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Youth – Page 2 – Better Incubation
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Category: Youth

Better Incubation #6 Newsletter is out

Posted on by Better Incubation

The sixth issue of the Better Incubation Newsletter describes the upcoming opportunities :

  • Better Incubation Contest 2022 | Scaling Impact – deadline to apply is September 1st, 2022
  • Better Incubation Toolkit is out
  • Future activities and events
  • Focus on the upcoming Switch Pitch appointments

Find out more information about Better Incubation news by reading the newsletter here : Better Incubation Newsletter 6_August 2022

EU Award for Gender Equality Champions | First Edition

Posted on by Better Incubation

This new award is the European Commission’s initiative to recognise and celebrate the outstanding results achieved in the implementation of gender equality by academic and research organisations.

The application process to this first edition of the EU Award for Gender Equality Champions is now open. Deadline for applications is 13 October 2022 at 17.00 (CET).

The EU Award for (Academic) Gender Equality Champions aims to

The prize also intends to raise public awareness of the importance of addressing gender equality in academic and research organisations through institutional change and incentivise a high degree of commitment to implementing inclusive gender equality plans.

The prize will create a community of champions which can inspire other academic and research organisations to become gender equality champions themselves.

The European Research Executive Agency (REA) manages the prize and its winners are selected by an independent expert jury for each prize category.

There are 3 prize categories:

Sustainable Gender Equality Champions | Organisations that can demonstrate a significant and sustained record of activity and a high level of achievement through the implementation of their Gender Equality Plan. Apply now

Newcomer Gender Equality Champions | Organisations that have recently started implementing a Gender Equality Plan and can demonstrate the most progress in its implementation and achieved results. Apply now

Inclusive Gender Equality Champions | Organisations that have developed the most innovative inclusive Gender Equality Plan addressing intersections with other social categories such as ethnicity, social origin, sexual orientation and gender identity (LGBTI+) or disability. Apply now

Applicants (universities, higher education institutions, and research performing organisations -public or private – established in an EU country or a Horizon Europe Associated Country) can only apply to 1 of these 3 categories.

Each prize winner will receive €100,000.

There will be 2 winners in the prize category Sustainable Gender Equality Champions, 1 winner in the prize category Newcomer Gender Equality Champions, and 1 winner in the prize category Inclusive Gender Equality Champions.

Check out all the information about the call, the eligibility and award criteria here 

Source: https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/funding/funding-opportunities/prizes/eu-award-gender-equality-champions_en 

A new push for the Social Economy. The European Parliament approves the report on SEAP

Posted on by Better Incubation

On the 6th July 2022, the European Parliament’s plenary session, held in Strasbourg, approved the INI Report on the EU Action Plan for the Social Economy, prepared by rapporteur Jordi Cañas MEP and by the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, with 493 votes in favour, 75 againts and 69 abstentions. The report constitutes a key input from the European Parliament to the Social Economy Action Plan (SEAP) launched by the European Commission in December 2021, that the Co-Chair of the Social Economy Intergroup Patrizia Toia MEP (S&D, IT) has defined as a game changer for the future EU social economy enterprises and organisations.

The European Parliament’s Social Economy Intergroup (SEIG), as a cross-partisan grouping of more than 80 MEPs engaged with the social economy as a driver of sustainable development and opportunities for all, has been calling for such an EU Action Plan in favour of the Social Economy since 2014, and now wants to push for an ambitious implementation. The recently approved INI report constitutes a positive step in that direction providing relevant feedback to the European Commission, Member States, and social economy stakeholders.

What the European Parliament’s and its Social Economy Intergroup would like to see:

●  A common EU level definition of the social economy based on its main principles and features as presented in the Social Economy Action Plan, in the framework of the Council Recommendation on developing social economy framework conditions that the European Commission is currently preparing and will propose to the Council in early 2023. The Intergroup calls on the Commission and Member States to urgently approve this recommendation that will serve as a compass to modernise social economy policy and legal frameworks, promoting upwards convergence.

