Imagine that you had free access to a survey of over 28,000 young people from 419 communities around the world.
- What do they care about?
- Why do they care about these things?
- Perhaps most importantly: What do they plan to do about it?
Guess what, you do! shaperssurvey.org. Imagine a global group of over 5,000 young business professionals and government leaders from around the world committed to thinking globally and acting locally and willing to help you interpret the results of this annual survey. This is Global Shapers, an initiative of the World Economic Forum globalshapers.org. You have access to it, you can download the raw data, you can slice it a million ways if you like … or you can just ask Noah, one of the survey designers and analysts to help out. This is a great place to start if you are interested in the under 30 generation.
Noah Miller, Innovation Focus Project Manager and Market Research Analyst and also a member of the Global Shapers community, was selected as one of just a few to represent North America at this year’s Global Shapers conference in Copenhagen. This is an annual forum that uses the Shapers’ survey to guide issue and solution identification. These ideas are then acted on, in-full or in-part, by the 419 hubs of young professionals. From Lancaster to Bangalore to Lagos they come together as problem solvers and idea sharers. They have a common commitment to return to their communities and companies with ideas that can happen on the local level.
As important as ideas are, there is a personal connection and commitment among the Global Shapers to continue the process of working together as a life-long habit. Personal connection is a significant part of the world Economic Forum’s agenda.
Building on their personal connections, this hyper tech savvy group can draw together a conversation on almost any topic that might interest your organization with representation from almost any part of the world. With their help, you could facilitate a conversation on:
- Water involving representatives from the 30 largest communities in sub-Saharan Africa
- Healthcare from the perspective of 15 communities in Russia
- Construction from four dozen communities in Latin America
Add some time to your next research to gain understanding. The Shapers can also provide you with a local sense of community in almost any part of the world. Grab a beer with Peter Edgar and other young business leaders in Belfast. Get the lay of the land from a local in Yinchuan – Zhang Yan. Think North Atlantic in Halifax with Ben Wedge. You have a connection.
If you would like more information, contact Noah Miller, NA Shaper Rep. (link)
