Social Impact Lessons from WEF, SXSW, Skoll & TED
Surviving In 2025 — Stay Focused & Resilient
StartingUpGood’s mission is to support positive social impact. We knew our work was in jeopardy with the arrival of the new US administration. So, we decided to pay in-depth attention to the World Economic Forum (January), SXSW and SXSW EDU (March), Skoll World Forum, and TED 2025 (April) to learn what others are thinking, saying, and doing to maintain focus in 2025.
We quickly realized that many leaders are still struggling to comprehend the scale and impact of the transformation triggered by the second Trump administration. Though we knew it would be bad, imaginations did not stretch far enough to find firm footing for the next years.
These conferences tried to address the new realities and offer solution trajectories, but the overall tone was surprise and sadness with lots of words of determination but no encompassing strategy to move forward.
Key Takeaways for Survival
We found three recurrent themes for social impact leaders across conferences:
- Partnerships are more important than ever — You don’t need full alignment on every issue — focus instead on shared values and mutually beneficial goals. This is equally true for social entrepreneurs and for funders.
- Prioritize and consolidate — As economic pressures rise, most organizations will need to accomplish more with fewer resources. Streamline your activities by prioritizing what delivers maximum impact. Doers and donors should ask: What is essential, what must we confidently leave behind, and how can we implement new technologies to do more with less?
- Commit intentionally — Now is the moment to reaffirm your core mission and invest in your highest-value initiatives. Funders in particular should consider how they can strategically bolster the resilience and reach of the locally-led social enterprises and service implementers in their networks with greater support.
Keep reading for shared patterns and unique insights from each event. It’s not a whole answer but lots of ingredients to help you and your organization shape your own path.
Conference Comparison
Overview
All these conferences spotlighted critical issues like the transformative potential and ethical risks of AI, climate urgency, inclusive innovation, and the threats posed by misinformation, but their approaches and audiences varied significantly.
- The World Economic Forum prioritized geopolitical collaboration and macroeconomic stability.
- SXSW and SXSW EDU events offered pragmatic insights at the intersection of education, culture, and technology.
- Skoll World Forum emphasized grassroots social entrepreneurship and equitable financing models.
- TED inspired with an optimistic vision for human potential amid technological disruption.
Common Themes
- AI as a Transformative Force to significantly improve global social, economic, and educational outcomes.
- Philanthropy and Innovative Finance as catalytic capital in achieving the SDGs and responding to crises.
- Human-Centered Technology Use for authentic storytelling, combating misinformation, building trust and ensuring technology empowers rather than controls communities.
- Inclusive, Equitable Practices in education, technology, and economic development, focused on young people from around the world.
- Urgency of Democratic Protection to preserve institutions and values against rising authoritarianism and digital manipulation.
- Climate Crisis Response to address the growth in weather-related catastrophes.
Different Approaches
Each conference took a distinct approach to addressing global challenges, shaped by its audience and purpose. The World Economic Forum emphasized global cooperation in the face of geopolitical tension and economic uncertainty. It adopted a formal, policy-driven tone and explored the macroeconomic implications of AI.
SXSW and SXSW EDU focused on the cultural impact of innovation. Their sessions were grounded in practical applications, particularly in education and social justice, while also confronting domestic polarization and resistance to diversity and inclusion efforts.
The Skoll World Forum highlighted grassroots action and community collaboration. It centered on social entrepreneurship, inclusive economic practices, and innovative funding, reflecting an approach rooted in local solutions.
TED, by contrast, offered a more individualistic lens. It celebrated human creativity and technological optimism, while also raising ethical concerns and existential risks associated with unregulated AI. TED’s storytelling emphasized both the promise and peril of innovation.
Temporal Shifts (January to April)
Given the breakneck speed of change over the past four months, it’s impossible to pinpoint whether temporal shifts are due to specific conference programming or global sentiment. However, we have noticed an evolution from the optimistic, solutions-driven conversations at WEF early in the year before the Trump Administration’s new policies to a more urgent, reflective, and concerned tone by the TED Conference in April. This shift mirrors growing awareness and anxieties surrounding the global systems upheaval and the rapid development and ethical implications of AI technology.
