Written by Andrew Funk
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States) — From July 14 to 18, 2026, The Great Walk by Homeless Entrepreneur launches its 8th edition, a five-day trek that combines football, dialogue, solidarity, and social impact. This edition’s route travels from Philadelphia to Langhorn, then Princeton, New Brunswick, Elizabeth, and culminates in East Rutherford at the MetLife stadium for the FIFA World Cup Finals. During our journey, we will invite World Cup fans, players and organizations to walk in solidarity with the homeless community, regardless of ticket category, sharing a spontaneous conversation on inclusion and opportunity because we are 26, too!
“Beto de Souza, a Homeless Entrepreneur, has captured memorable moments of football stars through the camera lens that got him off the streets i.e. Messi, Ronaldinho, Halland, Lamine and Vinícius Júnior.”
Along the route, The Great Walk will identify people experiencing homelessness in the host countries of the FIFA World Cup and extend outreach to global homeless populations through our social media reach, press and ongoing partnerships. We will engage a broad network of local, regional, national, and international organizations and government bodies to strengthen pathways out of homelessness. The project ensures funds and support flow through transparent channels to deliver practical help, skills training, and durable pathways out of homelessness. Local partners like Project Managers without Borders anchor the US network, while Bit2Me, IBM SkillsBuild and IEBS provide finance, digital skills and employability as well as entrepreneurship education.
In the previous Great Walk towards the World Economic Forum, we’d like to highlight Give Back and Start Over Movement for funding our programs and projects; and Europe's #1 MasterMind by Patrick Wind, which offered strategic mentorship and funding.
Homeless Entrepreneur proudly carried its Swiss Great Walk flag during the 7th edition to highlight organizations and individual support.
Evening events along the route will bring together organizations and communities to raise funds, engage the public, and identify individuals who can benefit from Homeless Entrepreneur’s Helpline (+34 697 877 089), Voices, and HELP program. At the MetLife stadium, we will have brief, on-the-spot interviews with FIFA fans, players and organizations because we are 26, too! Andrew Funk, founder president of Homeless Entrepreneur, will invite participants to take 150 steps (45 seconds) in solidarity with 150 million homeless people while being interviewed, so they can share how the FIFA World Cup community can empower people made of potential out of homelessness.
Desired Outcomes for this edition:
Funds raised: 150,000€
Social impact: 1,500 new program beneficiaries
Partnership: 5 new long-term partner
Visibility: over 1,500,000 online impressions
Our official spokesperson is Andrew Funk, Founder and President, Homeless Entrepreneur:
Phone: +34 697 877 089
The Great Walk always concludes with a community celebration and a public showcase of participants’ progress, linking local action with international collaboration. For updates, please follow us on LinkedIn and/or follow Andrew Funk on Instagram; or to get involved, please contact the spokesperson above.
Watch the Project Management Institute (PMI) video below to learn more about how project management is helping empower people made of potential out of homelessness via Homeless Entrepreneur.