Bill Liao is a leader in the social networking industry, having been involved with the creation of xing.com, a leading business-to-business social networking portal. As a self-described “serial philanthropist and entrepreneur,” or “philanthropeur,” Liao has now turned his attention to the creation of neo.org, a social networking site for people to declare and share common visions for the good of the earth, leaving the world a better place for future generations.

Liao, who completed Landmark Education’s Landmark Forum in 1994, says that “when people make a public declaration in a context of mutual support, it creates a new future and that new future can call forth committed action. Neo is founded on the principle that we are all interdependent and of one world. It embodies the possibilities of love, relatedness, contribution, self-expression and fun.

Previously, Bill was Director of Operations for Davenet, and was responsible for creating a landmark deal with Japanese telecommunication giant NTT which propelled Davenet to a market capitalization of $1.2 billion, before exiting just prior to the end of the dot com boom to start the next phase of his life as a highly successful web entrepreneur, wherein he helped jumpstart several successful IPOs in diverse industries.

In 2001 and after being caught up in the tragic events of September 11, Bill moved his family to Switzerland. A chance meeting with Lars Hinrichs at the Monaco Grand Prix led to the founding of Xing.com, a social networking platform for professionals and the first Web 2.0 company to go public in 2003. Xing.com has grown to become one of the world’s leading business-to-business social networking portals, with more than seven million members.

Now Liao is personally backing neo.org. Neo is a non-profit organization based in Switzerland and supported by a team of individuals from around the globe.

The site offers more than an opportunity for people to publicly declare how they intend to make a difference in the world. Visitors can interact, network and support each other’s intitiatives. Neo will also examine the various initiatives on the site, and look to provide real funding to some of the most impactful ideas.

Bill is married with three children and divides his time between Switzerland and Ireland. He is a passionate supporter of many causes that seek to dispel suffering, including the Mastery Foundation, which undertakes peace and reconciliation initiatives in Israel and Northern Ireland; sufferinganonymous.org and The Hunger Project, which empowers women across the world to improve their lives.

To get involved visit the Neo website.