Funding Round: $80 Million for Health, Education, Economic Opportunity
January 15, 2019
  Back in the fall of 2017, the Skoll Foundation joined several other funders—Richard Chandler, Bill and Melinda Gates, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Rohini and Nandan Nilekani—to commit $500 million for…
182522
Will Artificial Intelligence End Global Poverty?
Shashi Buluswar - Skoll Foundation , January 14, 2019
In short, no—at least when it comes to lower-income countries and populations, and not in time for the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Even worse, it can be a major…
182330
How Social Entrepreneurs Brought Hope to 2018
Robyn Park - Skoll Foundation , December 21, 2018
Much of the news from 2018 doesn't paint a pretty picture of the world. But we won't dwell on that. Instead, we'd like to wrap up the year by turning…
182234
Access to Markets: The Elephant in the African Entrepreneurial Room
York Zucchi - Global SME Movement , Anke Schaffranek - Global SME Movement , December 13, 2018
The abbreviation for "Access to Markets" (ATM) makes for a great parallel to the actual challenge for most small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs)—without clients there’s no cash to run…
182201
Secure Land Rights for Climate Resilience
Karina Kloos - Landesa , December 4, 2018
The world’s attention this week has turned to Katowice, Poland, where leaders and advocates have gathered to discuss the global climate change agenda at the COP24 United Nations Climate Change…
181889
A Vision for Change: How VisionSpring Found Scale Through Partnerships
Ann Mei Chang - Individual , October 30, 2018
Want to dramatically increase your impact and scale? A new book, Lean Impact by Ann Mei Chang, offers a practical guide to social innovation with inspiring examples drawn from her…
181974
How Fundación Capital Co-Creates with Government for Scale
Elyssa Lewis - Skoll Foundation , Ana Pantelic - Fundación Capital , October 24, 2018
Partnering with governments is an increasingly popular pathway for social entrepreneurs seeking to scale their impact. But as the new Scaling Pathways report shows, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. It…
181730
Babban Gona Turns Potential Fighters into Productive Farmers
Zach Slobig - The Bridgespan Group , October 16, 2018
The quiet agricultural revolution that Kola Masha has sparked in north central Nigeria has its roots in the early 20th century fields of South Dakota where his grandfather banded together…
181938
Food Security and Climate Resilience Require Land Rights Reform
Karina Kloos - Landesa , Andy Currier - Landesa , October 15, 2018
For communities across the Global South, the impacts of climate change are not abstract projections but concrete realities that threaten their land and food security. In the wake of the…
181845
Purpose and Progress: 2018 TEDx Skoll Conversations Continue in Bangalore
Sartaj Anand - TEDx , October 1, 2018
When I had the opportunity to convene my community for a TEDxBangaloreSalon event last month I immediately thought of the underrepresented narratives. I tried to think of those so busy…
181372
How a Mapping Technology Helps the Poor Convert Wasteland to Thriving Commons in India
Zach Slobig - The Bridgespan Group , Gabriel Diamond - Skoll Foundation , August 27, 2018
In India, some 50 million hectares of land, an area the size of Kenya, is classified as "wastelands and degraded lands"—a holdover from a colonial land management philosophy that fails…
181506
Why Farmer-Centered Design Demands Deep Knowledge, Intentionality, and Trust
Elyssa Lewis - Skoll Foundation , August 13, 2018
The big problem is clear. With a global population expected to reach more than 9.7 billion by 2050 and ambitious goals to end poverty, hunger, and food insecurity by 2030, agricultural production will need to nearly double. This increase in productivity must…
181164
Emerging Technologies: Shifting the Path from Poverty to Prosperity?
