Four entrepreneurs were honored at the World Entrepreneurship Forum, held this year in Singapore (November 2-5), for creating role models for the world with their achievements and commitment to the societies they work in.

Singapore's Acting Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean welcomed the participants who came from around the world. "Singapore is hosting this forum to provide a useful platform for entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs, experts and policy-makers from all over the world to come together to share ideas and experiences, so that we can help to shape the world in a positive way through entrepreneurship."

The Forum’s Social Entrepreneur award was given to the founder of Ashoka, USA, William Drayton, the man who in fact coined the term when he started his not-for-profit organization dedicated to encouraging and fostering social entrepreneurs around the world. Drayton has received numerous awards for his work, including Spain’s Prince of Asturias Prize (October 21), considered one of Europe's most prestigious.

At that time Spain’s Crown Prince Felipe praised the work of the Ashoka Foundation, saying , “Bill Drayton strives so that our actions have positive repercussions for society and our work takes on increasingly higher levels of social responsibility. In short, he works with the aim of changing and improving the world.”

The Singapore Forum gave this year’s Politician award to Anneli Hulthen, Mayor of Göteborg, Sweden, a city that has implemented many programs that have had a positive impact on entrepreneurial ventures and the accompanying creation of jobs.

For the first time, the Forum gave its Entrepreneur for the World award to a company, Shanghai’s FOSUN International, whose pharmaceuticals and health care products are structured to respond to the needs of China’s population, especially the elderly.

Another first-time award, the Young Entrepreneur Award for those under 35, was given to Reese Fernandez, Co-Founder of Rags2Riches in the Philippines. Her venture has revolutionized women's business practices by transforming recycled scrap material into fashion handbags, eyeglasses or wine-bottle holders, bringing revenues and self-confidence to employed women.

In his address to the Forum, Gérard Collomb, the Mayor of Lyon, France, spoke about the important role cities can have in promoting culture and the arts to create a good environment for innovation. “One of the ways is to let culture and the arts flourish. Artists must not feel like they are left on the fringes of society,” he noted.