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Membership Opportunities

Last update: March 2026

All Global Shapers have access to unique opportunities to develop practical skills for leading positive social change including training, mentorship, coaching and hands-on experiences at the local and global level.

Develop Youth Leaders
  • Global Shapers Annual Summit
  • SHAPE Events
  • National and Sub-Regional Retreats
  • Hub Activities
Accelerate Youth Action
  • Hub Projects and Impact
  • Innovation Prize
Amplify Youth Voices
  • Write for Forum Stories
  • World Economic Forum Meetings
  • World Economic Forum Centres & Flagship Collaborations
  • Forum Spaces
  • Strategic Intelligence
  • Forum Communities

Global Shapers Skills

The Global Shapers Community focuses on three strategic goals to empower young people around the world: developing youth leaders, accelerating youth action, and amplifying youth voices. To achieve these goals, Global Shapers can acquire critical skills that enhance their effectiveness and impact.

Our learning activities are structured around our community’s five core leadership values, including: passion, integrity, service, cooperation and commitment.

The Global Shapers HQ shares all the opportunities in the monthly Newsletter, or directly with the concerned Global Shapers or Alumni.

Develop Youth Leaders

Global Shapers Annual Summit

Each year, Hub leaders are invited to participate in the Global Shapers Annual Summit, the World Economic Forum's foremost event for young innovators, activists and changemakers. The new elected Curators of all Hubs are invited for a three-day programme focused on accelerating youth leadership and collective action. Members build relationships and year-long support.

SHAPE Events

SHAPEs are regional events created by Shapers for Shapers. Each year, Hubs are invited to submit proposals to host their regional SHAPE event. Host Hubs define the theme and objectives. SHAPEs strengthen the capacity of Shapers and relationships across the network.

Shapers should participate in their regions SHAPE, but are also invited to participate in other events around the world. See what it takes to host an event in our SHAPEs guide.

Hosting a SHAPE event is by application only. Unless otherwise approved by Global Shapers HQ, regional events are only organized by Hubs that have won the bid to host their regional SHAPE. Sticking to this standard keeps the process fair and transparent. SHAPE hosts work closely with Global Shapers HQ to avoid calendar conflicts and maximize participation. Global Shapers and Alumni can access the Call for Applications for all the SHAPEs, in our monthly Newsletter.

National and Sub-Regional Retreats

National and Sub-Regional retreats provide opportunities for Shapers to exchange expertise, share best practices, have impact on a local scale and join forces with other Hubs in their country or sub-region. Reach out to your Community Champion if you’d like to host a national retreat in your country.

Hub Activities

Hubs develop their own activities and programming to facilitate interactions between members and their local community. Activities include capacity building workshops, retreats, learning journeys, debates and discussions. Speak to your Curator about upcoming Hub activities, or propose a new one.

Accelerate Youth Action

Hub Projects and Impact

The Global Shapers Community focuses on moving from talk to action. We are a community of doers. Global Shapers set ambitious goals and implement Hub projects that focus on local transformations. Success is measured by improving the life of at least one person outside of each Hub. Throughout this process, Global Shapers gain key skills and develop knowledge on how to lead and manage projects in their communities.

Innovation Prize

In collaboration with Accenture and the Global Alliance for Youth, the Global Shapers Community launched it new Innovation Prize in 2024. Our Innovation Prize empowers young changemakers worldwide to accelerate positive and lasting change through collective action. The prize rewards inspiring, uplifting, impactful Hub projects with grant funding and valuable training, mentorship and coaching.

Amplify Youth Voices

Write for Forum Stories

The Global Shapers Community is a network of young people who are talented, knowledgeable and who have a unique perspective on a variety of topics and global issues. The World Economic Forum wants to hear from you. Forum Stories explores the Forum’s latest opinion articles, timely analyses and explainers from leaders in business, politics, and civil society. In addition to being able to read all these articles, Global Shapers and Alumni have the opportunity to write for Forum Stories, allowing them to both read and contribute to a platform that garners 6 million monthly views. Whether it's on the importance of breaking the stigma around mental health, ensuring the development of inclusive AI, revolutionizing education systems or eradicating plastics from our oceans, share your expertise by pitching an article!

You could also subscribe to the Forum Stories Newsletter if interested.

Pitch your Article

World Economic Forum Meetings

Connections to the World Economic Forum and its network of experts and leaders, expand our members influence and desire to take action.

The World Economic Forum convenes two flagship Annual Meetings, alongside several meetings and events throughout the year. Reflecting its strong commitment to youth representation and intergenerational dialogue, youth delegations are invited to participate in both Annual Meetings.

