The Rise of Social Enterprises in Europe: Just a Trend or Here to Stay?

By Jessica van Thiel

“There are lots of injustices in the current economic model, but I think social enterprise and social investment offers a way forward. I don’t see whole-scale revolution as likely any time soon, so we need to change the system we have.” – Paula Woodman, Global Adviser on Social Enterprise, British Council

The European SocEnt Scene

We’re a social enterprise based in Canada and in France, with a predominant client and partner in the United Kingdom, so it’s imperative that we be closely connected to the social enterprise (or #SocEnt) scene in Europe. We understand the importance of knowing the European market and the impact it has in the larger picture. After all, social entrepreneurship is much about collaboration, as a great number of social enterprises maximize their impact through partnership and co-operation.

According to the Social Enterprise Council of Canada social enterprises are, “businesses owned by non-profit organizations that are directly involved in the production and/or selling of goods and services for the blended purpose of generating income and achieving social, cultural, and/or environmental aims[1]”. In short, a SocEnt is a business that has a greater purpose and in general aims to ‘do good’ while making a profit.

One common practice among social entrepreneurs is to share ideas with peers. For us, building relationships and networks across Europe and North America have been essential in maximizing our reach. Rather than compete with other social entrepreneurs, as common practice in other industries, we’ve adopted the strategy of sharing information and connecting with our peers in efforts to gain insight, explore best practices, and establish key contacts. This has been incredibly rewarding for us, and through trial and error, we’ve learned that it is one of the most effective ways of accomplishing our objectives.

As the SocEnt community thrives on other SocEnts and there is an increase in the general awareness of the industry, it is very encouraging to see signs that social enterprises are on the rise across the globe. The industry has been growing in North America for decades, having gained momentum since industry giant, Ashoka, was founded in 1978. Social Enterprises have also steadily risen in developing countries, with investors and governments increasingly recognizing the potential of the sector. Europe may well be the next hot spot for social entrepreneurs.

So why is Europe getting on board now? We believe it’s a result of varying factors. For one, an uncertain socio-economic time in Europe and perhaps a renewed pressure to find new solutions has created plenty of opportunities for SocEnts across Europe. The (2009) global economic crisis in particular, resulted in widespread public discontentment with the way the global economic system functions, and it fueled interest (from many sectors) in more inclusive economic systems. And perhaps most importantly, this lead to an increased recognition of the role social enterprises can play in tackling societal and environmental challenges and fostering inclusive growth[2].

While the importance of the opportunity and necessity SocEnts hold is becoming increasingly clear – and there are a few note worthy studies which have aimed to fill this gap in knowledge such as The European Commission’s Mapping Study (April 2016), The British Council’s study on what Social Enterprises will look like in Europe by 2020 – little research has been done regarding the scale and impact of the sector in Europe as a greater, dynamic whole. There’s certainly the opportunity and a growing market, with the possibility to change the current economic model, one where social enterprise and social investment offer a way forward.

However, much work is yet to be done to discover all of the benefits of running socially responsible and economically sustainable organizations. The bottom line is this: while there is plenty of interest in exploration, we are still far from where SocEnts are a new normal.

A SocEnt’s Map of Europe: Who and What to Watch For

Who are Europe’s most promising SocEnts and what is their focus? As Europe deals with possibly the largest refugee crisis of all time, it’s no surprise that a large number of young SocEnts have made the refugee cause a priority, and they are running organizations focused on migration, successful integration and economic independence.

For example, Josephine Goube, is the Director of Partnerships of Migreat, an enterprise that simplifies the complex process of migration in Europe; Paula Schwarz founded Startupboat which finds scalable solution for mass migration emergencies; and Nathanael Molle of Singa,  helps refugees entering France set up small businesses or re-enter the workforce with French language training. Others are addressing different issues such as SimPrints, creating medical record-keeping technologies in developing countries, InternsGoPro are finding students meaningful internships across Europe, Social Wolves is encouraging widespread social activism in Europe and around the world, and Make Sense is an international community that rallies ‘SenseMakers’ across the world to help social entrepreneurs solve their challenges.[3].

Across Europe we are seeing a surge in youth entrepreneurship and interest in social innovation, sustainable technologies and helping the world’s most vulnerable. We too, have had the opportunity to participate first-hand, through our work with universities in the UK and with networks such as the European Sustainable Development Network and the Unreasonable Institute in France. It’s pretty incredible the rate and pace at which these networks and communities are emerging, it only gives more momentum and enthusiasm to the industry.

