In partnership with former President Clinton and the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), the Hult Prize has created the world’s largest student movement for social impact, dedicated to solving the most pressing social challenges on the planet. Each year, more than 10,000 college and university students from around the world apply to pitch their ideas at one of six regional events that take place in Boston, San Francisco, London, Dubai, Shanghai, and online. Up for grabs is an opportunity to spend the summer in the Hult Accelerator — a world class center for innovation located in Boston. Following the conclusion of their time working in the Hult Accelerator, each of the six winning teams then pitch their start-ups at the annual Clinton Global Initiative meeting, where President Clinton, along with CGI Meeting attendees select and award the winning team with a $1 million prize to make their idea a reality.

Historically, teams crafted social entrepreneurship plans to be implemented by existing NGOs like Habitat for Humanity, Solaraid, and One Laptop Per Child. Responding to urges from President Clinton and micro-lending Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus, teams will now compete to create wholly new organizations, oriented around a topic area selected by President Clinton himself. In 2013, teams are tasked with confronting the Global Food Crisis by addressing issues in distribution, manufacturing, production, technology, etc. The Founder and CEO of the Hult Prize, Ahmad Ashkar, is calling the move “NGO 2.0″. He hopes to create a new generation of profit-motive-driven social entrepreneurial start-ups.

Mr. Ahmad Ashkar leads a diverse and international team, with staff spanning across six cities world-wide. He has held senior level positions as a management consultant, banker and real estate executive specializing in innovation and strategy, new market entry and global expansion. Mr. Ashkar is also a World Economic Forum Global Shaper and serves on the board of advisers and directors of multiple socially responsible investment funds and finance companies including Foundation Stone, Ltd, a company dedicated to the establishment of the first socially responsible and faith-based US Bank.

As a Palestinian-American, Mr. Ashkar enjoys traveling throughout the Middle East for both business and pleasure. He is regularly engaged in projects and dialogue which aim to bridge the gap between the Arab world and the West and is a recognized speaker on Arab youth engagement and empowerment. Mr. Ashkar holds a MBA from the Hult International Business School and has undergraduate degrees in Finance and Marketing from Avila University.

Presenting sponsor: Kegler, Brown, Hill & Ritter