Craig Kielburger
Author, Speaker, and Social Entrepreneur in Ontario, Canada
A lifelong movement builder, author, speaker, philanthropist and social entrepreneur, Craig Kielburger has spent more than 25 years making a difference in communities around the world.
Craig Kielburger and his brother Marc Kielburger co-founded WE Charity, an international development charity and youth empowerment organization that operated for 25 years.
For his philanthropic efforts, Craig has been repeatedly recognized at home in Canada and abroad. He is the recipient of 15 honorary degrees and doctorates, and is also a New York Times bestselling author. He has published 12 books.
When he was just 12 years old, Craig stumbled upon a newspaper article about a young boy, Iqbal Masih, from Pakistan who had experienced child labour firsthand and was murdered for speaking out about unspeakable child labor practices in his home country.
This was the spark that motivated Craig and his brother Marc to take action, starting a nonprofit organization originally dedicated to fighting child labour.
The Kielburgers never let go of that early dedication to activism.
Craig has continued to make positive changes in the world. He has empowered children through education and helped to lift developing communities out of poverty. Because of Craig’s success as a movement builder and advocate, he has been repeatedly featured in the media. Craig has done interviews with 60 Minutes, the BBC and the Oprah Winfrey Show.
He was also the youngest to ever graduate from the Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA program at York University, and at the age of 25, Craig received the Nelson Mandela Freedom Medal and was inducted into the Order of Canada in 2007.
He has received many other honours, including the Reebok Human Rights Award and the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship. Craig continues to travel and give speeches, encouraging others to make a positive impact on their communities.
Through his position as co-founder of Legacy+, Craig is an influential voice in social entrepreneurship through AI and in the building of purpose-driven legacies for companies, foundations and individuals.