Craig Kielburger
Activist & Founder of Free the Children,
Co-founder of Me to We
Craig Kielburger is an accomplished child rights activist, an award-winning author and a popular speaker. He is the founder of Free the Children, the world's largest network of children helping children through education, which has been nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize and has established partnerships with the United Nations and Oprah's Angel Network. A sought-after speaker, he has shared the podium a number of times with former U.S. president Bill Clinton, as well as with such world renowned leaders as Nelson Mandela, Queen Noor, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama.
He co-founded Free the Children in 1995 at only 12 years of age. Today, he remains a passionate full-time volunteer for the organization, now an international charity and renowned educational partner that empowers youth to achieve their fullest potential as agents of change. [more...]
Craig Kielburger is an accomplished child rights activist, an award-winning author and a popular speaker. He is the founder of Free the Children, the world's largest network of children helping children through education, which has been nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize and has established partnerships with the United Nations and Oprah's Angel Network. A sought-after speaker, he has shared the podium a number of times with former U.S. president Bill Clinton, as well as with such world renowned leaders as Nelson Mandela, Queen Noor, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama.
He co-founded Free the Children in 1995 at only 12 years of age. Today, he remains a passionate full-time volunteer for the organization, now an international charity and renowned educational partner that empowers youth to achieve their fullest potential as agents of change.
As the world's largest network of children helping children through education, the organization has worked in 45 countries and built more than 650 schools and school rooms in developing regions, providing education to more than 55,000 children every day. Free The Children delivers innovative programming that educates, engages and empowers hundreds of thousands of youth in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.
Free The Children has a proven track record of success, having formed successful partnerships with top school boards and leading corporations - among the most notable, a joint project with Oprah’s Angel Network called O Ambassadors. The program educated, engaged and inspired more than one million young people across North America to take action to help their underprivileged peers overseas.
Craig is also the co-founder of Me to We. An innovative social enterprise, Me to We provides people with better choices for a better world, including socially conscious and environmentally friendly clothes and accessories, as well as life-changing international volunteer trips, leadership training programs and materials, an inspirational speakers bureau, and books which address issues of positive social change. In addition, half of Me to We's net profit is donated to Free The Children, while the other half is reinvested to grow the enterprise and its social mission.
Craig (and his brother Marc) are syndicated columnists with the Globe & Mail and Craig is a New York Times bestselling author who has written eight books. His latest, released in June 2011, is the children’s book Lessons from a Street Kid.
Craig has a degree in peace and conflict studies from the University of Toronto and is the youngest-ever graduate of the Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA program. He has received ten honorary doctorates and degrees, The Roosevelt Freedom Medal, The World Children's Prize for the Rights of the Child (often called the Children's Nobel Prize) and is one of the youngest recipients of The Order of Canada. He serves on a number of boards and award committees, including the Board of Governors of Scouts Canada. Craig's work has been featured on multiple appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, 60 Minutes and The Today Show; and in People, Time and The Economist.
[less]Inpspiration begins here:
Tired of the same speakers talking about the same business models? Take inspiration from the often overlooked, yet highly successful, business principles of the non-profit world to help your company become more profitable.
Speakers Craig and Marc Kielburger are uniquely positioned to speak on this topic as the co-founders of an accomplished international non-profit organization and a profitable social enterprise. They will share with you what your company can learn from the best practices in the non-profit field to help retain and inspire your staff, engage your customers and differentiate your brand.
Learn the six simple teachings that non-profits can teach for-profits: Trust, Empathy, Community, Gratitude, Celebration and Legacy. Speeches are custom-tailored to highlight the social work your company is already doing and are a wonderful opportunity to bring your employees and their families together. Walk away with the knowledge to boost team morale, strengthen teamwork, and create a happier, more productive and more engaged workplace.
They:
- Are New York Times bestselling authors;
- Have been profiled in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time Magazine and The Economist;
- Have shared the stage with former president Bill Clinton, Al Gore, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Kofi Annan and other world leaders, celebrities and dignitaries;
- Have addressed audiences at the United Nations, the World Economic Forum, Global Young Leaders Conference, US Congressional Committees, Young Presidents’ Organizations, World Presidents’ Organizations, to name a few.
Topic Areas:
- Leadership
- Motivation
- Inspiration
- Achievement
- Family & Parenting
- International Development
- Social Entrepreneurship
Custom Tailored Presentation Topcs >>>
Social Entrepreneurship:
What For-Profit Companies can learn from High Performing Non-Profit Organizations
Most non-profit corporations have no product, operate on small budgets, offer no benefits and pay employees low salaries. How then are they attracting and retaining some of the best talent in the marketplace? We’ve all studied the already existing business models, so why are non-profit models, regardless of their success, often overlooked? Craig and Marc Kielburger founded one of the most successful international non-profit organizations in recent history.
Find out what your company can learn from the best practices in the non-profit field to help retain and inspire your staff, engage your customers and help your company become more profitable. Learn the six simple teachings that non-profits can teach for-profits: Trust, Empathy, Community, Gratitude, Celebration and Legacy.
Me to We:
How One Person Can Make a World of Difference
How do you find purpose in today’s world? How can you leave a legacy while balancing the challenges of modern life? A powerful experience for people of all ages, this speech introduces the remarkable story of how Craig and Marc founded Free The Children, which has grown into an international humanitarian organization active in 45 countries. Discover the Me to We philosophy, developed by Marc and Craig through more than a decade of humanitarian work as encapsulated in their New York Times bestseller Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World.
