Marc Kielburger, CM, OMC, is a Canadian author, social entrepreneur, columnist, humanitarian, and child rights activist born in 1977. Along with his brother Craig, he co-founded Free The Children (WE Movement), including WE Charity, an international development and youth empowerment organization.
The brothers also founded ME to WE, a for-profit company that sells lifestyle items, leadership training, travel experiences, and WE Day, an annual youth empowerment celebration. The Governor-General of Canada appointed Marc Kielburger a Member of the Order of Canada in 2010 due to his outstanding humanitarian service.
In Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, Free The Children offers groundbreaking services to over 4,000 youth organizations and hundreds of thousands of young people. The organization, which is the world’s largest youth-driven charity, operates in eight developed countries and has established over 650 schools and school rooms in developing regions, offering over 55,000 children every day.
ME to WE
Marc is also co-founder and co-CEO of ME to WE. ME to WE is a creative social organization that offers people better options for a better future by offering socially conscious and environmentally friendly clothing and accessories and life-changing international volunteer experiences, leadership training programs and resources, and books that discuss social change concerns.
Marc knew they needed to find new ways to raise money while traveling with his brother in order to keep their ventures going. Marc realized that relying solely on donations as a source of income for WE Charity was not a viable business model.
Therefore, the ME to WE social enterprise was founded as a dynamic way to empower WE Villages communities while also providing customers with goods that they might feel good about purchasing. WE Charity has been appointed as the social enterprise’s affiliate, and 50% of ME to WE income is reinvested in WE Charity. Marc has played an important role in the company’s development and growth.
Marc gives ME to WE an entrepreneurial mentality. He’s still coming up with new ideas about how to develop the company and its effects. He came up with the idea of Monitor Your Effect, which enables customers to see how their purchase affects the society in which it was made. Marc believes in the power of people working together to make a difference and reminds us that we can all make a difference in the world.
Marc and Craig coordinate WE Day, Free The Children’s signature domestic event, which reaches 100,000 students from 3,000 schools in person and over 5.4 million via televised broadcasts every year.
WE Day has over 2.3 million Facebook fans, making it one of the most famous charitable causes on the planet. Marc has written nine novels and has shared the stage and his voice with Nobel Peace laureates, heads of state, celebrities, rock bands, actors, and pop icons, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Former President Bill Clinton, Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Sir Richard Branson and many more.
Education
Marc has always been involved in education. At one point, he contemplated becoming a teacher, but his post-high-school journey led him to Harvard University, where he received a degree in International Studies.
Marc was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship after college and went on to Oxford University to study law. Marc has also been awarded ten honorary degrees in recognition of his charitable and humanitarian activities and notable contributions to education.
An Internationally Acclaimed Speaker
Marc Kielburger believes in and lives by the philosophy that having the courage to step out and make a difference is the root of one’s greatest fulfillment. He talks to audiences all over the world to inspire them with his message.
Marc is a charismatic and eloquent speaker with a special ability to communicate with his audience. He has the potential to inspire people and empower them to make a difference in their societies and around the world.
We All Have the Power to Change the World
Marc understands that everyone can change the world, including parents, families, enterprises, and individuals. Marc has devoted himself to bringing about change in his home country of Canada and elsewhere over the past 20 years.
For his accomplishments, he has won several awards. He was named one of the world’s Young Global Leaders by the World Economic Forum, in addition to the Order of Canada. Marc was honored with a star on the Walk of Fame in Canada for his charitable work and encouraged young people to make a difference. He was appointed Canada’s Most Respected CEO in the Public Sector in 2015, alongside his brother Craig.
Marc is inspired by a desire to leave a better world for his two daughters. Marc’s leadership in WE Charity has aided the organization’s growth and transformation over the years into the global force for the good that it is today.
“The greatest gift that you can give is the dignity for someone to not need your help.” – Marc Kielburger.
The Pursuit of Change
Marc has worked relentlessly since 17 to motivate millions of people to do good through their meaningful behavior and customer decisions as a bestselling author, visionary social entrepreneur, and renowned speaker.
Marc Kielburger has developed the WE family of organizations to involve 4.3 million young people in active service, working closely with his brother Craig Kielburger. Over 250,000 young people attend a WE Day celebration every year, filling stadiums in over a dozen cities to celebrate their peers’ positive acts.
As a humanitarian and child’s rights activist, Marc has been able to speak and work with some of the world’s most illustrious figures, including the Dalai Lama, Bill Clinton, Mikhail Gorbachev, Desmond Tutu, and has written several books detailing his charitable philosophy, all in the pursuit of positive change.
