Home > About Us > History
Print Send to a friend
History

 
Return

History

Klaus & Hilde SchwabProfessor Klaus Schwab created the World Economic Forum as an independent not-for-profit foundation in 1971 and built it into the foremost global community  of world leaders in business, government, academia and civil society committed to improving the state of the world.

In 1998, Klaus Schwab and his wife Hilde decided to create and provide an initial endowment for a second complementary foundation, the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, with the purpose to promote entrepreneurial solutions and social commitment with a clear impact at the grassroots level.

The World Economic Forum and the Schwab Foundation work in close partnership to provide social entrepreneurs with a platform to showcase their important role in today's society. Since its creation, the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship has financially supported the selected social entrepreneurs of its network to actively participate in the various events and initiatives of the World Economic Forum, providing them with an opportunity to draw on the support, the knowledge and the networks of its members and constituents. In addition, the Foundation has channeled more than 50 scholarships for executive education courses at leading universities to its social entrepreneurs and enabled pro bono consulting and legal support. Click here for a more detailed impact analysis

While the World Economic Forum and the Schwab Foundation cooperate closely,  they are separate legal identities and have different Foundation Boards.

 

                                                                            
 
    
 
Terms of use Privacy Statement