The World Economic Forum recently celebrated the extraordinary achievements of the Schwab Foundation’s community of social entrepreneurs and innovators. This group is dedicated to fighting social inequalities and preserving natural ecosystems. Over the past 26 years, their efforts have directly impacted 931 million lives while generating significant economic value for communities globally.
The transformative work of the 2025 Schwab Foundation Awardees exemplifies integrity, humility, and positive values in their endeavors. These awardees employ innovative models that revolutionize societal practices, demonstrating that economic value creation can coexist with substantial social and environmental progress. The Schwab Foundation provides a platform for social entrepreneurs and innovators to present solutions to cutting-edge issues, influencing the agenda of key stakeholders.
This underscores that social innovation is an effective tool in addressing many of today’s most pressing challenges. The showcased initiatives at the Schwab Foundation are a testament to the power of social innovation. By blending economic goals with social and environmental responsibility, these leaders are paving the way for a more inclusive and sustainable future.
Social entrepreneurship and innovation are gaining momentum worldwide, with over 200 million jobs created and generating $2 trillion annually. As highlighted by the Schwab Foundation’s Global Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship, they are also spearheading innovation in green and digital transitions while creating better outcomes for those who need them most. Despite this significant economic contribution and commitment to sustainable and inclusive development, social enterprises face a $1.1 trillion funding need.
At the Annual Meeting 2025, the Schwab Foundation aims to spotlight social entrepreneurs and innovators who are already leading the way with successful and innovative business models and, ultimately, help advance these solutions at scale to reach more people across the world. François Bonnici, Director of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, emphasized the importance of these innovators’ work: “Our world is grappling with instability, polarization, and disenfranchisement while facing extreme, unpredictable weather events and disasters. It is also undergoing a radical transformation with both the green and digital transitions.
Although this comes with economic opportunity, it also risks exacerbating existing inequalities or creating new ones. In the face of these significant challenges, the need for bold and innovative solutions has never been more pressing. The work of social entrepreneurs and innovators is not just important; it is essential.”
The 18 award winners, within four categories, are:
Social Entrepreneurs
– Cecilia Corral – Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of a healthcare technology firm.
Celebrating impactful social entrepreneurship 2025
– Christina Mawuse Gyisun – Co-Founder of a social enterprise that addresses the systemic socioeconomic exclusion of women smallholder shea nut farmers in West Africa. – Muzalema Mwanza – Founder of a purpose-driven organization in Zambia ensuring safe childbirth for pregnant women.
– Valmir Ortega – Founder of an agroforestry initiative in Brazil. – Manuel Rosemberg – CEO of an AI-driven platform offering healthcare training and support in Latin America. – Aline Sara – Co-Founder of an online platform enabling refugees to earn an income as language tutors.
– Akshay Saxena – Co-Founder of a non-profit providing equitable access to India’s top STEM colleges. – Vineet Singal – CEO of a US-based technology non-profit building a patient engagement platform for low-income populations. Public Social Innovators
– Islam Alijaj – Founder and President of a Swiss association for people with disabilities and a member of the Swiss National Parliament.
– Trinh Thi Huong – Deputy Director-General of the Agency for Enterprise Development, Ministry of Planning and Investment of Viet Nam. Corporate Social Innovators
– Caitlyn (Juhong) Chen – Vice-President at a tech company driving sustainability and innovation. – Dr.
Eric Cioè-Peña – Founder of the Center for Global Health in New York. – Fred Hersch – Senior Product Manager developing open-source digital health solutions in collaboration with the World Health Organization. Collective Social Innovators
– Buddha Institute and National Convener of the RCRC – A collective of civil society organizations addressing the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable communities.
– Abraham Baffoe – Technical lead of the Africa Sustainable Commodities Initiative (ASCI), which focuses on sustainable crop production in Central and West Africa. – Dr. Madeleine Ballard – CEO of the Community Health Impact Coalition (CHIC), advocating for professional community health workers worldwide.
For 27 years, in partnership with the World Economic Forum, the Schwab Foundation has been at the forefront of bringing together the world’s leading social entrepreneurs and innovators across diverse sectors and geographical boundaries. This year’s awardees join an existing community of almost 500 champions whose collective work has improved millions of lives since 1998.