How to Survive in 2025
Insights shared at these conferences provide essential context for leaders seeking to navigate the complexities and seize opportunities in a rapidly evolving global landscape. While collaboration, prioritization, and commitment are timeless principles, their relevance is certainly heightened by today’s uncertainty.
Learn More
If after reading this you feel you may have missed out, here is a quick synopsis of all the themes from these conferences. You will also find links to our previous coverage of each conference.
World Economic Forum (January)
- Transition to the Intelligent Age: Rapid advancement in artificial intelligence (AI) fundamentally transforming economic systems, business models, and personal lives, creating significant risks and opportunities. Emphasis on cooperation and collaboration to ensure the transition benefits society broadly.
- Global Cooperation Amid Geopolitical Complexity: Recognition of the current uncertain geopolitical climate, requiring innovative pathways for international cooperation, even amid disagreements.
- Climate and Sustainability Imperative: Urgent call to address extreme weather events and environmental degradation collaboratively, emphasizing the critical need for sustainability and decarbonization measures.
- Social and Economic Inclusion: Strong focus on inclusive growth, particularly addressing youth unemployment, inequality, and gender disparities through economic initiatives, policy shifts, and investment in social entrepreneurship.
- Trust and Misinformation: Rising concern about misinformation, disinformation, and cyber espionage eroding trust, underscoring the need for collaborative action to rebuild societal trust and ensure stability.
Previous coverage highlights:
AI and the Rise of the One-Person Enterprise
The Future of Entrepreneurship is Already Here
medium.com
SXSW and SXSW EDU Conferences (March)
- Combating Disinformation through Authentic Narratives: Strategies for using truthful storytelling and community-driven media to combat misinformation targeting marginalized communities.
- Intersection of Technology and Civic Engagement: Utilizing AI and digital platforms for civic empowerment, enhancing education outcomes, developing sustainable cities, and fostering resilient communities.
- AI Ethics and Trust: Addressing concerns about data privacy, transparency, and ethical use of AI in everyday life.
- Anti-diversity and Misinformation Landscape: Examination of political resistance to diversity and inclusion efforts and progressive educational materials.
- Resilient Leadership: Navigating hostile political climates with strategic communication and community engagement.
Previous coverage highlights:
Skoll World Forum (April 2025)
- Trust-Based Philanthropy: Advocating for faster, more flexible philanthropic practices focused on trust, innovation, and risk-taking.
- Catalytic and Innovative Financing Models: Emphasizing philanthropy’s role in reshaping financial systems, blending philanthropic, public, and private capital to meet global challenges.
- Localization and Empowering Grassroots Leaders: Promoting local leadership and autonomy in solving global problems, particularly in challenging political environments.
- Resilience and Crisis Response: Developing resilient solutions through new alliances and adaptive strategies amidst declining governmental aid and rising geopolitical instability.
- Human Rights and Democratic Values: Strong commitment to defending human rights and maintaining democratic institutions against authoritarian trends.
Previous coverage highlights:
TED Conference (April 2025)
- Existential Reflection on AI and Humanity: Profound introspection on humanity’s evolving role alongside rapidly advancing AI capabilities.
- Surveillance Capitalism and Digital Authoritarianism: Criticism of unchecked corporate power in technology, emphasizing the need for digital civil rights and privacy protections.
- Collaborative AI Ethics and Safety: Calls for international cooperation to address ethical challenges and potential existential risks of powerful AI technologies.
- Radical Reimagining of Human Purpose: Inspiring narratives on harnessing AI for profound societal benefit, redefining purpose and human potential in the digital age.
- Active Democratic Defense: Highlighting individual and collective responsibility to preserve democratic integrity and freedom of speech in the age of AI-driven misinformation.
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Note: Generative AI tools were used in the creation of this article to assist with research, summarization, and editing.
