The inaugural RISE PECOWorld Summit 2026 concluded after five days of meaningful dialogue, collaborative learning, and collective action, bringing together leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, investors, policymakers, development practitioners, and citizens from across the world to explore how shared ownership can create a more Responsible, Inclusive, Sustainable, and Ecosystem-Friendly future.
Convened by IDOBRO, RISE Infinity Foundation, and KORU Center, the Summit marked the launch of PECOWorld, a global platform designed to connect Partners, Entrepreneurs, and Citizens committed to co-owning solutions for society’s most pressing challenges. Built on the belief that meaningful change requires shared responsibility, PECOWorld aims to strengthen relationships, foster partnerships, create opportunities, and support collective problem-solving across sectors and geographies.
Held under the theme “Co-Own the Change,” the Summit explored how partnerships, entrepreneurship, citizenship, and ownership can address complex social, economic, and environmental challenges. The opening plenary featured Prof. Rajan Welukar, Harish Hande, Karon Shaiva, Neenu Kewlani, and Naresh Karmalker, whose reflections reinforced the importance of responsibility, inclusion, sustainability, innovation, accessibility, and collective action in building stronger communities and ecosystems. Through keynote conversations, roundtables, workshops, and masterclasses, participants explored new approaches to collaboration, entrepreneurship, civic engagement, and systems change.
The Summit opened with the release of the RISE Values and the unveiling of PECOWorld, setting the agenda for congruence, collaboration, and co-ownership for change. The opening plenary featured Amit Chowdhury, National Officer – International Organization for Migration, India (UN-IOM), Prof. Rajan Welukar, Vice Chancellor of ATLAS SkillTech University; Neenu Kewlani, Disability Rights Activist; Harish Hande, Founder of SELCO Foundation; Karon Shaiva, Chief Impact Officer, IDOBRO Impact Solutions; and Naresh Karmalker, Co-Founder and CEO of E-magine Impact. Their reflections highlighted the importance of responsibility, inclusion, sustainability, accessibility, innovation, and collective action in building stronger communities and ecosystems. Together, these voices challenged participants to build systems and solutions that are Responsible, Inclusive, Sustainable, and Ecosystem-Friendly.
A wide range of sessions explored the 4 themes central to the Summit’s vision – Partnership Entrepreneurship, Citizenship and Ownership.
Throughout the Summit, participants engaged in a rich mix of conversations across the PECO framework. The Beyond Series featured sessions such as Beyond Financial Capital: Creating Intergenerational Wealth Based on Human, Social, Physical and Natural Capital; Beyond MSME: Why Purpose Scores Over Size? Policies to Support Women, Social and Green Enterprises; Beyond Me to Ours: Whose Planet Is It Anyway? A Systems Ownership Mindset; and Beyond Time and Space: Strengthening Student Research and Alumni Communities.
Roundtables and thematic dialogues included The GICA Partnership Gap: Government, Industry, Civil Society and Academia; Informed Citizenship – Networks for Change; Cityzen: Co-Creating Our Blue-Green City; Climate Impact and Tribal Livelihoods; Managing Urban Heat Using Nature-Based Solutions; Complexity Thinking for Ecosystem Builders; and The Recipe of Ecosystem Building and Partnership Facilitation Mechanism.
Together, these conversations explored new approaches to partnerships, livelihoods, entrepreneurship, citizenship, sustainability, inclusion, and systems change.
Entrepreneurship and citizenship emerged as powerful drivers of change throughout the Summit. The inaugural HERizon Pitch Fest showcased women-led ventures before Sangatna Angels co-founders Gayatri D. Kalyanaraman, Vaishali James, and Maragathavalli Inbamuthiah, while conversations on informed citizenship and community leadership highlighted the role individuals can play in shaping more equitable and sustainable futures. Discussions also explored how education can nurture not only future leaders, but active citizens today.
Coinciding with World Environment Day, the Summit’s final day focused on Ownership, highlighting community-led environmental action through sessions on blue-green cities, climate resilience, tribal livelihoods, and nature-based solutions for urban challenges.