Audiences will learn how to use the Me to We philosophy to make a real difference and create their own unique path that will leave a positive mark on the world.
The World Needs Your Kid:
How to Raise Kids Who Care and Contribute
Based on the national bestseller The World Needs Your Kid: Raising Children who Care and Contribute, this address delves into everything you need to know about raising kids, lending a hand and changing the world. Hear Marc and Craig’s groundbreaking lessons - learned through working with more than one million youth—on nurturing kids to care about the world around them. Learn how small, everyday actions can have a lasting influence on a child’s life—resulting in new friendships, improved grades and higher self-esteem.Get tips on helping young people help others, and ultimately help themselves become valuable contributors to a more caring and peaceful
society and world.
Philanthropy:
Innovative Strategies for Sustainable Change
In an age when social responsibility is more prevalent than ever, philanthropic opportunities seem to be around every corner. So how do we maximize change—not only through our wallets, but through the work we do and the lives we lead? How do we capitalize on the new age of social entrepreneurship to create change that’s not only powerful, but sustainable?
Me to We:
Building Great Corporate Citizenship and Global Leadership
Today great corporate citizenship is becoming more important than ever as people demand that the companies they buy from, work for and invest in recognize the importance of social responsibility. Adopting a high-energy approach that has captivated audiences worldwide, Marc and Craig will discuss their international experiences, share key case studies and provide audience members with specific recommendations that will allow them to make your company a global leader in corporate social responsibility.
Me to We:
Educating Creative, Compassionate and Committed Young Leaders
Brothers Marc and Craig Kielburger can empower educators to bring character education, social responsibility and leadership training into the classroom, helping students and educators alike to live the "Me to We" philosophy of social involvement, volunteerism and service to others.
Me to We:
How Communities of Faith Can Create Positive Social Change
In a world brimming with challenges, it is vital that communities of faith lead the way towards positive social change. Many such communities are renowned for their charitable work, and their dedication to helping the world's less fortunate. For many, reaching out to others is a way of life and an article of faith. In an age where many people question their deepest convictions, service to others can provide new hope and reason to believe. Although many communities of faith are eager to take action, many are uncertain about how to proceed. Brothers Marc and Craig Kielburger can provide communities of faith with the guidance they need to create positive social change.
Me to We:
How University Students Can Create Positive Social Change
Marc and Craig will discuss the meaning and implications of global citizenship in today's changing world, and consider some of the many incredible opportunities that emerge through social involvement and service to others. They will also instruct audience members in the fundamentals of social advocacy, sharing practical lessons learned during their years of social involvement. As participants continue their studies or embark on their careers, they will do so with a fresh understanding of their own potential, equipped with all of the tools necessary to become true global citizens.
Me to We:
How Youth Can Take Action to Build a Better World For All
It definitely isn't easy to be young these days. Youth struggle to cope with inequality, poverty and violence in their own communities and across the globe. These huge social issues can seem daunting - young people may dream of a better world, but how can they truly make a difference? Popular stereotypes about youth apathy don't help. Neither does the fact that young people are on the receiving end of so much in our society, whether it's help, instructions or homework. It's all too easy for youth to feel that they don't have the power to make a difference—and won't until they finally "grow up". Brothers Marc and Craig Kielburger have spent their lives encouraging young people to take action to build a better world for all. Having experienced the amazing benefits of community involvement, they are dedicated to empowering young people to live the Me to We philosophy of social involvement, volunteerism and service to others.
Me to We:
Living a Healthier Life Through Social Involvement
Marc and Craig will share specific strategies for successful social involvement, empowering audience members to create the kind of positive social change that enables people to live happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives. Craig Kielburger is represented by K&M Productions for speaking engagements. For more information and booking Craig Kielburger, simply contact us.
Marc and Craig have individually and together spoken at many of our events, including multi-city speaking tours with former president Bill
Clinton, Dr. Phil and Anthony Robbins. Most venue sizes are 4000+ people with audiences comprised of entrepreneurs, business managers, human resource professionals and senior sales associates. Their message is very powerful for a business audience and they bring a refreshing authenticity to any event. We only work with the very best speakers in the world and they are consistently ranked amongst our top-rated speakers.
–Power Within Inc.
Marc and Craig have individually and together spoken at many of our events, including multi-city speaking tours with former president Bill
Clinton, Dr. Phil and Anthony Robbins. Most venue sizes are 4000+ people with audiences comprised of entrepreneurs, business managers, human resource professionals and senior sales associates. Their message is very powerful for a business audience and they bring a refreshing authenticity to any event. We only work with the very best speakers in the world and they are consistently ranked amongst our top-rated speakers.
–Power Within Inc.
Craig and Marc’s work is inspirational. I have known them both for years and shared the podium with both of them many times at international gatherings. I am proud to be an advisor and friend.
–Dr. Jane Goodall, Founder, The Jane Goodall Institute
Craig has become a Pied Piper, inspiring students in hundreds of schools across the United States and Canada to join his crusade.
–The New York Times
The commitment, the passion, the love that you all project and share is contagious and inspiring. I know that because of your speech, our
wonderful students will go on to continue to make a diference in the world with this additional inspiration and spirit. Thank you.
–Cornell University
I have hosted Craig for special events at two separate occasions and he has in both cases been enormously successful, not just in educating, exciting and entertaining a group, but much more uniquely in inspiring a group to action. One of the audiences was the San Diego Chapter of YPO [Young Presidents’ Organization], and this particularly discerning group rated Craig and his team our strongest event in the entire year.
–Young Presidents’ Organization, San Diego