  • Annual Meeting in Switzerland: Convenes leaders from government, business, and civil society to address the state of the world and discuss priorities for the year ahead.
  • Annual Meeting of New Champions in China: Global gathering on science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship, convening next generation leaders and executives.

For more information on how to apply and selection criteria, review our Forum Meetings FAQs. Access to events and opportunities is earned, not guaranteed. All major events are subject to open application and selection processes. Global Shapers listed on Forum Spaces may apply, provided they remain eligible at the time of the meeting. All event opportunities are communicated through the monthly newsletter.

World Economic Forum Centres & Flagship Collaborations

The World Economic Forum organizes its work around several Centres, each dedicated to tackling global challenges and driving positive change. These Centres house multiple initiatives that address key issues across various sectors, such as the global economy, society, technology, and the environment. Global Shapers and Alumni with relevant expertise are encouraged to engage with these initiatives, contributing their knowledge and skills to advance the Forum's mission of improving the state of the world. The Global Shapers Community team facilitates direct engagement opportunities with the World Economic Forum for community members through a wide range of formats, based on Centre needs and priorities. Global Shapers and Alumni are identified and contacted directly when relevant opportunities arise.

Important tip: Make sure your Forum Spaces profile and biography are up to date, including your expertise, experience, and areas of interest, to increase your chances of being identified and engaged in relevant opportunities.

FLAGSHIP COLLABORATIONS   Flagship Collaborations is the engagement framework that integrates the Global Shapers Community into the work of World Economic Forum Centres and Initiatives through structured, outcome-driven collaboration aligned with Forum priorities. Its goal is to amplify the leadership and solutions of young experts by activating a globally diverse network of next-generation leaders and practitioners to embed intergenerational perspectives into Centre work, driving dialogue, generating actionable insights and accelerating impact that shapes global agendas. The Flagship Collaboration framework is built around three core categories: Dialogue, Insights and Action. Together, they provide a comprehensive model for embedding intergenerational perspectives into Centre agendas, from agenda-setting to knowledge generation to implementation.

  • Dialogue enables Centres to convene young experts alongside senior leaders to shape priorities and inform direction.
  • Insights provides structured mechanisms to generate youth-driven intelligence, foresight and knowledge outputs.
  • Action mobilizes and scales youth-led initiatives that advance Centre priorities in practice.

FLAGSHIP COLLABORATIONS - CORE COLLABORATORS Core Collaborators hold a defined leadership and coordination role within a specific Flagship Collaboration and act as key members of its leadership team. They act as the primary liaison between the Centre or Initiative and the Global Shapers Community, ensuring alignment, continuity and quality of engagement across Dialogue, Insights and Action. We are proud to present the Core Collaborators currently mandated across our ongoing Flagship Collaborations. They are available to support Shapers and Hubs with guidance related to these collaborations with World Economic Forum Centres and initiatives. Do not hesitate to reach out to them on Forum Spaces; the links to their profiles are provided below:

Equal Air Collaborative

Longevity Economy Taskforce

Future26

  • Upcoming

Shapers for Plastic Action

Mission and Mandate Core Collaborators contribute to a specific Flagship Collaboration by co-designing its activities, providing operational support and overseeing the development of key deliverables. They act as the primary link between Forum staff and Global Shapers engaged in the collaboration, ensuring effective coordination and engagement across all contributors. The role is open to active Global Shapers and Alumni who seek to take on a formal leadership mandate within the framework. Core Collaborators are appointed by HQ in coordination with the relevant Forum team, based on credentials, motivation, competence, and alignment with the Flagship Collaboration’s objectives. Core Collaborators are expected to dedicate an average of 1–3 hours per week to their role. Flexibility is important, as time commitments may vary depending on the stage and needs of the collaboration, with some periods requiring more engagement than others. While specific responsibilities vary across Flagship Collaborations, most Core Collaborators are involved in the following tasks during their tenure:

  • Providing strategic input on the design of the Flagship Collaboration to ensure relevance to Shapers and feasibility, continuously providing feedback for improvements.
  • Moderating virtual and in person sessions (introduction calls, talks with leaders, etc.) with an emphasis on engaging Shapers in an active and productive way.
  • Proactively engaging and managing the community of contributors through email and other channels as necessary to ensure progress and momentum.
  • Being the first point of contact for contributors to the Flagship Collaboration and managing the flow of information.
  • Independently designing and delivering workshops related to the Flagship Collaboration at the Global Shapers Annual Summit (based on selection).
  • Leading the creation of deliverables by coordinating working groups, creating and adhering to work plans, and taking responsibility for completing tasks.

