Goodwall

Goodwall's social networking platform was founded by Omar and Taha Bawa, two brothers from Geneva, Switzerland. They were raised in a family that had a strong commitment to humanitarian work, with their parents serving the UNHCR and The Global Fund. They later stated that these experiences inspired them to create the platform.[1]

The idea for Goodwall stemmed from End Ignorance, a blog created by Omar Bawa in 2012 to bring attention to various global crises. The Bawa brothers expanded the blog into a social network, which was launched as a website in January 2014,[2] and later developed into a mobile-first platform in 2015. It is headquartered in Geneva.

It was incubated at the MassChallenge startup accelerator.[3] It has secured over $16 million in funding and received support from Randstad, a prominent global HR and recruitment company,[4] as well as Manixer, a private equity firm with a focus on education.[5] In 2021, it had over 60 employees.[1]

Initially aimed at students from high school to university, Goodwall has since broadened its focus to include entrepreneurs and young professionals. The platform attracts members from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and countries, with an average age range of 16–26. In December 2019, the Android version of the Goodwall app achieved 1,000,000 downloads, while in early June 2020, the Goodwall community surpassed 1.5 million members.[6] As of 2023, Goodwall has more than 2 million members across 150 countries,[7] with its fastest growing region being Africa.[8]

The company also grants small scholarships to certain users.[9]

Goodwall collaborates with a range of companies, organizations, and governments to develop programs intended to enhance the skills and mobilization of young people. Some of the company's partners include UNICEF, Generation Unlimited, GIZ,[1] Yoma,[15] Randstad NV, and SAP.[16] Some universities also use Goodwall as a recruiting tool to assess potential students.[17]

In 2022, Goodwall, with the support of Stratline, Converge, and UNESCO's Goodwill Ambassador and First Lady of Cameroon, Mrs. Chantal Biya, delivered an 8-week program with a focus on skill development, entrepreneurial thinking, and environmental awareness.[18] The program aimed to empower the youth of Cameroon by exposing them to various challenges related to entrepreneurship, motivation, sustainability, and gender equality.[18]

In 2023, Goodwall partnered with Nation Media Group (NMG) in East Africa to conduct programs that engage young people on issues such as sustainability, education, health, and the environment.[8]

Emurgo, the official commercial arm and a founding member of the Cardano blockchain, announced its collaboration with Goodwall in February 2023.[16] Emurgo intends to facilitate Goodwall's growth into a Web3 service that utilizes Cardano's environmentally-friendly blockchain to connect young people with the global economy.[16]

Goodwall announced its expansion into Nigeria in 2023, thanks to its partnership with TecBlu, a Nigerian one-stop technology services company.[19]

Goodwall has received coverage in various media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Inc Magazine, The Next Web, and the University Herald due to its growth and positive mission.[20]

In September 2019, Venturelab recognized Goodwall as one of Switzerland's best scale-ups.[21] Taha and Omar Bawa, the founders of Goodwall, have been recognized by numerous organizations including the World Economic Forum, the United Nations, Forbes 30 under 30, CNN, TEDx, and Google.[22]