NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Friday, March 31, 2017

PALO ALTO, CA — Kicking off next week’s 14th Annual Skoll World Forum, the Skoll Foundation announced the four recipients of the 2017 Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship.

The Skoll Awards distinguish transformative leaders whose organizations disrupt the status quo, drive sustainable large-scale change, and are poised to create even greater impact on the world. With the 2017 announcement, the Skoll portfolio now counts 100 social entrepreneurs, a remarkable milestone in our path to equilibrium change.

“Social entrepreneurs share several important characteristics: concern for the vulnerable, optimism about our future, an ability to think and do, and most importantly, an unfailing belief in solutions,” said Jeff Skoll, Founder and Chairman of the Skoll Foundation. “These four remarkable people give us great hope that a more peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future is within reach.”

By investing in organizations when an innovation is ripe for accelerated and scaled adoption, the Skoll Awards help unleash the full global potential and reach of social entrepreneurs.

“This year’s Awardees are social entrepreneurs who deeply understand that human dignity depends on the security that comes from knowing fundamental needs are met: health, food, shelter, and safety,” said Sally Osberg, President and CEO of the Skoll Foundation. “Only when those needs are fulfilled can all people achieve their full potential.”