Riyadh - Sharikat Mubasher: The Mohammed Bin Salman Foundation (Misk Foundation) launched the ‘Challenge for Change’ program, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to nurture Saudi youth entrepreneurs in the social responsibility field, CEO Badr Al Badr revealed.

The new program targets accelerating the impact of emerging Saudi non-profit organizations (NPOs) and social ventures addressing global challenges, Al Badr stated in an interview with Asharq Business KSA on the sidelines of the Misk Global Forum 2024 (MGF24).

The CEO clarified that the Misk Foundation inked 16 agreements on the sidelines of MGF24, including deals with Tuwaiq Academy, King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language (KSGAAL), Samsung, Amazon, Saudi Esports Federation, and more.

He added that the foundation is gearing up to relocate to Mohammed Bin Salman Nonprofit City (Misk City) in early 2025.

Al Badr further affirmed the Misk Foundation’s commitment to supporting and empowering Saudi youth, in alignment with Vision 2030’s objectives.

The Challenge for Change is a 7-week intensive program that offers structured support through boot camps, mentorship, and financial grants for winners, covering three tracks: Technology, Health and Wellbeing, and Environment.

It will have multiple phases of competition, where participants compete to build the most impactful social project. At the end, a winner in each track will receive a grant of SAR 1 million to deliver the impact.

The program will provide coworking spaces, thematic expert sessions, one-to-one mentoring, immunity sessions, and local and international showcasing.

Under the theme “By Youth For Youth,” the MGF24 took place at Misk City on 18 and 19 November, focusing on empowering and connecting young leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs globally. It served as a dynamic platform for fostering vibrant discussions, exchanging ideas, and creating networking opportunities to nurture youth potential, encourage collaboration, and catalyze positive global change.