Bloomberg Philanthropies Announces Additional Speakers and Notable Attendees for 2025 Global Forum on September 24
Forum to convene over 50 Heads of State, U.N. General Assembly Heads of Delegation, and Ministers from across Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific
Jane Goodall, Mo Abudu, Bruce Flatt, and Ruth Porat will join Michael R. Bloomberg, Bill Gates, Adam Silver, Shemara Wikramanayake, Ajay Banga, Djimon Hounsou, Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, Henry M. Paulson, Chiney Ogwumike, and Masai Ujiri onstage as leading voices at the Forum
Mission 300 event will showcase progress to date and unveil new country commitments to help provide electricity to 300 million people in Africa
Media can request credentials here
New York, NY – Bloomberg Philanthropies today announced an expanded lineup of distinguished speakers and high-profile attendees for the 2025 Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Forum, taking place on September 24, 2025, in New York City alongside the United Nations General Assembly. Building on the initial speaker announcement, the Forum will now feature an even broader range of leaders across government, business, and philanthropy addressing some of the world’s most urgent challenges and opportunities—including economic growth, public health, energy security, and innovation.
The Forum will feature Jane Goodall, UN Messenger of Peace and Founder of The Jane Goodall Institute; Mo Abudu, Founder and CEO of EbonyLife Group; Bruce Flatt, CEO of Brookfield; and Ruth Porat, President and Chief Investment Officer of Alphabet and Google alongside previously announced speakers such as Michael R. Bloomberg, Bill Gates, World Bank President Ajay Banga, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, African Development Bank President Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, and Macquarie Group CEO Shemara Wikramanayake. Additional speakers will be announced next week.
More than 30 Heads of State and Heads of Delegation for the United Nations General Assembly, representing countries spanning Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific, will join the Forum. Ministers and senior officials from Barbados, Cameroon, Denmark, Estonia, the European Commission, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mexico, Palau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Uganda, and Uruguay, among others, will be in attendance.
As part of the Forum, a dedicated session will spotlight Mission 300, an initiative to provide electricity to 300 million people in Africa by 2030. By bringing together African governments, the private sector, and development partners, it aims to deliver reliable, affordable, and sustainable power that creates jobs and powers economies. Heads of State and the leaders of the World Bank and African Development Bank will highlight the progress, growth, and opportunities that Mission 300 is catalyzing.
Expected attendees include: Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization; Alex Rodriguez, Chairman & CEO of A-Rod Corp, Owner, Minnesota Timberwolves & Lynx; Clara Wu Tsai, Owner, New York Liberty & Brooklyn Nets; Adebayo Ogunlesi, Founding Partner, Chairman & CEO, Global Infrastructure Partners; Neil Blumenthal, Co-founder and Co-CEO, Warby Parker; Dr. Patrice Motsepe, Global Entrepreneur and Philanthropist, Founder of African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) and Motsepe Foundation, President of the Confédération Africaine de Football; Raj Subramaniam, CEO, FedEx; David Rubenstein, Co-Founder & Co-Chairman, The Carlyle Group; Admiral (Ret.) Michael Mullen, 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Andreas Dracopoulos, Co-President of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation; Anne Finucane, Chairwoman of Rubicon Carbon and former Vice Chair of Bank of America; Katherine Garrett-Cox, CEO, GIB Asset Management and Chair, Clean Air Fund; Jason Knauf, CEO of The Earthshot Prize; and artists JR and Theaster Gates.
The event will be held from 8:00am-3:00pm ET on Wednesday, September 24th, at The Plaza Hotel in New York City. The main plenary session will take place from 9:15-11:30am ET followed by the Mission 300 event from 11:30am-1:00pm ET.
Media must be credentialed to attend and can request credentials here. Please contact pressinfo@bloomberg.org with any questions.
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About Bloomberg Philanthropies:
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2024, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3.7 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, Facebook, and X.
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