2024 Global Leadership Summit
THE IMPACT OF WATER ON SOCIETY
EF Summits combine the magic of an international tour with the energy of a three-day global leadership conference—and this summer, you’ll feel the electricity of it all. Think of this page as your go-to spot to learn all about the conference in Berlin taking place July 12–14. Check back here for speaker announcements, workshop updates, schedule information, and other sneak peeks.
Exploring this year’s theme
Through expert speakers, guided workshops, and student-led projects, you’ll dive into the importance of The Impact of Water on Society as it relates to these three pillars:
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Access
Clean water for drinking and sanitation isn’t just vital to human health—there is also a direct correlation between safe water and overall well-being. Knowing that access to clean water is a basic human right, what can we do to ensure it’s more readily available to all?
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Economy
Water is essential to every area of our interconnected economy—from trade and food production to urban planning and energy manufacturing. How can we evolve our water usage to enhance industry and innovation?
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Environment
Earth’s aquatic ecosystems provide everything from rich biodiversity to recreational activities. How might we rethink the ways we value, manage, and invest in our natural water sources in order to preserve our planet for all living organisms?
What’s on the agenda
Teamwork, design thinking, and lots (and lots) of fun
So, what happens during the best weekend ever? You learn from featured speakers and experts. You recharge during brain breaks (they’re like recess, but better). And you team up with new friends to journey through the six steps of the design thinking process.
First, you’ll define a problem related to water that’s unique to one person (your “user”). Then, after a weekend of brainstorming potential solutions, you’ll develop a physical prototype that addresses your user’s needs, and share this with your peers and teachers.
Think big.
Like, Nobel-prize level big.
Fueled by a common belief that in order to change the world you need to experience it, EF partners with the Nobel Prize Museum to inspire students to pursue bold goals and think differently about the world around them. So after three days of developing a project through design thinking exercises, you’ll get to pitch your prototypes to a panel of judges for the chance to be featured in the Nobel Prize Museum in Stockholm, Sweden.
Want to know what actually happens at Summit?
Meet your 2024 speakers
Ignite speakers will host multiple sessions during Summit so you can hear from them in smaller groups and attend interactive Q&As. Then, your weekend wraps up with a feature presentation by your Keynote speaker.
Gunter Pauli
Ignite speaker
Trained as an economist, entrepreneur, and author, Gunter has advised everyone from the United Nations to NGOs. He’s best known as the creator of the Blue Economy model, a concept that’s all about the sustainable use of ocean resources to grow the economy and improve people’s lives.
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Tiffany Duong
Ignite speaker
After embarking on an epic dive trip, Tiffany left her corporate law job to campaign for our planet. Now, this writer and explorer heads everywhere from dense jungles to the North and South Poles to voice what’s happening in the natural world. In the process, she inspires meaningful action and lasting change.
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Molly Kawahata
Keynote speaker
From advising the Obama White House to founding her own consultancy, Molly crafts climate communications that motivate change through rigorous scientific knowledge and astute psychological insights. She shares her life story in Patagonia’s film, The Scale of Hope, which explores her pursuit of ice climbing, her personal journey with mental health, and her work to transform societal narratives by infusing them with hope and empowerment.
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Young voices that are shaping the future
You’ll also hear from a panel of peers who have made water a huge focus of their work. Meet this year’s Student Empowerment Panelists, who will give you an inside look at how they’re making an impact.
Constança Santos Silva
Access
Constança is the founder of Thirst Project Portugal, an organization dedicated to creating a new generation of socially conscious Portuguese people who will help end the global water crisis. By leading over 1,000 young adults in this endeavor, her organization has provided water for 10 different communities in the Kingdom of Eswatini. As if that’s not impressive enough, this young leader is also a martial arts world champion.
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Stella Bowles
Economy
For Stella’s sixth-grade science project, she tested the fecal bacteria present in a nearby river. Her curiosity eventually drew national attention and led to the Canadian government pledging $15.7 million to clean it up. Stella has won many awards including the Meritorious Service Medal from the Governor General, the Canada Walk of Fame Community Hero Award, and the Order of Nova Scotia (for which she was the youngest recipient ever!).
Bodhi Patil
Environment
Bodhi, a UN-recognized ocean-climate activist and the founder and CEO of InnerLight, is devoted to enhancing the connection between ocean health and human health. He has been recognized by prominent institutions ranging from Forbes to Oceanic Global, and is currently a third-year student leader in the BA + Masters of Management program at the University of British Columbia.
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