partnership 2023 Nordics mental health

20 mental health innovators were mindfully selected for the Next in Mind incubator program

After an extensive selection process, Reach for Change, The Inner Foundation, and the Tim Bergling Foundation now reveal the 20 Nordic social entrepreneurs who are selected to the new incubator program Next in Mind. Next in Mind will invest in and support solutions for mental health for emerging adults, aged 18-29. They will all receive an initial investment of 300,000 SEK and in depth business development support until the end of 2025.

ghana equality 2023 partnerships capacity building

Empowering entrepreneurs with disability to build sustainable businesses

We collaborated with Fidelity Bank Ghana to pilot an entrepreneurship bootcamp to empower 53 entrepreneurs with disability in Ghana to develop and grow their businesses.

expertise highlights 2023 programs

2023 in a glance

2023 was a year that put a spotlight on the challenges we all face. We’ve witnessed devastating conflicts, deepening inequalities, and frightening climate change. Yet, within this complexity, we find everyday heroes offering solutions to these seemingly insurmountable problems. Our mission is to empower them to create a world where all children reach their full potential. We equip them with the tools, skills and vital networks they need to develop their impactful solutions. Here’s a glimpse into some of the programs and activities we implemented in Europe and Africa last year.

Sweden news 2023 programs capacity building

The social entrepreneurs who won our Pitch Day in Sweden

On December 5, in our annual Pitch Day in Sweden, we selected the 6 new social entrepreneurs who will join our Incubator program in 2024, and the entrepreneurs graduating from the Incubator pitched for 200 000 SEK in funding.

Baltics news 2023 projects

Next phase of the Baltic Sea Impact Network: New members and opportunities

The Baltic Sea Impact Network - a transnational peer-learning network among social entrepreneurs from the Baltic Sea region - is entering its next phase. The network is expanding, as the membership increases from 32 to 50 social entrepreneurs, welcoming new members also from Denmark and Ukraine.

Sweden change leader story equality 2023

Raising the voices and improving conditions for children and youth living in foster care

Historically there has been a stigma surrounding children and youth growing up in foster care. To combat this, to work to improve the situation for those in care, and to make sure the voices of the ones affected are heard, Knas Hemma was founded in 2013. Today they are part of our Swedish Incubator program, aiming to help social entrepreneurs scale and take their initiatives to the next level. We sat down with Anna Sabelström, Emiliya Larsson and Jennie Persson Thörnqvist, three forces behind the organization, to talk about what drives them, what challenges they have faced and what they have learned from it.

expertise ecosystem Baltics blogpost 2023 projects

Developing impact investing ecosystems

This fall, we launched the Nordic-Baltic Investor Skillsharing - a series of online workshops which gather investors from the Nordic-Baltic region who are already involved or interested in investing in social entrepreneurs. We give them an opportunity to exchange knowledge and foster new connections to strengthen the Baltic Impact Investing ecosystem.

global ecosystem news 2023 projects

Launching Buy Social Europe B2B

A new transnational initiative - Buy Social Europe B2B - is bringing the social procurement movement in Europe to a next level, further unlocking the $500 billion market opportunity for social enterprises. It gathers a consortium of 23 partners, who will cooperate to accelerate trade partnerships between mainstream and social enterprises in 17 countries in Europe.

partnership 2023 Nordics mental health

Reach for Change, The Inner Foundation, and the Tim Bergling Foundation are launching a collaborative initiative aimed at supporting improved mental health for emerging adults in the Nordics.

This initiative, known as "Next in Mind", is launched on World Mental Health Day and will provide support to social entrepreneurs currently offering innovative solutions for the target group of emerging adults (aged 18-29) across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland. Social entrepreneurs will receive both funding and business development coaching with the aim of increasing their reach and impact.

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.

expertise 2023 ukraine

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.