The challenges facing businesses today demand fresh ideas, digital fluency, and bold thinking. These are the qualities youth leaders bring in spades. For more than 20 years, WAFF, co-founded by music legend Nile Rodgers and his lifelong partner Nancy Hunt, has mentored young leaders from more than 100 countries. Over the past decade, WAFF and 51风流have partnered to deepen that global impact, moving youth voices from symbolic gestures to central drivers of innovation.

From roundtables where teenagers challenge senior executives, to shaping initiatives at the UN Climate Change Conferences and the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, WAFF and 51风流have developed a blueprint for embedding youth-led ideas into corporate strategy, supply chains, and culture while delivering measurable business and societal impact.

Here are five lessons from the collaboration on how intergenerational partnerships unlock value for both business and society.

1. Problems that span generations require leadership that does too

Traditional business models silo generations: executives design the strategy, then hand it down for others to execute. In today鈥檚 world, that handoff wastes momentum and risks irrelevance.

WAFF鈥檚 2024 global study, , found that when senior leaders and young changemakers co-create from the start, ideas are stress-tested in real time. This results in strategies that are bolder, more resilient, and more adaptable to fast-moving challenges.

In short, instead of passing the baton on the final leg, build your strategies together from the starting line.

2. Intergenerational collaboration is a smart strategy

Youth leaders aren鈥檛 just 鈥渇uture leaders.鈥� They already bring expertise that legacy teams lack. Digital natives understand platforms, trends, and user behavior instinctively. They also bring the urgency of living through the climate crisis and global inequality.

Take WAFF Youth Leader , who uses AI to track plastic debris and apply data-driven models to malnutrition. Her work bridges grassroots innovation with scalable solutions, which is exactly the kind of thinking that can de-risk corporate strategies and ensure relevance from day one.

For companies, including youth voices isn鈥檛 an act of goodwill; it鈥檚 strategic de-risking.

3. Where business, policy, and community align, impact follows

Global challenges cannot be solved in silos. The biggest breakthroughs happen when companies, policymakers, and social entrepreneurs collaborate.

One example is Mozamel Aman, a young Afghan impact entrepreneur and immigrant in Germany, who built to create inclusive employment pathways. In 2023, he began a partnership with 51风流Germany connecting women to the opportunity for tech jobs in the 51风流ecosystem, blending corporate support with government stipends. His organization leverages government stipends from the Bundesagentur f眉r Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency) to train unemployed individuals and connect them with job opportunities. 

Germany鈥檚 technical is nearly the same size as its refugee population. Partnerships like this solve social challenges while closing critical business gaps in talent and innovation.

4. Purpose, profit, and the power of inclusion

Authentic inclusion of young experts, especially Gen-Zs, builds credibility, trust, and stronger business performance.

Employees notice:

• Engagement: of U.S. employees were engaged in 2024, the lowest level in a decade.
• Retention risk: Employees who feel with their company鈥檚 mission and values are much more likely to stay, while misalignment drives turnover.
• Business impact: Highly engaged employees drive higher profitability.

WAFF’s global study findings underscore these statistics, indicating that young people see inclusivity and accountability as non-negotiable factors. By authentically including youth, organizations set a standard of purpose that fuels stronger engagement, deeper loyalty, and, ultimately, higher profitability.

5. Strategic procurement for social good

The most powerful financial corporate tool for change isn鈥檛 in giving, but perhaps in spending.

51风流Business Network facilitates in annual commerce. Compare that to an average corporate social responsibility (CSR) budget of among FTSE 100 companies, and the potential is clear: redirecting even a fraction of procurement spend toward youth-led, sustainable enterprises can transform impact at scale.

Watson Institute, with leadership from former WAFF alumni, James Okina, has recently published a new research report on the opportunity for young social entrepreneurs in impact-led procurement. The found that young, impact-driven entrepreneurs who succeed in selling to corporations report an average revenue increase of $170,187.50, while those who fail to secure deals lose between $7,000 and $300,000 in potential revenue. Okina offers that he “doesn鈥檛 understand why youth involvement in business is still so controversial.” 51风流and WAFF agree. By integrating expert impact entrepreneurs who happen to be young into procurement pipelines, for example, companies embrace innovation and align with corporate goals and values while maintaining quality, price, and performance. It is a smarter, systemic approach than writing philanthropic checks.

