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Talking Philanthropy

Geneva

19 November 2026 · Geneva, Switzerland

Ten years of Talking Philanthropy · a new chapter begins

Registration

A First for Geneva

Ten years on, Talking Philanthropy opens its next chapter.

On 19 November 2026, Talking Philanthropy comes to Geneva for the first time, marking ten years since the series began and opening a new chapter for the next five.

Under the Theme

New Context.
New Opportunities.
New Geneva.

Conference chamber overlooking Lake Geneva and the Alps

The Convening

A global gathering in Geneva.

This Talking Philanthropy summit brings together philanthropic leaders, family offices, foundations and institutions from around the world to explore the changing global order, intergenerational wealth transfer and the future of humanitarian action.

What We Will Explore

Three questions shaping the next five years.

New Context

The Changing Global Order

Convening as power, capital and human need realign across a rapidly shifting world.

New Opportunities

Intergenerational Wealth Transfer

The largest transfer of wealth in history, and philanthropy’s role in directing it well.

New Geneva

The Future of Humanitarian Action

From the world’s humanitarian capital, reimagining how global good gets done.

The Programme

The Speakers.

Leading voices from across philanthropy, finance and international development. Confirmed speakers are announced on a rolling basis.

HRH Princess Esmeralda of Belgium

Journalist, author and activist

Princess Esmeralda of Belgium is a journalist, author and activist for the environment and human rights, particularly those of women and indigenous peoples. She is President of the Leopold III Fund for Nature Exploration and Conservation, Chair of Friendship Belgium, and an ambassador for WWF and Stop Ecocide International.

Lady Mary Dinah

Founder & CEO, Mary Dinah Foundation

Mary Dinah, Lady of Ellington, is a philanthropist, hotelier and CEO of Mary Dinah Foundation, an international NGO advancing nutrition, maternal and child health among refugees and displaced communities across Africa. For over two decades, she has championed locally led solutions, delivering more than 125 million specialised meals. She is a Special Envoy for Child Protection and was recently featured on the cover of Forbes Africa’s first-ever philanthropy edition.

Cindy Forde

Founder at Planetari and author

Cindy Forde is an author and systems change leader named in The Independent’s Climate 100 2026. She founded Planetari, whose Earth-led education won the Climate Positive Award at COP28, and wrote the acclaimed children’s book Bright New World. She is also the co-founder of the Centre for Systemic Change at Homerton College, Cambridge.

Jojo Mehta

Co-Founder & CEO, Stop Ecocide International

Jojo Mehta is Co-Founder and CEO of Stop Ecocide International, established in 2017 with the late legal pioneer Polly Higgins to support recognition of ecocide as an international crime. She convened the 2021 Independent Expert Panel for the Legal Definition of Ecocide, catalysing legislative progress at national, regional and international levels.

Marie-Laure Salles

Director, Geneva Graduate Institute

Marie-Laure Salles (Harvard PhD’96) has been Director of the Geneva Graduate Institute since September 2020. She previously was Professeur des Universités at Sciences Po Paris, where she was the founding Dean of the School of Management and Innovation, and before that Professor at ESSEC Business School, where she held senior roles including Dean of the Faculty.

Read On…

She has published broadly on the historic transformation of capitalism and national political institutions, the dynamics of transnational governance, the transnational diffusion of ideas and institutions, the ethics and philosophy of international relations.

Dato Dr Kim Tan

Chairman of SpringHill Management

Dato Dr Kim Tan is Chairman of SpringHill Management, a private fund specialising in biotech and social venture capital. A pioneer of social impact investing for over 25 years, he is Co-Founder of the Transformational Business Network Alliance, inventor of sheep monoclonal antibodies, and founder of NCI Cancer Hospital in Malaysia.

Dr Achim Wennmann

Geneva Graduate Institute

Dr Achim Wennmann is a Professor at the Geneva Graduate Institute, where he holds the Nagulendran Chair in Peace Mediation. He specialises in peace processes, political transitions and the political economy of conflict. He is also the Institute’s Director for Strategic Partnerships, with extensive experience connecting research, diplomacy and policy practice to enable strategic collaboration across institutions and sectors.

Lord Simon Woolley

Principal of Homerton College

Lord Simon Woolley, Principal of Homerton College, is the first black man to head an Oxbridge college. Founding director of Operation Black Vote, he created and led the UK Government’s Race Disparity Unit. Knighted in 2019 and now a crossbench peer, he is a leading campaigner for equality and representation.