Forbes Hosts First-Ever Forbes Impact Summit

NEW YORK – September 29, 2025 – Coinciding with Climate Week and the United Nations General Assembly, Forbes hosted its first-ever Forbes Impact Summit in New York City on September 25 and 26, convening more than 150 of the world’s most influential philanthropists, family office leaders, and next-generation change-makers to share ideas, forge collaborations, and commit to bold solutions. Forbes’ Impact Summit was built off of the Forbes 400 Summit on Philanthropy, and expands the concept to a larger scope in 2025.

“As we entered the 13th year of convening some of the world’s most successful people and greatest problem solvers, we wanted to sharpen our focus on what matters most – impact,” said Randall Lane, Chief Content Officer at Forbes and founder of the Impact Summit. “We don’t endorse how to give or where to give, but we focus on how to make giving better, more efficient and effective. This summit facilitates collaborations and starts conversations on entrepreneurial tactics to solve the world’s toughest issues.”

The Summit opened with a stirring performance from Sing Harlem! before Lane welcomed participants into a day of intimate conversations.

A keynote conversation with Charles Koch and Brian Hooks of Stand Together explored how private-sector levers can accelerate change, culminating in Koch receiving the Forbes 400 Lifetime Achievement Award for Philanthropy.

In rapid-fire sessions, participants heard from:

• Shari Redstone, CEO of the Redstone Family Foundation, on combating antisemitism and hate;
• Frank H. McCourt, Founder of Project Liberty, on building a safer internet in the AI age;
• Jim Coulter, Cofounder & Executive Chairman of TPG, on the future of “and investing;”
• Marie Dageville of the Patchwork Collective and Cari Tuna of Good Ventures shared lessons from the frontlines of scalable philanthropy.

Geoffrey Canada, President & Founder of Harlem Children’s Zone, joined investor Stanley Druckenmiller in conversation with Steve Forbes about the future of education, followed by Forbes CEO Sherry Phillips presenting the Forbes 400 Lifetime Achievement Award for Social Entrepreneurship to Canada.

The afternoon turned to Next-Gen Stewardship and Succession, featuring:

• Armine Afeyan, CEO, The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, and Noubar Afeyan, Founder & CEO, Flagship Pioneering, on bridging values and vision across generations;
• Hilary Hamm, Chair, Hamm Family Council, and Emily Kaiser, Board Member, George Kaiser Family Foundation, on family wealth as a force for enduring good;
• A global perspective from German social entrepreneur Tobias Merckle.

The day concluded with the Forbes Philanthropy Roundtable, moderated by Randall Lane, where participants around the room exchanged lessons on legacy, mentorship, and building sustainable models of giving.

The second day of the Summit brought practitioners into the conversation, highlighting how family offices, foundations, and nonprofits translate bold visions into measurable action.

During the opening conversation, Matti Navellou, Head of ICONIQ Impact, announced that ICONIQ will be launching a $100M Women’s Health Co-Lab alongside fourteen other donors including founding donors Melinda French Gates, Jennifer Gates Nassar, and Phoebe Gates. This new commitment follows the earlier announcement at the Forbes Power Women’s Summit of an initial $100M investment in women’s health from Melinda French Gates’ Pivotal Ventures and Wellcome Leap, the breakthrough health organization led by Regina Dugan, and part of the $1 billion commitment Melinda French Gates has made to advance women’s power globally. The new collaborative philanthropy fund, created in partnership with Co-Impact, aims to mobilize resources to improve the health and agency of millions of women and girls worldwide across three critical focus areas: maternal health, sexual and reproductive health, and gender-based violence.

Additional highlights included:

• Craig Newmark, Founder, Craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies, on making bold bets for systemic change;
• Sara Allan, President, Valhalla Foundation, Brian Hooks, Chairman & CEO, Stand Together, and Ryan Rippel, CEO, NextLadder Ventures, on philanthropic partnerships at scale;
• Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli of ONE Campaign and Michael Sheldrick of Global Citizen on aligning U.S. and global policy with private giving.

Spotlight sessions throughout the morning featured next-gen entrepreneurs including Heejae Lim (education), Aly Murray (upward mobility), and Jorge Richardson (innovation in water).

The program culminated with Jalen Rose, Founder of the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy, in a conversation about leadership, community, and using one’s platform for good.

With conversations spanning education, women’s health, climate, AI, antisemitism, family wealth, and systemic inequality, the inaugural Forbes Impact Summit established itself as a forum not for admiring problems, but for committing to solutions.

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