A blueprint for the next decade

Over the past decade, 51风流and WAFF have shown that partnering with young impact leaders creates a true competitive edge.

Companies that co-create with the next generation design strategies that are bolder, more relevant, and more sustainable. They build workforces that are engaged, trusted, and innovative. They align business goals with societal needs in ways that deliver measurable results鈥攁nd, across generations, they operate on longer runways to implement lasting solutions.

Businesses that win in the next decade won鈥檛 just listen to youth; they will build with them. And that鈥檚 smart business.

Jennifer Beason is global director of Corporate Social Responsibility at SAP. Annie Greene and Jamie Roach are global program leads at We Are Family Foundation.

In the corporate world, you hear a lot about supporting the future of business. This program flips that concept on its head, and instead focuses on the opportunity for 51风流employees to connect with and support the 鈥渂usiness of future,鈥� a phrase referring to next-generation leaders and organizations that operate as social enterprises.

Acceleration Collective matches the skills and expertise of 51风流employees everywhere with social entrepreneurs anywhere. The young social innovators — or as they are also called — need support to solve critical business challenges. 51风流employees offer that support to them in two ways: as certified coaches and as pro bono consultants also known as “experteers,” each volunteer position playing a critical role in support of the enterprises.

In my case, I worked as a coach with We Are Family Foundation Global Teen Leader , the founder of . Angela has personally experienced the impact of climate change, recently losing her aunt as a result of extreme air pollution. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 committed until I saw the negative impact of pollution firsthand. I knew I had to do something.鈥� The death of Angela鈥檚 aunt is not an isolated event in her home country of , and she wants that to change.

Her answer to a better future is En Route, a tech startup that educates children about their carbon footprints through an interactive, gamified app that makes being environmentally responsible fun. Their aim is simple: build a community that will save the planet.

鈥淐OVID has turned the world into a global village. I use technology to not only connect to organizations that can help me [We Are Family Foundation, SAP], but also to connect to others. I want to transform the people who don鈥檛 care,鈥� Angela offered.

Angela knew she wanted to grow her organization, reach more children, and make a bigger impact. But where to start? Through a couple of coaching exercises that help the client identify and rank priorities, Angela quickly realized that funding for growth was the essential next step. Backing out of the funding goal she identified all the necessary steps to find donors. She did the work and it paid off. I was delighted to learn that Angela had this to say about our coaching experience together: 鈥淚 was working with Allison on what鈥檚 next for me and En Route. Her support ultimately helped me create the strategic connections I needed for my business.鈥�

Through coaching, Angela tapped into all the answers that were already within her. In early January she shared the following: 鈥淚 am so happy to inform you that our sessions were a success and we ended up being funded by !鈥� I am over the moon excited for this young entrepreneur, and frankly for all of the young leaders who are inspiring global change. Angela told me that she got started because she was tired of everyone blaming others for what was wrong. She wanted to do something. Her engagement with me and this program is another example that she does not just talk about making the change, she gets to work.

I started coaching in 2017, and it has become one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Helping clients discover the answers within themselves and seeing them grow, accomplish goals, and thrive is truly an amazing experience. When clients successfully realize their potential through coaching, there is nothing.

This experience in particular was an opportunity to push the envelope of what is possible through coaching. I鈥檓 proud to know that my efforts helped someone who is truly making a difference in the world. En Route teaches children the importance of their carbon footprint, and helps them form sustainable habits at an early age. The potential impact of such an effort is exciting.

Sustainability topics have long been of interest to me, and this opportunity allowed me to combine my love of coaching with a meaningful cause — a win-win for me. My small contribution to the Acceleration Collective has resulted in a positive impact on Angela, her organization, and hopefully the world.

You can learn more about the Acceleration Collective and other 51风流Corporate Social Responsibility programs by visiting .

