Organization : Safaricom Headquarters: Kenya Impact Region: Sub-Saharan Africa Focus: Digital tools for development SDGs: 4, 10, 17Karen Basiye is the Director of Sustainable Business, Social Impact and Foundations at Safaricom, one of Kenya’s leading telecommunications companies. A sustainability leader, she oversees Safaricom’s corporate responsibility strategy, environmental management and the Safaricom and M-PESA Foundations. Karen’s approach integrates purpose and profit, ensuring that Safaricom’s business operations drive social and environmental impact. Her leadership has positioned the company as a sustainability pioneer in Africa’s private sector. Karen Basiye Organization : VEJA Headquarters: France Impact Region: Global, Latin America Focus: Sustainable retail SDGs: 12, 13, 15François-Ghislain Morillion is the Co-Founder of VEJA, a French footwear brand that combines environmental consciousness with social responsibility. After studying economics, he and co-founder Sébastien Kopp founded VEJA to challenge the traditional sneaker industry model. VEJA works directly with small-scale organic cotton farmers and wild rubber producers in Brazil, ensuring fair trade conditions while using sustainable materials and transparent supply chains. The company reinvests profits into social projects and sustainable innovation, proving that ecological design can coexist with commercial success. VEJA exemplifies how ethical business can transform global consumer industries. François‑Ghislain MorillionCorporate Social Innovators Leaders in a multinational or regional company who drive the development of new products, services or business models that address societal and environmental challenges to benefit low-income or vulnerable populations. Schwab Foundation 2026 Awardees and Impact Report 32

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