We at Speakers Connect, are delighted to share at that Jack Sim, Founder of the World Toilet Organisation and John Wood, Founder of Room to Read, are amongst the most impactful philanthropists in Tatler’s Asia The Impact List 2020!
These two are truly inspiring and it is such an honor that we get to work with both of them.
See the full list here.
Jack Sim, founder of World Toilet Organisation, achieved financial success through several business ventures at an early age. As he grew older, Jack felt the need to change his direction in life and give back to humanity– he wanted to live his life according to the motto “Live a useful life”. Jack soon left his businesses and embarked on a journey to have a positive impact in the world. In 2001, Jack Sim founded the World Toilet Organization (WTO) to bring the Sanitation issue to the global spotlight and to advocate for clean sanitation for all. After years of dedication to the Sanitation issue, Jack Sim continues to be involved but in 2011, he embarked on a new radical project, that being BoP HUB. He had a vision to “design business to end poverty”. Jack is a firm believer in the economic empowerment of the poor. BoP HUB now serves as a vehicle for partners in every industry and sector to collaborate and accelerate effective social business models focused at the base of the pyramid.
Among his many accolades are:
- Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur of the year in 2006
- Ashoka Global fellow in 2007
- Asian Development Bank Water Champion in 2007
- TIME Magazine Hero of the Environment in 2008
- Reader’s Digest Asian of the Year in 2011
- Synergos Senior Fellow in 2013.
Jack‘s speaking topics are:
- Breaking cultural taboos: addressing the global sanitation crisis
- How to build a movement
- Unlocking business opportunities at the base of the pyramid
- Entrepreneurship / Social Enterprise
- Leverage model: how to build a global brand at zero cost
- Thinking in a new way
- The Creativity of Re-Inventing the Everyday
John Wood is the founder of multi-awarded organization Room to Read..
At 35, John left an executive track at Microsoft and discovered a passion for helping children and promoting literacy. His award-winning memoir, “Leaving Microsoft to Change the World” was described by Publishers’ Weekly as “an infectiously inspiring read, Amazon named it “one of the Top Ten Business Narratives of 2006” and Hudson Booksellers voted it to their “Top Ten Nonfiction” list. The book has since been translated into 23 languages and is popular with entrepreneurs, philanthropists and educators. John’s book is called “Creating Room to Read: A Story of Hope in the Battle for Global Literacy” has been endorsed by Bill Clinton, Melinda Gates and Sheryl Sandberg. His latest book “Purpose, Incorporated: Turning Cause Into Your Competitive Advantage” has also received praise and recommendations after its release in late 2017.
John Wood’s illustrious resume includes the following details:
- MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management (Northwestern University)
- a bachelor’s degree magna cum laude in finance (University of Colorado)
- honorary doctorates (McGill University, Westminster College, Wofford College and University of San Francisco)
- three years on the Advisory Board of the Clinton Global Initiative
- lecturer at Harvard Business School, the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and at NYU’s Wagner School of Public Policy
- former Board member of the College Advising Corps, Net Impact and the One Acre Fund
- on the Advisory Boards of Global Citizen Year, Possible Health, and the “Getting to Carnegie” competition
- five-time winner of Fast Company Magazine’s Social Capitalist Award
- one of Goldman Sachs’ 25 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs
- named an Asian Hero by Time Magazine
- one of the Young Global Leaders by the World Economic Forum
- Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute
- first-ever recipient of the Microsoft Alumnus of the Year medal
- awarded by Queen Silvia of Sweden with theWorld’s Children’s Prize
- Asia Society’s “Service to Society” awardee
- given the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Tribeca Film Festival
Contact us if you would like John Wood or Jack Sim to inspire at your next event.