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The change makers

Social entrepreneurs are also known as change makers. Why? What makes a social entrepreneur a change agent? To facilitate change because of the necessity that it implies, social entrepreneurs are purpose and results driven.

 

Change makers

To make change happen is an interesting concept unto itself. Social entrepreneurs are activists at heart. Where they actively create a movement where the impetus of their actions and focused delivery brings about change for the greater good: environment, social and ethical.

 

Would you define yourself as a change maker or a change agent?

Begin to look at your life and your journey thus far. Have you inspired others through your actions or just through being who you are in your everyday interactions? Do you notice people behaving differently after they’ve had a conversation with you in the way they may approach something or how they look on the environment and their local community. Or a subtle change in how they see themselves: internal change is often the greatest point of creating a life changing experience and hence a ripple effect change in their immediate environment.

 

Maker of ideas into realities

To make or create, to actively pursue something is key in the change maker’s constitution. It’s building something: an idea into a sustainable entity called a business. What is being made is directly related to the change: the product itself is change. As with any change desired to be experienced, there is a way to measure its effectiveness through business tools such as KPI (key performance indicators)  or SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound) goals.

 

Building a movement of change

A change maker knows it cannot achieve its objectives as an island unto itself. It requires like minded impassioned individuals to partner with and work towards the same common purpose. Change makers are leaders who actively fulfill the role of “being the change one wishes to see” (Ghandi). They exemplify the qualities that inspire others to partake in an active role by becoming change makers themselves.

 

I’m currently reading a book: The Young Activist’s Guide to Building a Green Movement + changing the world” by Sharon J. Smith . It is indeed a guide, very clearly defined to the smallest level of detail what to consider in your process of change. With a business mind, you would see this as a well described project plan from SMART goals to measurement, from marketing to engagement, from team building to a sustainable business model. What this book also includes are stories of young activists, who despite their age have created tremendous inspiring effects for their communities, and in some cases for the entire country (USA). If there is one thing to take away from this book its: no matter your age, no matter your circumstance, you can be a change maker. This book simply gives the road map, but the drive to make the well defined script come to life through the active participation of individuals who ‘care to make a difference.’

 

The hero’s journey

The call to change of walking the path of the silver lining is as much the journey of the change maker who actively pursues his purpose of being a change maker. The values that serve as his compass are the tools by which the purpose (SMART goals) is actively pursued through each step of the silver lining path.

Photo by Ross Findon on Unsplash

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The Skema Generation

It was a wet cold dark winters day in Iceland back in 2013 that I met Rakel Sölvadóttir of Skema at her office at Reykjavik University. The weather contrasted what I soon discovered was a light in my search of the Icelandic Social Enterpreneur, which Rakel truly embodied as she recounted her social entrepreneurial journey.

What is Skema?

Skema teaches coding to young people from the age of 6 years olds through the process of gamification with the added teaching tools of positive psychology. In Skema a a smile on a child´s face is their greatest measurement of success. If a child doesn´t  feel good about themselves during a session, they would try to find a way to build up them up positivity.

Skema has been in its active state since July 2011, and much has been accomplished by Rakel and her team since its inception. The Skema philosophy has various influences at its core and serves to meet a demand that has long been anticipated by Iceland and the world at large. The roots of Skema started, as with most social entrepreneurs I have researched, with her own life story. It has shaped the landscape that has faciliated the Skema core purpose to unfold.

Rakel´s social entrepreneurial journey

Rakel as a young girl would have been considered as ADHD which meant she didn´t fit in the ´normal´schooling system. To channel her energy it took the form of a Sinclair Spectrum computer  (which she admitted was purchased through bribing her parents for staying home whilst they were on a holiday in Europe), she self-taught herself to programme games literally through code and play back (on a tape) mechanisms. A far cry from the technologies available today.  In addition, her fiestly nature of doing things her way, surfaced for example in her maths classes, where through her highly attuned mind could calculate solutions and saw no need  to explain why through the rules and formulas we´re accustomed to having to adhere to in mathematical education. It also surfaced when she convinced her vice principle of the school at the time, to allow her to skip some classes and do her school work on her own in the library, as it was more conducive for her learning than in the class itself.

Her life journey took her on a two year work on a fishing boat around Iceland and Canada, where she wasn´t afraid to test her own strength and was „one of the guys“. In her final year of her degree in Computer Science, her final project was „Building up on the education system“. The concept itself was the seed, as she looks back in reflection, for the Skema concept. An idea that was before its time, in 1998, which at that time Rakel wasn´t yet ready for her entrepreneurial journey.

