Kochi, Dec 12: Sanjay Vijayakumar, the CEO of MobME Wireless and the Chairman of Startup Village, has been selected as the Founding Curator for the Kochi Hub of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community.
The Global Shapers Community is a worldwide network of more than 280 city-based hubs developed and led by enterprising and extraordinary young leaders. The Shapers, aged between 20 and 30, leverage their achievements and entrepreneurial drive to make a positive contribution to their local communities.
As the Founding Curator, Vijayakumar, 29, has been entrusted with the task of setting up a small team of experts from politics, academia and business to select a set of outstanding young leaders who are making a change in Kerala through their dynamism and enterprising spirit, and who have the potential for future leadership roles in society.
He will work towards creating a sustainable local organisation that is connected to a global movement. All local Hubs have to undertake at least one project a year, determined by the members, that impacts their community.
The Kochi Hub, the first of its kind in Kerala, is set to launch this month. It will be based in Startup Village, India’s first telecom technology incubator.
“We have in Kerala today a generation of dynamic, motivated young people who are not afraid to travel off the beaten path,” said Vijayakumar. “Their energy is driving institutions like the Startup Village and through the Kochi Hub we hope to transform them into agents of social change.”
The Shapers initiative was started by the World Economic Forum – an independent, not-for-profit international organisation – to engage young people and help bring fresh ideas and innovative, entrepreneurial solutions to some of the most pressing global challenges.
The Hubs worldwide have worked on projects within their local communities in areas ranging from education and skills training, health, environment and disaster management to women’s empowerment, road safety, art and fashion.