Impact

The Forum of Young Global Leaders accelerates solutions to global challenges through new models of public-private cooperation. We build bridges across sectors, regions, and ideologies to establish trust that transcends current divides. We invest in learning to help leaders deepen their understanding of key challenges facing our planet and humanity. We share their stories to illuminate what leadership could, and should, look like across the world. For over 15 years, the YGLs have inspired and mobilized change throughout the world.

The Forum of Young Global Leaders mobilizes leaders and accelerates impact to shape a more inclusive and sustainable future. Our ambition is to create a world where leaders take personal and collective responsibility for a more sustainable future.

We build bridges across sectors, regions, and ideologies to establish trust that transcends current divides. We invest in learning to help leaders deepen their understanding of the key challenges facing our planet and humanity. We share their stories to illuminate what leadership could, and should, look like around the world.

For over 15 years, the YGLs have inspired and mobilized change throughout the world.

Our impact model

Investing in a leadership capacity

We invest in cultivating responsible leadership.

YGLs are selected across sectors, genders, and regions, bringing together the brightest minds to look at world issues from different perspectives.

In a community of responsible leaders, YGLs are driven by their desire to create a positive change in society. Through our executive education modules, events, experiential opportunities, and peer exchanges, YGLs develop their leadership capacities to attain greater impact.

“My YGL experience helped me change my career to focus on driving more environmentally and socially sustainable financings and investments. For that, I am forever grateful."

—Karen Fang, Global Head of Sustainable Finance, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch

Promoting collaboration through trust

We invest in building a trust-based community.

Built on the spirit of generosity, every YGL has a story about helping another member in ways large and small. Community members help each other become higher-performing leaders by sharing personal advice and professional mentoring. They volunteer their time and expertise to each other as board members and advisers and facilitate high-value connections and introductions.

“More than a dozen YGLs volunteer their time and energy on the selection committee of the Global Teacher Prize, a prestigious $1 million award presented annually to an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to their profession."

—Vikas Pota, Founder, T4

For Enric Sala, Marine Ecologist and Explorer in Residence at National Geographic Society, being a YGL has given him the skills to translate science into action. With the support of YGLs in business and government, Enric spearheaded the creation of the largest ocean conservation legacy in history – 23 large marine reserves covering a total area twice the size of India.

To increase awareness of the criticality of wearing masks to stop the spread of COVID-19, Jeremy Howard and a volunteer team of data scientists started the advocacy campaign #masks4all. Countless YGLs from around the world supported the campaign by talking to policy-makers and raising awareness through their local media markets.

The Africa Medical Supplies Platform was launched by YGL Dangote Fellow Fatoumata Ba, along with broader YGL community support and with the African Union Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, AU Special Envoy Strive Masiyiwa, and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It serves as a unified continental response to fight the pandemic, unlocking immediate and equitable access to critical medical equipment such as diagnostic kits, personal protective equipment (PPE), and clinical management devices.