Rakel quickly moved into a career as senior programmer at the Social Insurance Administration and then for the banking industry for many years whilst growing her family. After the economic crash in 2008 in Iceland, Rakel empathised with her friends as they were being retrenched. And so her personal journey began with asking: „what now?“ Rakel, through this crises, began to question her purpose: what was she really doing with her life (rather than just creating data reports for stock markets), and how could she give to society? These questions spurred her to reduce her working hours and enter a psychology degree at the Reykjavik University. During this time again she and another student developed a project based on the question: „Could 6 and 9 year old children learn to code and have fun at it?“ Both ladies had children of a similar age who were the case studies in this project.

What they discovered was indeed the case, and more so the project was entered into a competition „Seed of the Year“ where they won the respective grant that gave them an opportunity to bring their seed into a for-profit organization. At this time Rakel was ready to take the Skema project to the next level, and her co-founder decided to complete her psychology degree.

The Skema Product & Philosophy

Everything that Skema stands for is embedded within it´s products and services it delivers. It is an ecclectic teaching style combining technology, education and psychology. Where Skema set´s itself appart from other coding courses is that it is aimed at children and also peer taught by children. In a typical class you will find one adult, and a few assist teachers. The assist teachers at present comprise children of all ages and most importantly some that are ADHD, Aspergers or Autistic. What they have found through this teaching approach was for example that the adult is asked direct questions by the students, however questions asked with peers are fundamentally more creative and encourage dialogue.

Skema is also in the process of working with the educational system where they are providing a „teach the teacher“ course. In most cases in Iceland, teacher training does not often include coding or an emphasis on technology. The „teach the teachers“ course encompasses the Skema philosophy and these skills are reaching the school teachers themselves who are then able to spread the Skema philosophy. Reykjavik University & CCP, the Icelandic gaming company, have been great supporters to Skema as both have put work and money into the project.

At its heart is the teaching methods they use during their classes. And in the first half of 2013, they intend to publish their first book in Icelandic and English „Coding for 8-12 year olds“. The book will be a living textbook focused on graphics and mindmaps, which come alive through the characters portrayed in the book. It will also have a companion for teachers as a teaching aid.

What excites me about Skema

When you fully understand the implications that Skema offers to some key pain points in our educational  and technology sectors, I´m sure you will agree that Skema has something to offer not only for Iceland but eventually the world.

·        ADHD, Aspergers or Autistic children: ADHD, Aspergers or Autistic children are often perceived as not fitting into the normal school system. What Skema does is to turn it around, and addresses the strengths of these children through coding and gamification, where they can and do excel.

·        Technology sector gap: There is a large gap in the technology industry for programmers, Skema is addressing this need through providing the future workforce with much needed talent (albeit they have to wait a few years).

·        Girls who code: Skema is addressing the gender barrier in the programming world through working with children at an early age. Girls are understanding that programming is a viable career path for them, one where they can even flourish.

·        Teaching philosophy: Skema focuses on positive psychology which maximizes the child´s personal experience, feeling confident about themselves and learning in their own unique way. The Skema children have often had a noticeable shift in themselves after attending these classes as evidenced in current research projects and the feedback received.

Grow a Seed , Replicate & Partner

Skema´s original approach was to develop, research and aim their product with Iceland as a test market. Skema aimed to franchise its product in the US market but due to large scale competition in that market the franchise model did not pan out. Skema then reorganized itself and is now under the wing of Reykjavik University and continues to run its courses from their premises.

In my perspective, coding will be become in the future the language that we will all be required to speak fluently. It is a language that has no boarders, it is the language of the technologies we as a society have come to rely on, which will only escalate. What Skema is facilitating is a preparation of the next generation for this world, based on skills mastered such as coding and also emphasizes the human aspect of self empowerment, connecting and building friendships. Facilitating the child to appreciate themselves in an area, where as in the traditional school system they may not necessarily flourish. This all culminates in the grand vision of building the Skema Generation. I for one think it´s a solution to many areas, that is neatly tied with a Skema bow.

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Clarifying your mission and purpose

What’s your mission and purpose? For a social entrepreneur it’s a calling, if you will. A call within that is a culmination of life circumstances that strikes a chord of not-being-able-to-sit-back-anymore…something needs to change.  Your mission and purpose is born.

 

What’s a mission or purpose

I believe everyone has a purpose in their life. Often lying latent, a gift unwrapped under a Christmas tree, waiting for just the right moment. Some find it naturally through their interests. A writer that cannot put his pen down or stop the flow of words and stories is clearly a tell-tale sign of a person’s life purpose. It’s the things we look forward to doing; it’s when we’re fully engaged we’re in an active state of flow.

