Founder and CEO, Beyond Zero; Founder and Chair, A BILLION REASONS
Edward (Eddie) Ndopu is an award-winning, internationally acclaimed South African disabled humanitarian and activist who wasn’t expected to live past the age of 5 due to his diagnosis of Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Ndopu has gone on to become a beacon of hope and possibility for the 1 billion people living with disabilities around the world.
Mr. Ndopu is the Founder and CEO of Beyond Zero, a new platform for creating global change and seeing the possibilities that come from reduced inequalities and sustainable development. He is currently raising money for a billion-dollar Global Assistive Technology and Accessibility Fund. He currently serves as the Founder and Chair of A BILLION REASONS, a groundbreaking incubator envisioned to tackle the Sustainable Development Goals through the lens of universal design and disability innovation.
Appointed in 2019 and in 2021 as an SDG Advocate – a group of 17 inspiring, influential people raising global awareness of the UN Sustainable Development Goals through their global platforms – Ndopu advises the Secretary-General on global policy. He is a strong public figure dedicated to peace, prosperity, and the planet, rallying behind the vision of a better world and inspiring others to do the same.
Mr. Ndopu also serves as Special Advisor for Impact and Corporate Responsibility to RTW Investments, a leading investor in scientific and medical innovation. In this role, he helped to create an overarching corporate sustainability plan, signed a high-level partnership with the UN Global Compact, and influenced RTW to align their strategies with the SDGs in the area of human rights, labor, and environment.
Mr. Ndopu has advised organizations such as the World Economic Forum, UN Women, the Paralympic Games, and Amnesty International. He is a member of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council, a Global Changemaker, a David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award recipient, a Top 30 Thinker under 30, one of the Most 50 Influential People with Disabilities in the World, and a published author. He is currently writing his first memoir.
Mr. Ndopu holds a master’s degree in Public Policy from Oxford University where he was a Poler Scholar and student body president, and a bachelor’s degree from Carleton University.