Youth Forum Switzerland

What Youth Forum Switzerland does

Youth Forum Switzerland (YFS) is a non-profit, student-organized annual forum hosted at the International School of Zug and Luzern (ISZL) campus in Hünenberg, Switzerland. Founded in 2017 by ISZL high school students inspired by the World Economic Forum's Open Forum Davos, YFS operates as a single-day event comprising panel discussions, talks, and interactive activities centered on youth engagement in prevalent issues, with participation targeted at students aged 13–19 from Swiss and international schools across Europe and the United States. The 2026 edition marks the forum's ninth year and is expected to host over 1,000 students from 29 schools alongside approximately 50 leading changemakers.

The organization's product surface consists of the core annual forum and the YFS Art Festival, a student-led creative component celebrating its fifth anniversary in 2026 under the theme 'Bloom', with submission categories spanning Music, Visual Art, Performance Arts, and Film. There is no proprietary technology platform; the operating infrastructure is a Squarespace-hosted website, email-based registration ([email protected]), and an Eventbrite registration flow for in-person attendance. The forum aims to be zero-waste and carbon-neutral, reinforcing its positioning as an educational and community initiative rather than a technology venture.

The business model is fully non-commercial. Admission is free for all registered participants; the only discretionary spend is an optional on-site lunch, while transportation and accommodation costs are borne by attendees. YFS is funded by contributions from the ISZL Fund for Excellence, parents, and other members of the ISZL community. It generates no revenue from the event itself and is not structured as an investable entity — it has no separate legal registration, no funding rounds, no M&A activity, and no external shareholders. The 135–150 student organizers are non-compensated volunteers operating under ISZL's institutional umbrella, with operational support provided by the school.

Name

Youth Forum Switzerland

Legal name

Youth Forum Switzerland

Website

https://youthforumswitzerland.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Youth Forum Switzerland is a non-profit, student-organized annual forum hosted by the International School of Zug and Luzern, delivering panel discussions, talks, and an Art Festival for students aged 13–19 from international schools across Europe and the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Education Events

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

akta.pro primary industry

Leadership, Debate & Model UN Camps (EDAMALAK)

Keywords

• Youth engagement forums
• Student-led conferences
• Educational event programs
• Nonprofit youth initiatives
• Panel discussion events

Headquarters

HQ city

Hünenberg

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Non-profit forum (no revenue): Youth Forum Switzerland is a non-profit initiative funded by contributions from the ISZL Fund for Excellence, parents, and other community members of the International School of Zug and Luzern. The forum is free for all registered participants. No revenue is generated from the event itself; all participation is complimentary.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Youth Forum Switzerland is an annual full-day forum organized by students of the International School of Zug and Luzern, comprising panel discussions, talks, and interactive activities centered on youth engagement in prevalent issues for students aged 13-19. The accompanying YFS Art Festival offers students a platform to submit original work across Music, Visual Art, Performance Arts, and Film categories aligned with an annual theme. All participation is free of charge.

Product overview

Youth Forum Switzerland is a platform comprising an annual full-day forum event and the YFS Art Festival. The core offering is the annual Youth Forum Switzerland event organized by the International School of Zug and Luzern, featuring panel discussions, talks, and interactive activities for 13-19 year-old students. The accompanying YFS Art Festival, celebrating its fifth anniversary in 2026, is a student-led component offering four art submission categories: Music, Visual Art, Performance Arts, and Film. Together, these products give youth a voice in prevalent issues affecting their future, connecting students with leading changemakers from around the world.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Forum Switzerland Annual Forum
• YFS Art Festival

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1000 students from Swiss and international schools attend annually
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• World Economic Forum / Open Forum DavoscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017The founding inspiration for Youth Forum Switzerland came from a group of globally engaged high school students who attended the WEF Open Forum Davos event in January 2017. Their transformative experience inspired them to organize YFS in the same spirit, aiming to give youth a voice in issues that will impact their future.
• International School of Zug and Luzern (ISZL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYFS is the creation of ISZL students and is organized under the school's umbrella. The forum is funded by contributions from the ISZL Fund for Excellence, parents, and other community members of the non-profit school. ISZL provides the venue and administrative support for the annual event.
• Swiss and International Schools (Europe and United States)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 1000 high school students from Swiss and International Schools across Europe and the United States attend YFS annually. Schools register their students and bring cohorts of 10-25 participants to the forum.
• World Economic Forum (Media Coverage)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYFS Team member Victoria participated in the Open Forum Davos 2023 Mobilizing for Climate panel discussion. The World Economic Forum website features coverage of YFS activities and connections to the Open Forum.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DoSomething.org: A large US youth social action organization running campaigns and recognition events for young changemakers. Comparable youth social-impact mission, though delivery is digital/campaign-based rather than a single annual in-person forum.
• Ashoka: A global network supporting leading social entrepreneurs including many young changemakers. Comparable target audience of youth change-leaders and a similar calendar of summits, though Ashoka operates as a broader nonprofit with adult fellows.
• Junior Achievement: Global nonprofit delivering youth education programs around work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. Compares on youth empowerment and school-based delivery, though predominantly a curriculum provider rather than a forum operator.

Emerging players

• HundrED: A Finland-based education innovation community that curates and showcases impactful K-12 education models. Overlaps with YFS's focus on youth empowerment through education and networks of global changemakers.
• AIESEC: Global youth-led organization focused on leadership development through international experiences and conferences. Overlaps with YFS on youth leadership and changemaker engagement, but anchored in cross-cultural exchange rather than panel discourse.
• DECA: International student organization preparing high school students for careers in business and leadership. Comparable audience of secondary-school students engaged in leadership development, but focused on competition-based learning rather than changemaker panels.

Direct peers

• One Young World: An annual global summit connecting young leaders with world leaders and policymakers. Closely comparable to YFS as a multi-track, changemaker-driven youth leadership forum, but at significantly larger scale and global reach.
• World Economic Forum Open Forum: The WEF Open Forum at Davos is the direct inspiration for YFS. Both are panel-and-talk-format public forums that connect constituents with global leaders; YFS adapts the model for a youth audience.
• WE Day / WE Charity: WE Day events are large-scale youth empowerment gatherings featuring celebrity and changemaker speakers. Mirrors YFS's mix of inspirational talks and student participation, with a comparable target audience of school-aged participants.

Others

• The Global Fund for Children: A nonprofit that funds and supports youth-led organizations globally. Adjacent to YFS as a youth-empowerment funder and ecosystem participant, though it operates as a grantmaker rather than convening its own events.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/YouthForumSwitzerland
• Xx.com/YouthForumCh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Youth Forum Switzerland