SOCAP21 Virtual Scholarship Entrepreneur Winners Are Making a Positive Impact in Economic Development
Every year, SOCAP grants scholarships to social entrepreneurs from all over the globe. This year’s entrepreneurs represent incredible solutions to pressing social, cultural, and environmental problems. Check out the full list of winners here.
We’re inspired by our scholarship entrepreneur winners in economic development who are making progress toward more equitable economic systems.
Below, hear from 10 entrepreneurs from around the world who are making an impact in economic development — and join us at SOCAP21, alongside all of our social entrepreneurs who are bringing the most innovative solutions around the globe to scale.
What is your company solving for?
Anatha has created a blockchain software development kit that adds an identity module and central treasury module to the usual suite of token, wallet and network. We have launched our own demonstration project with it, called Project Anatha, which uses digital identity, economic inclusion and universal basic income to solve global poverty.
What is inspiring you now?
The amazing technological innovation happening in the blockchain space and the growth of the industry. All we think about is how to direct the possibilities, energy and attention this industry is garnering right now to really big global problems like poverty.
What call to action or advice do you have for others?
Money is a product. Money is programmable. We now have the ability to create economic systems that reflect our values and we challenge everyone in SOCAP to be deliberate about what economic systems they choose to participate in and give their own human value and productivity to.
What is your company solving for?
For those who can’t do dairy, Cajou offers mind-knowingly delicious ice cream made from scratch with superfood ingredients.
What is inspiring you now?
The plant-based alternatives are trending.
What call to action or advice do you have for others?
Keep ensuring diversity and inclusion in SOCAP conference panels.
Conexiones Financieras Comfama
What is your company solving for?
We provide conscious financial solutions based on a co-lending model. Through a network of impact-focused financial co-originators, we support the financial and social progress of underserved communities in Colombia. Conexiones Financieras is a second-tier banking platform that operates according to slow money principles: empathy and deep understanding of individual progress.
What is inspiring you now?
In our work we are challenging the business-as-usual forms of the financial sector in Colombia, contributing to the development and impact in vulnerable communities..
What call to action or advice do you have for others?
We would like to have support for our impact model, enrich our work with the experience, knowledge, and resources from the community. We would also like to get to know other organizations working with co-lending models so we can extend our reach and find opportunities for collaboration.
What is your company solving for?
Consultivo is helping build sustainable and resilient women-owned enterprises through automation and improving their access to financial and tax management services.
What is inspiring you now?
To increase and highlight the representation of women in the global accountants and tax practitioner community.
What call to action or advice do you have for others?
I want to be seen as a woman creating opportunities for other women entrepreneurs by improving their access to financial, taxation, compliance and corporate services.
What is your company solving for?
EmpowerFULL is a socio-economic empowerment model which shapes a new path for the employment of survivors of human trafficking. Through a six-month entrepreneurial training process, survivors set up slow-food social enterprises and provide employment opportunities to the rest of survivors by creating an ecosystem of survivor entrepreneurs. EmpowerFULL is implemented in two phases.
What is inspiring you now?
The willingness of survivors of human trafficking to rebuild their lives and thrive in their new paths.
What call to action or advice do you have for others?
EmpowerFULL’s mission is to economically empower survivors of human trafficking in Albania by providing the tools to strengthen their skills, and the means to become financially independent. Will you join us to change the employment path for survivors?
What is your company solving for?
Ethos Innovation Lab aims to democratize freelance work. We provide a comprehensive business development and networking web-based platform, designed to match talented BIPOC freelancers with BIPOC entrepreneurs and business owners.
What is inspiring you now?
The social impact aspect and the fact that I am making a difference and an impact.
What call to action or advice do you have for others?
Diversity, equity, and inclusion work and equity lens framework.
What is your company solving for?
LIKHA is a lifestyle brand that modernizes Filipino craft. Our mission is to provide livelihoods to artisan communities by creating access to global markets and a steady demand for their craft. Through our partnership with local artisans, we hope to help uplift their status, develop their confidence and sense of self-worth, and uphold their dignity as craftspeople.
What is inspiring you now?
Video chats with our artisan communities, seeing their smiles and hearing their stories about how grateful they are to keep their livelihoods through Covid-19.
What call to action or advice do you have for others?
Celebrate the resilience of our partners in underprivileged communities through the challenges of 2020 and beyond.
What is your company solving for?
We are a nonprofit providing pathways to business ownership for those facing social and economic barriers. We leverage a combination of distance learning, professional relationship development, and debt capital to help our entrepreneurs establish viable businesses.
A few of our results:
- 95 entrepreneurs have completed our accelerator program — over 90% are ethnic minorities and over 60% are from lower-income households
- Alumni report 59 businesses launched — 16 owners are employed full-time in their business, 43 are working part-time in their business, 53 additional part-time and full-time jobs created
- Entrepreneurs report an average 38% increase in annual income
What is inspiring you now?
Connective technology, distance learning, and debt capital for new business owners facing social or economic barriers.
What call to action or advice do you have for others?
Please connect us to institutional impact investors with a passion for micro-enterprise development.
What is your company solving for?
Rooted Fare creates unique, ready-to-use Asian sauces to make cooking Asian comfort foods easy by partnering and profit-sharing with immigrant chefs. We’re creating a community that enables Asian Americans to reconnect and reclaim their heritage through food and facilitates a much-needed shift in celebrating immigrant chefs as dignified and integral to our culture and society.
What is inspiring you now?
As a daughter of immigrant restaurateurs, I grew up seeing both the joys and challenges of immigrant chefs in the restaurant industry. They’re so talented and resilient, yet they’re not awarded the same recognition or income as other U.S. native chefs. Supporting the immigrant chef community is what inspires me to work right now.
What call to action or advice do you have for others?
My call to action is to share at least one success and one failure about being a social entrepreneur with another SOCAP community member. I’m hoping to see an open community.
What is your company solving for?
200 million artisans is a purpose-led ecosystem enabler catalyzing inclusion, innovation and self-reliance within India’s artisan economy. We accelerate growth for impact enterprises by bridging gaps in knowledge, resources and partnerships enabling them to reimagine the potential of handmade and meet the future needs of sustainable production
What is inspiring you now?
I am inspired to bring the creativity and cultural heritage of India in conversation with sustainable development. I am inspired by our artisan communities, their sustainable ways and knowledge; I am also inspired by the passionate entrepreneurs who work with such communities to build a better world.
What call to action or advice do you have for others?
I invite you to take a hard look at the potential and opportunities within the artisan economy, one of the largest sources of livelihoods for Indigenous communities across the world. We invite you to work with us to drive greater inclusion, equity and sustainable growth by bridging gaps for impact enterprises working with artisan communities in India.
