Twenty-six social entrepreneurs have been recognized by the Schwab Foundation as 2012 Social Entrepreneur awardees. Drawn from a pool of more than 1,000 global applicants, Gary White, amongst other 2012 Awardees was selected in recognition of innovative approaches and demonstrated impact.

Hilde Schwab, Co-Founder and Chairperson of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, will present the awards during a reception at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of New Champions on September 11.

“Given the complex nature of today’s challenges, we must find more effective ways to collaborate across sectors, rather than working at cross purposes,” Hilde Schwab said. “The 2012 awardees are successfully mobilizing a range of actors, including governments and corporations, to effectively address urgent social and environmental challenges. It is a testament to their impact – and to the efforts of thousands of other social entrepreneurs – that social innovation is becoming a priority for decision-makers at the most senior levels.”

The 2012 Awardees will become part of the broader Schwab Foundation community of Social Entrepreneurs, which includes 225 social entrepreneurs from more than 70 countries. Schwab Foundation social entrepreneurs are fully integrated into the events and initiatives of the World Economic Forum, and benefit from peer-to-peer exchanges with other social entrepreneurs as well as interactions with top leaders in business, government, civil society and the media.

As Darell Hammond, the CEO of KaBOOM! and a 2010 Schwab Foundation awardee, said: “The ripple effect we experienced after our recognition by the Schwab Foundation is huge. As a direct result of this award, we deepened our relationships with top CEOs, developed important partnerships, and had major breakthroughs with key institutions such as the National Institute for Health. This will be the best year in the history of our organization and it would not have been possible without the work of the Schwab Foundation.”

The 2012 awardees include: Veronica Colondam of YCAB Foundation (Indonesia), Ronald Bruder and Jamie McAuliffe of Education For Employment Foundation (United States), Jane Hunt of Fitted for Work (Australia), Jordan Kassalow of VisionSpring (United States), Runa Khan of Friendship (Bangladesh), Vikram Kumar and Jonathan Jackson of Dimagi (United States),Tri Mumpuni of IBEKA (Indonesia), Thorkil Sonne of Specialist People Foundation (Denmark), Jim and Debbie Taylor of Proximity Designs (Myanmar), Gary White of Water.org (United States), and Anna and Dylan Wilk of Human Nature (Philippines).

About the Schwab Foundation

The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship was co-founded by Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, and his wife, Hilde. Since its inception in 2000, the Foundation has been identifying the world’s leading social entrepreneurs in over 50 countries around the globe. Social entrepreneurs implement innovative and pragmatic solutions to social problems by tackling the root causes and creating social transformation. Selected social entrepreneurs of the Schwab Foundation network participate in World Economic Forum events, thus providing unique opportunities for them to connect with business, political and media leaders. Learn more about the Schwab Foundation at www.schwabfound.org.

About Water.org

For more than two decades, Water.org has been at the forefront of developing and delivering solutions to the water crisis. Founded by Gary White and Matt Damon, Water.org pioneers innovative, community-driven and market-based solutions to ensure all people have access to safe water and sanitation; giving women hope, children health and communities a future. To date, Water.org has positively transformed the lives of more than 1,000,000 individuals living across communities in Africa, South Asia and Latin America; ensuring a better life for generations ahead.

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Water.org

Water.org

For more than two decades, Water.org has been at the forefront of developing and delivering solutions to the water crisis. Founded by Gary White and Matt Damon, Water.org pioneers innovative, community-driven and market-based initiatives to ensure all people have access to safe water and sanitation; giving women hope, children health and communities a future. To date, Water.org has positively transformed the lives of more than a million individuals living around the world; ensuring a better life for generations ahead.

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