“With social entrepreneurship on the rise, social entrepreneurs will surely have a vital and central role to play in changing the world for the better, one business at a time[4]”.

How We See It

There are many amazing efforts underway, and by some incredible people, none-the-less. While this is all very promising, we are reminded constantly through our work, that there are still major gaps in the SocEnt industry in Europe and around the globe. But where there are gaps, there are opportunities, and we are optimistic that the future of SocEnts is vast and exciting; in Europe and elsewhere. And as more people get involved in such businesses, it is only a matter of time before there is greater impact where governments and ‘business as usual’ increasingly fail us. Simply put, the more people are inspired and informed of the potential of social entrepreneurship, the more likely they will recognize opportunities to change the current economic model to one where social enterprises offer a way forward.

[1] The Social Enterprise Council of Canada, 2017

[2] European Commission, 2017

[3] Forbes, 2016

[4] Lyon Business School, Global Entrepreneurship Program, 2016

People are recognizing the value in doing good while doing well

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Social entrepreneurship is becoming a movement in its own right. Current major global players that are in place to ensure the security and human rights of citizens are failing us, leaving a gap in the industry – and an opportunity for emerging innovations and players. People are recognizing the value in doing good while doing well. Most importantly, it’s a chance for social entrepreneurs to right the wrongs and propose innovative and effective solutions for helping people. Social entrepreneurs are not simply trying to affect change; they are the change.

The original article was published in MISC Magazine’s “Women: Shattering Expectations“ issue and can be found here: What the Mighty United Nations can Learn from Local Social Entrepreneur

Enabling Local Social Entrepreneurs

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Jess was recently interviewed by Ogunte, Community Interest Company and a certified B Corp, where she spoke about working with local social entrepreneurs, PATHFINDER’s theory of change and her vision for 2030.

“My world in 2030 would be one of equality for all, more opportunities for women in positions of power, and access to education for all girls, resulting in a brighter future for women and girls everywhere.”

Check out the full interview, Enabling local Social Entrepreneurs!

 

We must reinvent an economy for a resilient civilization

“We must reinvent an economy for a resilient civilization” – Joel Solomon

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We are thrilled to share the news about pioneering impact investor Joel Solomon’s new book, The Clean Money Revolution.

#Clean Money Revolution, is set to launch on May 1st, 2017 on Amazon and is now available for pre order.

The book calls for the reinvention of power, purpose and capitalism that will generate the biggest money making opportunity in history. $50 trillion will change hands from Boomers to Millennials in North America alone by 2050.

Co-Founder and Chair of Renewal Funds, Canada’s largest mission venture capital firm, Mr. Solomon is a pioneer in his field and inspiring leader and human being. See here to learn more about Joel Solomon, the book, and his legacy.

 

 

 

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.

-Margaret Mead

Every now and again we are struck by a quote or passage from a book that really resonates with us, that feels like it was written exactly for us. In a time where we feel powerless to affect change, we are reminded that through passion and perseverance, we can change the world.

Sir Richard Branson’s book, Screw Business as Usual, highlights this point; we (the little guys) can be the change. This is something we’ve seen to be true in our work and the inspiring work our fellow social entrepreneurs do everyday.

Branson sums it up perfectly in this passage:

Margaret Mead was one of the first great cultural anthropologists whose work on the people of Samoa is still a text book study. David Shepherd says her words inspired him: ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has’. He wrote to me, ‘Changing the world is no mean feat; but this quote reveals two of the great truths of the world. First, the world can be changed. Second, every great movement in the world starts with a tiny group of people who simply refuse to accept a situation. They gather their ideas and their passion and rive forward. If there is a problem they solve it or simply overcome it. They are not intimidated by the odds.’[i]

And we couldn’t agree more!

[i] Sir Richard Branson, 2011, Screw Business as Usual

Relief Mission to Help Syrian Children: From the Unexpected to the Unforgettable

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Our mission to the refugee camps along the Western Syrian border (with Lebanon) was not without its ups and downs. We set out to raise a modest amount to be able to buy and deliver critical supplies for the children most affected by the Syrian war.

While the mission was simple in theory, it turned out to be far more complicated than that in reality. Shivani was detained for several hours in Beirut, and eventually denied entry without just cause. She was re-routed to Cairo, where she was able to get the mission back on track.

We were relieved to have exceeded our goal by reaching over 500 children, including the well known orphans recently evacuated from Aleppo. More details are expected over the next few months. There just remained one loose end: about 75 lbs of hand wrapped gifts brought over from Canada. So on New Year’s Day, Shivani decided to visit the Awladi Orphanages in Cairo, and distribute the goodies to their youngest children.

