Community Consultation: Update including dates for your diary

Recurring topics mentioned were:

• AI and technology
• Climate
• Intermediaries
• Policy
• Rural
• Social investment
• Social procurement

But what does all this mean in practice? And how can you get involved? Read on to find out more and watch this space for more updates coming soon.

– Helen Harvey,

Director, Community & Curation

Global call for expertise

Tech for good: AI, emerging technology and social enterprise

One of the topics that came up repeatedly during the Community Consultation was Artificial Intelligence and emerging technology. What does/could it mean for my social enterprise and the social enterprise community? How can we use it effectively? What resources are out there? And how can we ensure that social enterprises have a voice in important conversations around ethics and AI to ensure technology is used for good instead of contributing towards increasing inequality?

We know that many social enterprises are already effectively using AI and technology in their enterprises to create impact and are involved in conversations around ethics and AI/tech. If this is you, we want to hear from you. Reach out to us at: events@sewfonline.com.

If you know of any useful free public resources, please share in the SEWF LinkedIn Group.

Get your diaries out

Save the dates!

Where you can find us in March:

Euclid Network Impact Summit 2024 | 20-21 March

Gerry Higgins (SEWF Founder and Managing Director) and Erinch Sahan (SEWF board member and Doughnut Economics Action Lab) will be speaking at the Euclid Network Impact Summit.

Rural Manifesto: A call for global collaboration

Join us in the ongoing discussion surrounding the Rural Manifesto, born out of the 2022 Rural Gathering in collaboration with the Australian Centre for Rural Entrepreneurship (ACRE). The Rural Manifesto aims to align with global goals and values while advocating for policy recommendations that amplify the voices of those in rural areas. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the voices of rural communities from all corners of the globe are heard and respected.

Please fill out the expression of interest form linked below if you are interested in contributing. We will be in touch with further details about meeting dates and times.

Celebrating women in social enterprise

On International Women’s Day (8 March), let’s celebrate the achievements of women and girls worldwide.

Women in social enterprise play a crucial role in driving positive change and fostering inclusive growth in communities around the world. To celebrate, we put together a list of all the women in social enterprise who took to the stage at our 2023 events (SEWF Youth Forum, SEWF Policy Forum and SEWF23). They made up 61% of our speakers last year. These women contribute to positive societal change by addressing pressing issues and creating sustainable solutions.

People and Planet First website is now live

Be a part of global change.

Around the world there is a growing movement of enterprises that prioritise people and planet over private profit. They include social enterprises, cooperatives, fair trade enterprises, social businesses and others.

People and Planet First unites this global movement. We provide a verification system, access to resources and collective advocacy. Together, through a network of trusted partners, we are transforming business and building an economy for everyone to thrive within the means of our living planet.

Get verified. Join the global movement and get access to discounts, resources, social procurement and more.

Youth Advisory Group: Thank you!

The SEWF Youth Advisory Group is made up of young (under 30) social enterprise leaders and practitioners from around the world who work together to ensure SEWF plans and programming are inclusive, relevant and engaging for young social enterprise leaders, practitioners and other young people from around the world. We will soon be welcoming a new cohort. In the meantime, we’d like to give a massive thanks to the SEWF Youth Advisory Group (2022-2023):

• Tosin Ajibola, Co-Founder/CEO of Welkom-U Inc (Canada)
• Angela Busheska, Founder & President of EnRoute (North Macedonia)
• Shomy Hasan Chowdhury, Co-Founder & Co-Chair of Awareness 360 (Bangladesh)
• Goto M Cooper, Founder/Executive Director of Educate the Future Liberia (ETF Liberia) (Liberia)
• Brady Cronin, Non-Executive Director of ACRE (Australia)
• Azima Dhanjee, CEO & Co-Founder of ConnectHear and SEWF Board Member (Pakistan)
• Matthew Goldsworthy, CEO of Youth Arts New Zealand (Aotearoa New Zealand)
• Tony Joy, Founder/Director of Durian Nigeria (Nigeria)
• Michael Lim, Founder and Managing Director of Sedo Group (Social Value) (Australia)
• Pablo Luengo, Co-Founder of Living Energy (Spain)
• Sarah Roberts, Founder of New Venture Marketplace (Canada)
• Gerlinde Schmidt, Project Manager at Euclid Network (The Netherlands)
• Jorien van Lookeren Campagne, Government Relations at Social Enterprise NL(The Netherlands)
• Savera Weerasinghe, Founder of Ananta Sustainables (Sri Lanka)

Connect with the Social Enterprise World Forum Community

Looking for social enterprise resources?

