Marc Kielburger is the co-founder of Free the Children, a unique international development and youth empowerment organization. Since 1995, Free the Children has become the world’s leading youth-driven charity, inspiring an entire generation to stand up and have their voices heard. Marc also co-founded Me to We, a social enterprise that encourages ethical living and social responsibility, while also aiming to bring Free the Children’s already low administrate rate to 0%, ensuring every penny goes to charitable programs.

Me to We includes carbon-neutral international volunteer travel programs, leadership camps, a publishing house, a music label, and the largest organic made-in-Canada clothing line. He is the co-author of three national bestsellers. His latest book, The World Needs Your Kid: Raising Children Who Care, features a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Together with his brother Craig, Marc is a syndicated columnist carried by the Toronto Star, Vancouver Sun, Huffington Post and Canada’s most widely-read women’s magazine, Canadian Living. Marc is also available for joint presentations with his brother Craig.

TOPICS

The World Needs Your Kid: How to Raise Kids Who Care and Contribute
Based on Marc and Craig’s new book, The World Needs Your Kid: Raising Children who Care and Contribute, this experience will provide you with everything you need to know about raising socially-responsible kids, lending a hand and changing the world — all at the same time. Marc and/or Craig Kielburger share groundbreaking lessons—learned through working with more than one million youth involved with Free The Children—on nurturing kids to care about the world around them, and demonstrate how small, everyday actions can make the world a better place.

• Discover how to get the young person in your life involved with social activism and volunteerism, and give them an avenue for meaning and change.
• 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.

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 powerful Me to We philosophy, developed by Craig and Marc Kielburger through more than a decade of humanitarian work and in their New York Times bestseller, Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World.

• Hear the remarkable tale of how Marc and Craig founded the non-profit organization Free The Children 15 years ago and the impact that has had on the brothers in developing the Me to We philosophy.
• Listen to the inspirational stories and impactful lessons from Marc and Craig’s many travels and encounters with quiet heroes like Mother Theresa, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Pope, Elie Wiesel and many more.
• Discover how to create change and make tangible actions to improve the local and global community.
• Using the Me to We philosophy, learn how to make a difference, create your own unique path and leave a positive mark on the world.

Philanthropy: Innovative Strategies for Sustainable Social 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 social 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?

• Marc and Craig match an entrepreneurial spirit with 15 years of experience working on the ground with charities and social agencies across the globe.
• Learn, from an insider’s perspective, about new and innovative models of philanthropy and how, for the first time in history, those models have the potential to solve some of the world’s most pressing social issues.
• Discover the benefits of intergenerational philanthropy partnerships and the innovative model and mower of social entrepreneurship.

Custom Tailored Speech Topics by Marc and Craig

Me to We: Inspiring Employees to find Meaning in a Material World
How can you find purpose in the workplace? How does a company inspire their employees to find meaning in the mundane? This speech will be an introduction to the powerful Me to We philosophy, developed by Craig and Marc Kielburger through more than a decade of humanitarian work, with a specific emphasis on how to apply this philosophy within the corporate community. A unique experience, this speech is an opportunity to highlight the social work your company is already doing, thank your employees and customers for their contributions to the company’s corporate social responsibility initiatives and celebrate your incredible achievements.

• Help connect employees with your greater corporate mission and that of the world.
• Learn how consistent corporate social responsibility and employee volunteering can boost team morale and teamwork and results in a happier, more productive and engaged workplace.
• Uncover the “minga” philosophy of team bonding through service.
• The speech is custom-tailored to highlight the social work your company is already doing and an opportunity to bring your employees and their families together in a unique setting.
• A great opportunity to showcase your corporate social responsibility program.

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. 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 help your company become more profitable.

• Discover why so many recent graduates and seasoned employees are moving into non-profits at the expense of the corporate sector.
• Recognize what it is exactly that for-profits can learn from non-profits in terms of resource allocation, staff retention, strengthening morale and building a motivated workforce.
• Learn how to recruit, inspire and retain engaged employees who wish to leave a mark on the world.
• Get tips on creating an engaging, empathetic and trusting work environment.
• Discuss ethical halo branding as a form of product differentiation and building trust with consumers.
  
  

Full Biography

Winfrey’s Angel Network called O Ambassadors. The project was designed to educate, engage and inspire more than one million young people across North America to take action to help their underprivileged peers overseas.

Marc is also the co-founder of Me to We. This social enterprise encourages ethical living and social responsibility, while also aiming to bring Free The Children’s already low administrate rate to 0%, ensuring every penny goes to charitable programs. Me to We includes carbon-neutral international volunteer travel programs, leadership camps, a publishing house, a music label, and the largest organic made-in-Canada clothing line.

Marc graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, completing a degree International Relations. He won a coveted Rhodes Scholarship and went on to complete a law degree at Oxford University with an emphasis on human rights law. Marc has also received four honorary doctorates for his work in the field of education and human rights.

He is the co-author of three national bestsellers. His latest book, The World Needs Your Kid: Raising Children Who Care and Contribute will be released across North America in the fall of 2010 and features a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Together with his brother Craig, Marc is a syndicated columnist carried by the Toronto Star, Vancouver Sun, Huffington Post and Canada’s most widely-read women’s magazine, Canadian Living.

Marc is the recipient of many honors, including the Order of Canada and selection by the World Economic Forum as one of 250 Young Global Leaders. His work has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Colbert Report, CNN, BBC as well as many other news and print media.