The Coca-Cola Company Launches Challenge Among World Economic Forum’s ‘Global Shapers’ To Accelerate Solutions To Global Problems

The Coca-Cola Company today encouraged the members of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community to return to the Forum’s 2014 Annual Meeting in Davos with proof points of the work they have done to help address the world’s problems. In return, one project will be granted $50,000 in seed money to expand its reach while five projects will be granted $10,000 to sustain and expand their efforts.

Global Shapers, a major initiative launched by the World Economic Forum to engage young people between the ages of 20 and 30 to deliver local and global change, will facilitate the challenge by encouraging Shaper “hubs” in more than 200 communities around the world to document the results of their community projects focused on societal problems ranging from health to environment to education to economic growth.

Selection of the most impactful projects will be done by a panel of leading individuals representing the Global Shapers, the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, The Coca-Cola Company, governments and other members of civil society. Judging criteria will include the severity of issues addressed, the number of lives impacted, overall return on investment and the ability of the project to be scaled more broadly. Results and impact achieved by all finalist projects will be shared publicly in January 2014.

“A challenge to spark and expand innovative ideas from the world’s young leaders is exactly what our world needs today as we look to create much-needed growth in the global economy,” said Muhtar Kent, Chairman and CEO, The Coca-Cola Company. “With more than half of the world’s population under age 27, it’s clear that solving current and future challenges is dependent upon involving the ideas and energy of the millennial generation. Our support of the Global Shapers recognizes a belief that talent and leadership to create new growth and solve societal problems can come from anywhere, not just from governments or businesses.”

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