Erin Ganju, Room to Read co-founder and CEO, is one of 37 social entrepreneurs working in health, education, employment, and the environment recognized by the Schwab Foundation as the Social Entrepreneurs of the Year 2014. The winners were selected in recognition of their innovative approaches and potential for global impact. The awardees will be announced at 1 PM EST today during a livecast session at The Huffington Post, featuring Erin Ganju and Hilde Schwab, Co-Founder and Chairperson, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.

The awardees will become part of the broader Schwab Foundation community of Social Entrepreneurs, which includes 250 outstanding social entrepreneurs from 60 countries. Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneurs are fully integrated into the events and initiatives of the World Economic Forum. They contribute actively to and benefit from peer-to-peer exchanges with other social entrepreneurs as well as interactions with top leaders in business, government, civil society and the media.

“I am uniquely honored to accept this recognition on behalf of Room to Read and join a network of the world’s most distinguished innovators,” says Erin Ganju, Room to Read’s CEO and co-founder. “The individuals selected as The Schwab Foundation’s Social Entrepreneurs possess the passion and expertise across all areas of development to truly effect world change and Room to Read is eager to be part of this powerful solution to society’s most pressing challenges through collaboration and partnership.”

The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship was cofounded by Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, and his wife, Hilde. Since its inception in 2000, the Foundation has been identifying the world’s leading social entrepreneurs and involves the community of 200 award winners in advancing social innovation in collaboration with corporate, government and academic stakeholders. Selected social entrepreneurs of the Schwab Foundation network participate in World Economic Forum events, thus providing unique opportunities for them to connect with business, political and media leaders.

“Social entrepreneurs are an integral and increasingly sought after community of the World Economic Forum, says David Aikman, Managing Director and Head of the New Champions Communities for the World Economic Forum. “We are seeing greater appetite among business, government and civil society leaders to learn from the innovative models of social entrepreneurs and collaborate with them in novel ways. We welcome the 2014 Social Entrepreneur of the Year Awardees who epitomize the best this sector has to offer.” 

More information about the awardees can be found here: http://widgets.weforum.org/social-entrepreneurs-2014