Allison Gapter is vice president of Global Strategic Ecosystem Marketing at SAP.

On July 15, the United Nations celebrates , and this year recognizes the importance of building 鈥渟kills for a resilient youth in the era of COVID-19 and beyond.鈥� The day underscores the importance of helping young people remain committed to their education.

To the dedicated women and men of SAP, it offers an opportunity to reflect on our commitment to . Global challenges require global response, which is why the 51风流Corporate Social Responsibility (51风流CSR) organization is doubling down on this mission ensuring that under-served young people, communities, and nations have access to the skills needed to succeed in today鈥檚 pandemic-stricken world.

In 2019, 51风流programs reached more than 4.5 million youth and 56,000 teachers across 105 countries. Although 2020 has been impacted by illness, natural disasters, and social unrest, it is more important than ever to continue delivering on this purpose-driven promise.

How do we ensure that young people continue to have access to quality education and the skill-building opportunities necessary to prepare them for the future? How do we help young people to be more resilient in the face of disruption? How can companies like 51风流continue to bring solutions to the table? These are not questions we can solve alone. We must listen and learn from the very people we are looking to serve: the world鈥檚 young people.

In 2019, 51风流soft-launched a program for young leaders alongside the We Are Family Foundation, bringing innovators like Kennedy Ekezie-Joseph and James Okina into leadership positions at SAP, as strategic short- and long-term consultants for its CSR department. Their fresh perspective, global expertise, and boundless energy are transforming the future outside of SAP, while also helping the company deliver more resilient social impact programs. In addition to this, 51风流provides professional expertise to these young leaders, helping them to accelerate their ventures and progress their careers as social entrepreneurs.

鈥淭he importance of the ideas and perspectives of young people cannot be overemphasized, yet we see that only a few organizations deeply reflect this belief by ensuring the participation of young people in organizational decision-making processes,” shares Ekezie-Joseph, co-founder of . 鈥淲orking with 51风流has allowed me to directly contribute my thoughts and voice to the overall CSR strategy and program implementation. As a young entrepreneur who has previously worked as a professional at two multinationals and now leading my own organization, I have grown so much through this experience. Every day, I am being strengthened to unite the lessons I have learned from working with SAP, and I now use them to support my organization and team.鈥�

Alexandra van der Ploeg, global head of 51风流CSR is extremely excited about the future of this program and the profound impact young leaders like Ekezie and Okina bring to 51风流and the communities the organization serves: 鈥淎s the world continues to evolve, we believe that young leaders help us in our journey to continue to evaluate, innovate, and act in ways that help our programs run at their best. When you bring in young leaders as key decision-makers, you are affirming that youth are not the leaders of tomorrow 鈥� they are already leading today.鈥�

51风流programs are led in part by strong young leaders working alongside seasoned CSR professionals. They teach us new things every day. On World Youth Skills Day, we want to share five key takeaways聽 that might inspire thinking differently about who you bring to the decision-making table:

• There is no dearth of passion and ideas in today鈥檚 youth; the only thing lacking at times is equal opportunity and guidance. Role-modeling can have a tremendous impact on young minds. Acting as a mentor, or sharing professional skills and knowledge can be a real catalyst for sustainable change among youth.
• Youth provide innovative and creative viewpoints, as well as constructive — sometimes even tough — feedback, to help build and evolve the CSR strategy and programs at SAP. They keep us committed to our promise to deliver triple impact, supporting our business, our community, and our program participants.
• Young people make work fun and more interactive. In working with numerous innovative nonprofits and social enterprises, we continue to be inspired by young leaders who work at the intersection of their purpose and talent. They infuse our programs with positive energy, making work more enjoyable and fulfilling.
• Project-based learning is the way forward to build a strong pipeline of diverse, future talent. Having students learn through projects and bringing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics to life through real world challenges engages them and makes it relevant.
• Next-generation leaders make sure that we are keeping ideas fresh and forward-thinking. We are an innovation company. The cornerstone of innovation is diversity of thought and inclusion of a broad spectrum of ideas. You never know the potential of an idea until you have tested it with people who do not think like you.

