Dr Ernesto Sirolli is a global authority on community development and entrepreneurship. With over 40 years of experience, he equips leaders and organisations to unlock local talent, drive sustainable economic impact, and build resilient, person-centred systems of growth and innovation.
Dr Ernesto Sirolli is an internationally respected leader in the fields of community development, sustainability and entrepreneurship. Known for pioneering the Enterprise Facilitation® model, he transforms how organisations, communities and governments foster economic resilience by responding to – rather than directing – local passion and talent.
Dr Sirolli’s career began in 1971 in international aid across multiple African countries. The limitations of traditional development approaches led him to create a radically new model – Enterprise Facilitation® – designed to help communities harness their own energy, creativity and self-determination.
In 1995, he founded the Sirolli Institute, a global social enterprise that has since supported over 400 communities and facilitated the creation of more than 55,000 jobs. His work is guided by the principle: Never initiate, never motivate – always respond. The Institute trains civic leaders, NGOs, and corporations to empower grassroots entrepreneurship through human-centred support systems.
A political science graduate of Rome University, Dr Sirolli also holds a PhD in Philosophy and Sustainable Development from Murdoch University in Australia. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at Curtin University’s Sustainability Policy Institute (CUSP), Chief Innovation Officer at Cross-ING Engineering (Switzerland), and a trusted advisor to the World Indigenous Business Forum.
Ernesto’s presentations are passionate, thought-provoking and deeply human. Drawing from decades of global experience, he challenges conventional wisdom with humour, humility and storytelling. His TEDx talk “Shut Up and Listen” has reached over 4 million views and continues to resonate with audiences worldwide.
He is an ideal keynote speaker for leadership teams, civic institutions, NGOs, and forward-thinking organisations aiming to foster inclusive innovation, intrapreneurship, or sustainable growth. Audiences leave inspired to trust in local intelligence and act as facilitators—not gatekeepers—of change.
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