Director of the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation
Director of a $120 million endowment that funds the areas of health and education for vulnerable youth populations.
Member of the Business Council of Canada (BCC)
Member of Canada’s exclusive association of CEOs. Its 170 members are CEOs of Canadian companies that collectively employ 2M+ Canadians and represent a majority of the value of the TSX.
KPMG Social Innovator in Residence
Advise and assist KPMG in fulfilling its social innovation and social enterprise strategy.
Advisory Board of the Leaders’ Debates Commission
Member of the Advisory Board of the independent commission established by the Government of Canada to organize the federal leaders’ debates.
DocuSign Advisory Council
Advise the company pre-IPO and post-IPO on its strategic growth, customer acquisition, and Corporate Social Responsibility programs.
Director of Collectively Inc.
Founding Director of the UK-based media and consulting company originated in partnership with the World Economic Forum and member brands, which assists organizations in deepening their sustainable practices.
Board of Governors Member, Scouts Canada
Board member of Scouts Canada, the country’s leading co-ed youth organization serving children and youth aged 5-26.
Advisory Council Member, Virgin Unite Canada
Advisory council member of Virgin Unite, the independent non-profit foundation of the Virgin Group.
United Nations General Assembly
Motivational speeches reel
Whether Craig is speaking to corporate leaders, families, or youth, audiences are sure to walk away inspired with tangible ways to make an impact. His speech topics include what for-profit companies can learn from non-profit organizations, how to nurture children who care and contribute inspiring employees to find meaning and unconventional leadership lessons.
WEconomy: A conversation on the power of purpose in the workplace
WEconomy: a conversation on the power of purpose in the workplace.
Purpose and profit are the greatest human motivators. WEconomy is the definitive roadmap for bringing the power of both forces together—achieving purpose with profit in your career, company, and changing the world.
Based on his book, WEconomy: you can find meaning, make a living and change the world, Craig shares, how to unleash purpose within your career, company, and life goals. This speech will help you profit with purpose, whether you’re the one calling the shots or a junior employee looking to advance.
Meritorious Service Medal, Issued by The Governor General of Canada
The medal recognizes great Canadians for exceptional deeds accomplished that bring honor to the country. They honor achievements in both military and civil divisions.
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Roosevelt Freedom from Fear Medal, Issued by Roosevelt Institute
The medal is presented to those whose achievements have demonstrated a commitment to the principles proclaimed by President Roosevelt as essential to democracy: freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want, freedom from fear.
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Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship, Issued by Government of Ontario
The Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship was created to recognize people who, through exceptional long–term efforts, have made outstanding contributions to the well being of their communities.
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Global Leader of Tomorrow, Issued by World Economic Forum
The honor was designed to recognize exceptional young people with the vision, courage, and influence to drive positive change in the world.
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Distinguished Peace Leadership Award, Issued by Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
This award was given to Craig because of “his leadership in working to end child exploitation and to empower youth around the world.”
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Nelson Mandela Human Rights Award
The award, named in honor of Nelson Mandela, “recognizes the struggle, courage, and achievement of Mandela in fighting against apartheid and in advancing human rights and social justice.”
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Voted one of the "100 Greatest Canadians" on The Greatest Canadian (TV mini-series)
A national television series created to determine who is considered the greatest Canadian of all time, according to those who watched and participated in the program.
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International Peace Award, Issued by Community of Christ
The International Peace Award sponsored by Community of Christ and Shaw Family Foundation recognizes a person’s significant efforts to pursue peace.
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World's Children's Prize for the Rights of the Child, Issued by World's Children's Prize Foundation
This honor was given to Craig because “because of his struggle to free children from poverty, abuse and other violations of the rights of the child.”
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Order of Canada, Issued by The Governor General of Canada
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The Order of Canada is bestowed upon those Canadians who make extraordinary contributions to the nation.
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World of Children 15th Anniversary Achievement Award, Issued by World of Children
Opening of Craig Kielburger Secondary School
The Halton District School Board named one of its secondary schools the Craig Kielburger Secondary School to honor Craig for his service and accomplishments.
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Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Dedication, Issued by Muhammad Ali Center
The award honors those who honors people who are making significant contributions toward securing peace, social justice, human rights, and/or social capital in their communities and on a global basis.
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Inductee, Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada’s Walk of Fame seeks to shine a light on extraordinary Canadian achievers and their successes and recognizes those who make a significant impact.
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Canada's Most-Trusted Influencer, Issued by Reader's Digest
Reader’s Digest worked with a market research team to poll Canadians to determine those who they trusted most.
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Canada's Most Admired CEO, Issued by Waterstone Human Capital
This award honors the country’s most admired CEOs, those who recognize culture isn’t just connected to performance; it drives performance in a way that cannot be achieved through other means.
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15 Honorary Degrees conferred between the years 2005 and 2020
Is Digital Transformation Sustainable for Nonprofits in a Post-Covid World?
Even though the technology had been there for years, at the dawn of 2020, virtual meetings were still a novelty. Working from home was something mostly only those high-tech startups did. Then Covid-19 forced nearly everyone into the virtual working world.
- Forbes, April 23, 2021
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Help isolated coworkers with mental health issues
Before COVID-19, 2.5 million Canadians worked from home. Then the pandemic hit and five million more people found themselves sequestered in home offices or perched anywhere that offered some peace, pecking away at laptops in decidedly non-business attire.
- National Post, July 14, 2020
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Balance between economy, environment is essential
As humans isolate in their homes, marine life returns to the canals of Venice, leatherback turtles nest on empty Thai beaches in record numbers and foxes frolic in the heart of Toronto.