●  Improve access to finance and to EU funding: deploying financial tools proposing a comprehensive and fitted approach of the specific needs of social economy enterprises and organisations (e.g., patient capital), that should be eligible and promoted through all EU programmes, such as, the InvestEU, the ESF+, the ERDF, Horizon Europe, the CERV, or the Single Market Programme, among others. Furthermore, it urges MS to use the Recovery and Resilience Facility to invest in social economy projects driving fair green and digital transitions. It also supports the report’s proposal to set-up a specific state aid regime for social economy enterprises mostly employing individuals in a situation of vulnerability, such as people with disabilities among other collectives. The EP and the SEIG will closely follow initiatives such as the EU Single Social Economy Gateway, an online platform that should be running in 2023, that aims to improve access to information on EU funding/finance and capacity building opportunities for social economy entities.

●   More women and young people in the social economy, through actions to improve its visibility as an employer and entrepreneurial model, but also through specific training as the Youth Entrepreneurship Policy Academy, further use of Erasmus Plus and Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs opportunities and mainstreaming in all levels of education. The report notes that women often make more than 60 % of the workforce in the social economy, and that gaps in pay and leadership have been reported to be lower; and calls on the Commission and the Member States to remove all barriers for women to achieve gender equality; calls for the strengthening of the gender dimension in policies and access to funding for women engaged in social economy entities.

●  More innovation, unlocking the full potential of the social economy to drive fair green and digital transitions, providing solutions for the sustainable development of local communities, and better data collection on the social economy’s socio-economic weight.

The rapporteur Jordi Cañas MEP (Renew, ES), SEIG Vice-Chair commented: With this report, the European Parliament has shown its resolve to elevate the social economy and its key principles, social inclusion, solidarity, and justice, to the place it deserves in the EU policy debate. More importantly, it has put on the table some proposals to pave the way and accompany the powerful transformation and consolidation the social economy is undergoing. The social economy has a strong ally in the European Parliament.

Katrin Langensiepen MEP (Greens/EFA, DE), SEIG Vice-Chair and shadow rapporteur commented: With this report the European Parliament clearly stresses the importance of social economy in the green transition and future of work. We particularly welcome the gender mainstreaming and the demand to facilitate funding for women. Nevertheless, we Greens would have preferred a more ambitious paper including the establishment of a label and a common definition for social economy enterprises to increase their visibility. We hope that this will come in the next steps.

Patrizia Toia MEP (S&D, IT), Co-Chair commented: The European Parliament has been at the forefront of pushing ahead social economy in the priorities of the work of the EU institutions. It represents the due recognition that is owed to these crucial realities, which have proved to be resilient and therefore a true engine of our socioeconomic development. Now we have a structured Plan, with clear objectives: we absolutely need to match these ambitions with concrete means and funds provided by the different EU sectoral programs. We are ready to continue our work in the second part of this legislature to ensure proper follow up and implementation.

Monica Semedo MEP (Renew, LU), Co-Chair commented: Social enterprises make a positive contribution to society. I am especially keen to see innovative ideas and entrepreneurship for a more inclusive society. The report is a clear message to show how important social economy enterprises are to the European Parliament and that we want them to grow and be able to have easier cross-border cooperation. 

Claude Gruffat MEP (Greens/EFA, FR), Co-Chair commented: Social Economy must become THE economy. This report is a key step for further achievements like financing the large-scale development of the Social Economy in Europe, using a European Fairtrade label, for instance.

Juan Antonio Pedreño President of Social Economy Europe said: This report points in a positive direction and has gathered a wide support from 493 MEPs, that would like to see an ambitious implementation of the Social Economy Action Plan. The role of the EP and of its Social Economy Intergroup is more relevant than ever to support the Commission, Member States, and social economy stakeholders in further boosting the social economuy across Europe, scaling up from 6.3% of all EU jobs today to 10% by 2030.

For more information,  please contact Victor Meseguer, director of SEE, the organisation providing the technical secretariat of the Social Economy Intergroup: director@socialeconomy.eu.org

Source: https://www.socialeconomy.eu.org/2022/07/06/pr-the-ep-approved-report-on-seap-by-a-large-majority/ 

 

BETTER INCUBATION CONTEST 2022 | SCALING IMPACT

Posted on by Better Incubation

If you are an entrepreneur with an innovative solution to a social or environmental challenge and you are ready to scale it nationally or internationally, join the Better Incubation Contest to grow your impact with a wide community of business intermediaries, investors and other entrepreneurs.

