expertise Sweden blogpost 2023

Supporting social entrepreneurs: Unplugged learnings

Our Senior Program Manager Louise Johnsson Zea reflects on the key learnings from her daily work with the social entrepreneurs in our portfolio. She delves into their most pressing needs, remarkable strengths, common pitfalls, and promising opportunities, as well as the human side of the social entrepreneurship journey.

Louise Johnsson Zea

change leader Sweden 2023

Conversations that change: Fighting segregation through dialogue

Fatima Gronblad is passionate about making people feel less like strangers to each other. Born and raised in a tight-knit community in southern Sweden, from an early age she observed how easily people with different ethnic or socio-economic backgrounds can be categorized and how that often leads to misunderstandings, prejudices and segregation. She founded “Världen finns här" where she works tirelessly to build a more inclusive society, one conversation at a time.

Sweden news 2023 programs partnerships

Your idea - our support. Looking for new social entrepreneurs to join our Incubator in Sweden

Our Incubator program in Sweden is open for applications. Social entrepreneurs with ideas that make a difference for children and young people can apply until September 30th. The national outdoor campaign is shown on Clear Channel's digital screens across the country.

ecosystem Baltics news 2023 ukraine project

Empowering civil organizations to maximize their impact

We’re launching a new project which will strengthen the ability of civil society organizations to measure and manage their impact. Until February 2024, with funding from the Nordic Council of Ministers, we’ll collaborate closely with Civic Alliance-Latvia and Social Economy Ukraine. We’ll provide them with the tools and knowledge on how to measure their own social impact, and will empower them to provide trainings and support within impact management for their member organizations.

2023 ukraine expertese

Social entrepreneurship in Ukraine: driving social impact in the face of a conflict

Petro Darmoris, Director at Social Economy Ukraine and Board Member of Social Economy Europe, reflects on the state of the social entrepreneurship ecosystem in Ukraine today, on the role of social entrepreneurship after the Russian invasion and on staying hopeful and driving social impact in the face of a war.

change leader story Bulgaria equality 2023

A pioneer gym for children with disabilities

Sports play a crucial role in the lives of children with disabilities, offering a wide range of benefits that positively impact their physical, mental, and social well-being. However, in Bulgaria, there are few sports facilities equipped for the needs of children with disabilities. Determined to change that, Svetoslav Zahariev founded Zahariev Fight Team - a pioneering gym which provides adapted equipment and regular training sessions for children with disabilities and special need

Sweden change leader story equality 2023

Turning fear into fins

That a girl who grew up far from water, without any experience or knowledge of swimming, would take her first swims on her own as an eighteen-year-old; and then training as a swimming instructor and starting her own swimming school, is a story that inspires. Muna Idow is the mermaid who found her fins relatively late in life and who has made it her life's project to spread the love of water further.

Sweden change leader story equality 2023

Sounds of hope: Reshaping suburban children's lives

A child of Caribbean immigrants, Jean-Charles Cari grew up with his mum in the rough suburbs of Paris and saw many of his friends end up on the wrong path. But role models and music saved his life. Ten years ago he moved to Sweden and when he recognized himself in many of the young teenagers, he decided to offer them what he had helped him, and so Artozik was born.

Sweden ecosystem 2023 partnerships

Promoting social entrepreneurship in Sweden together with Clear Channel

We’re happy to share that we’ve just entered a long term partnership with Scandinavia's leading outdoor media company - Clear Channel. Together we have developed the outdoor campaign "Your idea - Our support" which will increase awareness about our work and promote local Swedish social entrepreneurs offering solutions for children and young people.

expertise Sweden blogpost 2023

Unique investments in social entrepreneurship in the EU and the UN - but where is Sweden?

With the EU's Social Economy Action Plan and a recently adopted UN resolution, Sweden has a chance to invest in social entrepreneurship. The opportunity is about to be missed, but there is still time to raise the issue, write our CEO Sofia Breitholtz and Jenny Carenco, partner in Utfallsfonden and board member of The Swedish National Advisory Board for Impact Investing.

Sofia Breitholtz

Sweden change leader story 2023

Training for a more equal society

Throughout her life, our Change Leader Susan Dahlbeck experienced how local gyms in Järva outside of Stockholm were dominated by men and lacked safe places for young women. As health issues have increased in socio-economic challenged areas, she decided to start Healthy Women - a network for young women to engage in physical activities and ongoing social gatherings. We talked with her about her journey and the impact created by Healthy Women.

ghana partnering for change 2023

Global Board Visit in Ghana

In March, Global Board member Monica Lindstedt - founder of Hemfrid, and Advisory Board member David Orlic - Co-Founder & CEO of Anyone, together with our CEO Sofia Breitholtz and a business delegation from Sweden arrived in Accra, Ghana - to spend the next three days experiencing first-hand the impact created by driven social entrepreneurs, meet local partners of Reach for Change and explore the interesting city of Accra.

ghana news 2023 partnerships

Partnering for Change in Ghana

On Tuesday 28th March, together with the BMW Foundation, Reach for Change Ghana gathered over 75 local and international partners, social innovators, business leaders, investors, and development partners in Ghana at an exclusive “Partnering for Change” roundtable event at the Fiesta Royale Hotel, Accra.

Sweden education change leader story 2023

Inclusive environments for kids: lessons from a social entrepreneur

The close environment has a big impact on how children interpret social structures, and how they interact with each other. It’s up to us adults to create an environment that reflect that we’re all equally important. Our Change Leader Johanna Abdo, founder of the Swedish educational brand Elsa och Sam has dedicated herself to creating more inclusive environments for kids. We talked with her about her entrepreneurial journey and the products and impact she’s creating.

Sweden news 2023 projects

Gathering forces for increased youth employment

In 2021 in Sweden 10.3% of youths are registered as unemployed at the employment agency. In Eskilstuna municipality the number is 13.9%. If you look at it even closer, the number goes up to 26.7% for youths born outside of Sweden. The numbers show a city where young people do not have the same opportunities to reach their full potential. The coming two years, Reach for Change together with Right By Me and the municipality of Eskilstuna, and with support of Inkludera will join forces to turn this around.

Baltics 2023 projects

Empowering Baltic social entrepreneurs

Reach for Change is a partner in the newly launched Integrated Baltic Ecosystem for Social Innovation (IBESI) - a Horizon Europe project aimed at raising awareness and facilitating access of Baltic States’ social entrepreneurs to the resources of local and pan-European innovation ecosystems.