GIRL OF CHANGE

Last week, the unique conference called Brilliant Minds took place in what its founders call the capital of creativity, Stockholm. The yearly event aims to scale “Swedish values,” rooted in openness, transparency, equality and social responsibility, and marry them with the spirit of the entrepreneur— a fearless, free and results-driven mindset— in order to convene great people to do great things for a world.

Although inclusivity and openness are inscribed goals for the foundation, the event itself is far from an easy ticket. Actually, you can’t buy one to get in; tickets are not for sale at any price. 

LEADERS, CELEBRITIES, & ROYALTY

The list of invitees and speakers are curated by a small group of people who are part of the inner circle of Brilliant Minds’ founders. This in itself might seem elitist, and in a way it is, of course. However, when you gather a group of individuals for two short days with a goal to create change, it might help to find common ground quickly. Several CEOs and celebs we’ve spoken to express that the exclusivity makes the regular vetting process (they otherwise often feel bound to) much less of a thing here, which in turn makes for more relaxed conversations that start easy and go deeper—hopefully, resulting in the desired impact. 

The Financial Times has called the event ‘The Creative Davos,” and this year it was stacked with artists (Cardi B and Offset), leaders and entrepreneurs (John Kerry, Diane von Furstenberg, Evan Spiegel, and Gary Vee), actors (Gwyneth Paltrow, Forest Whitaker, and Joel Kinnaman), and even royalty (from Sweden). 

QUE A 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN PIGTAILS

In the midst of all this hype, press and unattainable tickets, a 16-year-old Swedish girl stepped up to the podium and calmly spoke to the crowd of VIPs, urging them to act by saying:

“You are the people who can affect change. Future generations count on you.” 

“Don’t let us down.”

Less than one year ago, the girl in question was sitting at her local high school unable to shake her worries about rising global temperatures—desperately trying to figure out ways to get Swedish lawmakers to take notice of what in her mind is today’s most urgent challenge, climate change. 

Greta Thunberg was born in Stockholm 2003, and she became aware of global warming at the age of eight. The topic affected her deeply, and she told her mom and dad that she couldn’t understand why this wasn’t the biggest news story on TV every single night. Shortly thereafter, she persuaded them to make radical changes to their diets—and even got her parents to stop flying, which is a decision that had a major impact on her mom’s career as an opera singer. 

A few years later, Greta would get many more people to listen to her convictions. 

Inspiration came from the American high school where students walked out of school together after the horrendous shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida in protest of the relaxed United States gun laws.

THE BEGINNING

Greta set out to do a protest of her own by conducting a school strike, and she did in so August of 2018 outside the Swedish parliament in central Stockholm. 

Since she couldn’t convince her classmates to join, she sat down alone with a homemade sign and soon the local media became aware. Greta answered questions and spoke with great resolve about the issues, and people quickly took notice of the little girl with a big message.

FAST FORWARD 10 MONTHS

Greta has since continued her demonstrations. She’s spoken to the press time and time again, and in the process inspired millions of kids and young adults in hundreds of countries to stage their own walkouts or strikes in protest of governing leader’s inability to act with urgency.

Thunberg has spoken at the European Parliament, TEDx, United Nations Climate Summit and with leaders at DAVOS. She’s been nominated to a Nobel Peace Prize by members of the Norwegian Parliament, and featured on the cover of TIME magazine. 

Most recently at Brilliant Minds, she met and was encouraged by Barack Obama.