About the contest

Organised by the European Business and Innovation Centre Network (EBN), Impact Hub and the European Venture Philanthropy Association (EVPA), the Better Incubation Contest 2022 | Scaling Impact aims at selecting the 3 most scalable solutions to social and environmental challenges developed by impact ventures led or founded by entrepreneurs belonging to one of the Better Incubation target groups: women, seniors, people with disabilities, migrants and refugees, youth. 

Better Incubation is a 2-year programme (2021 – 2022) funded by the European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation. The aim of Better Incubation is to foster inclusive and social entrepreneurship in Europe by mobilising and empowering Business Support Organisations (BSOs) to effectively help the social enterprises and potential entrepreneurs from the so called underrepresented groups to grow their businesses. Read more here.

Objectives

We are looking for innovative ventures with a clear social and/or environmental mission founded/co-founded and/or led /co-led by entrepreneurs representing one (or more) of the target groups Better Incubation programme is focussing on:  women, migrants or refugees, youth, seniors and people with disabilities.

We are looking for entrepreneurs addressing one or more Sustainable Development Goals and who are willing to explore growing and scaling their innovative solution either nationally or internationally with the support of Better Incubation network of networks: a unique community of EU|BICs (quality-certified business innovation centres), Impact Hubs and Investors for Impact committed to support innovative impact ventures in Europe and beyond. 

Three selected entrepreneurs will be matched with incubation experts that will accompany their scaling trajectory through remote coaching and mentoring sessions; will benefit from a full immersion week at an EU|BIC located in the targeted destination area; and will pitch their solution to an investors panel during the Better Incubation final event that will be held in Brussels on December 2nd, 2022 within the EVPA Impact Week. This event represents the premier event for the investing for impact community in Europe with more than 700+ social investors expected to join. The contest winners will be awarded with a free ticket to join the Impact Week and will have the unique chance to pitch on stage in front of social investors to bring their venture forward. Also travel expenses to Brussels for the contest winners will be covered.

The Better Incubation scaling support has a value of approximately 7000 €, this includes 15 hours of coaching in total from all three networks EBN, Impact Hub and EVPA experts, 1 week incubation programme, travel and accommodation costs to attend the Better Incubation events and the incubation programme in the targeted destination.

Why join the contest? 

The Better Incubation scaling support is aimed at helping the three finalists:

  • Articulate the social value proposition, identifying why and how the proposed solution addresses unmet needs in the chosen location.
  • Access to appropriate sector and local experts.
  • Assess the team competencies and consider how their business model will adapt to the new environment.
  • Understand investors’ perspective so they can develop a pitch for the Better Incubation final conference in Brussels and for potential partners in the targeted destination.

The Better Incubation Contest 2022 | Scaling Impact offers to the winners:

  • Networking: Three best finalists will be exposed to a wide network of BSOs (EBN, IHUB) and investors (EVPA) interested in supporting impact driven ventures during the Better Incubation events that will take place in Slovenia, 19-20 October 2022 and Better Incubation Final Conference on 2 December 2022. 
  • Mentoring & Coaching: Three best finalists will have access to a virtual 1:1 coaching programme provided by EVPA and Impact Hub experts (15 hours in total). 
  • Scaling – full immersion week: Three best finalists will be also eligible for one-week physical incubation provided by an EBN member – business support organisation in the target country. If interested, the winners can join the 2022 EBN Techcamp powered by Better Incubation (19-20 October 2022 – Sežana, Slovenia), where they can meet the incubators that will host them in the targeted country.
  • Pitching: The three finalists will be given an opportunity to present their business ideas at the Final Conference of the Better Incubation Project to be held in Brussels, 2 December 2022 within the EVPA Impact Week. 
  • Publicity: The three finalists will receive mentions in the Better Incubation and partner networks, including press releases, posts and social media. 

Call application

Better Incubation will offer scaling up services to three selected entrepreneurs willing to grow and scale their solutions to a wider national or international level. 

The call opens on June 21st, 2022, and closes on September 1st, 2022 (23.59 CET). 

APPLY NOW

The following information is requested:

  1. General information 
  2. Applicant Information (entrepreneur and venture)
  3. Solution description 
  4. Scalability
  5. Innovation
  6. Impact
  7. Motivation and Expectations

Check this document to see how the application form is structured and the required information for each section. 

Proposal Evaluation and Selection

All proposals submitted before the deadline will pass an eligibility check (see eligibility criteria). Proposals passing the eligibility check will be assessed through a transparent evaluation process that will be managed by EBN and led by internal and external experts.

