Skoll Foundation

The Skoll Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization dedicated to advancing social entrepreneurship and innovation. Founded by Jeff Skoll, the first president of eBay, the Foundation focuses on supporting innovative social change initiatives that address critical global issues. It provides funding and resources to social entrepreneurs and organizations that work to tackle complex challenges related to poverty, health, education, and environmental sustainability.

The Skoll Foundation emphasizes the importance of scalable and sustainable solutions, aiming to foster transformative impact through its investments and partnerships. It also hosts the annual Skoll World Forum, which brings together thought leaders, practitioners, and funders to discuss and advance social entrepreneurship. By leveraging its resources and networks, the Skoll Foundation seeks to accelerate positive change and improve the lives of underserved populations worldwide.

Polaris Partners

Polaris Partners is a venture capital and private equity firm that invests in early-stage and growth-stage companies across various sectors. Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Polaris Partners focuses on identifying and supporting innovative companies with high growth potential. The firm’s investment strategy spans several industries, including technology, healthcare, and consumer products.

Polaris Partners provides both financial backing and strategic guidance to its portfolio companies, leveraging its extensive network and industry expertise to help them scale and succeed. The firm’s approach combines deep market insight with hands-on support to drive growth and value creation. With a track record of successful investments and exits, Polaris Partners is known for its collaborative approach and commitment to building long-term partnerships with entrepreneurs.

National Council For Mental Wellbeing

The National Council for Behavioral Health is a prominent advocacy organization in the United States dedicated to improving mental health and addiction treatment services. It represents over 3,000 member organizations that provide mental health and addiction treatment services to millions of individuals nationwide. 

The Council focuses on promoting policies and practices that ensure access to comprehensive, high-quality behavioral health care. It also advocates for integrating mental health services into primary care settings and advancing innovation in behavioral health care delivery. Additionally, the National Council offers training and technical assistance to its members and works to raise public awareness about mental health issues.

Hewlett Foundation

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation is a private charitable foundation based in Menlo Park, California. Founded in 1966 by William Hewlett and his wife Flora, the Foundation focuses on addressing critical social issues and promoting the common good through grantmaking and partnerships. Its mission is to support efforts that improve the quality of life for individuals and communities, with an emphasis on innovative and impactful solutions.

The Hewlett Foundation’s primary areas of focus include education, global development and population, environment, the performing arts, and philanthropy. It supports a range of initiatives, from advancing educational equity and addressing climate change to strengthening the arts and promoting effective philanthropy. By providing financial support and strategic guidance, the Foundation aims to foster positive social change and enhance the effectiveness of its grantees’ work.

IKEA Foundation

The IKEA Foundation is the philanthropic branch of the IKEA Group, focused on improving the lives of children and families in need globally. It aims to address critical issues such as child poverty, education, and health through strategic partnerships with non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders. The Foundation’s initiatives are designed to enhance child protection, provide educational and vocational opportunities, and support emergency relief efforts in crisis situations.

In addition to its work in humanitarian and educational sectors, the IKEA Foundation also invests in climate action to combat the effects of climate change on vulnerable communities. By combining financial resources with a commitment to sustainable and measurable impact, the Foundation works collaboratively with its partners to create lasting positive change and improve the overall quality of life for those in need.

THE BRIDGESPAN GROUP

The Bridgespan Group is a nonprofit organization that provides consulting and advisory services to other nonprofits and philanthropic organizations. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Bridgespan focuses on helping its clients achieve greater social impact by addressing strategic and operational challenges. Their work encompasses a wide range of sectors, including education, health, and social services.

Bridgespan offers services such as strategic planning, leadership development, and organizational effectiveness assessments. They also conduct research and publish reports on pressing social issues to inform and inspire philanthropy and nonprofit management. The organization’s mission is to help social sector leaders and organizations maximize their impact and address some of the world’s most challenging problems.

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Anique Jordan

Artist, Writer & Curator

Anique Jordan is an artist, writer and curator who looks to answer the question of possibility in everything she creates.

As an artist, Jordan works in photography, sculpture and performance often employing the theory of hauntology to challenge historical or dominant narratives and creating, what she calls, impossible images. Jordan’s work considers different logics of time, the black surreal and the marvellous as it relates to the black Atlantic experience. Jordan has lectured on her artistic and community-engaged curatorial practice as a 2017 Canada Seminar speaker at Harvard University and in numerous institutions across the Americas. In 2017 she co-curated the exhibition Every. Now. Then: Reframing Nationhood at the Art Gallery of Ontario.  Jordan has recently completed her MFA in Photography at Rhode Island School of Design, is a 2024 recipient of Canadas 100 most accomplished Black women and is currently an Assistant Professor and AICAD Fellow at Parsons School of Design.

