TopLink 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. It is the official platform to verify official Global Shapers and connect hubs globally.
Global Shapers become official community members the day they join TopLink. Curators have the administrative rights to add and remove members according to the hub's membership criteria and procedures.
- TopLink Benefits
- TopLink Checklist
- Hub TopLink and Website Page
- Add, Remove and Transfer Members
- Upload and Update Hub Projects
- Increase TopLink Engagement
TopLink Benefits
Global Shapers typically use TopLink to:
- Find each other and verify official Global Shapers.
- Explore Global Shapers projects (ProTip: 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 the Forum's Agenda 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.
TopLink Checklist
- Set up your TopLink profile (For all Global Shapers and Alumni): This includes having a colour headshot photo, sharing your date of birth and your gender identity, and finally, having a 200-300 words biography written in third person that contains the keywords of your professional experience. Having a detailed work experience will increase your chances of being invited to Forum events.
- Customize your user experience (For all Global Shapers and Alumni): This means, downloading the TopLink app and managing your mobile and email notifications. Download the Forum Live App, which is the Forum's standalone events mobile app to be used at Forum meetings.
- Ensure your hub's information is up to date (For Curators): Curators have the responsibility to update the hub's cover picture, a detailed hub description, and most importantly an updated membership. If you see any of these items out-of-date, or members who do not have a full profile please flag it to them and offer to support.
- Showcase your hub impact (For Impact Officers): Under the guidance of your hub's Impact Officer, make sure all past and present hub projects are properly submitted to TopLink and appear under your hub page on TopLink.
Hub TopLink and Website Page
Ensuring that your hub page on TopLink is always up to date is a key responsibility of the hub Curator. The Curator should see the "Invite Members" , "Follow" and "Edit" buttons on the hub's TopLink page. Any changes made to the hub's TopLink page will be reflected on the hub's page on the Global Shapers Community public website.
Hub Description
The Hub description includes the Hub's vision. You can add all the relevant information such as recruitment timelines and contact information (i.e. city@globalshapers.org). To ensure the smooth processing of your profile updates and avoid potential issues, please refrain from using free text descriptions that include keywords commonly associated with SQL commands (such as SELECT, FROM, WHERE, and HAVING). These terms can trigger security rules and block your request.
Here is a great example:
The London Hub is a large, vibrant and extremely diverse group. Some of us are lifelong Londoners; others are recent arrivals. Between us, we are journalists, lawyers, entrepreneurs, activists, investors, politicians, doctors... and many other occupations in every sector of society. We care deeply about having an impact in London and the wider world. Our recent projects range from building an institute for teaching responsible leadership to running a hackathon to forge links between some of London's most talented technologists and healthcare non-profits in Africa. To find more about our recruitment criteria, timelines and general information email us at london@globalshapers.org.
Hub Cover Picture
Bring your page to life with a colorful group shot. Make sure to upload a high resolution image as this will be visible on the Global Shapers Community public website. On TopLink, the image will only display a selected range of 1400 x 800 pixels. (If you are unable to upload it, ask your Community Manager to upload it for you).
Hub Social Media
To link your hub’s social media handle to your hub’s page on the Global Shapers Community public website, share the URLs with your Community Manager. Currently, the website only supports Facebook and Twitter handles.
While you are here, don't forget to take a look at the Communications and Branding Guide!
Add, Remove and Transfer Members
Add Members
Once an applicant successfully completes your hub’s selection and interview process, as well as a probation period (if applicable), your Curator can invite them on TopLink to officialize their membership. Click on the “Invite Members” button to enter the email address of the applicant(s) you want to invite and click on “Send invitation(s)”.
Invited Global Shapers who are inside the age range (18 - 27 years-old) will receive an onboarding email inviting them to complete their profiles.
Remove Members
Curators can cancel hub memberships based on the Membership Cancellation guidelines of the Charter. You can find additional guidance in the Cancellation section of the Hub Membership guide.
Once members are informed, Curators may remove them from TopLink via the hub's TopLink Members tab by clicking on the three dots next to the concerned members and click on "Remove member."
Transfer Members
The Global Shaper who would like to request a transfer should follow the community's transfer guidelines. Once the hub transfer has been approved, the Community Manager will execute the change directly.
Changes in hub membership can take up to 24 hours. Changes in the primary position to reflect a Shaper's new hub membership can take up to a week.
Upload and Update Hub Projects
Project Submission
As part of the Global Shapers Community, each hub must implement at least one project per year and upload it to TopLink. Ideally, only Impact Officers should make projects submissions to ensure consistency. They are responsible for this task, ensuring the project inspires other Shapers, fosters collaboration on key issues, and showcases our global impact. Tracking progress and creating an institutional memory of your work is essential. Use the following link:
Read the Hub Projects and Reporting guide for instructions on writing a complete project description.
Project Review
Once you submit your project, your Community Manager will review and validate your project submission then publish it to TopLink and the Global Shapers Community public website. The average time for a project to be published can vary depending on HQ's workload. For urgent requests, please email your Community Manager. Please do not submit the project more than once.
Project Update
The Project Contact (Impact Officer) will be responsible for keeping the project information up-to-date. Project Contacts have access to:
- Edit the project summary as new progress is made
- Update or change the cover photo
- Add project members
All projects should have a unique cover photo representing the project. The project contact will have access to change the photo once your project is approved. Keep in mind that TopLink images must be less than 3MB in order to be uploaded.
There are some updates to projects that must be made by HQ. If you would like to make any of the following updates to your hub's project, please reach out to your Community Manager through TopLink or by email. Be sure to include the URL link to the project's TopLink page in your message.
- Adding or editing the project start and end dates, visible under Project Lifeline.
- Granting someone else access to edit the project or setting someone else as a Project Contact.
- Changing the name of the project.
- Removing a project from TopLink.
- Updating the status of the project. This can be either: "Initiation", "Planning" , "Execution" or "Closure".
Please note, all historic hub projects will remain live on TopLink and the website so that hub members can see what has been done in the past.
Increase TopLink Engagement
Activity Feed
Send important updates with the option to notify members by email, tag your hub in other TopLink posts and stay alert in case other TopLink users get in touch with you.
Library
Upload your hub's official documents like the hub's local charter, newsletters, annual reports, performance tracker, Curatorship applications, historic project tracker from your Impact Officer and any other useful files.
You can create customized categories for your different type of documents. If this is the case, make sure to always type the exact same name each time you upload a file that belongs to this customized category.
Calendar
Upload all mandatory hub meetings and relevant events for your hub members. You can keep the history of all the meetings held in the past with minutes under each calendar entry!
If you have any questions, feedback or would like to report an issue regarding TopLink, please email digitalsupport@weforum.org.