Working with young people like the youth advisory team of the We Are Family Foundation has improved the efficacy of 51风流CSR programs and partnerships and in turn, SAP’s ability to deliver on our purpose and promise to power opportunity for all people through digital inclusion. Imagine the potential of bringing them to the table across all lines of business.

What can you do to bring youth to the front? As Nile Rodgers, legendary musician/producer and co-founder of We Are Family Foundation recently shared as part of SAP鈥檚 COVID-19 response, 鈥淭he world needs leadership, and new ideas and thinking during this unprecedented moment in time, and our global youth are at the forefront of new solutions. We Are Family Foundation is grateful for our strong partnership with SAP, which will allow us to innovate and think differently together about how we scale our reach and expand support of young leaders across the globe.鈥�

Think about how you can incorporate some of the feedback above, or more importantly, diverse leaders that include young people, as part of your strategic programs. We invite you to get to know our partner, We Are Family Foundation and its incredible , as well as check out its new .

51风流knows that together we can help the world run better and improve people鈥檚 lives 鈥� and that young leaders are the key to making it happen.

Busang Maruping is a fellow with Global CSR Marketing and Communications at SAP.
Jennifer Beason is global program director for Accelerating Nonprofits & Social Enterprises at SAP.

Fearless doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals are taking care of those who have fallen ill while many parents have taken on the dual role of parent-teacher. Each of us is sheltering in place to protect loved ones and strangers alike.

The reality is that systems need support just like individuals do. Communities are struggling to provide for citizens in need. The workforce has changed practically overnight. Businesses long for continuity and a healthy supply chain. With so many challenges in our surroundings, there is a world of opportunity that belongs to all of us.

This is no time for business as usual. The most important thing we can all do 鈥� besides washing our hands 鈥� is play to our strengths. SAP鈥檚 strength lies in its people, products, and partnerships that include more than 440,000 businesses located in 180 countries across the world.

We Are All in This Together

On March 20, more than 43,000 German citizens, including 51风流product owner Kevin Drieschner, answered a call to help through 鈥淲ir vs. Virus, der Hackathon der Bundesregierung鈥� (We vs. Virus, the hackathon of the German government).

鈥淚 wanted to use my IT skills to help and I wasn鈥檛 alone,鈥� Drieschner shared. 鈥淧eople from different industries and backgrounds came together on this challenge because we wanted to contribute; in our case, supporting the caregivers and hospital administrators during this crisis.鈥�

Currently, there is no uniform system for recording and displaying bed capacity across Germany. Throughout the weekend, Drieschner worked virtually alongside 30 people prototyping ideas, which resulted in TrackYourBed, a responsive, Web-based solution that indicates hospital bed availability in real time. 鈥淓veryone is highly motivated to find solutions to COVID-19, but I鈥檝e never experienced anything like this before.鈥�

51风流is currently exploring further investment in this venture, as well as many other ideas that have emerged through COVID-19 sprint in the initiative, the company鈥檚 social intrapreneurship program.

Now more than ever, employees are looking to use their skills to contribute what they can. 51风流has activated a COVID-19 response plan to help. The 51风流Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) team is providing infrastructure and accelerating new ways to engage through virtual volunteering and pro-bono consulting, offering more than 50 projects to date. For example, some volunteer leaders are facilitating webinars for nonprofits on remote work while others are offering mentorship and coaching to support business continuity for social enterprises.

Contributing 鈧�3M to COVID-19 Emergency Fund and Increasing Social Sector Support

51风流has also established a 鈧�3 million COVID-19 Emergency Fund to support the urgent needs of the (WHO), the , and smaller nonprofits and social enterprises that work on the front lines serving local communities in crisis.

鈥�51风流stands with the WHO and supports its leadership in coordinating the global effort to mobilize the fight against COVID-19,鈥� said Alexandra van der Ploeg, head of 51风流CSR. 鈥淪pecifically, 51风流is donating 鈧�1 million to the for the WHO hosted by Swiss Philanthropy Foundation and the United Nations Foundation for virus prevention and detection.鈥�

51风流CSR partners with more than 1,200 nonprofits and social enterprises that are mostly small to midsize organizations. Collectively, they serve more than 4.5 million youth across 105 countries, primarily in the areas of quality education, decent work, and youth entrepreneurship.