- National Post, May 19, 2020
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Ten years after the earthquake, Haiti recovers – even more so in places we don’t often look at
Two years after the 2010 earthquake devastated Haiti, with the nation’s infrastructure still in ruin, then-President Michel Martelly stepped out of his mud-flecked SUV in the distant community of Dos Palais to view a new school built, improbably, among remote hills.
- The Globe and Mail, January 13, 2020
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The Future of Sustainable Development: Empowering Human Capital
Five years ago, our charity had a problem. We’d been partnering with rural communities in Kenya for over a decade, building schools, digging boreholes, establishing hospitals and running agriculture programs. The model was working. But it was also in danger of creating an exodus of the best and brightest.
- Forbes, September 10, 2019
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How young people can help to end child labor
I’ve been told it takes a village to raise a child, but in my 24 years as a children’s rights activist, I’ve learned the opposite is true too. Sometimes it takes a child to raise a village – or to take down an injustice.
- CNN, August 28, 2019
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WEconomy: You Can Find Meaning, Make A Living and Change the World (+Audiobook)
WEconomy is an international bestseller and a respected guidebook for the next evolution in business. Written by Craig Kielburger, Marc Kielburger and Dr. Holly Branson with a forward by Sheryl Sandberg and an Epilogue by Sir Richard Branson, WEconomy provides a compelling overview that embedding purpose at the heart of your career and in your business is one of the smartest things you can do. WEconomy is full of tangible life examples and has been used as a guide for companies like Facebook, Hearst and KPMG.
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The audiobook is narrated by Esther Wane and Paul Woodson, the audiobook version of WEconomy is perfect for on-the-go professionals looking to infuse meaning into their daily work.
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The Power of WE Day: Moving the World from Me To We
In The Power of WE Day: Moving the World from Me to We, with a foreword by Mikhail Gorbachev, celebrated pop culture icons, social activists, and world leaders come together to discuss the causes they care about most. This book shares heart-warming stories, inspiring words, and stunning behind-the-scenes photos of world-renowned musical artists, statesmen, and speakers. The Power of We Day also celebrates unsung heroes; the remarkable young people who have made it their mission to make the world a better place.
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My Grandma Follows Me on Twitter…And Other First World Problems We’re Lucky to Have
Based on their travels around the globe, activists Craig and Marc Kielburger have compiled an amusing volume of concerns and complaints heard often in the developed world for a healthy dose of perspective. For each of these trifling tribulations, the Kielburgers draw on their experience in international development and offer suggestions for small, corresponding actions that can make an actual world of difference. It's guaranteed to give pause for both gratitude and laughter.
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The World Needs Your Kid: How to Raise Children Who Care and Contribute
With a forward by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, this book is a must read for any parents or teachers. In this inspiring guide, you'll find life lessons from remarkable individuals, committed parents, and compassionate children. Read revealing stories and insights from the not-so-typical childhoods of Craig and Marc Kielburger. Discover how small actions every day can make the world a better place, and find out how those same small actions can have a lasting influence on your child's life.
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It Takes A Child
It Takes A Child is a fun, colourful look back at Craig's adventures in taking global action. Craig invites young readers along on a rollicking, eye-opening journey through South Asia, learning about global poverty and child labour. Along the way, Craig and his friend Alam brave wild rickshaw rides, meet world leaders and befriend kids just like them with heartbreaking stories of bravery.
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Me To We: Finding Meaning in a Material World (+audiobook)
Me to We is a New York Times bestseller that provides a tangible guide to doing good. The book provides an approach to life that leads us to recognize what is truly valuable, make new decisions about the way we want to live, and re-define the goals we set for ourselves and the legacy we want to leave. It includes contributions by individuals who have followed the Me to We philosophy, including Oprah Winfrey, Richard Gere, Queen Noor, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Above all, it creates new ways of measuring happiness, meaning, and success in our lives, and makes sure these elusive goals are attainable at last.
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The audiobook version of Me to We is narrated by the authors themselves, Craig and Marc Kielburger.
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Take More Action!
Building on the principles of ‘Take Action’, Take More Action is an advanced guide to global citizenship, empowering young people to be world changers around the globe or in their own backyard. Brilliantly illustrated and packed with powerful quotes, stories and resources, Take More Action includes invaluable material on character education, ethical leadership, effective activism and global citizenship.
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Take Action! A Guide to Active Citizenship
Take Action! is a step-by-step guide to active citizenship that equips young people with the tools to make a difference on local, national and global levels. Based on tested and proven leadership seminars, workshops, and programs by Leaders Today, Take Action! outlines steps to social involvement, provides concrete ways for youth to make a difference, and profiles inspirational young people who have made social impact. Youth-friendly, interactive and innovative, Take Action! acts as a unique civics curriculum for young people between the ages of 10 and 15 who wish to become socially involved and learn valuable life-long communication, interpersonal and organizational skills.
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Free The Children
An international best-seller and the winner of the prestigious Christopher Award, presented to books "which affirm the highest values of the human spirit," Free the Children has been translated into eight languages, made into a documentary, and served as inspiration for tens of thousands of young people around the world.
Craig’s first book, Free the Children, recounts his remarkable odyssey across South Asia, meeting some of the world's most disadvantaged children and learning the truth behind the headlines. Be there with him as he explores slums and sweatshops, fighting to rescue children from the chains of inhumane conditions. Along the way, he makes lasting friendships, enjoys wild adventures and launches the movement that would explode into an international sensation.
