Brilliant Minds was founded in 2015 by Spotify founder and CEO, Daniel Ek, and serial entrepreneur, Arash Pournouri. The early mission was to spotlight the successful Swedish tech ecosystem and convene creative people around “Swedish values” rooted in openness, transparency, equality, trust and social responsibility to collaborate and create impact.
In 2018, Brilliant Minds began a new global chapter as The Brilliant Minds Foundation. As of 2020 the board consists of Daniel Ek and the Wallenberg, Berg/Ax:son Johnson, Rapp, Persson, Olsson, Schörling and Andersson families.
What started as a symposium in Stockholm, has five years later grown into a global community and movement shaping the future by challenging the present. The aim of the Brilliant Minds Foundation is to support founders with transformative ideas that make the world more sustainable, creative and inclusive.
The long-term goal is to build Brilliant Minds into a global platform for diverse ideas and sustainable innovation, galvanizing a unique community of diverse pioneers, coming together to share ideas through a community rooted in trust and common values.
It is Brilliant Minds' ability to convene a unique and diverse set of pioneers who inspire, build bridges, fearlessly innovate and display extraordinary leadership that makes us equipped to accomplish our mission; to increase the speed at which change and positive impact can happen across the world.