October 28, 2010

The Center on Philanthropy and Public Policy kicked off its 2010-2011 Distinguished Speakers Series with an address by Sally Osberg, President and CEO of the Skoll Foundation, on October 28, 2010. Nearly 200 leaders from philanthropy and the nonprofit sector, government, and industry were in attendance for this one of a kind event. An integral part of the Center’s work and its mission is to provide a forum for bringing together leaders from across sectors to consider the promise and potential of philanthropy for public problem solving, and what it takes to realize those aspirations.

Sally Osberg has led entrepreneurial organizations and been an agent for social change throughout her career. As President and CEO of the Skoll Foundation, she partners with Founder and Chairman Jeff Skoll and heads the organization’s team in identifying and supporting innovators pioneering scalable solutions to global challenges. She is a well-known proponent of thought leadership, research, and alliances that advance the work of social entrepreneurs solving the world’s most pressing problems.

Currently, Sally serves on the boards of the Skoll Foundation, the Skoll Global Threats Fund, the Oracle Education Foundation and the Palestine-based Partners for Sustainable Development. She was founding Executive Director of Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose, guiding that institution to international recognition for its cutting edge work in the museum field, and formerly active as a director on the boards of the American Association of Museums, the American Leadership Forum, and Women and Philanthropy, among others. Sally has received the John Gardner Leadership Award from the American Leadership Forum, been inducted into the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame, and been named by the San Jose Mercury News as one of the “Millennium 100” for her role in shaping and leading Silicon Valley.

Sally Osberg
President and CEO, Skoll Foundation

Partners in Possibility: The Skoll Foundation’s Work with Social Entrepreneurs  (PDF)