Next-gen philanthropists join Prince Harry at NEXUS 2025 Global Summit

A delegation of 14 next-gen leaders has returned from the yearly gathering in New York with ‘hearts full and minds ablaze with inspiration’. The summit brings together young philanthropists, impact investors and social change innovators from over 25 countries to connect, learn and collaborate on the world's greatest challenges. Among the highlights was a special workshop with Prince Harry, writes Lucy Steggles, Executive Officer of NEXUS Australia.

As ever, the NEXUS Global Summit did not disappoint. Some members joined for the NEXUS Pre-summit study tour, a 1.5 day field trip to visit a group of institutions and businesses influencing social, technological and cultural change on the ground. The Pre-summit included visits to the Financial Times headquarters, the Brandt Foundation Art Study Centre, IBM Headquarters, Blue Meridian Partners and the National Arts Club.

The official Summit event kicked off with a high-level briefing at the United Nations headquarters where a spokesperson for the Secretary-General shared details of international peace and security efforts, the importance of data in the effective monitoring and tracking of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and how philanthropy can support in driving transformative change and sustainable development.

The Summit content covered rich and varied content, including focus on:

  • Global relations, security and peace building; covert education efforts for girls in Afghanistan; incredible efforts creating prosthetics and shifting narratives on Ukrainian war trauma at the Superhumans Centre; and how USAID cuts threaten global progress on health, education, climate and equity. A key learning was that while philanthropy can’t replace government funding, it can step in to fill gaps, back community-led solutions, and advocate for smarter, more just policy. Now is the the time for catalytic, flexible and bold giving.

  • Health: David Fajgenbaum’s work repurposing medical treatments to unlock hidden cures for cancers and rare diseases at Every Cure; maternal health, including the work of Every Mother Counts in investing to advance solutions and advocate for policies to transform global maternal health and save mothers’ lives; and the role of emotional intelligence education in preventing mental illness with Marc Brackett, Founding Director, Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.

  • Climate and environment: regenerative practices and solutions; foot tech, public policy and reimagining protein for a sustainable future; navigating credit markets in a shifting global landscape; and the importance of storytelling as a critical lever for change in advocacy and shifting mindsets – one that transcends policy and politics. We learned that philanthropy has an opportunity to invest in storytellers, artists and truth-tellers who can shift hearts, challenge dominant narratives, and build a more just and connected world. This is not soft power – it’s systemic power, and it’s essential to protecting democracy, advancing equity and inspiring action.

  • Democracy: We learned about Yordanos Eyoel’s work with Keseb to advance inclusive and resilient democracies through building a transnational civil society ecosystem. Network-building, research and innovation thinktanks can shape an inclusive democratic narrative that unlocks the imagination of people across the globe. Philanthropy has a critical role to play in funding civic infrastructure, supporting independent media and backing grassroots movements.

One of the highlights of the day was a fireside chat between Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and NEXUS Global CEO, Rachel Gerrol. In the discussion, called Building Tomorrow: A Conversation on Service, Impact & Collective Action, the Duke described founding the Archewell Foundation with the Duchess to drive long-term change. Reflecting on his personal evolution, Prince Harry spoke about how over the years he's found the joy in serving others -- from his years serving in the military to a member of the royal family to today. He highlighted the fulfillment that had come from his philanthropic endeavours, saying: “Whatever you put out there, you get back.” He encouraged the group to take care of each other and our children in the future and tackle the systems instead of letting the symptoms keep us down.

The Duke made time for three 45-minute workshops, one of which was with the NEXUS Australia delegation. The intimate workshop included a group discussion on Prince Harry’s passion area of the evolving role of technology in society and how to build a safer online world through action and advocacy to prevent the harms of social media on young people. He highlighted the importance of engaging more deeply with young people - “Who are we to say that ‘this’ is what we are going to create for you, without you,” he said. Given Australia’s progressive work in this space, including the introduction of social media bans for those under 16, we look forward to working more with Prince Harry and Archewell (and our NEXUS Australia membership) to reshape a safer online world for the next generation.

Other notable speakers at the event include Christy Turlington, Emma Bloomberg and Ryan Rockefeller.

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