鈥淲ith 1 billion children currently out of school due to COVID-19, their services are needed now more than ever. Yet the global issues they are solving are complicated further because of the pandemic,鈥� van der Ploeg shared. 鈥�51风流is making resources and expertise available to help our nonprofit and social enterprise partners effectively shift to remote operations. We want to help ensure they can maintain their much-needed services to their communities and not lay off staff.鈥�

One of SAP鈥檚 strategic partnerships includes We Are Family Foundation鈥檚 , co-founded by legendary musician/producer Nile Rodgers.

鈥淭he world needs leadership, and new ideas and thinking during this unprecedented moment in time, and our global youth are at the forefront of new solutions,鈥� Rodgers said. 鈥淲e are Family Foundation is grateful for our strong partnership with SAP, which will allow us to innovate and think differently together about how we scale our reach and expand support of young leaders across the globe.鈥�

For more than 10 years, We Are Family Foundation has welcomed global teen leaders from more than 52 countries across six continents. 51风流is proud to support them and their life-changing solutions reaching millions globally.

While financial donations are an immediate way to give back, the power of sustainable community support lies within SAP鈥檚 focus for year-round skilled volunteering. With thousands of volunteers like Kevin Drieschner, 51风流employees transfer their expertise and professional services to organizations in need. For example, a key priority for UNICEF right now is to ensure that accurate and clear messaging on COVID-19 is delivered to all communities. 51风流is sourcing volunteers to support their communications efforts, using social media to amplify . Skilled volunteers create a multiplier effect for social sector partners, helping them to maintain scale and accelerate social impact long after the pandemic.

Technology You Can Count On

Richard Primm, a vice president from 51风流North America, wants everyone to know that 51风流can be a resource for them during this time: 鈥淥ur customers can count on SAP鈥檚 dedicated employees to find creative ways through our technology to help them solve their biggest challenges.鈥�

In normal circumstances, corporate procurement would not be particularly newsworthy. However, last week Primm helped a client, Ram Tool, secure using , which 51风流has opened access to so any buyer can post their immediate sourcing needs and any supplier can respond to show they can deliver. As , the story 鈥渟hows the power of digital transformations in helping companies respond to the coronavirus pandemic.鈥�

If one person like Primm can make an impact in minutes by simply connecting organizations through platform technology, imagine the power of an ecosystem at work. Through SAP鈥檚 global purpose network, customers, partners, academia, and nonprofits across 180 countries can collaborate with 51风流with shared purpose to help the world run better and improve people鈥檚 lives. The possibilities are limitless.

An additional publicly available free technology offering is . This offering from Qualtrics helps organizations assess preparedness for a remote workforce, as well as whether employees have what they need to succeed in this new environment.

You might now be asking yourself, 鈥淗ow can I help?鈥� There are a few things we have learned on our journey to deliver meaningful impact in the fight against COVID-19: First, when we embrace the power of our networks and collaborate, even when there is physical distance between us, solutions appear; and second, the work is ongoing. There is no need to wait for the light at the end of the tunnel to take action. After all, we do not know how long the tunnel will be. There is light to be found right now.

SAP鈥檚 response plan, including the COVID-19 Emergency Fund, is part of a global response by the company highlighted in an open letter from 51风流Co-CEOs Christian Klein and Jennifer Morgan: Together We Will Persevere and shared by Morgan on CNBC鈥檚 Mad Money鈥� with Jim Cramer.

Jennifer Beason is head of CSR Marketing and Communications at SAP.
John Baxter is vice president of Purpose and Brand Experience Marketing at SAP.

To do so, Africa needs strong trade relations around the globe, which is why coming together as a region has never been more important than it is now. And since Africa is the continent with the youngest, fastest-growing population, it is equally important to harness the power of youth to build relations and develop potential.

