The 2019 Skoll World Forum was an exercise in pragmatic optimism. Our conversations centered on Accelerating Possibility to recognize our shared human journey and the fellowship possible when mapping a vision for progress together. In 2020, we took the Skoll World Forum virtual for the first time, to build on those conversations by exploring the potential of Collective Strength.
Against the backdrop of the rapidly worsening COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Virtual Skoll World Forum morphed into an entirely online open-sourced experiment. With the enduring spirit and irrepressible resourcefulness so characteristic of the larger Skoll community, in a span of three weeks, we pivoted to a week of virtual events that reinforced the core value of convenings—connection, provocation, and inspiration.
Amidst it all, we announced five new remarkable organizations as the 2020 Skoll Awardees for Social Entrepreneurship—a group of problem solvers rising to meet some of the most critical challenges of the day, deep structural problems that our current global pandemic will only worsen.