Check out the Resource Library.

It is free-to-access and includes strategies and case studies. Whether you’re a social entrepreneur, policy enthusiast, or simply curious about fostering positive change, inspire yourself with resources like:

• Insights into Rural Entrepreneurship from the Development Intelligence Unit (DIU) and Development Alternatives
• Building an economy that works for people: an action plan for the social economy from the European Commission
• Sell with Impact – Stories and Research from the Canadian Social Enterprise Sector from Buy Social Canada

Watch out for the new-look Resource Library coming soon!

• Building a global movement for sustainable change: A collaborative approach
• Migration: Entrepreneurial solutions for better lives and livelihoods
• Work integration: Social enterprises and the dignity of work

Sign up for free on the SEWF website and start your journey. Following sign-up, you will receive an email with your temporary password (please check your spam folder if you cannot locate it).

Community Corner: News, events, opportunities

In direct response to the valuable insights gathered from the Community Consultation, we have developed the Community Corner – your go-to space for discovering opportunities and staying updated on the latest news.

Do you have an event, opportunity or news that would be of interest to the global social enterprise community? Fill in our short online form for consideration in our next newsletter and/or on social media.

News:

Global Course Launch: Influencing Mainstream Business. Learn how to change business for good. Social Enterprise NL is introducing a free online course designed to empower social entrepreneurs to act more sustainably and inclusively. Powered by Catalyst2030, Social Change Innovators, Amsterdam Impact, Porticus, and ABN AMRO. Worldwide. | Learn more and sign up →

Events: 

WISE100 Awards 2024: Celebrating Women in Social Enterprise and Impact Investing. Join Pioneers Post online to honour the UK’s top women leaders. | 7 March. Learn more → 

Impact Investment Summit Asia Pacific 2024: Accelerating Impact Investment at Scale. Discover practical solutions and insights to mainstream impact investment. Location: Sydney, Australia. 20 – 21 March. | Learn more → 

Euclid Network Impact Summit 2024: Building Bridges – From Intention to Action! Unite with leaders from diverse sectors to turn intentions into impactful action. Explore impact investing, EU funding and more. Location: Den Haag, the Netherlands. 20 – 21 March | Learn more and register →

ChangeNOW 2024: Solutions for the Planet. Join innovators and sustainability leaders to explore scalable solutions for global challenges. Location: Pairs, France. 25 – 27 March | Learn more → 

Impact Summit Europe 2024: Catalysing Impact Investing for SDGs. Empower investors to increase their impact and contribute to positive change. Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 26 – 27 March.  | Learn more and register→ 

Opportunities:  

She Entrepreneurs: Calling all women leaders! Empower yourself and your community with the Swedish Institute’s She Entrepreneurs programme. Turn your entrepreneurial dreams into reality. Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye. Deadline: 12 March. | Learn more and apply →  

Changemakers for Education: Shape the future of education and be a catalyst for positive change. Make a difference in the lives of students and educators. Asia. Deadline: 17 March. | Learn more and apply → 

Penfolds Evermore Grant Programme: Support for new projects or scaling ventures. Australia. Deadline: 17 March. | Learn more and apply → 

Bayer Foundation Women Empowerment Award 2024: Make a difference in gender equality and women’s empowerment. Geographies: Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa or the Middle East. Deadline: 27 March. | Learn more and apply → 

Raise Programme: If you’re an underrepresented founder based in Belgium and run a social enterprise that is ready for investment, you may be eligible for Impact Shaker’s 10-week Raise Programme. Belgium. | Learn more and apply → 

The Impact Job: Align your career with purpose. Find opportunities with impact-driven businesses and organisations. | Explore opportunities now →