Bruce Lowry - Skoll Foundation , May 24, 2018
Neither technology determinists nor tech skeptics would have been wholly satisfied with the Skoll World Forum session, “Emerging Technologies: Shifting the Path from Poverty to Prosperity.”  But it was a…
179473
Sustainable Solutions at the Base of the Supply Chain: The Case for Cocoa
Paul Macek - World Cocoa Foundation , March 16, 2018
When you think of chocolate, you probably conjure up thoughts of hot chocolate after skiing or memories of a favorite person who offered you a box of Belgian truffles on…
178957
How Kickstart is Mobilizing an Irrigation Movement in Sub-Saharan Africa
Zach Slobig - The Bridgespan Group , March 6, 2018
Irrigation: that’s the key to lifting sub-Saharan Africa out of poverty, according to Martin Fisher. He traveled to the region on a Fulbright scholarship in 1985, and shortly after he…
175537
#GoodNewsDecember: Impact Highlights from Social Entrepreneurs in 2017
Robyn Park - Skoll Foundation , December 18, 2017
After a year marked by natural disasters, refugee crises, and political turmoil, it can be a challenge to not become discouraged. But take a closer look, and you'll see the progress…
175571
How Building Markets Brings Syrian Refugee Entrepreneurs Out of the Shadows in Turkey
Zach Slobig - The Bridgespan Group , December 13, 2017
Building Markets (2010 Awardee) started in 2004 with a deceptively simple mission: to reduce poverty in crisis-impacted countries by championing local entrepreneurs. Building markets connects small and medium sized enterprises…
175493
A Seed of Maize: Kickstart on Storytelling for Impact
Zach Slobig - The Bridgespan Group , Chevenee Reavis - Water.org , December 7, 2017
In Sub-Saharan Africa, 12 million people who rely on smallholder agriculture have improved their yields and income with the help of a single, simple piece of technology: a human-powered water…
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We The Future Spotlights Bold Models for Sustainable Development Agenda
Lindsey Powers - Skoll Foundation , Jess Fleuti - Skoll Foundation , September 29, 2017
Last week, a group of social entrepreneurs, corporate pioneers, and policy innovators gathered at the TED Theater in New York during Global Goals Week for We The Future: Accelerating Sustainable…
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Team Rubicon in Houston: A Lean, Nimble Approach to Disaster Relief
Zach Slobig - The Bridgespan Group , September 12, 2017
  Jake Wood, former Marine sniper, believes there’s a better way to do disaster relief. While giant bureaucratic organizations like the Red Cross have come under increasing scrutiny for mismanaged…
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Sir Ronald Cohen: Unlocking Capital Markets for Social Change
July 24, 2017
Sir Ronald Cohen arrived in London as an 11-year-old refugee from Egypt. He eventually earned an Oxford scholarship, attended the Harvard Business School, and co-founded a venture capital firm. He…
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Reaching the Unbanked: Citi Inclusive Finance Wins Euromoney Award
Edwin Ou - Skoll Foundation , July 19, 2017
One in four people in the world is unbanked, leaving them completely outside the system of formal financial services which can serve as bridge out of poverty and unlock opportunities…
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On World Refugee Day: A Historic Crisis Without a Historic Response
Hannah Darnton - Skoll Foundation , June 20, 2017
Every minute of the day, conflict and persecution forces 20 people from their homes. By the end of today’s World Refugee Day, nearly 30,000 people will find themselves displaced. 2016…
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The Story of Gulafsa and Ruksar: Two Child Laborers Now Out of the Shadows
Nina Smith - GoodWeave , June 15, 2017
Millions of children are forced into labor each year. Consumers at the end of the supply chain often know nothing of the lives of those who made the product; it's…
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Scaling Pathways: Three Case Studies on Impact Growth in Social Enterprise
Gurpreet Singh - Skoll Foundation , June 13, 2017
What does it take to scale social impact? That’s one of the fundamental questions for social entrepreneurs anywhere. As they seek to create solutions to widespread, seemingly intractable problems, such…
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What Next in a Global Labor Landscape in Flux?
