Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship

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Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship

Our community includes 477 innovators operating in 190 countries worldwide.

The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship supports an under-recognized movement of people developing innovative business models delivering social or environmental good. The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship was established 20 years ago, by Klaus and Hilde Schwab, as a platform to support an under-recognized movement of people who were developing innovative business models deliv

ering social or environmental good. The Schwab Foundation community includes around 400 social innovators and entrepreneurs operating in more than 190 countries worldwide. The community has improved the lives of more than 622 million people in 190 countries; distributed $6.7 billion in loans or value of products and services to improve livelihoods; mitigated more than 192 million tonnes of CO2; improved education for more than 226 million children and youth; improved energy access for 100 million people; and driven social inclusion for over 25 million people for people with disabilities, homelessness or refugee status. Social entrepreneurship, as an organizational expression of social innovation, is the demonstration of alternative working models as we face the current challenges to our planet, our societies and our economies. By having a mission to engage all stakeholders in the creation of social and economic value, social entrepreneurs have proven how all stakeholders – employees, customers, suppliers, local communities and the environment – can benefit. It is a clear demonstration that stakeholder capitalism can indeed work and that systems can change. Check out our 2020 impact report: https://www.weforum.org/reports/two-decades-of-impact

12/05/2026

In many education systems, the challenge is not access to schooling, but access to learning that meets each student’s needs.

In Brazil, 85% of students attend public schools that are often under-resourced, and only around 10% reach basic proficiency.

Geekie Educação is using AI to address this gap. By applying adaptive assessments and data-driven study plans, its platform tailors learning to each student’s level, helping them catch up and progress at their own pace.

Designed to work within public education systems, the solution has reached around 10 million students and is used across 99% of Brazilian cities.

This case study shows how AI can move beyond content delivery to support personalised learning at system level, particularly where resources are limited.

As AI continues to shape the future of education, examples like Geekie highlight how it can be deployed to improve outcomes, strengthen systems, and expand opportunity.

🔗 Explore the case study:https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_Art_of_AI_for_Impact_Geekie_2026.pdf
🔗 Explore all case studies: https://initiatives.weforum.org/global-alliance-for-social-entrepreneurship/ai-for-social-innovation

11/05/2026

A big thank you to the social entrepreneurs and innovators from our community who came together in Mondragón last week.

It was a privilege to convene such an inspiring group of leaders to learn, exchange ideas and build connections. The quality of the conversations and the openness across the group made this a truly meaningful experience.

We are grateful for the time, curiosity and commitment each participant brought, and we look forward to seeing how these insights are carried forward in their work around the world.

08/05/2026

Day two of our learning journey in Mondragón, Spain, continued with a visit to Copreci, one of the industrial cooperatives within the MONDRAGON Corporation ecosystem.

As a global manufacturing cooperative, Copreci offered a concrete view of how cooperative ownership operates in a highly competitive industrial context, balancing innovation, productivity and international market pressures while maintaining worker participation and shared governance.

Building on the morning sessions on finance and R&D, the visit highlighted how different parts of the ecosystem, capital, knowledge, and industry, are tightly interconnected. This reflects a broader insight seen across the social innovation sector: sustainable impact models rarely operate in isolation, but depend on strong ecosystems, aligned incentives, and long-term institutional support.

At the same time, the experience reinforced a more nuanced question for social innovators: what does it take not just to build purpose-driven organizations, but to make them competitive and resilient over time?

08/05/2026

Day two of our learning journey in Mondragón, Spain, moved from theory into practice.

Participants spent the day visiting cooperatives that are part of the MONDRAGON Corporation, which is one of the world’s largest cooperative groups, comprising a network of worker-owned businesses across industry, finance, retail and education.

In the morning, we heard from Laboral Kutxa Bank and LAGUN-ARO Pension Funds, followed by a visit to IKERLAN R&D Centre, engaging directly with leaders and practitioners to understand how shared ownership, democratic decision-making, and internal solidarity mechanisms operate day to day.

These conversations brought to life how cooperative principles translate into operational realities, from governance structures to workforce participation, and how organizations respond to challenges.

What aspects of this kind of model could be relevant in your own context?

07/05/2026

Day one of our learning journey in Mondragón, Spain, focused on exploring the origins, values and governance of the cooperative ecosystem and how these translate into practice today.

A strong start towards building a clearer understanding of how cooperative models function at scale, identifying practical insights for social innovators’ own work, and reflecting on what elements may (or may not) translate across contexts.

Looking forward to continuing the learning journey together over the next few days.

07/05/2026

A few weeks on from Skoll World Forum, one initiative that is worth highlighting.