If a solution scores high enough in the assessment criteria, reaching the minimum threshold, it is eligible for the scaling programme. 

This means that:

  1. Each entry meeting the eligibility criteria will be assessed by a minimum of 2 jury members.
  2. Based on the average of Jury members’ scores, we shortlist only the solutions that reach the threshold
  3. We rank them based on the scores they received and we invite the top 5 for an online interview with the jury panel during the week commencing the 12th September 2022. 
  4. Final rank will be elaborated and we will award the best three ones.

Communication between the Better Incubation team and applicants during the application assessment process will be carried out primarily via email. It is therefore recommended that applicants notify Better Incubation if they change the email address they apply with during the application process.  

Eligibility criteria

In order to be eligible to apply and participate, applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Their companies must be founded by entrepreneurs from one of the following groups: women, people with disabilities, migrants or refugees, youth (18-29) or seniors (over 50).
  • Must have a clearly established social and/or environmental mission.
  • Must be an SME, startup company or a foundation that is a legal entity (legal person) such as a private law company, association or foundation, that is fully registered under the laws of a European Union Member State, or an EaSI Progress Axis associated country.
  • The venture must be already in existence for more than 1 year.

Assessment Criteria

One the eligibility check is performed, the Jury will review and evaluate the nominations using the following criteria and scoring:

  • Solution description > This criterion will assess the proposed solution in terms of how it will address the proposed challenge, on how it will implement the proposed solution, its feasibility and the involvement of stakeholders.  (15 points)
  1. Scalability >  This criterion assesses the scalability of the proposed solution, considering both the scaling up trajectory of an already existing product/service, and the future scalability of the solution. (15 points)
  2. Innovation dimension > This criterion assesses the innovative capacity of the proposed solution. (10 points)
  3. Impact > This criterion assesses how the solution is going to generate social impact (15 points)
  4. Motivation > This criterion assesses the elevator pitch submitted by the applicant -120 seconds. (10 points)

65/65 is the max scoring. The minimum threshold for accessing the programme is 35/65.

Competition timeline 

Timetable and deadlines
Contest launch  21 June 2022 
Applications due 1 September 2022 23:59 CET
Evaluation  2 September –  23 September2022
3 Finalists announced week commencing 26 September 2022
Mentoring and Coaching  September- November 2022
Incubation (1 week)  September – November 2022

Winners can also join the “Techcamp 2022 |Better Incubation” taking place in Sezana, Slovenia the 19-20 October 2022 where they will connect with the EU|BIC that will host them in the targeted destination
Pitching session(s) 1-2 December 2022 (Better Incubation Final Event at EVPA Impact Week)

Useful information

RCCI: Creating a culture of social innovation and entrepreneurship for youth in Bulgaria

Posted on by Better Incubation

Last February, EBN Certification and Impact Manager, Florian Sora met RCCI Executive Director Milen Dobrev, Desislava Dimitrova, Expert EU programs and projects as well as the overall team of the EU|BIC, Innobridge in the framework of Better Incubation project.  

RCCI is involved in the Better Incubation project, implemented by EBN with two partner pan European networks (Impact Hub and European Venture Philanthropy Association), focusing on building capacities and providing tools and methodologies for the mainstream business support organisations to adopt inclusive incubation practices. Together with other 10 EBN members and 10 Impact Hubs, RCCI actively participates in the Communities of practice which serve as a platform for the incubators to learn and experiment with the new incubation approaches by reaching out to groups of entrepreneurs who are underrepresented or face greater barriers in business creation and self-employment. Under this initiative, RCCI has  launched its pilot programme for young entrepreneurs and provides them with tailored business support services, including coaching and mentoring so they can feel more confident to seize new business opportunities and run their businesses ideas.

Ruse Chamber of Commerce and Industry is an NGO for the public benefit, providing a wide range of quality services to over 1000 member and non-member companies to help develop and expand their businesses, both at home and internationally. It proactively contributes to the economic development of the Ruse region, provides support and representation of the business and entrepreneurs on a regional and national level (also through the National Network of Chambers of Commerce and Industries and EBN). 

