Social Enterprise is part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, the world’s largest celebration of the innovators and job creators who launch startups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare. During one week each November, GEW inspires people everywhere through local, national and global activities designed to help them take the next step in their entrepreneurial journey.The campaign is all about highlighting the diversity in the sector across the globe and is an opportunity for all social enterprises to take part in a public facing campaign, as well as engaging their staff directly with their social enterprise mission.
We are bringing you inspiring stories about social enterprises from our partner regions.
Newspaper founded by holmes people from Italy
Piazza Grande, since 1993 the Bologna street newspaper founded by homeless people
“Our experience began in 1993 with the Piazza Grande newspaper: the first Italian street newspaper written, edited and disseminated by homeless people, who began recovery paths based on empowerment and self-help. A few months later, the Amici di Piazza Grande Association was born, marking the transition from the newspaper's initial bet to a more planning phase with a different and innovative logic: we are convinced that poverty cannot be defeated without relationships between people. Then in 1997 we created the Piazza Grande Social Cooperative, in response to the extreme marginality dictated by the housing issue in Bologna. The aim is to create working conditions and careers for people in conditions of social marginality in our city thanks to work placement paths: homeless are included in the projects as active subjects, and no longer as simple users of a service. Today we have Housing First project which provides for the inclusion of those in a housing emergency in apartments found and managed by the cooperative, with leases at an agreed rate.” Carlo Francesco Salmaso, president of newspaper
Tropem Przygody, social enterprise from Poland
Seven years ago social cooperative Tropem Przygody (TP) started its activity. It was a response to the desire of young scout instructors to leave their hometown - Kielce. The point was to find a job for people who, thanks to the support of TP, are leaving the circle of people at risk of social exclusion. TP are people who actively work with young people - active scout instructors, members of associations, educators and managers of holiday camps. TP's offer includes rallies, trips, camps, summer camps, city games, themed quizzes, sporting events, festivals, concerts and study visits, events for companies, offices and schools.
Read interview with one of the co-founders of Tropem Przygody, vice-president of the board Marcin Jedliński about how the reality for the social economy has changed - https://bit.ly/2UN8MEd
KABINETCB and Z5SMYSL, Ltd. small social enterprises from Czech Republic
KABINET CB and Z5SMYSL are small social enterprises in Ceske Budejovice. Both want to make a social impact – e.g. facing difficulties in the labour market – back into society or re-using waste. Z5SMYSL was established to solve the long-term complicated conditions of employment of people with serious mental illness. KABINET CB was formed in response to the environmental problems connecting with constantly buying and throwing away new things, especially furniture.
Both companies employ people with health and social disadvantages, especially people with mental illness and also parents with small children. “Despite the fact, that both companies were established under completely different conditions and with completely different goals, we are united by one of the main principles of social entrepreneurship: COOPERATION and MUTUAL SUPPORT. We try to build the cooperation of social enterprises in České Budějovice for a long time and systematically in regional network for several years. We consider the cooperation of the entire community of people who have the main goal of their business to solve social problems to be very important.
Cooperation with local companies and authorities is no less important for us. In order to continue well running of our organization, ensure meaningful and dignified work for our employees and participate in solving some important problems in the company, we need RELIABLE BUSINESS PARTNERS who will work with us systematically and take us as regular business partners.” Crowdfunding campaign from Slovenia
Dantesmile is the first line of products for the home without waste and natural products in Slovenia. Here is a statement of the owner / social entrepreneur ms Jasmina Avbar.
»I’m Jasmine, for Jazzy’s friends, and I’m the mother of one child, one dog, and four cats. I started my ecological path in 2011. I founded the company Herbas Jasmina Avbar, s. p .. We were among the first in Slovenia to offer high quality organic certified skin care, accessible to all. The years went by, I became a mom, I felt that what I was doing, was not enough. In addition, I have noticed that I have more and more waste in the household and that I bring a bigger bag of garbage from every walk through the woods, meadow, beach, or park. I started thinking mainly about all disposable products such as diapers, sanitary pads, straws and all the other disposable products that I also used myself at the time. My son had natural and biodegradable diapers, but still… I thought that was not enough, so I started to think further (mostly in the shower) !! ? Since the showers were very short as I wanted to conserve water, I had no choice but to build my line in as short a time as possible. And the FIRST SLOVENIAN ZEROWASTE LINE DANTESMILE was born«
Hungarian social enterprise Civil impact
Civil Impact connected more than 150 non-profit organizations and companies to make the world a better place.
Civil Impact helps to establish collaborations between non-profit organizations and companies. Civil Impact has an insight into the changes of the corporate sustainability strategies and the unique values focused on civic expertise. Our events, projects, trainings and consulting processes aim to create the most effective and forward-thinking long-term partnerships between the two sectors, leading to social and environmental sustainability.
In the current pandemic situation we struggled to adapt to a working from home environment due to lack of digital systems and hardware. Our greatest need right now are digital subscriptions for example to Zoom and computers that allow our employees to work from home efficiently.
The Industry Disruptor Europe Program, program for social entrepreneurs
"The Do School has recently launched its newest program: The Industry Disruptor Europe Program. It is supported by UN Women, H&M and Tchibo. Selected social entrepreneurs can participate in a 6 week-long online learning and support program dedicated to helping your venture contribute to a more sustainable and equitable fashion industry. You will learn from leading experts in the field, connect with peers and mentors and become part of a community dedicated to changing the fashion industry for the better. The 20 most promising social entrepreneurs from the online learning phase will go through to the bootcamp, an intense and inspiring 5-day sprint to work with experts and mentors on your venture – and most importantly to connect and co-create with corporate partners to assess collaboration potential to scale your product or service. Please apply here: https://thedoschool.com/industry-disruptor-europe/