Kimberly Hogan - Skoll Foundation , May 22, 2017
“I see aspirations converging all over the world and I’m really worried about it because unless we move more quickly in fighting poverty, unless we move more quickly in creating…
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Skoll World Forum 2017 Reflection: Global Goals in an Uncertain World
Walking into the session, a question buzzed in my head: can we 7B+ humans prove to ourselves that ‘sustainable development’ isn’t an oxymoron, in just 14 short years? Susan Myers—panel…
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Highlights from the Social Progress Imperative 2017 Summit
Zach Slobig - The Bridgespan Group , May 1, 2017
“What if sociologists had as much influence as economists?” That’s the provocation with which Bjarni Benediktsson, Iceland’s 46-year-old Prime Minister of Iceland, set the tone for recent global summit of…
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Highlights from Skoll World Forum 2017
April 21, 2017
The annual Skoll World Forum was, as always, an inspiring, energizing, and at times dizzying week of conversations and celebrations in the hallowed halls and cobblestoned streets of Oxford. Stephan Chambers…
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Anatomy Of A Tiger: With all Eyes on Myanmar, See How Land Reform Shaped Asia's Tiger Economies
Roy Prosterman - Landesa , April 17, 2017
Asia’s Tigers, the collection of booming economies that emerged in the East following World War II, are often hailed as economic miracles. There was, though, no “secret sauce” behind that sustained…
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Skoll Awardee Kola Masha of Babban Gona on His One Regret
April 5, 2017
Kola Masha was unable to attend Oxford's New Theatre in person this evening, because he was waiting for the imminent arrival of his second child. Appolo Goma, Babban Gona Executive…
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10 Signs of an Impending Global Land Rights Revolution
Chris Jochnick - Landesa , April 1, 2017
The development community has experienced various ‘revolutions’ over the years – from microfinance to women’s rights, from the green revolution to sustainable development.  Each of these awakenings has improved our…
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Survey of Social Entrepreneurship Community Reveals Emerging Trends
Jess Fleuti - Skoll Foundation , February 1, 2017
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…
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Citibanamex: Inclusive By Design
Ernesto Torres Cantu - Citibanamex , Robert Annibale - Citigroup, Inc. , December 20, 2016
  Kim Hogan, Skoll Foundation Citigroup makes strides towards systems change in the financial inclusion space by investing $1 billion in Citibanamex as the government of Mexico launches its National…
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Africa’s Economic Promise
Peyton Fleming - Ceres , November 21, 2016
The Africa that I visited recently was very different from what I had read about in U.S. newspapers. Instead of terrorist attacks and marauding gangs, I saw economic vitality, world-leading…
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Want to Help the Poor? Why There’s Not Always an App for That
Benjamin Geyerhahn - BeneStream , October 14, 2016
Silicon Valley is a hub of innovation, but it also lives in a bit of a bubble. Many startups’ design decisions are based on assumptions that simply don’t apply or…
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One More Look at Rio: The Necessity and Complexity of Systems Change
Joony Moon - Skoll Foundation , August 24, 2016
Over the course of the 2016 Olympics in Rio, we’ve delved into some of the challenges facing Brazil. We began with the Social Progress Index’s (SPI) assessment of Brazil’s performance…
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The Growth of the WE Movement: From Our Living Room to Yours on August 28th
Craig Kielburger - WE , August 20, 2016
When a group of twelve twelve-year-olds gathered in my parents’ living room 20 years ago to draft a petition to end child labor, we felt strong together, but alone in…
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“During The Olympics, There is Great Joy Among Us”: An Interview with Rio Social Entrepreneurs
Joony Moon - Skoll Foundation , August 15, 2016
At the Skoll Foundation, we have seen time and again the importance of the deep connection and inspiration social entrepreneurs get from working with and staying close to people and…
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As Rio Olympics Kick Off, SPI Data Shows Uneven Social Progress in Brazil
Joony Moon - Skoll Foundation , August 5, 2016
The opening ceremony for the 2016 Summer Olympics kicks off today in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Both the city and the country have been mired in controversies in the lead-up…
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Promising Innovations for Tackling the Refugee Crisis
Hannah Darnton - Skoll Foundation , June 20, 2016
The world’s eyes are fixed on one of the most pressing social crises of our time—the refugee crisis unfolding across Central Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. Driven…
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Technology’s Role in Driving Social Progress Continues to Grow
Kimberly Hogan - Skoll Foundation , June 17, 2016
This is part of a series of articles about the 2016 Skoll World Forum, which took place April 13-15 in Oxford, England. Even though the social sector is one of…