Thanks to the recommendations of the EU|BIC community and the EBN secretariat colleagues, the Ruse Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) – the regional body responsible for the Promotion of the economic development of the Bulgarian Ruse region – and its EU|BIC were able to share and transfer good practices on those topics. As a result of our common work, our organization was one of the first in the country to support social entrepreneurial ideas even though national legislation on the social economy was not in place in 2015.

With 6 partners from 4 countries, RCCI drew out and promotes the competencies that a European Expert in Social Innovation Incubation should possess as part of ESII project (2015 -2017).

As members of the EU|BIC community, we were among the first to support the creation of an European online ecosystem for social innovation, aiming to match social challenges with their solutions – SocialChallenges.eu. We built on that momentum and now we actively promote the concept of socially responsible business and continue to educate our society on the topic.

At RCCI we believe that the entrepreneurial mindset should be promoted at a very young age, and we took the challenge to transfer the know-how we previously built to the education system. We started involving students aged 12 to 15 in novel education programmes, focused on social entrepreneurship and its importance. We are happy to say that thanks to the involvement of real social entrepreneurs from several EU countries in the process we managed to raise young people’s awareness towards the important social issues and to empower them with the key knowledge and skills. We were deeply impressed by the presentation of children’s ideas within Better Incubation local pitching session in Ruse and are confident to say that among them there are going to be some future social entrepreneurs.

On a more personal level, I am thrilled to say that being part of an international community of practice, as part of the Better Incubation project, was extremely beneficial and further improved my expertise around social and youth entrepreneurship. What’s more, I was able to meet with many high-qualified professionals with whom I hope to continue working in the future.

Desislava Dimitrova, Expert EU programs and projects at RCCI

Picture taken during the pitching session of the Youth Entrepreneurship Support Programme in Ruse CCI.

Applications for the EU Prize for Women Innovators 2022 are open

Posted on by Better Incubation

The European Innovation Council (EIC) launched the ninth edition of the EU Prize for Women Innovators. The Prize celebrates the women entrepreneurs behind Europe’s game-changing innovations, to inspire more women to follow their footsteps.

The EU Prize for Women Innovators is funded under Horizon Europe, the EU research and innovation programme. The EIC will award three prizes of €100,000 each to the most inspiring women innovators across the EU and Associated Countries, including Ukraine. To mark the European Year of Youth, the EIC will be awarding a further three prizes of €50 000 each to promising ‘Rising Innovators’ under the age of 35.

Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, opened the competition today on International Women’s Day in the French city of Strasbourg.

Commissioner Gabriel said: “The empowerment of women and girls is at the core of our European values and goals. Throughout my portfolio, we aim to foster environments that help women succeed, and lead in their respective fields. This year, we highlight some key initiatives undertaken to support women in science, innovation, culture and education.”

The prize is open to women from all EU Member States and countries associated to Horizon Europe, who have founded an innovative company.

The deadline for applications is 18 August 2022 at 17:00 (CET). The prize is managed by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency, and the winners are chosen by an independent expert jury.

Discover more details and find the application form here

For further information about the EU Gender Equality Strategy and European Commission’s support for women in research, science and education is available here > Gender equality in research and innovation

Source: https://eic.ec.europa.eu/news/eu-prize-women-innovators-2022-now-open-applications-2022-03-08_en 

Better Incubation Inclusive Entrepreneurship Workshop Series

Posted on by Better Incubation

Discover how to make your incubation services more inclusive and supportive of entrepreneurs from underrepresented groups.

The transition to an inclusive and green economy is gaining momentum. To build a better future, one that’s good for people and the planet, we need better business. Now is the time to bring your services closer to the whole of society.

If you have responsibility for designing and implementing entrepreneur incubation services or support programs, this curated series of online events will help you identify ways to modify your offerings for people from groups underrepresented in the enterprise sector.

Come together with practitioners, social entrepreneurs, subject matter experts and leading impact sector organisations to be:

  • Inspired by a range of best practices and insights related to specific underrepresented groups
  • Connected with like-minded peers, with whom you can learn from and collaborate with
  • Enabled to modify your services with knowledge and methodologies you can implement your teams

We start the workshop series with an exploration of common cultural and structural barriers facing groups underrepresented in the enterprise sector, taking a more intersectional perspective before moving on to deep dives on specific groups, offering inspiration and guidance based on actions and methodologies already successfully implemented on the ground across Europe, to support implementation of inclusive practice.

