Richard Branson and Nile Rodgers join forces to champion youth activism and social change

Richard Branson and Nile Rodgers
Press Association
Clare Kelly
by Clare Kelly
31 October 2024
Richard Branson, and legendary music icon, Nile Rodgers, have joined forces to mark the beginning of a new partnership that will empower and collaborate with the next generation of leaders.

At Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch, Richard Branson and Nile Rogers joined a celebration event for 20 years of Virgin Unite – an inspiring evening attended by 150 of Virgin Unite’s closest partners. The occasion celebrated their collective efforts over the last two decades, as well as a commitment to the next 20+ years of challenging unacceptable issues and changing systems for good.

Jean Oelwang, Founding CEO and President of Virgin Unite, opened the evening by expressing her gratitude to everyone who’s made the last 20 years so special. “Never accepting the unacceptable and elevating morally courageous voices has been the backbone and principle that's held true for 20 years of Virgin Unite,” said Jean.

Jean Oelwang at the Virgin Unite 20 Years of Collaboration event | Harry Kinnaird
Jean Oelwang at the Virgin Unite 20 Years of Collaboration event | Harry Kinnaird

The event also highlighted a communal vision for future intergenerational collaboration - a meaningful way to tackle the world’s biggest problems including climate change, criminal justice reform and public health. This work will be underpinned by a commitment of over $1 million of support.

“Through the work of Virgin Unite we have always been committed to collaboration across generations, knowing the immense impact young people can have in tackling some of the world’s toughest challenges. The problems we face today mean it has never been more important to make sure that young people are front and centre in that conversation. We owe it to our children, grandchildren, and future generations to come. I’m delighted to be able to join with Nile Rodgers and other amazing organisations in this partnership,” said Richard Branson, Virgin Group and Virgin Unite Founder.

Press Association
Press Association

Both Richard and Nile were young activists themselves. At age 16, Richard established Student Magazine to give a voice to, and challenge perceptions of, youth culture – covering everything from pop culture and music to the Vietnam and Biafra wars. At the same age, Nile was a member of the Black Panthers in the Harlem branch in New York City working as a community organizer fighting systemic racism, inequity and injustice. Their biggest accomplishment was the Breakfast for Children program, which provided free breakfasts before school and was subsequently adopted by all public schools in the United States.

“We Are Family Foundation’s mission is to empower young people globally because we believe that problems that span generations require leadership that does too. I am delighted that Richard and Virgin Unite share this vision and I look forward to our collaboration,” said Nile Rodgers, multi-Grammy award winning musician and Chairman and Co-founder of We Are Family Foundation (WAFF).

Press Association
Press Association

The collaboration of Virgin Unite and WAFF will help to unite leading organisations in youth activism to champion young changemakers with diverse experiences and initiatives and create a space for them to meaningfully partner on key projects. Through working with this network, youth voices can be better amplified at key global moments and contribute their unique expertise to co-creating solutions to the world’s toughest challenges.

Ciara Judge is a We Are Family Foundation Youth Ambassador as well as being an Infectious Disease Epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Ciara spoke at the event and shared her hopes for the future, saying: “During my decade long journey as a youth changemaker it has been heartening to watch collaboration across generations start to get the recognition it deserves. As we celebrate 20 years of Virgin Unite, I’m excited to look back together on the movements Richard and Nile have been leading since their youth, and to look ahead to how we can all work together to tackle the world’s biggest problems.”

Ciara Judge a We Are Family Foundation Youth (WAFF) ambassador | Harry Kinnaird
Ciara Judge a We Are Family Foundation Youth (WAFF) ambassador | Harry Kinnaird

Since it began, Virgin Unite has looked to empower youth leaders and has incubated trailblazing initiatives like The NewNow – a collective of rising leaders with exceptional track records of delivering real and lasting impact, committed to building unstoppable momentum towards a fair, sustainable future. The NewNow recently joined with One Young World to launch the next stage of The NewNow programme, a scholarship for young leaders from the Global South taking innovative approaches to address the challenges facing their communities at a systemic level. "Our world grows more complex by the day and needs a new generation of leadership to tackle the global and local challenges we face. By bringing together brave new thinkers and doers from diverse backgrounds and experiences, we can start to develop a new way of thinking about these challenges and their solutions," said Taylor Wilson, The NewNow Founding Leader.

Xiye Bastida, Jane Goodall and Farwiza Farhan on stage at the Planetary Health Check launch | Harry Kinnaird
Xiye Bastida, Jane Goodall and Farwiza Farhan on stage at the Planetary Health Check launch | Harry Kinnaird

Virgin Unite has proudly backed young changemakers through Big Change's Challenge, which resulted in an impressive cohort of leaders, aged between 18 and 25, developing and piloting early-stage ideas with the potential to positively impact the lives of thousands of young people. It also collaborated with incredible partners to launch Planetary Guardians – an initiative built on the principle of championing youth climate activism, with young leaders like Xiye Bastida and Ayisha Siddiqa serving alongside global icons like Mary Robinson and Juan Manuel Santos. This new announcement and financial commitment will allow Virgin Unite to continue its important work of embedding youth leaders.

It was an unforgettable evening that showcased 20 years of Virgin Unite’s impact, championed intergenerational collaborations to solve unacceptable issues, and ended with an incredible performance by Nile Rodgers &Chic.