Vision & Mission
The Forum of Young Global Leaders accelerates the impact of a diverse community of responsible leaders across borders and sectors to shape a more inclusive and sustainable future.
Inspire
YGLs ® are motivated to use their talent and influence to be a force for good. We cultivate collective and individual leadership to help develop informed, visionary global change-makers.
Connect
YGLs ® believe that by pooling their diverse skills, experiences and networks they can achieve more together. We foster collaboration in the global public interest.
Transform
YGLs ® are pioneering and bold. We identify and champion ways to scale-up, amplify and accelerate their impact, to make more of a difference in their communities and beyond.
About us
Our growing membership of more than 1,400 members and alumni of 120 nationalities includes civic and business innovators, entrepreneurs, technology pioneers, educators, activists, artists, journalists, and more.
Aligned with the World Economic Forum’s mission, we seek to drive public-private co-operation in the global public interest. We are united by the belief that today’s pressing problems present an opportunity to build a better future across sectors and boundaries.
Our principles
As part of their commitment to responsible leadership, YGL ® community members have come together to define principles for interacting with one another and in the world.
- Generosity
We take time to listen and support each other at a deep, human level. We go out of our way to make a difference to one another's work. We're inclusive. We challenge each other and make diversity a source of strength. - Authenticity
We bring our real selves to the community. We open up. We seek humility and acknowledge what we don't know, so we can learn from others. We value each other as individuals, beyond the roles we occupy. - Respect
We communicate respect, even when we deeply disagree. We earn trust and honour the commitments we make to one another. We strive for transparency in the way we operate and hold each other accountable. - Impact
We operate as a force for good and stand for something larger than ourselves. We imagine a better world and take personal responsibility to act. We capitalize on diverse talents and networks to achieve more together than we could alone. We overcome barriers that elsewhere stand in the way of progress.
History
Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, created the Forum of Young Global Leaders in 2004 to help the world meet increasingly complex and interdependent problems. His vision was to create a proactive multistakeholder community of the world’s next-generation leaders to inform and influence decision-making and mobilize transformation.
Through the Forum of Young Global Leaders, Klaus Schwab envisioned facilitating earnest dialogue and friendships across cultures to bridge divides, fostering fresh thinking and dynamic new ways of collaboration to shape a more positive, peaceful and prosperous society.