Introduction to Inclusive Entrepreneurship Inclusive Entrepreneurship Deep Dives 
Migrants and refugees Women Youth Seniors People with disabilities
29 March 20 April 10 May 31 May 22 June 12 July
10am-12pm CET 10am-12.30pm CET 10am-12.30pm CET 10am-12.30pm CET 10am-12.30pm CET 10am-12.30pm CET

 

Who should you expect?

Introduction to Inclusive Entrepreneurship

Join a panel of impact sector leaders to explore cross-cutting barriers to underrepresented groups in the enterprise sector, and participate in a discussion about what has been and can be done to change things for the better and to create a just and inclusive economy. You will also connect with and learn from peers from other business support organisations.

Panel: Max Bulakovskiy, Policy Analyst, OECD; Tatiana Glad, Executive Director, Impact Hub Network; Shannon Pfohman, Policy & Advocacy Director, Caritas Europa.

Inclusive Entrepreneurship Deep Dives

The next five workshops will each focus on a specific underrepresented group – Migrants & refugees; Women; Youth; Seniors; People with disabilities. Each workshop will create a safe and supportive space to offer inspiration and guidance for business support organisations, based on actions and methodologies already successfully implemented on the ground across Europe, to support implementation of inclusive practice.

You will learn from subject matter experts, social entrepreneurs with lived experiences of the challenges being explored, and business support organisations leading the way in developing and delivering inclusive incubation services. Line-ups for each workshop will be announced soon.

 

Who is this workshop series for?

These workshops are designed to support people with responsibility for designing and implementing entrepreneur incubation services or support programs, for example program or service managers.  If you work for an organisation that provides business support to entrepreneurs, and you are interested in how you can develop new or modify existing services to make them more inclusive, then these workshops are for you!

There will be a range of experience in the room, from people with years of experience supporting people from underrepresented groups to grow their businesses, to people who are only just starting to think about how they can make their offerings more inclusive of social entrepreneurs and people from underrepresented groups. Some may be building a service from scratch while others will be modifying existing programmes. 

Please note that the workshop content is based on European practice, perspectives and knowledge. However, if you work for a business support organisation operating outside of Europe, you are still very much welcome to participate and hopefully find value in the space created.

 

What is Better Incubation?

Better Incubation is a 2-year programme (2021 – 2023) funded by the European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation, and is led by three network organisations: The European Business and Innovation Centre Network, Impact Hub and the European Venture Philanthropy Association.

The aim of Better Incubation is to foster inclusive and social entrepreneurship in Europe by mobilising and empowering Business Support Organisations (BSOs) with capacities to effectively help the social enterprises and potential entrepreneurs from underrepresented groups to grow their businesses. Read more here.

 

How can you participate?

Please sign up here for as many sessions as you wish!

After completing the sign up for, you will receive joining details enabling you to register for the workshops that are of interest to you. 

If you have any questions about this workshop series please reach out to: info@betterincubation.eu. 

Collection of Best Practices in Inclusive Entrepreneurship Support Programmes published

Posted on by Michaela Lednova

Better Incubation: Collection of Best Practices in Inclusive Entrepreneurship Support Programmes features 10 case studies from Impact Hub, EBN and other partner organisations to showcase different programmatic approaches on how to support vulnerable entrepreneurs.

The document took inspiration from the work carried out by the Better Incubation Communities of practice through the process of collecting the best practices, tools and resources related to each of the five target groups – women, migrants and refugees, youth, seniors and people with disabilities.

Our aspiration is to offer some practical insights for business support organisations, NGOs, local/national policymakers, funders and other stakeholders, to be applied in the design and implementation of inclusive incubation and support programmes, strategies and policies.

Collection of Best Practices in Inclusive Entrepreneurship

 

 

 

Better Incubation Communities of Practice for Youth / Larrissa de Moura : Working Towards a World Without Borders

Posted on by Michaela Lednova

As part of the Better Incubation programme, five thematic groups of Communities of Practice have been created to debate, exchange, investigate, plan, prototype and evaluate the activities in the field of inclusive entrepreneurship learning and exchange between IHUB and EBN Members, Caritas, and experts and entrepreneurs from underrepresented groups, namely migrants and refugees, people with disability, seniors, women and youth.

