91.7% of Web Summit attendees motivated to help solve global crises

Explore attendee insights from the Entrepreneurs’ Organization survey wall on the Web Summit 2022 event floor, and discover how these insights will better support businesspeople.

Web Summit 2022 gathered more than 71,000 attendees from across the world. Dozens of topics were covered at the event, from AI to marketing to sustainability. But one of the most significant points of discussion was how entrepreneurs can help solve challenges across society.

Global nonprofit Entrepreneurs’ Organization built a survey wall during the event in Lisbon, providing everyone from business leaders to emerging founders an opportunity to give their impressions on socially responsible entrepreneurship.

Here are some of the key findings:

Entrepreneurs have a responsibility to address societal challenges

Should entrepreneurs be expected to look beyond their business operations to focus on broader societal challenges and, if yes, how can they help? Entrepreneurs’ Organization took this debate directly to the event floor at Web Summit, asking ‘Do entrepreneurs have a public responsibility to help solve global societal challenges?’.

A little more than 70 percent of attendees stated their belief that entrepreneurs unequivocally need to play a role in the global community. A further 21.3 percent of respondents believed that this role should be limited to issues relevant to the entrepreneur’s own industry or region.

In direct contrast, 2.9 percent of people thought their responsibility to help solve societal challenges exists at a local level only. Just 5.6 percent of respondents thought it was more crucial to focus on their own business than any broader concerns.

People are motivated to use their entrepreneurial skills to help

When asked ‘In times of crisis, do you feel motivated to use your entrepreneurial skills to create solutions?’, the response from attendees was overwhelmingly positive. An incredible 91.7 percent of those polled said they feel motivated to use their entrepreneurial skills to help.

This attitude is critical in addressing current global challenges, including an economic downturn and the effects of climate change.

Attendees converse next to the Entrepreneurs’ Organization survey wall at Web Summit 2022. Image: Web Summit (CC BY 2.0)

Socially responsible entrepreneurship should be part of business models

When attendees responded to the question, ‘What does socially responsible entrepreneurship look like?’, we learned that:

• An overwhelming majority of respondents believed that socially responsible entrepreneurship should be baked into the business model rather than treated as a separate company value.
• A significant section of attendees opted for a moderate response, indicating that a blend of approaches to socially responsible entrepreneurship – encompassing top-down (driven by a strong company vision) and bottom-up (with employees as changemakers) – works best.

Want to join a peer-to-peer network exclusively for entrepreneurs? Apply for Entrepreneurs’ Organization membership today and get the support of a truly global institution.

Main image of attendee interacting with the Entrepreneurs’ Organization survey wall at Web Summit 2022: Web Summit (CC BY 2.0)