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Carrie Rebora Barratt

Hearth Summit Art Curator

New York,
USA

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Carrie Rebora Barratt is an energetic and collaborative curator and executive leader, who has deployed her growth and resilience mindset into organizational culture in top cultural institutions. At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New York Botanical Garden, LongHouse Reserve, and through her umbrella organization, The Solace Project, she leads through big transitions by championing collective intelligence of staff and board at the intersection of art, nature, and the human spirit, to welcome visitors to culture and build community.

At The Met, she rose from summer intern to Deputy Director, immersing herself in the vital importance of museum work in our world. As the leader of 27 departments and over 400 staff—curatorial, conservation and scientific research, libraries, education, publications, and digital—she worked with commitment to the common purpose of shaping the collection, putting on superb exhibitions, and enriching visitor experience. That work requires structured governance and decisive administration matched with collaboration, curiosity, and creativity. She delivered results through strategic planning, marketing savvy, institutional advancement, and facilities management.

In 2018, she took over the New York Botanical Garden as ninth CEO and President, the first woman to hold the position in its 127 year history. A 250 acre campus of art and nature with nearly 500 staff, NYBG faced a major leadership transition and weather challenges on the grounds. In just two years, she developed a long-range art exhibition plan with vital educational programs and new digital content, drafted an agenda for increasing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, improved facilities, heightened the garden’s role in the botanical and horticultural dimensions of climate change and human wellness, and expanded the urban gardening program in our region. She managed the challenges of the pandemic, and saw the Garden to reopening in summer 2020, staff intact, budget balanced, and visitors returning.

In 2020, during the pandemic, she founded The Solace Project as a vessel to write, talk, teach, and gather community in pursuit of basic wellness through art and nature. Her work in the space continues as a speaker, consultant to museums, gardens, and organizations sharing the value of resilience and wellbeing.
She joined LongHouse Reserve in autumn 2021, invited to lead the institution through transition and turnaround following the passing of founder Jack Lenor Larsen (1927-2020). Since then, she has stewarded the 16-acre integrated environment within a mission to inspire living with art in all forms, serving the community with vast open space, programs in art, nature, and wellness, providing a sanctuary for Long Island and beyond.

Manuel Bagorro

Hearth Summit Head of Arts

New York,
USA

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Manuel Bagorro is a long-time Creative Advisor at Carnegie Hall, working on the design, planning and implementation of a range of programs. He is also Artistic Director of Bay Chamber Concerts and Music School in Rockport ME, Founder and Artistic Director of the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) in Zimbabwe and served as a program advisor for CultureSummit Abu Dhabi in 2017 and 2018. He curated the arts program for the first Wellbeing Summit in Bilbao, 2022 and leads the artistic team for the Global Hearth Summit in Ljubljana, 2025. For the last 12 years, his work with Bay Chamber Concerts and Music School has resulted in a new approach to the organization’s educational offerings and community engagement programs. Under his leadership, the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) became one of the most significant artistic and social impact projects in Southern Africa, weathering the social, political and economic turmoil in Zimbabwe for more than a decade.

He is also a pianist, having performed extensively and won prizes in the Newport International and Royal Overseas League Piano Competitions. He performed in the John Schlesinger film, Madame Sousatzka, and appeared as soloist with the BBC Welsh and Cape Town Symphony Orchestras. He composed the music for a series of documentaries entitled Africa Unmasked and played for Queen Elizabeth II and other dignitaries at a State Banquet in London in 1995.

Paola Martins

Networks Advancement Coordinator

Caracas, Venezuela

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Paola, originally from Venezuela’s coastal region (Lecheria) and now residing in Caracas, is a Civil Engineer with a Master in Business Administration from IESA. Her expertise lies in commercial operations and strategic planning. During her leisure time, she enjoys listening to podcasts, watching series, and relaxing at her favorite spot—the beach. For Paola, wellbeing entails nurturing both physical and mental health.

What does inner wellbeing mean to you?

For me inner wellbeing involves connecting with our emotions, making peace with life’s journey and confidently navigating daily decisions, all while striving for balance.

How would you define wellbeing in one word?

Vitality

Are there any rituals or practices you use to enhance your wellbeing?

Dedicating time to loved ones and prioritizing physical health through mindful nutrition and exercise. Additionally, I nurture my spiritual wellbeing by engaging in practices such as gratitude journaling and setting goals.

Why is it important that we prioritize individual, organizational and societal wellbeing?

Putting wellbeing first is really important for happiness and doing well. When individuals are healthy and fulfilled, they perform better, leading to stronger organizations and communities.