Davos, Jan 21 : Hilde Schwab, Chairperson and Co-Founder of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, presided over the Crystal Awards Ceremony at the 55th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.
During the event, the WEF announced the Schwab Foundation Awards for 18 visionary social entrepreneurs and innovators from 15 organizations spanning 13 countries, including India. The awards launch a three-year journey to empower recipients as part of a global network of nearly 500 changemakers whose work has positively impacted over 931 million lives.
Schwab Foundation Awards are given in partnership with the Motsepe Foundation and honor individuals driving transformative solutions in business, social development, and environmental sustainability to foster a more equitable and sustainable world.
Award Highlights
Social Entrepreneurs Category
– Akshay Saxena, Co-Founder of Avanti Fellows (India): Recognized for providing equitable access to India’s top STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) colleges.
– Vineet Singal, Co-Founder and CEO of CareMessage(USA): Honored for creating the largest patient engagement platform for low-income populations in the United States.
Collective Social Innovators Category
Awardees in this category are recognized for uniting organizations to address complex societal challenges.
– Ved Arya, Director of the Buddha Institute and National Convener of the Responsible Coalition for Resilient Communities (RCRC): Celebrated for leading a collective of 98 grassroots civil society organizations across 15 Indian states, established to mitigate the disproportionate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable communities.
– Fellow RCRC leaders Poonam Muttreja, Executive Director of the Population Foundation of India, and Apoorva Oza, Global Lead for Agriculture and Climate at the Aga Khan Foundation, were also honored.
The 18 leaders join a prestigious global community championing innovative approaches to some of the world’s most pressing issues, showcasing the power of collective action to create meaningful change.
