Doha, Qatar: Make-A-Wish International’s participation at Web Summit Qatar 2026 has provided a key platform to share its mission, exchange ideas with global leaders, and highlight the organisation’s growing impact worldwide, according to its President and CEO Luciano Manzo
“Being at the Web Summit, it’s an excellent opportunity as a platform to share what we are doing and to talk about our mission, but also to learn from other presenters,” Manzo said speaking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of Web Summit Qatar 2026.
One of the world’s leading children’s charities, Make-A-Wish International continues to expand its global footprint, having granted more than 650,000 life-changing wishes to children with critical illnesses since its founding in 1980.
Reflecting on the organisation’s origins, Manzo said, “Make-A-Wish International is an organization that was founded in 1980 in Phoenix when a small child, Chris Gracious, wanted to be a cop.” He added that the organisation has since grown into a global network, “serving now children with 42 affiliates in 50 countries.” Manzo noted that the impact of the organisation extends far beyond the children themselves.
“Since the inception, we have granted over 650,000 wishes, which means more than 10 football stadiums filled with the wish children,” he said. “If you expand that to their siblings and parents and family, you easily get to two and a half to three million people that have been touched by the mission.”
Comparing Web Summit Qatar with other editions, including Web Summit Lisbon, Manzo highlighted the advantages of the Doha gathering.
“While in Lisbon maybe it was a bit bigger, here it is more concentrated and easier to interact with people,” he said. “So we are very happy to be here and we thank the Web Summit for inviting us to be present.” At Web Summit Lisbon 2025, Make-A-Wish International participated in a discussion with Disney on the power of storytelling to drive action.
The session underscored the enduring importance of authentic storytelling in an era saturated with content, showing how genuine narratives can inspire trust, emotional connection and meaningful engagement.
According to Manzo, storytelling is central to Make-A-Wish’s mission. He said the organisation’s stories reflect the real experiences of children facing critical illnesses and the communities that support them, reinforcing its purpose and credibility across cultures and global markets.
Highlighting the scale of unmet need worldwide, Manzo said, “There are so many children out there that need to be reached. Our research showed that more than 1.2 million children every year are eligible for receiving a wish, which is one every 25 seconds.”
He concluded by calling for collective support to help fulfill the organisation’s vision. “We need everybody’s support and contribution to ensure that we reach every eligible child, as stated in our vision,” Manzo said.
During Web Summit Qatar 2026, Manzo also spoke at a session titled Speaking Purpose Fluently, where he discussed global growth demands and how successful organisations must clearly express their purpose in ways that are understood, consistent and credible across international markets.
