Skoll World Forum

The Skoll World Forum is an annual gathering hosted by the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School. Founded by Jeff Skoll, the first president of eBay, the Forum brings together social entrepreneurs, philanthropists, investors, policymakers, and academics to accelerate systemic change. Since its founding in 2004, it has become one of the most significant convening spaces for the global social innovation ecosystem.

The Skoll Foundation, which supports the Forum, awards the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship to individuals and organizations demonstrating large-scale, sustainable change. Its portfolio spans health, education, environmental sustainability, economic opportunity, and peace and security.

Skoll occupies a rare position in the global landscape — operating at the intersection of academic rigor, philanthropic capital, and entrepreneurial practice. It has consistently elevated social entrepreneurship from a niche discipline to a recognized force in systems change, and has served as a bridge between the worlds of significant private wealth and the organizations working to address structural inequality. For the transition toward a more coherent global economy, Skoll's function is to make the business case for purpose — demonstrating, year after year, that the most important problems are also the most significant opportunities.

‍