Social entrepreneurs are individuals who tackle societal, ethical and environmental crises through sustainable initiatives. Social entrepreneurship is not charity. It is applying innovative market solutions to societal problems. Three social innovators working in various fields, Hedda Pahlson-Moller (The Impactory), Inge Gondwe-Knapen (Close the Gap) and Cristina Simionescu (Recicleta), presented their initiatives at a meeting in June 2014.
The Impactory aims to help entrepreneurs in Luxembourg develop their businesses with a focus on socially-minded initiatives. For Hedda Pahlson-Moller, it is a “laboratory for innovation and a factory for impact”, which provides its members with co-working space, advice, workshops and a collaborative environment. Click here for a presentation.
Close the Gap is a non-profit organisation with a global reach. It offers high-quality, used computers that have been donated by large and medium-sized corporations to projects in developing and emerging countries. Inge Gondwe-Knapen spoke about the impact these computers have on children in Africa and explained that computer education is the modern-day equivalent of providing children with pens and paper. The EIB Institute has a cooperation agreement with Close the Gap. Click here for a presentation.
Recicleta, was the winner of the environmental category in the 2013 Social Innovation Tournament. Based in Bucharest, Romania, Recicleta uses cargo bikes to collect waste paper from offices. It employs socially disadvantaged people as its cyclists. Cristina Simionescu explained that while their initiative is small, the environmental impact their zero-emissions recycling has had on the community can already be measured. Click here for a presentation.
Before they spoke, Marie-Josée Jacobs, President of the Luxembourg Caritas Foundation and former Luxembourg Minister for the Family and Integration, and for Equal Opportunities, presented the current social landscape in the Grand Duchy. She explained that while there is great wealth in Luxembourg, there is still poverty and unemployment. She discussed the challenges facing young people in today’s economic climate and why such a large percentage of the population remains unemployed. Her presentation illustrated the need for social initiatives and entrepreneurs in any community.
