Class isn’t something you can buy; it’s something you have to think about. Then it becomes a habit.
An event like no other
This was my first Clinton Global Initiative. I attended with my dear friend Bob Nash, who has served as Assistant to the President and Director of Presidential Personnel for the White House under President Clinton.
In his signature smile and a wave to the crowd, President Bill Clinton opened this year’s Clinton Global Initiative (CGI).
During that meeting, Rwanda’s all-female University received a single $50 million donation from Melinda Gate (ex-wife of Bill Gate), and St. Paul University in Nairobi, Kenya won $1 million (Hult Prize). This is a pitching competition between student innovators all over the world, with the winner ECO-BANA, which produces avoidable sanitary pads made of banana fibre. More than a dozen CEOs announced multi billion dollars in capital project support for Ukraine after President Zelensky’s videolink appearance.
When you are in the same room with the most powerful company you have never heard of, BlackRock, valued at ten trillion dollars, yes, you heard me right with the T. In addition, there are many globally influential top executives, entrepreneurs, DGs, World Organisations,Government agencies, Presidents, Prime Ministers, Royals, Governors, etc.
In a world hungry for hope, CGI creates a culture of possibility. It is a rare platform created as a result of President Clinton that brings all that matters together and creates an instant opportunity to connect, get investors into your business, receive support, move into the next stage in your career, or start up a business. Imagine going into CGI with no connections or zero contacts, and coming out with all the answers to your business ideas and innovation when you meet serious connections.
Commitments to action were introduced, and the event in many ways revolved around a new currency based on taking action to make a difference. The commitments to action were created to accelerate change, while also defining specific, measurable, and time-bound objectives. More than 3,700 such commitments have been fostered by CGI to date, affecting approximately 435 million people worldwide.
In his closing remarks, President Clinton echoed this sentiment, saying, “We should model, live, and create an alternate future where what we share is more important than what divides us.”
Being recognized as a CGI partner is an honor for me and my organization.
