We are building a world that chooses happiness.

Last updated: June 7, 2026 · Founded 2018 · Reading time ~7 min

Who we are

The World Happiness Foundation (WHF) is an international nonprofit registered as a 501(c)(3) public charity in Florida, USA, and operating across more than 45 countries. We hold Consultative Special Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and work alongside governments, universities, hospitals, corporations, and grassroots communities to put well-being and happiness at the center of how we design our societies.

Since our founding in 2018 by Luis Gallardo, WHF has reached more than 10 million people through the World Happiness Fest, the Gross Global Happiness Summit, the Chief Well-Being Officer certification, our Global Agoras community, and the Happiness Observatory. Our work blends rigorous research, contemplative traditions, conscious leadership, and creative culture into one shared invitation: a happier, more conscious, and free humanity.

Definition: The World Happiness Foundation is a global nonprofit education and research organization that helps governments, schools, businesses, and citizens design happier societies through certified programs, research, and a worldwide community of practice.

Why happiness, why now?

For most of the twentieth century, public progress was measured almost exclusively by GDP. But economic growth has not translated into universal flourishing. The World Health Organization estimates that nearly one billion people live with a mental health condition, while loneliness and burnout have become defining features of modern work. At the same time, decades of research from Harvard, Oxford and the OECD show that well-being is not a luxury that comes after material progress — it is the foundation that makes durable progress possible.

We believe the twenty-first century requires a new operating system for societies, one where mental health, dignity, belonging, purpose, and ecological balance sit alongside GDP as primary indicators of success. This is what we call Happytalism: a paradigm in which human flourishing and the flourishing of the planet are the explicit goals of policy, business, education and culture.

How we got here

The World Happiness Foundation was incorporated in 2018 in Florida, USA, by author and entrepreneur Luis Gallardo, building on the success of the first World Happiness Fest. From a single gathering in Miami, the Fest expanded into a global network of events, summits and city activations now held in 15 or more cities every year, from Granada and Geneva to Bogotá, Cape Town and Mumbai.

In 2020 the Foundation launched its Academy, beginning with the Chief Well-Being Officer (CWBO) program in partnership with the University of Zaragoza, followed by Gross Global Happiness, the Rouser Leadership Model and the Integrated Consciousness Evolution Framework. In 2021 we co-founded the United Nations commemoration of the International Day of Happiness for the third decade and were granted Consultative Special Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). In 2023 we launched our Discovery Expeditions to the happiest places on Earth — Bhutan, the Nicoya Blue Zone in Costa Rica, and Auroville and Varanasi in India — and opened the Global Pain & Trauma Map within the Happiness Observatory.

Our mission

To reach 10 billion free, conscious and happy people by 2050 by equipping leaders, institutions and citizens with the knowledge, tools and community to make well-being a societal priority.

Our vision

A world where every person — regardless of geography, income or background — has the conditions to flourish: meaningful relationships, equitable access to education and health, a safe environment, dignified work, and the inner skills to navigate life with awareness and compassion.

What we do

• Academy — Certifications and trainings including the Chief Well-Being Officer program, Gross Global Happiness, the Rouser Leadership Model, and Discovery Expeditions to Bhutan, Costa Rica and India.
• Fest — The World Happiness Fest, World Happiness Week and Gross Global Happiness Summit bring together 100+ speakers across 15+ cities each year.
• Community — Global Agoras, HappinessXChange, Time Bank and Emotional Support networks hosted by trained citizen-leaders in their own cities.
• Observatory — Independent research, the Global Pain & Trauma Map, the Happiness Blog and the “Happy to Hear You” podcast.
• Programs — Ecosystems of Happiness for schools, cities, enterprises, hospitals and destinations.

How our five pillars compare

If you are not sure where to begin, this table compares the five pillars of our work.

The principles that guide us

• Happiness is a human right. It is not a luxury reserved for the privileged few.
• Inner work and outer work are inseparable. Cultures change when leaders change inside.
• Local first, global by design. Real transformation is anchored in cities, schools and homes.
• Open knowledge. Our research and best practices are shared freely with the world.
• Radical inclusion. Different cultures, faiths and identities are an asset, not an obstacle.

Our impact in numbers

Over the past seven years our community has trained +10 million educators, +8 million health professionals, and +7 million business and government leaders, and reached more than 10 million people across 45 countries.

We have hosted more than 120 Global Agoras on six continents, certified 2,500+ Chief Well-Being Officers, and contributed to 40+ United Nations and multilateral processes on well-being economics, mental health and education for flourishing. The Happiness Observatory publishes peer-reviewed research and weekly long-form essays read by hundreds of thousands of practitioners every year.

Partners and recognition

We are proud to collaborate with the United Nations system, UNESCO, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the University of Zaragoza, Harvard’s Human Flourishing Program, the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, the Gross National Happiness Centre Bhutan, and a growing network of mayors, hospital systems and Fortune 500 enterprises committed to making well-being a core metric of success.

What people say about us

“The World Happiness Foundation has built one of the most credible global platforms for advancing well-being as a public good.”

“Becoming a Chief Well-Being Officer reshaped how our company makes every decision.”

“The Discovery Expedition to Bhutan was the most transformative professional development experience of my career — and the most practical.”

“Hosting a Global Agora gave my city a language for talking about belonging that we simply did not have before.”

How we are funded and governed

World Happiness Foundation Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity registered in Florida, USA, governed by an international board of directors. We are funded through individual donations, partnerships with mission-aligned institutions, Academy program tuition, and sponsorships of the World Happiness Fest. We publish annual transparency reports and our financials are independently reviewed every year. We do not accept funding that requires us to compromise editorial independence in our research and educational content.

How to get involved

There are four primary ways to become part of the movement:

• Partner — institutions, brands and governments co-design programs with us.
• Participate — join the Academy, attend a Fest, or register for a Discovery Expedition.
• Host an Agora — bring the conversation to your city, school or workplace.
• Donate — every contribution is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Leadership

WHF is led by founder and President Luis Gallardo, an internationally recognized author and advocate for happiness as a human right, supported by a global board of directors and advisory council drawn from academia, healthcare, business, public policy and the arts.

Contact

World Happiness Foundation Inc.
10275 Collins Avenue, Bal Harbour, FL 33154, USA
Email: hello@worldhappiness.foundation