Fondation Rolf Schnyder
Established in 2012 at the wish of the late Rolf W. Schnyder — to help those in need, “with priority to children, the future of our world.” He acquired the historic Swiss watchmaker Ulysse Nardin in 1983, when the company was in difficulty, and successfully revived and reinvented it. He was the husband of Chai Schnyder.
Education has been the throughline of our work since 2012, spanning eight countries. That work has shaped healthcare infrastructure, school access, economic empowerment, child protection, and support for children with disabilities — each built around community needs.
One of the newest of those needs is digital literacy. Computational thinking now underpins nearly every field a child might grow into. That reality has led us, most recently, into AI. Our approach is simple: human agency before AI agents — building the capacity to think for themselves before children learn to rely on a machine. This is the latest chapter of Fondation Rolf Schnyder’s work, especially for children who would otherwise be left out of the digital economy.
All of it traces back to one person’s conviction. Our founder, Datin Chai Schnyder — who holds an MSc in Manufacturing Engineering — chaired the company Rolf had rebuilt for three years after he passed, while also founding this work in 2012. She built it on a simple belief: “Let’s help as many people as possible get educated, to help them understand there is a future for them too.” That belief still guides our mission today.
Our Impact.
Eight countries.
A legacy carried forward.