"He runs charity:water like a great startup. He understands virality and evangelism better than most folks in the industry. He's disrupted the whole charity model."
Scott spent almost 10 years as a nightclub promoter in New York City before leaving to volunteer on a hospital ship off the coast of Liberia, West Africa as a volunteer photojournalist. Returning home to New York City two years later, he founded the non-profit organization charity: water in 2006. Turning his full attention to the global water crisis and the world's 785 million people without clean water to drink, he created public installations and innovative online fundraising platforms to spread international awareness of the issue. In 15 years, with the help of more than 1 million donors worldwide, charity: water has raised over $640 million and funded 91,414 water projects in 29 countries. When completed, those projects will provide more than 14.76 million people with clean, safe drinking water. Scott has been recognized on Fortune magazine's list of 40 Under 40, Forbes' Impact 30, and Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People in Business, where he earned the #10 spot. He is currently a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and author of the New York Times Bestselling book Thirst. Scott and his wife Viktoria have two children, Jackson and Emma.
Seven years ago Scott Harrison started charity: water with a mission to bring clean drinking water to every person on the planet living without it. Learn from Scott's personal journey from New York City nightlife, to a hospital ship in Liberia, to building an organization that has currently funded over 10,000 water projects in 20 countries.
When Scott Harrison started charity: water, his mission was to bring clean drinking water to every person on the planet living without it. In this riveting and inclusive presentation, Scott shares the innovations, strategies, and approaches to strategic partnerships that have made charity: water one of the most well known philanthropic organizations in the world. Whether exploring their partnership with Google, which helps to measure water-flow in wells around the world, or the seemingly simple concept of donating ones' birthday to the greater good, charity: water's innovative approach to community building and raising awareness is one from which we all can learn invaluable lessons as they pertain to business, philanthropy, and even our personal lives. Particularly in the new digital landscape.
Scott's personal journey from New York City nightlife, to a hospital ship in Liberia, to building an organization that has currently funded over 11,000 water projects in 2 2 countries to the tune of $125 million serves as the backdrop for this one-of-a-kind look inside of one of our planet's greatest challenges - access to clean water - and the innovations we can all harness to achieve our goals, regardless of what those might be.