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NGOs Should Offer Business Support to Grow Impact Investment in Frontier Markets
Mark Wallace - Cambridge Judge Business School , Agustin Belloso - Cambridge Judge Business School , Henning Ringholz - Small Foundation , May 26, 2016
Lack of access to finance and business development services are key obstacles to growth for social enterprises operating in frontier markets. While there has been a rise in investment in…
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Disrupting the Wealth Inequality Paradigm
Cindy Chen - King Philanthropies , May 12, 2016
This is part of a series of articles about the 2016 Skoll World Forum, which took place April 13-15 in Oxford, England. In recent years, wealth inequality has been passionately…
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Land Rights: Intangible Assets Bring Tangible Benefits
Tim Hanstad - Chandler Foundation , March 17, 2016
When we think about global development, we generally picture tangible improvements like bridges, hospitals, and schools. When it comes to agriculture, people think of improved seeds, fertilizer, and irrigation. But…
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Field Visit: Camfed Succeeds Through Community Solidarity
Cindy Chen - King Philanthropies , February 13, 2016
Raymond Guthrie and I are in Zimbabwe visiting Camfed, one of our early Skoll Award winners (class of 2005), to learn more about their work within rural communities to support…
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Blended Finance in a Nutshell
Laura Mecagni - International Finance Corporation , February 5, 2016
Also read the Skoll perspective from principal Eric Cooperström. Worldwide, roughly 450 million smallholder farmers scrape out a living by working two hectares of land or less. Figuring out how…
The Future of Work
Bettina Warburg - Institute for the Future , Ben Knight - Loomio , David Jones - Microsoft , June 5, 2015
Eduarda La Rocque: The Great Paradigm Shift
Eduarda La Rocque - Pereira Passos Institute , May 26, 2015
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The Outsourcing Sector’s Shift to Impact Sourcing as the New Norm
Alison Gilbert - Skoll Foundation , May 18, 2015
In a recent Huffington Post blog Skoll Awardee Jeremy Hockenstein—co-founder and CEO of Digital Divide Data (DDD)—posits, “Nowadays, almost every major company and institution outsources business processes offshore. Imagine the…
The Great Paradigm Shift
Eduarda La Rocque - Pereira Passos Institute , Paul Farmer - Partners In Health , Diana Good - Independent Commission for Aid Impact , Michael Porter - Harvard Business School , Michael Green - Social Progress Imperative , April 29, 2015
Empathy-Driven Solutions for Rural Rice Farmers in Myanmar
March 27, 2015
Learn more about how the Skoll Foundation, its awardees and partners are working to help smallholder farmers. Helping Smallholder Farmer Feed the World: How the Skoll Foundation sees the issues that…
The 450 Million Farmer Opportunity: Large-Scale Change Through Smallholder Finance
Sean De Cleene - Yara , Laura Mecagni - International Finance Corporation , Michael van den Berg - Triodos Bank , Willy Foote - Root Capital , Thomas Carroll - Global Development Incubator , April 22, 2014
Opening Plenary of 2014 Skoll World Forum
Miri Ben-Ari - , Richard Branson - Virgin Unite , Arif Naqvi - The Abraaj Group , Marcus Bleasdale - Wilstar Social Impact , Mindy Lubber - Ceres , April 9, 2014
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.…
The Square - Trailer
Jehane Noujaim - Noujaim Films , February 28, 2014
The Square movie is a documentary about the Egyptian revolution behind the headlines. Follow a group of activists in Tahrir Square, risking their lives to build a new society of…
Gary White of Water.org: The Ubiquitous Force
January 21, 2014
Gary White, Co-Founder of Water.org (along with Matt Damon) speaks about his vision: safe water and the dignity of a toilet for all, in our lifetime. For more information on…
GDP Turns 80: SPI Turns 1
January 8, 2014
What does a successful country look like? 80 years ago, economist Simon Kuznets introduced GDP to the world, alongside a clear warning against using it to define the wellbeing of people.…
How does entrepreneurship & innovation thrive in a stateless nation?
November 10, 2013
As Palestine continues to strive for full statehood, there are signs of growth in economic development throughout the region; change makers in the private sector, entrepreneurs, innovators and philanthropists are…
The Social Entrepreneur: That Rare Individual
September 8, 2013
Sally Osberg, CEO of the Skoll Foundation, describes "the social entrepreneur" as part of this special special series from the Skoll World Forum featuring social entrepreneurs and other innovators discussing…
Developing the Development Model: Reengineering Aid for the 21st Century - 2013 Skoll World Forum
Dambisa Moyo - Economist , Paul Boateng - Akyem Law and Advisory Services Ltd , Richard Feachem - The Global Health Group , Maura ONeill - University of California, Berkeley , Bunker Roy - Barefoot College Tilonia , July 1, 2013
The Future of Philanthropy
Mark Kramer - FSG, Inc. , Lester Salamon - Center for Civil Society Studies at The Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies , Helmut Anheier - UCLA Center for Civil Society , Alex Nicholls - Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship , March 29, 2007