Leading Innovators Take on New Challenge: Helping United Nations Foundation Solve Global Problems

The United Nations Foundation today announced the newest members of its Global Entrepreneurs Council (GEC), a group of leading innovators dedicated to helping the Foundation apply an entrepreneurial approach to its mission of helping the United Nations solve global problems. The announcement was released today in an article in the March edition of Fast Company.

The 2013-2014 Council is comprised of 10 of today’s leading entrepreneurs under the age of 45. As members of the Council, they will apply their expertise and experience from multiple sectors to identify opportunities to increase engagement in support of the UN’s work in key areas including women and girls, global health, energy and climate, and population. The Council members will shape their agenda for a two-year term, leveraging their networks and know-how to advocate and broaden support for the UN’s work and to help foster innovative partnerships to address the world’s most pressing issues.

“To help the UN solve global problems, we must adopt an entrepreneurial approach, turning the challenges of this generation into opportunities,” said UN Foundation President & CEO Kathy Calvin. “The young leaders of the Global Entrepreneurs Council are bringing a fresh way of thinking to our efforts and will help us sharpen support for the UN’s best work around the world.”

The UN Foundation also named Elizabeth Gore as its first Resident Entrepreneur.  In her previous role at the Foundation, she built groundbreaking campaigns, such as Girl Up, Shot@Life, and Nothing But Nets. In this new position, Gore will be dedicated to fostering innovation in support of the UN and ensuring creative thinking is at the core of the Foundation’s long-term strategy and theory of change. As Resident Entrepreneur, Gore will chair the Global Entrepreneurs Council.

“Entrepreneurs are everywhere, whether sitting inside Fortune 500 companies, founding new businesses, or running a microenterprise inside a refugee camp,” said Gore. “They are the creative heartbeat of today’s modern economy that is breaking down barriers and driving innovation.  Weaving their brave approach to problem solving into the work of the UN Foundation will help us build a better world and invite a new generation of leaders to the table.”
The GEC is comprised of a unique group of entrepreneurs from multiple sectors who have proven leadership experience in the areas of global advocacy and philanthropy, as well as business. The members of the 2013-2014 GEC include:

Neil Blumenthal – Co-CEO and Co-Founder, Warby Parker, a socially-conscious business offering designer eyewear at a revolutionary price;

Ruma Bose – Managing Director, Innovators Fund, a fund focused on investing in emerging, innovative business models;

Barbara Bush – CEO and Co-Founder, Global Health Corps, an innovative nonprofit promoting global health equity by connecting outstanding young leaders worldwide with organizations working on the frontlines of health;

Troy Carter – CEO and Founder, Atom Factory, a multidimensional management company working with innovators such as Lady Gaga, John Legend, and Mindless Behavior;

Ido Leffler – “Chief Carrot Lover” and Co-Founder, Yes To Inc., one of the world’s leading natural beauty brands;

Haroon Mokhtarzada – CEO and Co-Founder, Webs, do-it-yourself website building tool, and Vice President of Digital Products, VistaPrint, a leading provider of marketing products to small and micro businesses globally;

Narry Singh – Technology Entrepreneur, most recently the Chief Business Guru at Outfit7 Inc., the company develops the tremendously popular “Talking Friends” mobile apps and toys, with over 650 million user installs in more than 100 countries;

Julie Smolyansky – President, CEO and Director, Lifeway Foods Inc., America’s leading supplier of the cultured probiotic dairy products known as kefir and organic kefir;

Ingrid Vanderveldt – Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Dell Inc., multinational technology and technology services provider; and

Tina Wells – CEO and Founder, Buzz Marketing Group, marketing and marketing research firm.

The Global Entrepreneurs Council was launched in 2011 as a strategic advisory body to the UN Foundation comprised of successful, high-profile entrepreneurs under the age of 45 who are committed to finding innovative solutions to global problems. The Council carries on the bold vision of leadership Ted Turner set when he committed $1 billion dollars to UN causes 15 years ago, establishing the UN Foundation and bringing entrepreneurism and creative ideas to humanitarian issues. The Council works closely with the UN Foundation to bring innovation and a new generation of supporters to the UN to increase the impact of its work on issues ranging from climate change to supporting adolescent girls and strengthening global health. Members support the UN Foundation in pioneering international campaigns such as Shot@Life, Nothing But Nets and Girl Up, in addition to helping to develop new campaigns to benefit UN programs.

Emeritus GEC Members

As the incoming GEC members take on their new roles, members of the first GEC class will transition to an advisory role as Emeritus GEC Members. The first class of the GEC helped the UN Foundation take its work and the message of the UN’s impact to new audiences and new levels through technology, advocacy, and creative support. Their work has created a lasting positive impact for the UN Foundation and its campaigns.

During the inaugural class’ two-year term, members’ accomplishments included creating the Global Good Challenge, an online engagement platform to educate users and develop a new network of supporters; enabling nationwide out-of-home advertising campaigns to link Americans to the fight against global problems; positioning the Foundation to engage supporters on mobile devices through both an SMS notification service and a mobile app, which was the first app to present UN news from around the world in all UN languages and give people the ability to take action to support UN causes; and mobilizing the creative community to raise awareness and funds to support the fight to end malaria.
GEC Members who now take on the Emeritus role include:

     Ryan Allis – Founder and CEO, Connect;

Elliott Bisnow – CEO, Summit;

Sergio Fernandez de Cordova – Chairman and Co-Founder, PVBLIC Foundation;

   Brian Gott – Director, Burkle Global Impact Initiative;

       Angela Mwanza – Senior Vice President, UBS Private Wealth Management;

       Shervin Pishevar – Managing Director, Menlo Ventures;

       Zaw Thet – Founder and Executive Chairman, Palindrome Advisors; and

       Randi Zuckerberg – Founder and CEO, Zuckerberg Media.

For more information on the UN Foundation’s Global Entrepreneurs Council please visit www.unfoundation.org/GEC.

###

About The United Nations Foundation
The United Nations Foundation builds public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and broadens support for the United Nations through advocacy and public outreach. Through innovative campaigns and initiatives, the Foundation connects people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. The Foundation was created in 1998 as a U.S. public charity by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner and now is supported by global corporations, foundations, governments, and individuals. For more information, visit www.unfoundation.org.