The children’s reactions were so delightful. They were overjoyed, appreciative and downright adorable. It was such a pleasure to have been able to bring these children even a few moments’ worth of cheer!

We’re heading to the refugee camps along the Western Syrian border

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It’s the day before Shivani leaves to visit the children in the refugee camps along the Western Syrian border.

Although today is the last day to contribute towards much needed supplies for these children, our campaign and blog will continue with updates on our mission.

Thanks to all of our supporters, we could not have done this without you!

Just a few days left to join our campaign to help Syrian refugee children

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JUST OVER ONE WEEK LEFT to join our campaign for crucial winter necessities for children in refugee camps along the Syrian Border! Your donations will help little ones survive winter at the edge of this horrible war.

We were recently on TogiNet Radio chatting with Frankie Picasso about our mission. You can listen here:

 

PATHFINDER’s Mission to Help Syrian Refugees over the Holidays

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Like so many, we’ve been helplessly watching images of Syrian children in desperate conditions for years now. It seems like no number of terrified, shocked or hurt children is enough to make it stop.

So this holiday season, we decided to do something. Shivani will be visiting and bringing much needed supplies to the children in the refugee camps along the Western Syrian border. The ones closest to the struggle are those who are most neglected, and we’d like to bring them a bit of holiday cheer.

This is a pro-bono, humanitarian relief effort. We encourage you to find out more and get involved in this very important project by visiting our campaign.

Thank you!

Why Accelerator Labs are the Way to Go

By Jessica van Thiel

We have always been fans of the Unreasonable Institute. We’ve wanted to get involved with an accelerator lab since we started out. The focus, intensity and support of an accelerator lab seemed to be exactly what we needed in the beginning. With time though, PATHFINDER developed beyond the conception phase. While we were no longer eligible to participate, we still wanted to be a part of this exciting experience. So when we were invited to present and mentor at the Unreasonable Institute Lab in France, we were thrilled! Not only was it a big moment in our #SocEnt journey, but also, it was an important step in validation of our work so far.

Accelerator Labs

Although there are many accelerator labs for social entrepreneurs, for example, The Community Innovation Lab, The Mission Center, Standford Business School Impact Labs program, etc., our experience has only been with the Unreasonable Institute thus far. Their mission is to help and provide tools to entrepreneurs to solve the world’s greatest problems. Problems like poverty, lack of education, and access to clean water. They identify promising entrepreneurs with compelling potential projects and provide them with access to mentors, funders, and partners to help maximize their impact with the overall goal for each venture to impact 1,000,000 people.

One aspect of the lab that I found particularly useful was the Unreasonable Institute’s mentoring community. Mentors are available to provide advice during the lab, but beyond that, if there’s chemistry, they can provide a lasting relationship and guidance to the entrepreneurs.

Mentoring

As a mentor myself, I found it enriching to connect with such passionate individuals. The mentoring day, or at least the one I participated in, is a grueling and self-realizing experience. The setting is intimate yet professional. Entrepreneurs meet with as many as ten mentors – all from different backgrounds – who provide useful and sometimes brutally honest advice. Entrepreneurs can feel drained after the experience and often even feel the need to completely rethink their business plan or idea.

So why would a new entrepreneur willingly put themselves through such a test? Because, based on the feedback I received from the entrepreneurs, it can be a completely eye-opening experience. The lab served as an opportunity to deliver a series of ‘mini’ pitches, each time allowing the entrepreneur to perfect their pitch and polish their message. In many cases, it also allowed them to see their project from completely different angles. It allowed for perspective and critical clarity on how to move forward. Most of the entrepreneurs were emotionally and physically drained by the end of the day. Yet they felt they were better for having persevered through the experience. Even as a mentor, I had a few ‘Aha’ moments with entrepreneurs where it felt like we were really brainstorming new ideas; we were making things happen!

From the point of view of a mentor, who participated in a rewarding and creative experience, I found the Unreasonable Institute Lab to be unique from past similar engagements. Rather than just providing advice, I felt involved, like we were building something important, together.

Invaluable Contacts

I will, without a doubt, stay in touch and hope to even work with some of the entrepreneurs I met. If the participants benefited from the lab as much as I did, I’m positive that in a few months, we will not only see the success of budding start-ups, but the beginning of lasting entrepreneur-mentor relationships. So, if you’re looking for an enriching and useful experience to help launch your start-up, the Unreasonable Institute Accelerator Lab is definitely the way to go.