Chris Arnold is a serial entrepreneur and global changemaker who has founded over ten companies, including Camp Leaders and Smaller Earth, which collectively connect thousands of young people each year to cultural exchange opportunities around the world. Through Camp Leaders alone, over 5,500 participants travel annually to the United States, while Smaller Earth is on track to reach more than 20 million people.

Chris is also the Founder of World Merit, a global platform designed to empower young leaders regardless of background. World Merit’s flagship programme, Merit 360, brought together young global citizens to collaboratively tackle the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, culminating in presentations at the UN.

A passionate advocate for youth leadership, Chris has hosted thought leaders such as Malala Yousafzai, Sir Ken Robinson, and Katie Piper during World Merit Day, and has spoken at prestigious events including the Estoril Conferences alongside Nobel Laureates and Heads of State.

He is also the creator of Your Big Year, an official initiative of Global Entrepreneurship Week that drew over 100,000 applicants from nearly every country in its first two editions. Its success led to Chris spearheading the successful bid to bring the Global Entrepreneurship Congress to Liverpool—the first European city to host the event—featuring speakers such as Sir Richard Branson and Sir Terry Leahy.

Chris is now the Founder of Made Impact, a bold initiative aiming to gather one million stories of international exchange to champion the industry as a strategy for peace, prosperity, and progress.