The Skoll Foundation story
really begins with Jeff when he’s a young man. Actually when he’s a kid.
I read a lot of books. Thought I would be a writer to get people involved in the big issues of the world.
Decided to get to a point where I could afford to write those stories.
So I became an entrepreneur.
When he has the wonderful opportunity to partner with Pierre Omidyar and start eBay,
a phenomenon is in the making and he finds himself in 1998, when eBay
goes public, a very, very wealthy young man.
All of a sudden I had more resources than I ever dreamed of.
And beyond writing stories
I realized that there was a vast amount of resource that could be put to use
to make a difference in the big issues of the world.
Sally Osberg took me to meet her mentor, John Gardner,
architect of the Great Society programs under Lyndon Johnson, and I asked him,
“What can we best do to make a difference in the world
and ensure that humanity would survive into the future?” And John said,
“Bet on good people doing good things.”
And what he meant was that there were big problems ahead for the world but there were also
people who would stop at nothing to solve these problems.
That set gets very small though as you look at people who actually have what it takes
to create the vehicle, the venture, the strategy to drive
that idea and that innovation forward. And then it gets narrower still
when you look at people who are having success. And that’s where we focus.
The Skoll Foundation supports social entrepreneurs who offer innovative, long-term
solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.
Like equipping indigenous tribes in the Amazon with technologies to protect their lands
from deforestation.
Bringing new teaching methodologies
to thousands of schools in India.
Sharing tools and resources
with small holder farmers so they can improve yields and access to markets.
Building a grassroots movement to end the centuries old practice of female
genital cutting in Africa.
And strengthening healthcare systems for some of the world’s most vulnerable people.
How do you define a social entrepreneur versus others in the social sector?
We call social entrepreneurs equilibrium changers.
Someone who actually wants to crack the code on a problem,
solving them with other innovators, with partners, with strategic allies, so that at the end of the day
when that new equilibrium is in place everyone is better off.
And that for us is the big differentiator.
The Skoll World Forum was just
us saying, “I wonder what would happen if we brought social entrepreneurs together?”
Each year the Skoll Foundation convenes and produces three magical days
in Oxford. Change makers come from all different sectors to learn,
to share, to strike up partnerships.
Here you are
with thousands of people who are actually tackling almost every challenge from different
angles, with different methodologies.
Sharing resources, sharing information, sharing skills.
There’s no better community to be part of. It is a community
of people who want to build a better future.
It’s a week away from what I’m doing
and it’s a window into something that’s greater, and it reconnects me
to that original line of sight that I have.
I think the connections
made between social entrepreneurs and funders, philanthropists, businesses, at the Forum,
have advanced the cause considerably.
Welcome everyone
to the Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship.
The Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship is a real signature program of the Skoll Foundation.
At one level it is shining a light on the individual who has come up with a game-
changing idea and who has been responsible for driving that idea forward.
At the same time the award comes with a contribution of more than a million dollars
that goes to the organization.
That’s such a small part compared to giving us confidence, giving us faith, bringing contacts,
bringing resources.
There’s a partnership and it’s not about, “We’re going to write a check
and we want a report in a year.” It’s a, “We want to think through this together with you. We don’t
just bring money to bear here, but we have immense intelligence.”
It changed the life of my organization,
the life of me personally. It changed the life of thousands and thousands of people in Afghanistan.
It's a lifetime of having a community to journey with.
When we started out we had investing in and connecting social entrepreneurs
as two pillars of our mission. But the third pillar, celebrate, was about
telling their stories.
Through Skoll Foundation, Visayan Forum
was able to tell our stories to the world.
Storytelling is a very important component of our strategy: to go to the community,
to go to the government, to inspire them to join the fight.
There’s a new idea taking root. People are applying business skills to solving social ills.
Storytelling is what actually brings vision alive, it brings
hope into focus, and it actually drives and inspires us in our work
and we know it plays a huge role for the social entrepreneurs as it helps
them communicate what their work is about and the difference it can make to a public
who actually needs to know.
I think I’d describe my own story to date as a bit of a fairy tale.
It’s surreal how much has happened so quickly.
The question comes, “Well, what do you do with that excess?”
I figure you kind of chaperone it and devote it to good causes and give it away over time.
At heart, this Foundation is bringing
a vision to life.
And that vision is Jeff Skoll’s belief that a more
peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world is within our reach.
That’s the work of the Skoll Foundation. That’s what keeps me inspired and motivated.
I started the Skoll Foundation to make a difference
in the biggest issues in the world. And at the time I didn't know how,
but after a couple of years we realized social entrepreneurs were great people doing
great things and were an incredible lever for good.
And I think 15 years later we’ve now seen that that is the case.