Some of us, take a bit of time to mature, like a flower turning into fruit, it takes time to discover where we most feel at home. And home is a state of mind, where we feel content that we’re actively pursuing that what we’ve set out for ourselves to contribute to this world.

 

How to transform your purpose into your organizational purpose

When business mission meets personal mission a sweet symphony reveals itself as two singers hum the same song; they merge onto the same path. In business speak a mission statement is said to include: who is your target audience, what are you delivering to them and why you? This is a means to communicate in a clear statement why your organization exists. But please remember the symphony; your statement should embody your passion as its founder, the organizational mission and the personality in the organizational culture which is reflected in its values.

 

How do you know which social or environmental challenge to impact?

Well that really comes down to you? What are the challenges you sometimes wonder about why nothing is being done about it? When in conversation do you hear yourself or others complaining about a particular defunct attitude or something-just-not-right-with-the-picture about the current state of your community’s social or environmental behavior? Lastly, if it gets to that, what makes your blood boil, or cause you to shake your head in disbelief?

Let me be clear, it’s not about pointing fingers, or saying why they (whomever your chosen accomplice) aren’t doing something about it. The fact that this is occurring for you, is possibly due to the fact that it’s up to you to do something about it. It’s also not about being an activist, yet it does spur that feeling on, it’s about challenge meets solution. Solutions address certain ideas, systems or behaviors that may not be conductive to the welfare of the environment or our society. And I’ll bet as you’re reading this, you can come up with a whole raft of such instances. Well pick one.

One that has a personal meaning to you. One that feels aligned to your own purpose. And with that you have found your match.

 

Purpose as a quality for a social entrepreneur

In “Rippling: How Social Entrepreneurs Spread Innovation Through the World” by Beverly Schwartz, she designates purpose as the first quality of a social entrepreneur. She writes:

“Their (Ashoka Fellows) clarity of purpose is often the decisive factor that brings individual and organizational efforts together. This is because it defines why they are working toward something and why it is worth working on it collectively. Purpose becomes the invisible glue that connects different actions and actors while it bonds everyone with inspiration. It infuses boldness and calculated risk and it creates loyalties by helping people understand why their contribution is valuable and valued. Purpose mitigates fear and allows inspiration to replace fear with action. Purpose leads to a sense of possibility.”

 

Examples of organizational mission purpose statements

Ashoka Changemakers® provides the tools and resources to empower everyone to contribute to a better world. Our community’s mission is to grow new ideas through transparency and collaboration, a process of Open Growth. No matter where you are starting, or where you are going, Changemakers makes it easier to share an idea, track progress, communicate with supporters, and invest in global change.

Acumen Fund: Our mission is to create a world beyond poverty by investing in social enterprises, emerging leaders, and breakthrough ideas.

The HUB: We create spaces that inspire, connect and enable people to realize enterprising ideas for sustainable impact. We are curators of physical, virtual and social spaces for change. Our spaces offer access to a unique ecosystem of inspiration, people and resources to realize good ideas for the world.

Photo by David Iskander on Unsplash

Asana – project management tool with creative features

The project management process is complicated enough, therefore more and more businesses and teams are looking for PM tools that won’t be too complex or difficult to use. As we have already shown you in this section, there are a few good project management tools that are designed to be user-friendly, graphic and will not cause a headache when you want to add a new task or set a meeting.  This time we want to bring the spotlight to another major player in the project management tool market – Asana.

Asana is a project management and collaboration software that provides endless options for anyone who takes part in teamwork. It helps you to organize tasks in a very easy and quick way, lets you create lists for elements of your project that are already done and the ones that are still in progress and allows for many more opportunities. This software does an excellent job of helping to manage all the details of your project, but that is only part of the reason why Asana is one of the most popular project management tools. The additional features and well-considered details are the factors that make Asana stand out in the growing crowd of PM software. One of these features is timeline which gives you the possibility to insert all your planned tasks, due dates, deadlines, meeting plans and everything else in a plan that helps you to see how the little pieces of your project fit together. Moreover, everything on the Timeline can also be shared in a calendar. This way you can keep your team members informed and avoid overlapping of important tasks and responsibilities. Shared calendar lets every team member know what the actual situation is and keeps everyone informed about shifting deadlines or any other changes in the plan.