Experts and facilitators included Sarbjit Singh, Jean D’Cunha, Shilpa Ajwani, Deepak Menon, Shakti Saran, Dr. Tathagat Verma, Jaydeep Mandal, Eroshan Alagaretnam, Preeti Khare, Manish Rajoria, Madhuban Pandey, Deborah Sawaf, Dr. S. S. Bhakar, Dr. Suman Madan, Alice Luke, Dr. Winnie Bajaria and many other leaders from academia, industry, civil society, entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and community development ecosystems along with community builders from India and around the world.
Inclusion remained at the heart of many discussions. The Inclusive Fashion and Adaptive Design Roundtable led by Geeta Castellino and Soumita Basu, showcased how accessibility, universal design, and inclusive communication can create greater opportunities for persons with disabilities. Participants explored how organizations and institutions can adopt more inclusive approaches to innovation, employment, and participation.
The Summit also featured practical workshops and masterclasses designed to help participants translate ideas into action. These included Human Design Thinking for Entrepreneurs facilitated by Winnie Bajaria, ABCD for Enterprises: Building Blocks for a Strong Foundation, Writing as a Tool for Clarity led by Aanandika Sood, The ACES to Multiply Your Impact, and Future-Ready or Future-Blind? The S.E.E. Curriculum Shift. These sessions provided participants with tools, frameworks, and perspectives to strengthen their impact and navigate an increasingly interconnected world. The Architecture of Convergence facilitated by Karon Shaiva introduced participants to the vision of PECOWorld, PECOCircles, PECONets, and collaborative ecosystem building.
The Summit was supported by a vibrant ecosystem of partners including ATLAS SkillTech University, SCORE Livelihood Foundation, HELPSTiR, Right2Rise, Urja City, Cognitive Chasm, E-magine Impact, CSRN, Shemantra, Sangatna Angels, WECONNECT INTERNATIONAL, UNICEF, DBM INDIA, Flourishing Startups, Aagam, Lexicon Exchange, EPCO, Kreative Kut, Aruna Mithilesh Foundation, Lawrence & Mayo, Ghaswala Vision Foundation, Sentiments Roopali, St Pauls College for Women, Sarwdharma Mitra Mandal, Karanja (Lad), Soulroot, Anukalp Foundation, Amargyaan Foundation, Multipurpose Awareness Society, We, The People, Abhiyan, Camp Creative, Youth for Development Initative, News Bizkoot, Aashray Seva Kendra, Shaktify, Zyenika, Africana Teens Buzz, Ujjawal Swavlambi Foundation, Creator Chart, Sentiments Events, Sus10, Mission Million Neem, United Schools Organization, EdEn Educated Environment, Streekon, Bansa Community Library, Arya Classes, Parivartansheel Sanstha and numerous knowledge, community, education, entrepreneurship and impact partners who contributed to making the Summit a truly collaborative global platform.
More than a conference, RISE PECOWorld Summit 2026 served as the beginning of a continuing movement. Through PECOWorld, participants will remain connected through collaboration, mentoring, knowledge exchange, shared opportunities, PECOCircles, PECONets, and collective action initiatives designed to turn ideas into impact.
The closing plenary also celebrated individuals and organizations demonstrating the spirit of co-ownership and collective impact through the RISE Awards. The RISE Partnership Award was presented to IndiaCare, represented by Arun Bothra, IPS, Additional Director General of Police (CID-Crime) and Transport Commissioner, Government of Odisha, and Sabita Chanda, Consultant – Executive Search & Advisory, in recognition of their commitment to building impactful partnerships that create positive social change. The RISE Citizenship Award was conferred on Ashish Kothari, Founder of Kalpavriksh, for championing Vikalp Sangam, citizen-led initiatives, community empowerment, and sustainable development. These awards reflected the Summit’s core belief that meaningful change is created through collaboration, active citizenship, and shared ownership. Zandile Njamela – Global Lead for Supplier Impact and Development, Accenture and Susan Leger Ferraro – Author – SuperLoop, Founder & CEO G3 Works were the Guests of Honour at the closing plenary.
As the Summit concluded, participants left with renewed commitments, new collaborations, and inspiring examples of partnership and citizenship in action. One message resonated across every session, dialogue, workshop, and award presentation:
The future will not be built by isolated efforts. It will be built by people who choose to collaborate, contribute, and co-own the change together.