The standard term for Core Collaborators is one cycle of the respective Flagship Collaboration. This term may be extended for up to one additional cycle at the discretion of Forum staff.

The Core Collaborator Profile Core Collaborators are part of the leadership team of the relevant Flagship Initiative alongside Forum Staff. To ensure the success of the collaboration and maximize the experience for all Global Shapers involved, we are seeking candidates who meet the following criteria:

  • Be an active Shaper or alumnus who has been part of the community for at least 2 full years (based on Forum Spaces account creation date).
  • Understand and advance the mission of the Global Shapers Community.
  • Hold keen interest and/or professional or educational experience related to the relevant Flagship Collaboration.
  • Have a strongly proactive attitude and be able to identify tasks which need completing and move forward without close supervision.
  • Demonstrate excellent project management skills and the ability to work in a team with other Core Collaborators and Forum staff.
  • Demonstrate a strong sense of moral and professional integrity, with the ability to prioritize collective goals over personal recognition.
  • Demonstrate a genuine ability to empower, uplift, and inspire others, with a talent for driving groups to deliver.
  • Be willing to spend 1-3 hours weekly undertaking tasks as part of the Flagship Collaboration, including those listed under the “Mission and Mandate” section of this page.

Recognition & Benefits Core Collaborators receive formal recognition for their leadership and contribution within the Flagship Collaboration framework, including:

  • Holding a recognized leadership role within the Global Shapers Community and receiving a Certificate of Recognition acknowledging your contributions.
  • Benefiting from preferential consideration for participation in major Forum institutional events.
  • Becoming eligible to attend the Global Shapers Annual Summit and present the cohort’s findings through a dedicated workshop.
  • Deepening your knowledge and expertise in the topic area of the Flagship Collaboration and expanding your network through collaboration with relevant senior leaders.
  • Gaining formal recognition through acknowledgment in Forum publications to which you contribute.

Role Termination In situations where Core Collaborators are unable to fulfil their function they may step down by writing to the Forum staff member responsible for the Flagship Collaboration. The Head of the Global Shapers Community reserves the right to cancel a Core Collaborator’s mandate at any time in cases where the Core Collaborator is no longer able to meet the tasks of the role or has for any reason compromised trust within the community.

FLAGSHIP COLLABORATIONS - CONTRIBUTORS   Contributors participate in defined Dialogue, Insights or Action streams within a specific Collaboration. They provide subject-matter expertise, regional perspective and implementation support, while not holding coordination or oversight responsibilities. Engagement is structured and time-bound, with clearly defined expectations aligned with the relevant Centre or Initiative. Depending on the scope of the Flagship Collaboration, Contributors may commit approximately 1–2 hours per week on average.   Role Contributors may:

  • Participate in taskforces or thematic working groups
  • Contribute to knowledge products, consultations and research outputs
  • Support pilot implementation at Hub level
  • Engage in structured dialogue formats and workshops
  • Provide regional insight and local intelligence relevant to Centre priorities

For further information or inquiries related to Flagship Collaborations, please contact Tobias Lindström Battle.

Forum Spaces

Forum Spaces is the World Economic Forum’s engagement platform, accessible only by Forum partners and community members, including Global Shapers and Alumni. It is a digital tool used for community, knowledge, and event management as well as showcasing impact and Global Shapers can access a wide range of content curated by the World Economic Forum.

On Forum Spaces, beyond standard community management functions, Global Shapers have access to the following features:

  • Find and connect with fellow Global Shapers, and verify official members. Use filters such as location (country) and subcommunities (city or hub) to easily navigate the network and find the people you are looking for.
  • Explore Global Shapers projects. Use filters by topic or geography to discover relevant initiatives across the globe. Pro tip: find all official cross-Hub collaborations by filtering Global Shapers Community as "initiative led by."
  • Learn about the Forum's Centres integrating public-private efforts.
  • Access the Forum's Publications.
  • Discover Forum Events and register for virtual programmes.
  • Access Forum Stories to explore Forum’s latest opinion articles, timely analyses and explainers from leaders in business, politics, and civil society. Global Shapers and Alumni have the possibility to write for the Agenda which gets 6 million monthly views.
  • Access the Forum's Strategic Intelligence (automatic free Pro Digital Membership).
  • Watch the latest Forum Videos.
  • Listen to the Forum's Podcasts.

If you have any questions, feedback or would like to report an issue regarding Forum Spaces, please email digitalsupport@weforum.org.

