"83 million jobs will be lost and 69 million jobs are projected to be created in the next five years. Cognitive skills are reported to be growing in importance most quickly, reflecting the increasing importance of complex problem-solving in the workplace. Creative thinking to be growing in importance slightly more rapidly than analytical thinking." (WEF, Future of Jobs Report 2023)

"Climate change is one of the most critical macroeconomic and financial policy challenges that IMF members face in coming decades. Capital is among the most important enablers of climate action, but not enough is getting to the people and places that need it most (...) we need a major shift to harness public and, especially, private financing. That includes substantially more concessional finance that can lower risk and drive private sector finance more efficiently to emerging and developing countries. It also requires that both the public and private sector's finance all components of the energy transition, including both the scaling of clean energy and the managed phaseout of fossil fuels on an accelerated time frame. To achieve this objective, all countries need robust climate policies that accelerate the green transition, and stronger mechanisms to promote cooperation and risk-sharing among stakeholders." (Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and COP28 President-Designate, and Mark Carney, UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance and Co-Chair of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ).

"I mean, you think about even traditional, people still go to the movies, they still sit down, they watch a two hour movie, and that hasn't changed in decades. So I think the way we connect and how we tell stories kind of is the same, just the medium's a little different." (Marvin Chow, VP, Global Marketing, Google about how building a brand has changed over the last decade).

"Gen Z is expected to account for more than a quarter of the world’s workforce by 2025 and this trend is likely to accelerate. The changing tide is particularly acute in emerging markets such as Asia, Africa, Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America, where youth account for more than one billion of the entire population." (APCO Worldwide)

 “Our world is in big trouble. Divides are growing deeper; inequalities are growing wider; challenges are spreading father... we need hope... we need action across the board.” (UN's Secretary-General, António Guterres)

"I have been saying this for years: if you treat young generations as weak, they will be weak. We have to believe in them. We must encourage them to be strong, also mentally. Then we must tell them the truth: only the best will win. We have to help them get ready." (Julio Velasco)

This year looks poised to be monumental for equity crowdfunding, which entails raising capital through specific filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, from a mix of investors that don’t have to be accredited. Over the past few years, equity crowdfunding has shed much of the stigma. But with the current fundraising climate, it is getting ready for a field day. (TechCrunch)

More equal societies are more resilient, they are more likely to invest for the many not the few, and to have robust political institutions and consistent policies. And few would disagree that a society that provides opportunity for all of its citizens is more likely to thrive than one which favours an elite, however defined. (Mark Carney, Value(s). Building a better world for all).

Global Economic Outlook 2022

From the impact of a new COVID variant to continued inflation, governments will continue to face economic challenges in 2022. What immediate and long-term actions will be required to stabilize the global economy and ensure a sustainable and equitable recovery?

"Empirical research shows that start-ups that are more innovative tend to attract greater interest from crowd investors (Le Pendeven and Schwienbacher, 2018). This finding contrasts with reward-based crowdfunding, where Chan and Parhankangas (2017) document that the crowd has a preference to support less innovative projects, perhaps because they face a greater risk if they are not able to deliver the promised reward." (Schwienbacher, 2019)

"Businesses are looking to put their money where it matters – their offering to customers and their people." Jeremy Over, a partner of Moore Barlow, commented on a recent survey according to which SMEs are more likely to choose non-traditional ways of accessing capital, like crowdfunding.