International Youth Summit

What International Youth Summit does

International Youth Summit (IYS) is a non-profit youth development platform founded in 2015 in New Zealand under parent organization WSDA New Zealand. It connects a claimed community of 100,000+ youth aged 18-40 across 85+ countries for soft skills development across nine curriculum areas (leadership, communication, entrepreneurship, emotional intelligence, and others) and serves individual young people seeking career credentials, recommendation letters, and global networking, as well as volunteer officials who operate its country chapters and ambassador network. Its product portfolio comprises the IYS Membership program (USD 35-55 first-year, USD 5 annual renewal), the Tomorrow's CEO 24-module professional development and apprenticeship program (USD 277-597), the IYS Ambassador three-year contract (USD 4,775), and the IYS Country Chapter operation license (USD 5,750), supported by 425+ video assets, 1.8M+ video views, and a biennial summit series (Bangladesh 2016, Nepal 2018, virtual 2020-2021, India 2022, New Zealand 2025).

The business runs on a hybrid online-offline model: digital enrollment via the IYS website, Google Forms, and Stripe; communication over WhatsApp; and a hierarchical volunteer distribution network of Country Directors, Deputy Directors, County Managers, and Campus Ambassadors. The platform has delivered over 850 events in eight years, including national and international youth camps, conferences, exchange programs, and skills trainings, and claims a world record for the longest virtual youth summit (May 2020 to May 2021, 120K+ participants from 85+ countries). Revenue is generated entirely from individual membership dues, paid training programs, ambassador contracts, and country chapter fees; no grants, sponsorships, enterprise contracts, or external funding rounds are disclosed in the input data, and disclosed paid headcount is only 37 against a volunteer-heavy operating model.

Name

International Youth Summit

Legal name

International Youth Summit

Website

https://internationalyouthsummit.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

International Youth Summit is a New Zealand-based non-profit youth development platform founded in 2015 under WSDA New Zealand, serving 100,000+ youth aged 18-40 across 85+ countries with soft skills training, leadership programs, and biennial international summits funded by membership fees and paid training contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Student Orientation & Transition Programs (EDALANAC), Leadership, Debate & Model UN Camps (EDAMALAK)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Soft skills training
• Leadership development
• Professional development
• Youth community platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Dhaka

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: IYS generates primary revenue from annual membership fees. First-year registration is USD 35 (online materials only) or USD 55 (printed materials with welcome kit). Annual renewal is USD 5. Membership provides access to training sessions, certificates, and benefits including work experience letters and recommendation letters for completing minimum requirements.
2. Tomorrow's CEO Program: Professional development training program sold for USD 427-597 depending on payment method (online payment vs bank/bkash). Regular price is USD 3,799 but offered at discounted rates as special offers. Includes 3-year access and bonus materials. This is a one-time registration fee with 3-year validity.
3. Country Director Program Fee: Country Chapter operation fee of USD 5,750 for individuals seeking to establish and operate a Country Chapter in their country. Includes training in New Zealand, Bangladesh, Malaysia, or Thailand with 5 nights hotel accommodation, 2 meals daily covered. Airfare and visa costs are additional.
4. IYS Ambassador Contract Fee: Three-year contract service fee of USD 4,775 (including GST) for selected IYS Ambassador candidates. Covers exclusive scholarship opportunities, leadership training across 6 destinations, and ambassador program benefits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

International Youth Summit operates a global youth development platform under WSDA New Zealand, connecting 100,000+ youth from 85+ countries for personal and professional soft skills training. Core offerings include annual IYS Membership, the IYS Ambassador Program (voluntary two-year leadership program with scholarships to 6 destinations), the Tomorrow's CEO 24-module professional development program, biennial international summits, and 100+ annual events including conferences, camps, and training sessions. The platform issues certificates, work experience letters, and recommendation letters recognized by universities, embassies, and employers.

Product overview

International Youth Summit (IYS) operates as a multi-product youth development platform under WSDA New Zealand. The core offerings include: (1) the IYS Platform connecting 100K+ youth from 85 countries for soft skills development; (2) the IYS Ambassador Program providing two-year leadership training with 6-destination scholarship visits; (3) Tomorrow's CEO program with 24 skills modules for professional development and WSDA apprenticeship; (4) IYS Country Chapter organizational structure spanning 85+ countries with hierarchical roles; (5) IYS Membership providing certificates, vouchers, and work experience letters; and (6) the IYS Skills Development Calendar covering 9 skill areas across 12 months. Events include biennial summits and regular conferences, camps, and training programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tomorrow's CEO: A signature professional development training and apprenticeship program by WSDA that offers 24 vital skills modules for leadership development, with a 90-day money back guarantee.

Products and services

• IYS Membership
• IYS Ambassador Program
• Tomorrow's CEO
• IYS Country Chapter Program
• IYS Skills Development Calendar
• IYS Events & Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 120K+ youth engaged in single virtual summit during pandemic
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• WSDA New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015WSDA New Zealand is the parent organization and sustainable youth development program behind International Youth Summit. Founded in 2015, IYS is a program of WSDA New Zealand. WSDA provides the training curriculum, e-learning resources, apprenticeship programs, certification, and recommendation letters. IYS operates as WSDA's flagship international youth development initiative.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ashoka: Global organization supporting leading social entrepreneurs and young changemakers in 90+ countries — comparable in mission to develop youth leaders and changemakers, though with a higher barrier (Ashoka Fellow selection) and stronger ecosystem of institutional funders.
• JA Worldwide (Junior Achievement): One of the world's largest youth education nonprofits operating in 100+ countries with curricula in entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy — overlaps with IYS's Tomorrow's CEO and Career Guidance offerings but with stronger institutional and corporate backing.
• Generation Unlimited (UNICEF): Global UNICEF-led multi-stakeholder platform focused on skills development, education, and employment for youth aged 10-24 — overlaps with IYS's SDG 8-aligned youth skills mission at far larger scale with institutional backing from UN agencies and governments.

Direct peers

• DoSomething.org: US-based non-profit driving youth volunteering and social impact campaigns — comparable in youth 18-25 demographic, community-led go-to-market, leadership development mission, and digital-first member engagement approach.
• AIESEC: Global youth-run organization in 100+ countries running leadership development programs, international internships, and conferences — comparable in mission, geographic model, and youth 18-30 demographic with IYS, with stronger institutional corporate partnerships.
• Toastmasters International: Worldwide non-profit focused on communication and leadership skills training via structured curricula and club networks — directly overlaps with IYS's 9 skill areas (especially Communication & Public Relation, Confidence) and offers a more mature, accredited global network.

Others

• Net Impact: Professional association for student and professional leaders focused on using business skills for social impact — adjacent to IYS's professional development mission through Tomorrow's CEO and career advancement offerings, serving a similarly career-oriented youth demographic.

Emerging players

• Peace First: Non-profit operating a global community of young leaders aged 13-25 developing leadership and peacebuilding skills through grants and a curated curriculum — comparable in youth leadership mission and global community structure, though focused on conflict zones and social activism.
• Global Citizen: International youth engagement platform mobilizing action on global issues — comparable in demographic (18-40 youth) and digital/community-driven engagement, though focused on advocacy campaigns and policy rather than skills training.
• The Hult Prize Foundation: Student-led social entrepreneurship platform and competition engaging university students globally — overlaps with IYS's Tomorrow's CEO entrepreneurship and financial sustainability tracks, with stronger institutional partnerships (Hult Business School, UN Foundation).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@wsdanz5928/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/INTLYOUTHSUMMIT
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-youth-summit-nz
• Instagraminstagram.com/iys_wsda

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

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 International Youth Summit