Another feature that contributes to large numbers of Asana users is the possibility of the integration. There are more than 100 apps that can be integrated with Asana – you can get notified in Slack when any modifications are made for your tasks in Asana, you can choose and attach files from your DropBox, Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive account, all of your Google Calendar events can be synchronized with your Asana calendar and lots and lots of other useful integration possibilities. This feature helps to avoid fragmentation of projects as all the necessary information and data can be stored and viewed in one place. This leads us to another interesting feature of the Asana software – it is designed to reduce the need for any other external communication. This is a very useful option for teams who view emails as an ineffective form of communication. Asana provides the possibility to communicate and inform other team members in so many ways – by commenting on specific tasks, inviting to meetings, sharing information with only specific people to ensure the protection of sensitive data, creating custom dashboards and many other options. There is even a possibility to “tag” team members to draw their attention to specific aspects of the project. Although many organizations and teams would probably continue to use emails as a form of every-day communication, Asana has found a great way how to create an all-encompassing software that reduces the need for using many other tools.

Another very interesting option that Asana provides is the possibility to insert company goals and milestones within various categories, such as product, business, people, etc. Communicating overall priorities and goals for a certain time frame helps the team to see how their tasks and actions fit into the bigger picture.

Asana is available completely free if it is used by up to 15 team members. It also offers a Premium version which includes more advanced features and extras than the free version. There is also an Enterprise possibility – a good fit for big companies and enterprises with the focus of administration and security controls. Whichever version you choose, it seems that Asana will have something to offer for any project and any team.

Visit https://asana.com/ to find out more interesting features this software has to offer to your team.

MakeSense launched support fund for early stage social enterprises

And here is the awesome news! Makesense is launching its first investment fund for Entrepreneurs changing the world for good “Makesense seed 1”.

It’s one of the only pre-seed investment funds for Social Entrepreneurs in Europe! The fund has 8,2 millions of euros available. It was raised and built completely by the awesome co-founders of Makesense Alizée Lozac’hmeur , Coralie Gaudoux and Léa Zaslavsky. The investment committee is only composed of women and it’s going to help early-stage Entrepreneurs access funding to change the world using tech for good & communities! There s a real funding gap at the pre-seed stage at the moment and this is where the funds come in.

Thank you to the European investment fund, Caisse de depots, BNP Paribas, Vital emploi and the three amazing tech entrepreneurs including Marc-David Choukroun for investing in the fund!

Massive massive thanks to the European investment fund and its general director Pier Luigi GILIBERT for supporting half the fund and for coming to the launch event of the fund in Paris!

More information on https://fund.makesense.org/

 

Pay as you go solar solution is expanding in Africa

This month marks nine years since Jesse Moore and Nick Hughes first sketched out a plan for M-KOPA – one of the early leaders in the pay-as-you-go (PAYG) solar market. Since then, M-KOPA has installed PAYG solar systems in over 750,000 African homes, and now receives over 30 million customer micropayments per year, writes Moore. He estimates that PAYG solar will soon reach over 10 million customers and surpass a billion dollars in cumulative revenue – but he cautions that the industry should gird itself for a wave of consolidation as it embarks on its second decade.

Image result for Pay-As-You-Go Solar Sector

More information: https://lnkd.in/eaGXfze

Business model of sustainable knitwear company

A Lithuanian team behind sustainable hand made knitwear – The Knotty Ones decided to do their socially minded business by engaging low-income women across Lithuania.

Three young women founders of The Knotty Ones are big believers in shopping less, but better. They say that their mission is to celebrate quality garments that will last you for many seasons, hence focus on creating individual quality pieces rather than collections.

They source only natural and sustainable fabrics while incorporating better practices throughout their supply chain to make beautiful knitwear at a fraction of the environmental impact of fast fashion.

The company pays fairly for the work of their craftswomen. Most of them are stay at home moms often living in small cities and villages with limited sources of income. Each garment is signed by the name of the craftswoman that produced it.

Here is a video about the Knotty Ones:

https://vimeo.com/246608650

 

 

Microfinance and Social Entrepreneurship axis of EaSI

This content is delivered to you in the framework of the SEBS2 project co-funded by the Erasmus+, as our aim is to popularize social business and social entrepreneurship in the Baltic Sea Region.

Great info for small social enterprises!

The Microfinance and Social Entrepreneurship (MF/SE) axis support actions in two thematic sections:

Objectives

  • Increase access to, and the availability of, microfinance for vulnerable groups who want to set up or develop their business and micro-enterprises.
  • Build up the institutional capacity of microcredit providers.
  • Support the development of social enterprises, in particular by facilitating access to finance.