Strategic Intelligence

As Global Shapers, our members automatically receive a free Pro Digital Membership, which grants them access to our Strategic Intelligence platform with unlimited use of advanced analytics and collaboration tools.

The World Economic Forum's Strategic Intelligence is a comprehensive platform designed to enhance understanding of the global, regional, and industry agendas. It leverages a dynamic system of Transformation Maps, which are interconnected and knowledge-driven visualizations of global issues, industries, and countries. These maps are developed in collaboration with experts, practitioners, and researchers and are continuously updated to reflect the latest insights and emerging trends. Global Shapers and Alumni have the opportunity to contribute to these Maps.

Forum Communities

The World Economic Forum Communities are integral components of the Forum's multi-stakeholder approach, designed to foster collaboration and drive global change across various sectors and disciplines. These communities consist of diverse groups, including business leaders, political figures, academics, and other influencers who come together to address the world's most pressing issues.

Exceptional Global Shapers and Alumni, recognized for their impact and leadership, may be nominated or apply to join these communities, where they contribute their perspectives and expertise to addressing pressing global challenges.

If you believe you or a fellow Global Shaper should be nominated for a World Economic Forum Community, email your regional Community Manager with details on the nominee's contributions and potential impact.

For example, Global Shapers and Alumni frequently engage with the following communities:

The Forum of Young Global Leaders

The Forum of Young Global Leaders (YGL) is an initiative of the World Economic Forum that brings together exceptional young leaders under the age of 40 from diverse backgrounds and sectors. Aligned with the World Economic Forum’s mission, the YGL Foundation seeks to drive public-private co-operation in the global public interest. Founded in 2004, the YGL Foundation provides leaders with the insights, tools and learning opportunities they need to amplify aspirations of improving the state of the world. The community is composed of dynamic individuals who have demonstrated significant leadership, impact, and a commitment to shaping a better future. Members are selected for their achievements and potential to drive positive change in their industries and communities. The programme brings them together for a 3-year leadership development journey to realize their potential by joining forces to achieve more.

Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship

The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, sister organization of the World Economic Forum, is a leading global platform to advance social innovation that works to transform society for a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable world. It brings together a community of over 450 social innovators operating in 190 countries across the most diverse and challenging social and environmental issues. Since its inception, the Schwab Foundation has acknowledged social innovators as a brave new breed of leaders – values-driven, inclusive, entrepreneurial individuals who reimagine social and economic systems to be more inclusive of people and more sustainable for our planet. Their models put purpose before profit and have proven to be effective and economically viable in creating social and environmental progress where market or development approaches have failed.

The Schwab Foundation’s Awards seeks to honour social change leaders, across a diversity of social innovation models in society in four different award categories:

  • Social Entrepreneurs
  • Corporate Social Innovators
  • Public Social Innovators
  • Collective Social Innovation Award
Global Future Councils

The World Economic Forum’s network of Global Future Councils is the world’s foremost multistakeholder and interdisciplinary knowledge network dedicated to promoting innovative thinking to shape a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable future. Each council’s insights are taken forward by the Forum’s ongoing initiatives, communities and meetings to ensure impact.

The Network is an invitation-only community. Members join for a two-year term. It works as a time-bound think-tank and convenes around 600 of the most relevant and knowledgeable thought leaders from academia, government, international organizations, business, and civil society, grouped in expertise-based thematic councils.

Innovator Communities
  • Technology Pioneers: The Technology Pioneer Community is composed of early-stage start-ups from around the world involved in the development and deployment of new technologies and innovations. The World Economic Forum selects 100 companies annually to work with society's foremost political, business and cultural leaders to address issues facing people and the planet.
  • Global Innovators: The Global Innovators community was established in 2019 to engage mission-driven, growth-stage companies in the Forum's content-driven initiatives. Companies that are selected to become Global Innovators share insights and connect with public and private sector leaders to solve key issues for people and planet.
  • Unicorns: The Forum’s Unicorns community was established in 2022 to engage hypergrowth, mission-oriented companies, valued at over $1 billion, in the Forum’s work. The Unicorn community offers them a platform to gain insights, develop professionally and connect with large industry players and policy-makers.
UpLink

UpLink unites motivated, mission-aligned entrepreneurs, investors and partners committed to building a resilient global economy. Early-stage start-ups often lack the resources, visibility and connections needed to scale their solutions, and UpLink bridges that gap through a collaborative ecosystem that drives real-world impact. By combining capital, expertise and shared purpose, this growing network accelerates the adoption and scaling of solutions that can transform entire systems and industries, creating measurable progress across economies, sectors and communities.

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