Professional Development Proposal Kit

We know you're ready to attend One Young World in 2026. Let's make that a reality.

Join the ranks of incredible young leaders from major organisations such as McKinsey, the Gates Foundation, Deloitte, Standard Chartered Bank, and Chanel. As a member, you’ll also have the opportunity to be mentored by world-renowned leaders, including Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus, Paul Polman, and Justin Trudeau.

Your value proposition is simple: align One Young World with your organisation's strategic goals. This kit provides the critical data points to demonstrate how attending a One Young World Summit will deliver a tangible ROI and future-proof your organisation’s leadership pipeline.

One Young World delivers measurable global impact. Ambassador-led projects have reached millions worldwide, consistently driving tangible commercial and community outcomes.

By framing your request in terms of business impact, professional growth, and practical benefits, you demonstrate a strategic mindset and increase your chances of approval.
 

To make this process easier, One Young World has prepared a Professional Development Proposal Kit with talking points, ROI data, and impact stories to support your request. If you’d like more information, you can get in touch with our Partnerships team at [email protected].

• A step-by-step guide to structure your request
• A PDF to present to your boss
• Email templates to send to your manager or to the human resources team
• Additional resources
  • One Young World 2024/25 Business Impact Report
  • One Young World in Cape Town in 2026
  • Corporate Case Studies

Step-by-step guide to convince your boss:

1. Understand your organisation’s goals
   ✔ Understand your organisation’s strategic goals, particularly around social impact and ESG.
   ✔ Check the policy and budget for learning and development at your organisation.
2. Highlight how One Young World aligns with your organisation’s goals
   ✔ Develop your business case: Take time to understand how One Young World will accelerate your professional development and your organisation’s global growth. 
   ✔  Anchor your proposal in existing policy: Reference any prior participation in similar events or check if your organisation has a talent development policy that supports learning and skill-building.
   Tip: Since the agenda for Cape Town has not been released yet, use the One Young World Summit Munich agenda as a guide to make your case.
3. Compile Hard Facts and Figures
   Decision-makers respond to evidence. One Young World has 15+ years of proven global impact- consistently delivering measurable, purpose-driven outcomes that develop next-generation talent.
   ✔ Use the “Why One Young World” PDF to compile our talent retention rates, impact and corporate case studies to demonstrate the ROI.
   ✔ Go through the list of Our Partners and highlight clients, competitors or potential collaborators to demonstrate a direct avenue for relationship building.
   ✔ Spotlight aspirational CEOs and corporate leaders who inspire you, such as Leena Nair and Paul Polman, who are One Young World Counsellors and inspire and mentor our Community.
    

What happens after the Summit?

4. Present Your Request Clearly
   Make it easy for your manager to say yes.
   ✔ Prepare a concise email or short presentation outlining:
   - How attending the Summit aligns with your professional development plan

    

   - How it supports current and future organisational priorities

    

   - The prestige, scale, and proven impact of the One Young World Summit
   ✔ Choose your timing carefully, aim for a moment when your manager has time to consider your proposal properly.
    

5. Be Prepared to Answer Questions
   Even with a solid case, you may need to address concerns. Here’s how to respond to common objections:
   "Is this a truly world-class development opportunity?"
   → Yes. One Young World is where world leaders like Nathalie von Siemens and Ilka Horstmeier actively mentor the next generation. It’s the landmark leadership event of the year, connecting you with 250+ organisations and leaders from 190+ countries. This isn't a one-off conference; it’s lifelong access to a global network, mentorship, and continuous development programmes.
   "Is the content relevant to business?"
   → Absolutely. One Young World has the largest corporate footprint in the sector, with partners like Chanel, AstraZeneca, and Siemens. The mission is to accelerate your impact within our organisation by providing toolkits, mentorship, and a global business intelligence network of 20,000+ leaders. 
   “The value of a Summit ticket”
   → It's more than a ticket. It's a year-round, career-defining programme which provides: 

   
   -leadership toolkits and programmes like the Action Accelerator Programme
   - Direct mentorship from the world’s most respected voices - think Nobel Peace Prize Laureates like Professor Muhammad Yunus and Maria Ressa
   - Professional development and regional networking events 
   - Profile-raising opportunities such as award nominations, speaking engagements and podcasting
   
   And much more! Refer to our Partnerships Resources for more information.
   
   Compared to other professional development programmes, One Young World offers a continuous, lifelong development model designed to support you at every stage of your career. This ongoing growth not only enhances your leadership skills but also drives greater innovation, impact, and value within your organisation.
   
   “How will you take care of your deliverables?”
   → Offer to plan to minimise disruption and delegate tasks. Identify or create opportunities to share your insights, professional networks, and initiatives developed through your participation at the Summit with your colleagues and team. 
   ✔ This will be a good opportunity to highlight that, compared to other professional development courses, One Young World is structured, concise and lifelong. Most post-Summit leadership development opportunities are online, perfect for flexible learning.
   
   “How does One Young World compare to other events?”
   → One Young World is often described as the “Olympics of Leadership”. Build lasting partnerships in the corporate, government and social sectors. It is the landmark leadership of the year, which is the beginning of a lifelong leadership programme that has developed top talent like the Senator of Kenya- Crystal Asige, the Head of Sustainability at L’Oréal L'Oréal Professionnel Paris - Trevor Shah and the Chief Talent and Development Officer at Novartis, Paula Landmann.
   
   “How is the content relevant to you?”
   → Refer them to our Business Impact Report, which has case studies from our partners, Ambassador retention rates and detailed ROI. 
    

6. Present the skills you will develop and their direct impact on your organisation
   Some of the key skills that you will develop as a One Young World Ambassador are:
   Project and Initiative Development: The six-month Action Accelerator programme strengthens your ability to launch and scale impactful initiatives. With 85% of past participants reporting improved skills through mentorship and practical workshops, you will gain the tools and knowledge to refine business models, understand target markets, and launch large-scale programmes.
   
   Impact Communication and Measurement: Our dedicated Impact Team will help you develop skills in monitoring, evaluating, and communicating the outcomes of your work. You will learn how to showcase your impact effectively to build credibility, unlock funding opportunities, and demonstrate value to partners and investors.
   
   Networking and Global Collaboration: You will become adept at building high-impact global connections. Being a part of our global Community of 20,000+ young leaders will give you access to 140+ annual events, from hackathons to congresses, and you will develop your ability to cultivate professional, cross-sector connections.
   
   For more in-depth information, please refer to the ‘What happens after the Summit?’ document.