Michael Sheldrick Keynote Speaker

The Pop Meets Policy Model: How to be a Policy Entrepreneur and Set The Agenda

Given the enormous challenges now facing humanity, the need has never been greater for public policy innovations at all levels of government: local, state, national and international. Influencing government agendas to promote innovative policies and ideas is the role of policy entrepreneurship. What attributes and skills are required for the type of effective policy entrepreneurship that catalyzes change and creates impact? In this presentation, Michael shares lessons and insights from over a decade of shaping public policy and government agendas at the highest levels. Having worked with presidents and prime ministers, top business leaders, advocates, and well known artists from around the world, Michael has run successful campaigns that have helped deliver more than $40 billion and impacted over 1 billion lives. He breaks down Global Citizen’s innovative “pop and policy” approach for translating policy ideas into public policy and the successful elements needed to break through the noise and secure the attention of world leaders.

Navigating and Steering Change in Unchartered Territory: Lessons from Covid-19 and Ukraine

Since 2020, the Pandemic has disrupted the way organisations achieve their mission and purpose. As the world enters a ‘new normal,’ beset by new crises, organisations continue to be disrupted by ongoing pandemic flare-ups, supply chain shortages and new workplace expectations about flexibility and work-life balance. In this presentation, Michael shares the lessons gained from his experiences and front row insights helping to mobilise billions of dollars for social causes during this age of crises: from the Covid-19 Pandemic to the war in Ukraine. Prior to 2020, Global Citizen, the organization Michael helped co-found over a decade ago, was known for its large in person social cause music festivals. From New York to Mumbai, Hamburg to Johannesburg, Global Citizen has produced some of the world’s largest and most impactful events. Yet in 2020, the organization faced an existential crisis at a time when its work was needed more than ever. As Michael became one of the first amongst his friends and family to get covid in March 2020, and with its plans for in-person festivals shelved, Global Citizen grappled with how to pivot and support the World Health Organization’s pandemic relief efforts. In the span of just a few weeks, the organization produced the largest show in its history with over 100 musicians engaged, 150+ countries reached and over $127M mobilised. In the years following, Global Citizen has applied the lessons it has learnt to registering voters in the US, addressing vaccine inequity, securing support for climate change and most recently supporting Ukrainian refugee efforts. In this presentation, Michael distills the lessons gained from the last 3 years and the key takeaways for leaders looking to create change in this global age of uncertainty.

The Corporate Citizen: How Purpose in Business can Protect both People and Planet

The latest UN reports all point to dangerous and out of control climate change unless we urgently change course. Meanwhile, after decades of unprecedented decline, poverty is rising at an alarming rate. The scale and speed of action needed requires the active involvement and engagement of businesses around the world. Exactly how to do this in an authentic and engaging way however while keeping a multitude of stakeholders onboard, is easier said than done. In this talk, Michael outlines meaningful actions businesses can take in order to respond to the greatest challenges of our time while responding to the needs of their stakeholders. Working closely with c-suite level leaders of some of the world’s biggest businesses, Michael has helped secure dozens of large scale corporate commitments to sustainable development in the areas of climate change, equity, healthcare and economic empowerment. There are lessons as to what worked and what partnerships didn’t survive, as well as some of the pitfalls and mistakes to avoid.

Creating Change in a Polarised and Divided World

Both between and within organizations, division and polarisation has seen a marked increase in recent years with the potential to derail and paralyse organisations from achieving their mission and potential. In this presentation, Michael shares his own experiences in navigating a polarised environment while never forgetting his organization’s true north. With case studies and personal examples, Michael shares how courage, authenticity, integrity, transparency and discipline are critical ingredients to an organization’s success or failure. From the invasion of Ukraine, through to corporate action on climate change, through to working with policymakers with different views, Michael shows how change can be made and people won over in an age of division.

Pop Meets Policy - a Global Citizen Story

How to use popular culture to galvanize support and drive people towards meaningful action, and ultimately impact based on 10 years of heading up Global Citizen’s impact and policy team.

From Perth to New York, and the Power of Education and Inspiration

Inspired by his high school teacher who took the time to teach in a different way, Michael went from being the bottom kid in class to graduating in the top 1%. It was then another teacher who encouraged him to put his skills to good use and make a difference in the world. Michael’s gratitude for the education opportunities he had is what inspires him today in Global Citizen’s mission to end extreme poverty.

A New Roadmap for Ending Poverty and Addressing Climate Change

From vaccine nationalism to the war in Ukraine, it is clear that our current approaches in global cooperation are failing. Drawing on his insights from the last decade working alongside the UN, governments including that of President Zelenskyy and organizations at the grassroots from Poland to Nigeria, Michael proposes outlines a new way forward for addressing the key challenges of our time.

Revolutionizing Philanthropy and Addressing the Giving Pledge Bottleneck

The world is seeing record levels of poverty while at the same time unprecedented levels of wealth amongst the world’s wealthiest. Despite these trends philanthropic giving has with a few notable exceptions not seen the increases much needed. Even those who pledged to give away at least 50% of their wealth are not giving at a rate that will see this promise achieved. Michael unpacks some of the reasons for this and proposes a new innovative model for resolving this “Giving Pledge bottleneck,” including through the new Global Citizen Impact Funds that combines result-based giving and impact investing.