Amid the influential discussions at the World Economic Forum, where global leaders shape the future of trillion-dollar economies, two social entrepreneurs are tackling a critical yet often overlooked challenge—creating economic opportunities for the 150 million people worldwide experiencing homelessness and the billions who remain unbanked.

A Voice for the Voiceless

For Andrew Funk, founder of Homeless Entrepreneur, the mission is deeply personal. Having experienced homelessness himself a decade ago, he transformed his struggle into a platform that empowers “people made of potential” to rise out of homelessness. Since 2018, his organization has made its presence known at the WEF in a powerfully symbolic way—by sleeping on the streets of Davos to give voice to those who are rarely heard in these elite economic conversations.

The statue tells its story eloquently: the outline of a figure missing its home, with disappearing shoes revealing toes, yet dressed in business attire—representing the transition from homelessness to economic participation. A book symbolizes knowledge, while an outstretched hand invites others to stand up. It encapsulates the journey from loss to hope through entrepreneurial spirit.

“People that lose almost everything need an entrepreneurial spirit to get back up,” Andrew Funk explained during the interview. When asked who can give them hope, he replied “Community.”

Funk’s commitment to this cause is extraordinary. He recently walked 150 kilometers from Zurich to Davos—a journey representing the 150 million homeless people worldwide—over five days. During this pilgrimage through some of Switzerland’s wealthiest areas, he observed a troubling disconnect: “As you walk through places like Flüelen, you see all the wealth, but nobody connects with you.” His work emphasizes restoring the human aspect often missing in discussions about homelessness.

Banking the Unbanked

Complementing Funk’s approach is Yanan Wu’s fintech company, Surfin‘, which addresses another critical barrier to economic mobility—financial exclusion. As Wu notes, traditional banking systems consistently reject those without established credit histories or financial assets.

“Someone has to mitigate the gap,” Yanan Wu stated, explaining how Surfin’ serves 60 million users who have been overlooked by conventional financial institutions. By providing previously “bankless people” with their first-ever financial credit scores and access to financial products, Surfin’ creates pathways to economic participation that were previously blocked.

Where Entrepreneurship Meets Inclusion

Funk focuses on rebuilding human capacity, confidence, and community connections for those experiencing homelessness, while Wu’s platform delivers the financial tools needed to sustain that journey toward economic independence.

Together, they demonstrate that addressing poverty requires both human and financial capital—entrepreneurial spirit coupled with accessible financial systems. Their work challenges the traditional charity model by emphasizing empowerment, dignity, and sustainable pathways to economic participation.y

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Beyond Davos: Taking Action

As the World Economic Forum continues to discuss global economic challenges, organizations like Homeless Entrepreneur and Surfin’ remind us that economic inclusion must extend to everyone—including those sleeping on the streets just blocks away from conference venues.

Their approaches suggest several key principles for effective poverty intervention:

1. Center the voices of those with lived experience: Funk’s personal experience with homelessness informs his organization’s authentic approach.
2. Build human capacity alongside financial capacity: Entrepreneurial mindsets paired with financial tools create sustainable paths forward.
3. Leverage technology for inclusion: Surfin’s innovative approach to creating financial identities for the unbanked demonstrates how technology can bridge longstanding gaps.
4. Create community connections: Both leaders emphasize that economic inclusion requires community support and human connection.

As these two innovators explore collaboration possibilities, they exemplify the kind of cross-sector partnerships needed to address complex social challenges. Their work reminds us that genuine economic progress must be measured not just by the success of those at the top, but by our ability to create systems where everyone—including the 150 million experiencing homelessness—can participate, contribute, and thrive.

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