Larissa de Moura is one of the social innovators who takes part in the program and is engaged as the expert in the Community of Practice for youth.  A Brazilian social innovator based in Spain, has experienced first-hand the challenges of being a young, migrant entrepreneur and developing her startup on her own, in an unknown country. Now, she is working towards a world without borders and paving the way for other young international students — as she once was.

Following a series of conversations with social innovators and experts engaged in the Better Incubation programme, Impact Hub had interviewed Larissa to share her entrepreneurial journey and tell her story to inspire us on how we can build a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Larissa’s curiosity and boldness have taken her through an intense entrepreneurial journey in the past years. INMI, a social startup dedicated to supporting young students in finding the best educational programs around the world, was born out of that journey. Inspired by the 2030 Agenda, INMI is an award-winning platform that connects the migrant community with a network of professionals and resources in an all-in-one support ecosystem.

Besides founding and leading INMI in Valencia, Spain, she is also the co-founder of ALDEA, a social organization where she develops consulting projects, training and territorial-community development through sustainability, interculturality and social innovation.

 

Q: In 3 words, who is Larissa de Moura?

A: An explorer of new experiences.

Q: Do you feel like this thirst for discovery and exploration translates into your life purposes? And talking about purpose, how would you describe yours — both professionally and personally? 

A: I frequently ask myself: what makes us authentic? My hope is that everyone can discover it. It may be your personality, your voice, your history, your beliefs, your origins or even your experiences. I believe that everyone can unleash their dreams. We are changemakers, doers, social innovators, dreamers, thinkers, disruptors and much more.

Personally, in my 30s I had the chance of experiencing this process and it brought me boundless enthusiasm. 10 years ago, my purpose was to run a social business. Today, one of my purposes is to work towards a world without borders and empower more young people, women and migrants from different parts of the world.

Q: You have been doing consistent work to promote social, inclusive and sustainable business models with INMI and ALDEA. Could you share a little bit about your own story and how it led you to the social economy sector? 

A: I like to say that I am a Brazilian and a little bit Valencian. Before I came to Valencia, I had been working in Brazil for almost 10 years in multinational companies. At that time, inspired by the Golden Circle and my boyfriend, Túlio, one reflection crossed my path: why do you do what you do? It made me realize that my professional skills were way beyond a job title and didn’t need to just fit in a CV. It led me to develop my purpose and explore how I would make a positive impact on the world.

Four years ago, I decided to do a master’s in social economy in Valencia and it was a game-changer for me. I discovered new motivations and professional challenges in the social field, explored intercultural networking, improved languages, and got in touch with new cultures. Thanks to these experiences, I am now working as a certified professional and going deeper and deeper into the business models of the future: social, inclusive and sustainable.

It is gratifying to see through this dual lens — as an entrepreneur and an impact business consultant.

world without borders

Larissa de Moura talking about INMI at Col·lab Las Naves, in Valencia, Spain.

Q: Without a doubt, your story is one of great perseverance and focus on what really matters to you. Moving forward, can you tell us more about your current initiatives and work? Why do INMI and ALDEA exist and how did they start?

A: In 2017, when I was doing my master’s degree, ALDEA was created to support social development and consultancy projects with a focus on alternative economies, sustainability, interculturality and social innovation. It was my second entrepreneurial project and INMI, the last one. The first one, which was more of a life project, was when I decided to move to Spain. In a way, it is amazing to see how these 3 projects naturally connect with each other, even nowadays.

INMI was born in the 2019 Hackathon of Col·lab Las Naves, as an initiative that emerges from real experiences and difficulties of migrants. Like thousands of international students and migrants living abroad, our team went through difficult processes of local adaptation and integration. As we had gone through this firsthand, we were able to streamline these processes and develop an intuitive all-in-one platform to create easier and more accessible international experiences.

That’s why INMI exists: to create a world without barriers. We focus on providing resources and information for global education and the improvement of opportunities. We see it as a major move for reducing inequalities and creating local and global sustainable change.

“Diversity and inclusion must be a part of our daily lives. Underrepresented groups, like migrants, should have the same access to opportunities and tools to undertake, lead and occupy decision-making positions as everybody else.”

Q: A world without barriers sounds like the world we need. We are glad to hear how hard you are working to that end! Having that in mind and reflecting on your entrepreneurial journey until now, what recent achievements are you most proud of?

A: The first achievement is to be ahead of INMI, an award-winning social business committed to solving real problems — despite the many challenges I continue to experience as a young woman and a migrant. There were countless times when I was one of the few (sometimes the only) female or migrant entrepreneurs in the room.