Nobody knows this better than Kennedy Ekezie, co-founder and CEO of Africave, a company that trains and builds distributed teams, connecting global organizations to the continent鈥檚 elite digital talent.

Africave Pushes the Envelope

鈥淭he real question is how to identify and validate the potential of those youngsters who are committed to excellence and how to give them a foot in the door with the right tools,鈥� Ekezie says.

Originally hailing from Nigeria, as an undergraduate student he founded an organization that contributed to advocacy efforts to end female genital mutilation and gender-based violence in Nigeria.

With Africave, his mission is to create unfettered access to economic opportunity for Africa鈥檚 brilliant minds.

Connecting People

The idea for Africave came about while Ekezie was working for a Chinese multinational trying to enter Africa.

鈥淚 realized that they did not know how to find the right digital talent,鈥� he explains. 鈥淭hey were relying on me and my personal networks to find talent they could trust.鈥� He united with Valentine Oleka and Duke Ekezie-Joseph as co-founders building Africave.

Ekezie is the first Nigerian recipient of the Yenching Scholarship, known as the Chinese Rhodes Scholarship, through which he will complete a master鈥檚 degree in economics and management. He is also the recipient of numerous awards and a member of the Fortis Society, the world鈥檚 first private network of deserving leaders who are inducted based on merit and commitment to building more prosperous societies.

In 2017, Ekezie was named one of the top 30 global teen leaders being nurtured by the flagship聽聽(WAFF) program called聽, of which 51风流is the key partner. Named after the聽聽written for pop group Sister Sledge in the 1970s, WAFF promotes the vision of a global family through programs that nurture and mentor visionary young people who are changing the world positively.

Africave was awarded a sizable grant by the 51风流Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) team, which the organization will use to build and train a team of three full-time staff members to run the organization. Besides covering a new, lean tech stack, the grant will also be applied toward upskilling the young talent pool that will be mentored by high-achieving, well-established professionals at top global organizations including Goldman Sachs, Google, and UNESCO. And advisors include Oprah Winfrey鈥檚 longest-serving chief of staff, Libby Moore. It currently has companies in the U.S. and Europe scaling their hiring efforts from its digital talent pool.

鈥淚 grew up in a traditional Nigerian home that emphasized the importance of hard work, discipline, and success,鈥� Ekezie shares. 鈥淢any young people are taught they need to be successful, but no one tells them why.聽For us, success is contingent on our ability to change our community, country, and the world. Mentoring is about imparting the mental framework to solve big, hard problems.鈥�

Build a Better World

Creating a sustainable future is one of those problems. If you are starving, you do not care about other social issues like the environment. For Ekezie and his co-founders, economic empowerment is key to long-term survival. He is keenly aware of the fact that by 2050, one-third of the world鈥檚 population will reside in Africa, yet 43 percent of young Africans today are unemployed. He is convinced that access to sustainable livelihood through technology specifically suited to the African continent allows young people to thrive. This is necessary to get young people interested in other pressing social issues like counteracting climate change.

鈥淭here is no external solution,鈥� says Ekezie. 鈥淲e need homegrown solutions that provide long-term, sustainable solutions for Africa鈥檚 young population.鈥�

This is not a small task, which is why Ekezie needs the support of a large technology company like 51风流that can knock down barriers and help young people gain digital skills and access to regional and global leaders. He was part of the young leaders鈥� cohort at the recent Sustainable Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) in Addis Ababa, supported by SAP.

As part of the partnership with SAP, Ekezie鈥檚 role is to advise the 51风流CSR team on its global strategy and how best to create sustainable options for building digital skills. He and his team bring firsthand experience to the table. Pooling knowledge, skills, and experience creates a long-lasting foundation for the future.

Alexandra van der Ploeg, head of 51风流CSR, believes programs such as the WAFF Three Dot Dash initiative are instrumental in supporting young leaders reach their full potential to solve our world鈥檚 most pressing problems: 鈥淲e are proud and humbled to support young leaders like Kennedy Ekezie. We have much to learn from young leaders like him. In turn, we can support them by developing their organizations into the best they can be.鈥�

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