Erik Qualman
Technology and Social Media Expert; Professor & Best-Selling Digital Leadership Author
How can each of us make a substantial difference in the world, even for those living thousands of miles away? Business ethics speaker Scott Harrison asked himself just that question, and his answer was the inspiration behind one of today’s most effective NGOs. Organizations devoted to sustainable development or socially responsible entrepreneurship find their ideal keynote speaker in Scott Harrison.
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Water is our most crucial natural resource, and business ethics speaker Scott Harrison has made it available to millions. As a keynote speaker, Scott Harrison shares the message that we best empower ourselves by empowering others.
Ten years as a nightclub promoter in New York City left Scott Harrison thinking that he could contribute a bit more. A volunteer stint on a hospital ship off the coast of Liberia gave him an idea, and two years later, Harrison founded Charity: water, one of the world’s most impactful NGOs.
More than 600 million people lack reliable access to clean water, and Harrison has been instrumental in serving that need. His innovative approach to fundraising has engaged more than a million donors and generated nearly half a billion in donations. Those donations have funded more than 44,000 projects in 28 countries. Nearly as importantly, charity: water has been instrumental in helping people worldwide understand the critical value of water security.
Charity : water’s current round of programs will deliver safe drinking water to more than 10 million people. For his efforts, Harrison has been named one of Fortune’s 40 Under 40 and Impact 30. Fast Company recognized him as one of the 10 most creative people in business.
Harrison shares his story in the bestselling memoir Thirst: A Story of Redemption, Compassion, and a Mission to Bring Clean Water to the World, and is a World Economic Forum Young Leader.
In 2004, Scott Harrison left his life as a nightclub promoter in New York City and signed up for volunteer service with a humanitarian organization offering free medical care to the world’s poorest nations. Astonished by the conditions in his new surroundings, Harrison founded the non-profit organization charity:water, which uses public installations and innovative online fundraising platforms to fund over 22,000 water projects in 24 countries. In this visual keynote, Harrison tells the full story of how he transformed himself from a nightclub promoter into a successful philanthropist, and how his innovative value-driven movement changed the non-profit world.
Scott Harrison believes that a combination of innovation, motivation, and radical transparency is key to inspiring generosity. He runs charity: water like a start-up by using story-telling and branding to make it one of the most-recognized nonprofits in the country, and technology to prove and monitor the success of their projects around the world. In this keynote, Harrison shares the strategies that make charity:water successful, and how to overcome obstacles and challenges with creativity and innovation.