Leadership network · Young leaders · Professional leadership
Global Shapers Community
People under 30 who have already led a project, company or organisation in their city
A profile page holds what the organization publishes and what named sources report: who it admits, what it costs, how it is structured, where it operates, and how it has changed. Every figure carries the date it was checked. A dash means the organization does not publish that fact.
Founding — The community dates its work from 2011 ("Since 2011, Global Shapers have implemented over 2,000 projects"); the World Economic Forum published its first introduction to the community in October 2011.
The Global Shapers Community is the World Economic Forum's network of young leaders, organised into local hubs rather than a single central body. It reports more than 11,000 members across 450 hubs in 140 countries and territories. Members are recruited under the age of 30 and become alumni at 33 or after five years, whichever comes first, so the community turns over continuously. Each hub is an autonomous volunteer team that elects an annual chair, called a curator, and is required to run local projects; the community reports more than 3,200 projects to date. Hubs recruit their own members, usually through an open local application round, within criteria set by the Forum's community charter. Members are also expected to take part in at least one globally coordinated activity each year and, per the charter, to contribute to the community's financial sustainability. Shapers are periodically invited to World Economic Forum events, and the community holds its own Annual Summit.
How it works
Local hubs are the operating unit: each is run by an elected curator, recruits its own members and delivers community projects. Hubs must adopt a project within twelve months of founding and reach fifteen members within ten months, or lose their mandate. Members commit to at least one hub project and one global activity a year. The Geneva headquarters coordinates cross-hub initiatives, an annual summit and links to World Economic Forum programming.
Typical member
Shapers join in their twenties. The community charter describes members as individuals with an entrepreneurial or intrapreneurial track record who have already initiated a major project, founded a company or organisation, or held an influential position in a larger one, and who live in or near their hub's city.
Membership requirements
Requirements in detail, with history →Requirements are the tests the organization itself publishes — an age ceiling, a company-revenue floor, a net-worth minimum, a role. Where a figure straddles a range, the organization's own assessment decides. Local chapters can apply stricter tests than the published standard.
| Criterion | Published requirement | Provenance |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum age at joining | Under 30 when joining | Verified September 2026High confidenceSource ↗ |
| Geographic restriction | Resident in, or physically close to, the city of the hub applied to | Verified September 2026High confidenceSource ↗ |
| Other criterion | Entrepreneurial or intrapreneurial track record: has initiated and delivered a major project, founded a company or organisation, or held an influential position in a larger organisation | Verified September 2026Medium confidenceSource ↗ |
| Invitation | Selection is by the local hub's curatorship, not by open central application | Verified September 2026High confidenceSource ↗ |
Published criteria as verified on the dates shown. Final eligibility and admission decisions belong entirely to Global Shapers Community. See how you compare against these criteria →
Initiation fees are paid once on joining; dues recur. Chapter dues, retreats, travel and events are usually additional and are listed separately when the organization discloses them. Figures are as published or reported on the date shown — not quotations.
| Cost | First year | Three years | Provenance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual dues | No dues figure is published. The community charter commits members to "contribute to the financial sustainability of the Community" without specifying an amount, and hub practice varies. | Source ↗ | |
| Application fee | Not publicly disclosed | ||
Structure and programming
Where it operates
4 cities with a page on this siteGlobal Shapers Community reports 450 chapters in total; those verified for major cities are listed here.
| Chapter or location | City |
|---|---|
| Global Shapers Copenhagen Hub hub | Copenhagen |
| Global Shapers London Hub II hub | London |
| Global Shapers Los Angeles Hub hub | Los Angeles |
| Global Shapers Seattle Hub hub | Seattle |
Independent context
This is the least exclusive of the World Economic Forum's communities in the sense that anyone can apply to a hub, but hub-level competition in large cities is real and selection is done by volunteers rather than a central committee. That decentralisation is the main thing to understand: standards, activity levels and application windows differ sharply between hubs, and the published age band differs too (the 2013 charter says 20 to 29 at nomination; the current site says under 30; individual hubs advertise narrower bands such as 18 to 27). The Forum does not publish membership dues, but the charter does commit members to contribute to the community's financial sustainability, which is vague and worth asking a hub about directly. Membership is time-limited by design, so it is a stage of a career rather than a standing affiliation.
Editorial analysis by Peer Group Guide editors. It is separated from the record above and follows the editorial policy.
Similar organizations
Alternatives, grouped by need →Appears in: Organizations for chief executives under 45
History and changes
Site-wide change log →- milestoneWorld Economic Forum launches the Global Shapers Community ↗
- threshold changeGlobal Shapers Community Charter published, setting membership criteria, hub governance and the alumni transition at 33 or five years ↗
- milestoneCommunity reports 11,000+ Shapers, 450 hubs and 140 countries and territories; more than 3,200 projects delivered ↗
Milestones as published by the organization or reported by a named source. “Record” entries are changes to this site’s own record of the organization, kept in the public change log rather than overwritten.
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Sources
- Home — Global Shapers Community, World Economic Forum. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 1
- About — Global Shapers Community, World Economic Forum. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 1
- Hubs — Global Shapers Community, World Economic Forum. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 1
- Our Impact — Global Shapers Community, World Economic Forum. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 1
- Who are the Global Shapers? (read via search result snippet), World Economic Forum, October 2011. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 1
- Global Shapers Community Charter (PDF, October 2013), World Economic Forum, October 2013. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 2
Source tiers follow the published hierarchy: 1 official site · 2 official membership materials · 3 application documents · 4 annual reports · 5 government filings · 6 reliable business publications · 7 credible interviews · 8 other reputable secondary sources. Sources and data policy.
Is something wrong or out of date?
Represent Global Shapers Community? Verified representatives can submit corrections to fees, criteria, chapters and contact details, and add approved material. Submissions are reviewed by an editor and shown as organization-supplied; they never overwrite independent research.