In a first for the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, TikTok established a dedicated “Experience Space” and brought four prominent creators to participate in panel discussions and bilateral meetings with global leaders.

Global Creators Share Platform Success Stories

The creators represented diverse fields of expertise: JT Laybourne, a U.S.-based health advocate with 1.7 million followers; Charity Ekezie, a Nigerian journalist reaching 3.4 million followers; Dr. Kirren Schnack, a British clinical psychologist with 600,000 followers; and Celine Murillo, a Filipino environmental advocate with 650,000 followers.

Laybourne, who underwent open-heart surgery during the pandemic, spearheaded TikTok’s largest single fundraising effort, generating over $1 million for the American Heart Association in 2020-2021. At Davos, he met with AHA CEO Nancy Brown to explore future collaboration opportunities.

Ekezie, known for addressing misconceptions about Africa through educational content, engaged with Nigeria’s Vice-President to discuss her role in what she describes as “PR for the West” to break harmful stereotypes that affect Africans.

Mental Health and Environmental Advocacy Take Center Stage

Dr. Schnack participated in two panels, including a WEF discussion alongside WHO’s Director for Digital Health and Innovation, Dr. Alain Labrique, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Amanda Yarnell. The panels focused on leveraging digital storytelling to improve access to mental health resources and combat misinformation.

Murillo, who combines scientific knowledge with storytelling to address biodiversity loss, met with Conservation International CEO M. Sanjayan to discuss maintaining momentum in climate action initiatives. Her work includes organizing tree-planting drives and coastal clean-ups to engage young Filipinos in environmental conservation.

Image credit: TikTok

“It was an honor to have JT, Charity, Dr. Kirren, and Celine in Davos to share how they inspire, educate, and lead conversations on pressing topics like physical and mental well-being, environmental protection, cultural stereotypes, and economic empowerment,” Adam Presser, TikTok’s Head of Operations and Trust and Safety, said in an announcement. 

The newly launched TikTok Experience Centre, located on the Davos Promenade and open to the public, attracted hundreds of visitors throughout the week. The space showcased interactive displays highlighting creator impact and the platform’s safety and security measures.

While TikTok’s fate is hanging by a thread in the United States due to a looming ban law, the company is strengthening its European presence with initiatives like the misinformation crackdown for the upcoming German federal election.

According to global analyst and advisory company Omdia, TikTok‘s global advertising revenue (including ByteDance’s Chinese operations) has reached $63.3 billion, nearly double YouTube’s $33.3 billion. The platform now counts 1.9 billion monthly active users worldwide, including 145 million in the United States, where it generates approximately $8 billion in advertising revenue.