Funding

EaSI Guarantee

EUR 96 million is already available for interested microcredit providers and social enterprise through the EaSI Guarantee. It shall enable microcredit providers and social enterprise investors to reach out to entrepreneurs they would not have been able to finance otherwise for risk considerations. The Commission has selected the European Investment Fund as its entrusted entity to implement the EaSI Guarantee.

To apply for the EaSI Guarantee (direct or counter-guarantee), reply to a call for expression of interest on the European Investment Fund website.

EaSI Capacity Building

EUR 16 million is available through the EaSI Capacity Building Investments Window. It aims at building up the institutional capacity of selected financial intermediaries that have not yet reached sustainability or are in need of risk capital to sustain their growth and development. It covers equity and, in exceptional cases, loans. The Commission has selected the European Investment Fund as its entrusted entity to implement the EaSI Capacity Building Investments Window.

To apply for the EaSI Capacity Building Investments Window, reply to a call for expression of interest on the European Investment Fund website.

Who can participate?

The European Commission does not directly finance entrepreneurs or social enterprises but enables selected microcredit providers and social enterprise investors in the EU to increase lending.

Organisations that can apply for funding are public and private bodies established at the national, regional or local level and providing microcredit for persons and microenterprises and/or financing for social enterprises in these countries.

SIT 2019: Europe’s 15 best social entrepreneurs selected

If you can create an impact you must. Fifteen finalists have been selected for the 2019 edition of the Social Innovation Tournament, the flagship initiative of the Institute’s Social Programme recognising and supporting Europe’s best social entrepreneurs. Two out of 15 finalists are coming from the Baltic Sea region: Wholi Foods from Denmark making energy bars using insects and PositiveCV from Finland that helps find talents in children.

The 15 finalists, whose primary purpose is to generate a social, ethical or environmental impact, were selected from 168 candidates in 27 countries by EIB Group experts.

Over three days in July, they 15 high impact ventures, from 11 countries, will participate in a mentoring bootcamp in Amarante, Portugal, organised in cooperation with social incubator IRIS and IES-Social Business School.

There, experts on business and social entrepreneurship will offer practical advice to improve all aspects of each project and prepare them to pitch their venture at a Final Event in Dublin, Ireland, on 24 October.

At the Final Event, four prizes will be awarded by a jury composed of specialists from the academic and business worlds: General Category and Special Category 1st and 2nd Prizes of EUR 50 000 and EUR 20 000 respectively.

In 2019, the Special Category Prizes will go to projects focusing on sustainable consumption and sustainable production (SDG 12) including the circular economy.

Finding money to start a social enteprise

Recently we came across a handy article by Alastair Wilson from the School for Social Entrepreneurs:

A lightbulb has blinked on in your brain and inspiration has hit – you know how you’re going to right that social injustice that you see. What’s more, your solution can earn money. You’re going to launch a social enterprise.

Now, where can you find some money to get your project off the ground?

Social enterprises are generally perceived to be a good thing. Not only do they provide employment and contribute tax revenue like any other business, but they also serve a socially useful purpose. So if you’ve got a good idea, there are numerous organisations that want to support you, including Her Majesty’s Government.

But first: think. Do you need to get money from someone else for the very early stages of your social enterprise? Lots of social entrepreneurs start their project while holding down a regular job. Think about using a little of your own money and asking for volunteers or work space you could use for free.

If you’ve considered your options and definitely need an injection of money to launch, read on.

Free money!

Our Lloyds Bank and Bank of Scotland Social Entrepreneurs Start Up Programme is a good place to start. Every year, we offer a free learning programme and grant funding to people with a great idea and the drive to make positive change.

UnLtd, the foundation for social entrepreneurs also offer ‘Try It’ and ‘Do It’ awards of £500 and £5,000 respectively. The first, as the name suggests, is money towards testing an idea that you might have. The second is for when you’re sure you want to go for it and start your business. Both amounts of money come with award managers who can offer advice. Given that UnLtd helped more than 500 social enterprises to start last year, they’re a solid organisation to have in your corner. If you’re reading this in Scotland, check out Firstport’s Start It and Build It awards, too.

Grants – free money that you don’t have to pay back – are available through many different charitable organisations. But very few specifically target budding social entrepreneurs. Instead, think about what your social enterprise is intended to do. Is your art initiative proving to be a springboard for people with mental health problems? Then the Henry Smith Charity might be willing to give you some money. Started a business that’s a boon to your local community? Give Power to Change a shout. We’ve listed as many organisations offering grants as we can here.

Continue to a full text here:

https://www.the-sse.org/resources/starting/finding-money-start-social-enterprise/