Norwegian MBA candidate Sundeep Singh is a corporate lawyer, social entrepreneur and a Global Shaper with the World Economic Forum.
He is one of approximately 3,500 Sikhs living in Norway, and his experience growing up as part of a minority has profoundly shaped his thinking and career.
A co-founder of two social enterprises, Sundeep’s commitment to social impact has been recognised by HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, who has invited him to attend SIKT – a leadership conference organised by the Norwegian Royal Palace, which will be held on the 22 - 23 October.
Sundeep co-founded his first social enterprise in high school in 2006. Following the events of 9/11, the Norwegian Sikh community found themselves the target of rising levels of racism. He explained that when people saw TV coverage of the Taliban wearing turbans and issuing threats against the west, it affected the way they perceived the Sikh community, who wear turbans as part of their religious beliefs.
Along with four other young students, Sundeep set about tackling the problem by founding a network for young Sikhs called ‘Unge Sikher.’
He explains: ‘We needed a medium through which we could fight xenophobia while also acting as a progressive force in our community. We started education programmes, worked with the police, universities and educational institutions.’
Despite some successes, the problem continued to grow. The Unge Sikher network gathered to discuss a new approach and settled on an initiative that has grown in scale ever since: the Norwegian Turban Day.