Diversity and inclusion must be a part of our daily lives. Underrepresented groups, like migrants, should have the same access to opportunities and tools to undertake, lead and occupy decision-making positions as everybody else. I am very proud to be contributing to the advancement of this scenario from our sustainable perspective at INMI.

world without borders

Larissa de Moura at Col·lab Las Naves

Q: We are on the same page when it comes to inclusion and diversity and it is great to hear that is an inherent part of your mission. The journey to promote social good, however, is not always a bed of roses. Can you share what have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a social entrepreneur on a mission towards a world without barriers?

A: I experienced many challenges; language barriers, building a support network from scratch, navigating the landscape of regulation taxes (in general, non-citizens face double the paperwork compared to local citizens), and facing the lack of tailored support to meet immigrant-specific needs, not to mention the recent pandemic barriers for international mobility. I could not miss the chance to share the many mistakes and successes that had the potential to make others’ own journeys easier.

In my case, it was key to be part of a local support network, the public accelerator of Valencia (Col·lab Las Naves), that provided me with mentorships, one-on-one support and guidance as well as connections peer-to-peer.

“For me, the entrepreneurial journey requires that kind of courage that allows you to move forward on your own — particularly when undertaking with impact, as we are doing things differently from the mainstream.”

Q: A supportive network definitely has the power of changing lives and businesses and your story is a great example of that. Now, looking to the future, what is your ambition for the upcoming year? What impact do you and INMI aim to make? 

A: At INMI, our main goal for the next year is to get more young people from different countries to live a life-changing international experience! Especially when the worst of the pandemic is over and we can travel again. That is why we are scaling up.

On another note, our surpluses are invested in social and environmental projects. When our clients travel with INMI, they contribute directly to positive social impact initiatives. In this way, people from diverse contexts can also experience living and studying abroad. That’s why we are working to consolidate our triple impact, locally and globally.

Q: Fingers-crossed for you to reach out and impact as many lives as possible! Aiming high like that when you are an entrepreneur requires a few things, but mostly courage. What is courage to you?

A: “Go, and if you’re scared, just go scared”. I really like this quote that a friend told me once. For me, the entrepreneurial journey requires that kind of courage that allows you to move forward on your own — particularly when undertaking with impact, as we are doing things differently from the mainstream.

Q: We appreciate your time to tell your beautiful story and, also, your efforts in taking part in our Community of Practice. So last but not least, what was your key takeaway from the first session?

A: The Community of Practice really is the heart of the LIAISE project. It is an international, inclusive and open space to exchange learnings and experiences. This collaborative dynamic allows us to work from the lens of vulnerable target groups and as real facilitators within the community.

 

Follow Larissa de Moura and her inspiring work at INMI on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.

Author of this post: Impact Hub 

 

EU Prize for Women Innovators – Applications are open till the end of June

Posted on by Better Incubation

The opportunities created by novel technologies and disruptive innovations promise to deliver the fair and sustainable recovery Europe needs. But Europe risks missing out on these opportunities if half its population is overlooked as a source of innovation and creative talent.

The EU Prize for Women Innovators celebrates the women entrepreneurs behind game-changing innovations. In doing so, the EU seeks to raise awareness of the need for more women innovators, and create role models for women and girls everywhere.

The prize is awarded to the most talented women entrepreneurs from across the EU and countries associated to Horizon Europe, who have founded a successful company and brought innovation to the market. The prize is managed by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency, and the winners are chosen by an independent expert jury.

Three prizes of €100,000 each are awarded in the main category. A fourth prize of €50,000 is awarded to a promising ‘Rising Innovator’ aged 30 or younger.

Applications to the 2021 edition of the EU Prize for Women Innovators are now open.

The deadline for submissions is 17:00 (CET) on 30 June 2021.

All applications must be submitted via the Funding and Tenders Portal. Please read the Rules of Contest before applying.

Who can apply?

To apply, you must be:

  • a woman
  • established in an EU Member State (including overseas countries and territories) or a country associated to Horizon Europe
  • founder or co-founder of an active innovative company registered at least two years before the submission deadline.

In addition, those applying for the Rising Innovator category must be aged 30 or younger at the start of the call year.

More info can be found here

Source: EIC Funding Opportunities Website

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