Skip to main content

Global Summit

7 – 9 March 2024 | New York City

The Impact Imperative: Building a World that Works for All

We gather for the Forward Global Summit in New York City on March 7 – 9, 2024 at the New York Stock Exchange to explore the Impact Imperative for building a world that works for all. The Summit brings together a dynamic group of members, activists, leaders, and practitioners, all committed to building a more equitable world. Global Summit participants will spend time listening and discussing, and will also have time for socializing, creative exchange, rest, and reflection.

This year’s theme is a call to stakeholders and decision-makers across public and private sectors to challenge what isn’t working with our shareholder capitalism system and to embrace cross-sector collaboration that challenges the way we think about wealth, power, and value while prioritizing social impact and centering the experience of impacted communities. We invite philanthropic funders to consider the impact of investments across their full portfolios, as well as their wider decision-making around use of wealth and power.


Register

The status quo is inertia, siloization, and missed opportunities. Register to join the 2024 Global Summit to be part of something different.

Register
Contribute

Participants who have not already supported Foward Global this year through a grant or donation can cover the cost of their attendance through a contribution.

CONTRIBUTE
Agenda

A detailed agenda of sessions and workshops will be available soon. Find an overview here and key speakers listed below.

Agenda
I have rarely attended an event and wanted to re-watch the speeches – but I could rewatch the entire program. Thank you for giving me a chance to be a part of it.
—Global Summit attendee

Meet Select Speakers

  • Deyanira del Rio

    Co-Director, New Economy Project

    Read Bio
  • Sheila Marcelo

    Founder, Care.com

    Read Bio
  • Sana Mustafa

    CEO, Asylum Access

    Read Bio
  • Jeri Rayon

    Founder, The Black Donors Project

    Read Bio
  • Lisa Sobrato Sonsini

    Board Chair, Sobrato Family Foundation

    Read Bio
  • Eli Kasargod-Staub

    Executive Director, Majority Action

    Read Bio
  • Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson

    President & CEO, Children's Defense Fund

    Read Bio
  • Abigail Disney

    Chair & Co-Founder, Level Forward

    Read Bio

Support the Summit

Our cost for an individual attendee is $3,000. We ask that all participants who have not already supported Foward Global this year through a grant or donation to please cover the cost of their attendance through a contribution to the Global Summit.

Contribute

FAQ

The Global Summit is Forward Global’s flagship annual programme, convening over 150 members and strategic partners. It is a unique opportunity for participants to exchange ideas and best practices, make new strategic connections, and make more progress in two days as a collective than we would otherwise make in two years working alone.

The Global Summit is designed to engage a wide range of participants to break down silos and facilitate shared learning and systemic collaboration. As Forward Global’s largest annual convening, we welcome participation from across the social sector. Attendees include Forward Global members and prospective members, partners, academics, social sector leaders and practitioners, and other key stakeholders. All attendees are invited to actively participate and contribute throughout the program by sharing learnings, ideas, and opportunities for action. If you have any questions about participating in or presenting at the Global Summit, email us at summit@forward-global.org.

The Global Summit is held in a different location each year, reflecting the global nature of our members. We’re thrilled that the 2024 Global Summit will take place in New York City, hosted in partnership at the New York Stock Exchange.

As both a cultural hub for arts and media and the center of global capitalism, New York City is a setting in which to engage in actions for better, more sustainable global systems. Not only does capitalism have roots in slavery and social injustice, but today it is a driver of social and environmental degradation at a pace and scale that market innovation alone cannot keep up with. By working within these systems and inspecting the root causes responsible for both negative outcomes and necessary for positive ones, we can truly advance the Impact Imperative of building a world that works for all.

Prior Global Summits have been held in London (2023), Toronto (2022), and California’s Napa Valley (2019 & 2020). Always held the first weekend in March, stay tuned for updates on future host cities.

The Global Summit convenes a dynamic group of members, activists, leaders, and practitioners, all committed to collectively creating a more just world. It is unique among all Forward Global programming. We invite you to invest in this vision.

Our costs for an individual attendee is $3,000. As a not-for-profit organization, Forward Global is sustained through member contributions and grants from our strategic partners. We ask that all participants who have not already made a financial contribution to Forward Global this year through a grant or donation to please help us cover the cost of their attendance with a $3,000 donation.

In keeping with our principles of equity and justice, we also welcome participants who can to support the attendance of a sector leader who might not otherwise be able to join. You will be presented with these contribution options at registration. We thank you for your trust and partnership in this work.

There is no cost for virtual attendance. However, we encourage participants who are able to consider supporting this work with a contribution that is meaningful to them.

Yes, the Global Summit is a hybrid program. Virtual attendance will be available for all plenary sessions. Further details of agenda sessions that will be accessible for virtual attendees will be available soon.

While virtual participation is possible, we strongly encourage you to consider joining us in person to maximize the opportunity for learning and community-building — and for a much-needed break from Zoom! If you have any questions or concerns about travel or other logistics, please contact us at summit@forward-global.org.

We recommend a few hotels for the Global Summit that are within walking distance of the NYSE — Wall Street Hotel (5-minute walk), Hyatt Centric Wall Street (5-minute walk), and The Beekman (10-minute walk). We have a limited room block at the Hyatt Centric, accessible here. Please reach out to summit@forward-global.org if you have any difficulties booking.

The program is being hosted onsite at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The dress code at NYSE is business casual. For all other venues, we encourage you to dress comfortably and be prepared for winter weather in New York.

There are currently no Covid-19 restrictions in place in the United States. We trust all attendees to have received their Covid-19 vaccinations and appropriate boosters. Masking is welcome based on personal preference, but will not be required. We strongly encourage anyone who feels unwell to stay home. If you develop symptoms during the program or suspect exposure, Covid-19 tests will be available on-site.

Attendee contributions fund the direct costs of producing the Global Summit. Because the event historically sells out, we appreciate early cancellation notice so that seats can be given to individuals on our waiting list.

As a voluntary donation, we hope that attendees will consider their payment as a contribution towards the mission of Forward Global. If you are unable to attend, you can choose to reallocate your contribution as an unrestricted donation.

The Global Summit is a green event. Forward Global is working to minimize our carbon footprint and will offset emissions from staff travel to New York. We encourage participants to do likewise and to practice sustainable lifestyle choices throughout the program by brining your own water bottles, choosing plant-based meal options, and saying no to paper and plastic. As hosts, we will choose sustainable options wherever possible. We hope that the Global Summit will also unlock resources towards climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resiliency in line with our community’s vision and values.

We’re here to help! Feel free to contact us at summit@forward-global.org with any questions.

See Stories

Sharing the learning, impact and joy of strategic philanthropy

Member Stories