The Friendship Bench for Social Innovators, led by Schwab Foundation awardees Andrea Coleman, Mel Young and Chris Underhill, created an intentional space to pause and speak with peers across the social innovation community.

Open to participants from different networks, the benches hosted conversations in both English and Spanish, with experienced social entrepreneurs volunteering their time to listen and share perspectives.

We often hear that social entrepreneurship can feel like a lonely journey. The work is complex, the stakes are high, and the path is not always clear. Spaces that enable connection, reflection, and peer learning are therefore not just helpful but necessary.

This initiative offered a practical example of how that can be done, led by those with long-standing experience in the field who are choosing to give back.

Recognition to everyone involved, and to Friendship Bench - Zimbabwe, The Skoll Foundation, Paloma Roldán Ruiz, and the Elders Council for Social Entrepreneurs for leading this initiative.

06/05/2026

Can cooperation scale?
The Mondragón innovation ecosystem suggests it can.

From today until Friday, 20 social entrepreneurs and innovators from our community have come together to immerse themselves in one of the world’s most compelling examples of cooperation in action.

Over the coming days, we will engage with worker-owners, explore how democratic governance operates at scale, and unpack what makes cooperative models resilient over time.

From governance to culture, from solidarity to systems, the focus is not on replication but on learning.

What elements of cooperative models can travel across contexts, and what depends on deeply rooted cultural and institutional conditions?

04/05/2026

Access to social protection is often not limited by availability, but by complexity.

In India, thousands of welfare and financial support schemes exist, yet many eligible citizens struggle to navigate them.

Haqdarshak is addressing this gap by leveraging AI to simplify access at scale. Its platform identifies which benefits individuals are eligible for and guides them through the application process, combining digital tools with on-the-ground support to ensure accessibility and trust.

To date, Haqdarshak has supported millions of families and unlocked billions in financial benefits, demonstrating how AI can strengthen public systems when designed around real-world needs.

As AI continues to evolve, social innovators are showing what effective and ethical deployment looks like in practice. Their work highlights how technology, when combined with human-centered design and strong partnerships, can expand access to essential services at scale.

🔗 Explore the case study:https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_Art_of_AI_for_Impact_Haqdarshak_2026.pdf
🔗 Explore the full series: https://initiatives.weforum.org/global-alliance-for-social-entrepreneurship/ai-for-social-innovation

01/05/2026

We were pleased to co-host the Impact Futures Day with Institute for Management Development IMD in Lausanne, bringing together members of the Schwab Foundation community and the Global Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship ahead of IMD’s 22nd Annual Social Entrepreneurship Conference.

The day was designed as a collaborative, peer-driven experience. It began with a deep dive into measuring systems change, exploring how we can move beyond traditional metrics to better capture long-term, systemic impact.

In the afternoon, practitioners and academics came together in dialogue – grounding research in real-world experience while drawing on emerging insights around corporate social innovation and its business impact.

In a world where no single actor can address systemic issues alone, these kinds of exchanges feel essential to advancing collective approaches to social innovation.

01/05/2026

CareMessage has been named to the 2026 TIME100 Most Influential Companies list, receiving the Impact in Equality Award. A well-deserved recognition.

As a technology non-profit, CareMessage is building one of the largest patient engagement platforms for low-income populations in the United States. Their work highlights an important shift: designing healthcare solutions around the realities people actually face, rather than an “average” user that often excludes the most vulnerable.

This kind of approach reflects a broader trend across social innovation, where impact-driven models are reshaping essential systems like healthcare to be more inclusive, accessible, and effective.

CareMessage and its co-founders were also recognized as Schwab Foundation 2025 Social Entrepreneurs of the Year, highlighting the strength and scalability of their model.

Congratulations to Vineet, Cecilia, and the entire CareMessage team for the impact they are driving and for setting an example for social enterprises around the world working to close systemic gaps.

Read more: https://time.com/collection/time100-most-influential-companies/2026/caremessage/

27/04/2026

Growth is being debated, but its foundations are receiving less attention.

Recent OECD analysis highlights that productivity-enhancing reforms have stalled for more than a decade, even though they are essential to building resilient economies. At the same time, rising pressures on public budgets are forcing difficult choices about where to invest.

What often gets deprioritised is sustained investment in innovation, R&D, and cross-sector collaboration, despite persistent underinvestment in these areas. Yet without stronger foundations, future growth will remain fragile.

Social enterprises are often described as the R&D lab for the future of business, testing models that link economic, social, and environmental outcomes. The question is whether systems will invest in and scale what is already working.

More in the latest On Social Innovation newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/social-innovation-issue-12-22-april-bp3ce

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