Schwab Foundation reveals 2025 award winners at World Economic Forum in Davos
Eighteen ‘Social Entrepreneurs and Innovators of the Year’ from across the world recognised for “extraordinary achievements” by Hilde Schwab.
The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship yesterday announced the winners of its 2025 awards, with 18 leaders representing 15 organisations from across the world being named Social Entrepreneurs and Innovators of the Year.
The winners feature social entrepreneurs, innovators in the public and corporate sectors and those leading collective action by bringing organisations together. They operate in 13 different countries around the world from Ghana to Switzerland, targeting challenges including healthcare, education and social equity.
Hilde Schwab, co-founder and chair of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, said the winners were a “remarkable group of social entrepreneurs and innovators who embody integrity, humility and positive values in their work”.
She added: “Their extraordinary achievements reflect on the broader community of leading social entrepreneurs and innovators dedicated to fighting social inequalities and preserving natural ecosystems.”
Hilde Schwab announces the 2025 Schwab Foundation Award winners in Davos (credit: WEF)
Winners include Muzalema Mwanza, founder of Safe Motherhood Alliance, a social enterprise in Zambia that aims to ensure safe childbirth for the 20m pregnant women in Sub-Saharan Africa who do not have access to suitable maternal healthcare, and Akshay Saxena, co-founder of Avanti Fellows, a non-profit organisation that aims to provide equitable access to India’s top science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) colleges.
The awards announcement took place at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters, a meeting of global leaders which runs from 20 to 24 January. This year, the conference aims to build partnerships to shape a more sustainable and inclusive future as the world is undertaking a fast technological transformation.
Winners will receive their awards at a ceremony in the conference plenary congress hall on Wednesday evening.
This year’s winners join a network of nearly 500 social entrepreneurs and innovators who have received the award over the past quarter of a century – operating in 190 countries and impacting more than 900m people.
The work of social entrepreneurs and innovators is not just important, it is essential
François Bonnici, director of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, said: “Our world is grappling with instability, polarisation and disenfranchisement while facing extreme, unpredictable weather events and disasters. It is also undergoing a radical transformation with both the green and digital transitions. Although this comes with economic opportunity, it also risks exacerbating existing inequalities or creating new ones.”
He added: “In the face of these significant challenges, the need for bold and innovative solutions has never been more pressing. The work of social entrepreneurs and innovators is not just important, it is essential.”
The winners:
Social entrepreneurs
Described by the Schwab Foundation as “individuals employing innovative, market-based approaches to directly address social issues”.
- Cecilia Corral, co-founder and chief strategy officer of CareMessage, US
- Christina Mawuse Gyisun, co-founder of Sommalife, Ghana
- Muzalema Mwanza, founder of Safe Motherhood Alliance, Zambia
- Valmir Ortega, founder of Belterra Agroflorestas, Brazil
- Manuel Rosemberg, CEO of ANA Care, Mexico
- Aline Sara, co-founder of NaTakallam, Lebanon
- Akshay Saxena, co-founder of Avanti Fellows, India
- Vineet Singal, co-founder and CEO of CareMessage, US
Public social innovators
Described by the Schwab Foundation as “leaders in the public sector who harness the power of social innovation to create public good through policy, regulation, or public initiatives”.
- Islam Alijaj, founder and president of Tatkraft, Switzerland
- Trinh Thi Huong, deputy director general of the Agency for Enterprise Development, Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietam.
Corporate social innovators
Described by the Schwab Foundation as “leaders within multinational or regional companies who drive the development of new products, services, initiatives, or business models that address societal and environmental challenges”.
- Caitlyn (Juhong) Chen, vice-president and head of sustainable social value at Tencent, China
- Dr Eric Cioè-Peña, founder of the Center for Global Health at Northwell Health, US
- Fred Hersch, senior product manager at Google Health, Singapore
Collective social innovators
Described by the Schwab Foundation as “people who bring together organisations to solve complex problems that cannot be tackled by individual actors”.
- Ved Arya, director of Buddha Institute and national convener of the Responsible Coalition for Resilient Communities , India
- Abraham Baffoe, technical lead of the Africa Sustainable Commodities Initiative, Ghana
- Dr Madeleine Ballard, CEO of the Community Health Impact Coalition, UK
Top image: the 2025 winners of the Schwab Foundation Awards on 21 January, 2025. Credit: WEF
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