Dr Ernesto Sirolli is a global authority on community development and entrepreneurship. With over 40 years of experience, he equips leaders and organisations to unlock local talent, drive sustainable economic impact, and build resilient, person-centred systems of growth and innovation.
Dr Ernesto Sirolli is an internationally respected leader in the fields of community development, sustainability and entrepreneurship. Known for pioneering the Enterprise Facilitation® model, he transforms how organisations, communities and governments foster economic resilience by responding to – rather than directing – local passion and talent.
Dr Sirolli’s career began in 1971 in international aid across multiple African countries. The limitations of traditional development approaches led him to create a radically new model – Enterprise Facilitation® – designed to help communities harness their own energy, creativity and self-determination.
In 1995, he founded the Sirolli Institute, a global social enterprise that has since supported over 400 communities and facilitated the creation of more than 55,000 jobs. His work is guided by the principle: Never initiate, never motivate – always respond. The Institute trains civic leaders, NGOs, and corporations to empower grassroots entrepreneurship through human-centred support systems.
A political science graduate of Rome University, Dr Sirolli also holds a PhD in Philosophy and Sustainable Development from Murdoch University in Australia. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at Curtin University’s Sustainability Policy Institute (CUSP), Chief Innovation Officer at Cross-ING Engineering (Switzerland), and a trusted advisor to the World Indigenous Business Forum.
Ernesto’s presentations are passionate, thought-provoking and deeply human. Drawing from decades of global experience, he challenges conventional wisdom with humour, humility and storytelling. His TEDx talk “Shut Up and Listen” has reached over 4 million views and continues to resonate with audiences worldwide.
He is an ideal keynote speaker for leadership teams, civic institutions, NGOs, and forward-thinking organisations aiming to foster inclusive innovation, intrapreneurship, or sustainable growth. Audiences leave inspired to trust in local intelligence and act as facilitators—not gatekeepers—of change.
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An economist and serial entrepreneur for human progress with 26 successful pioneering ventures under his belt, including Progressio Foundation, focusing on human progress through entrepreneurship, has just passed its 30th year and 300 projects in 33 countries; Social Venture Network Europe, the first network of socially responsible business leaders, which Marcello co-founded and led in 1993-94; the Tällberg Forum in Sweden, 2005-2013, co-founded with Bo Ekman and one of the first systems’ approach global community of leaders; and B Lab Europe, co-founded with Leen Zevenbergen in 20014-current, where he has grown B Corps in Europe from zero to over 300 (today at 600).
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