31.03.2010: Socential has appointed two new board members. Adrian Bührer, CEO of Amiado Group and Naoko Felder-Kuzu, who since January 2010 is also heading social investment management at Socential. The previous board members, Patrik Elsa and Linus Gabrielsson, remain on the board, which thereby has four members in total.
Socential welcomes Adrian Bührer and Naoko Felder-Kuzu as Board members
April 1, 2010 By View Comments
Socential represented on a lunch with the U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein
February 19, 2010 By View Comments
The U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein and Mrs. Beyer recently hosted a luncheon for Switzerland-based business, academic, science, and NGO leaders on the theme of “Innovation and Entrepreneurship in a Globalized World.” Socential (represented by Patrik Elsa) greatfully accepted the ambassador’s invitation to join the lunch. I’m confident when saying that it was rewarding for both sides to bring the topic of social entrepreneurship in Switzerland into the interesting discussion.
Socential at a glance
December 3, 2009 By
Who we are:
- Socential is a hybrid not-for-profit social enterprise, with a sustainable funding approach and a clear focus on social impact.
- Our main objective is to increase the impact of social investments and the sustainability of solutions in the social market by empowering high caliber social entrepreneurs to realize their ideas and projects.
- Our team brings the combination of profound business know-how and the understanding of social markets as well as the challenges and opportunities that social entrepreneurs face today.
What we do:
- Socential acts as an intermediary in the market for philanthropy, social investing and social entrepreneurship.
- Our prime service is Socential.net, an online marketplace for investing, networking and collaboration in social entrepreneurship, where social investors can find innovative projects presented by high caliber social entrepreneurs.
- We are building a range of online and offline services around this marketplace.
What we deliver:
- We empower our customers to apply their unique talent and skills (strengths) towards achieving a social impact.
- We provide social entrepreneurs the valuable access to dedicated capital, resources and know-how
- We offer philanthropists, social investors and individuals who would like to empower innovative solutions to social issues the chance to contribute their skills, products, services and funds.
What makes us unique:
- We focus on social entrepreneurship
- We provide quality assurance of listed organizations and projects
- We partner with and leverage the capabilities of leading players in the market
- We enable mixed returns (from purely social to social+financial)
- Our strengths-based investing approach enables contributing non-monetary resources (skills, know-how or services)
Socential context
December 3, 2009 By
Social [′sō-shəl] : of or relating to human society, the interaction of the individual and the group, or the welfare of human beings as members of society.
Entrepreneur [äⁿn-trə-p(r)ə-′nər] : one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise.
Social entrepreneurs drive innovative and sustainable solutions to social and environmental issues. They identify a pressing social problem and use entrepreneurial skills to solve it. Their work differ from traditional charity as they use innovative business models and methods to ensure effectiveness and scalability and also differ from traditional business as they put the benefit to society first.
Socential [sō-′sen(t)-shəl] empowers high calibre social entrepreneurs to realize their ideas and projects. We are building an online marketplace for investing, networking and collaboration in social entrepreneurship.
We provide social entrepreneurs the valuable access to dedicated capital, resources and know-how.
We offer philanthropists, social investors and individuals who would like to empower innovative solutions to social issues the chance to contribute their skills, products, services and funds.
We would like to welcome Naoko Felder-Kuzu as Advocacy Director to the Socential Team
November 30, 2009 By View Comments
Update: 31.03.2010 Socential has appointed Naoko Felder-Kuzu, who since January 2010 is also heading social investment management at Socential, as one of the new board members: http://www.socential.org/804
Naoko, born in Japan and raised in El Salvador and Guatemala, is an advisor on microfinance and impact investments based in Zurich, Switzerland. She advises asset managers as well as foundations. Her first book Making Sense-Microfinance and Microfinance Investments was one of the first books on microfinance investments. In her second book “Kleiner Einsatz, Grosse Wirkung” or Microfinance and Beyond: Introducing microfranchising and social businesses she portrays the innovative social/businesses models that provide sustainable solutions to the problem of poverty. Her expertise and passion is on promoting business models with a double bottom line (financial and social returns) and bridging the economic divide through the creation of entrepreneurs in developing countries. She is a board member of a family foundation in Switzerland.
We are very much looking forward to working with Naoko on our common vision to empower social entrepreneurs, and see a great value in having her expertise on board!
Der „Swiss Social Entrepreneur 2009“ heisst Paolo Richter.
October 26, 2009 By
Der „Swiss Social Entrepreneur 2009“ heisst Paolo Richter. Mit seinem grenzübergreifend nachhaltigen Konzept der Velo-Recycling-Werkstatt Gump- & Drahtesel überzeugte er die Jury des Swiss Social Entrepreneur 2009 Wettbewerbs. Das Socential Team gratuliert Paolo Richter.
Lehrreiches Interview über Globalisierung und Entwicklungshilfe
August 9, 2009 By View Comments
Joseph E. Stiglitz ist der wohl bekannteste Ökonomen der Welt, Nobelpreisträger in Wirtschaftswissenschaften (2001) und Autor u.a des Bestsellers „Chancen der Globalisierung“. Joseph E. Stiglitz. war Chefökonom der Weltbank – die ihm kündigte, weil er fragwürdige Methoden dieser mächtigen Institution in der Dritten Welt anprangerte. Wenig später erhielt er den Nobelpreis für Wirtschaftswissenschaften.
Roger de Weck befragt Joseph E. Stiglitz während eines Besuches in der Schweiz (2008). Eine äusserst lehrreiches Interview über Globalisierung, Entwicklungshilfe, Kapitalismus und Marktwirtschaft.
Beyond Good Intentions: Was funktioniert und was eben nicht?
July 30, 2009 By View Comments
Über mehrere Jahre unterstützte Tori Hogan verschiedene Hilfprojekte in Afrika und Mittleren Osten im Bereich Kinder-Flüchtlinge. Ihre Erfahrungen in und mit diesen Hilfsprojekten hat sie über die Jahre frustriert. Toni vermisste Qualitätsstandards, Transparenz und auch Effizienz in diesen sozialen Unterstützungsprojekten. Sie fing deshalb an das Thema und die Methoden zu hinterfragen. Hilfsprojekte zu hinterfragen, speziell in Krisenregionen, war lange ein Tabuu.
Doch Tori startete ihr eigenes Projekt „Beyond Good Intentions“. Ihr Ziel ist es, herauszufinden „Was funktioniert im sozialen Markt und was eben nicht?“. Dafür reiste sie ein Jahr durch die Welt zu verschiedenen (sozialen) Projekten, die mit verschiedenen Ansätzen soziale Herausforderungen adressieren. Tori verschaffte sich einen Einblick vor Ort, sprach mit allen Involvierten und dokumentierte ihre Erfahrungen auf Video. „Beyond Good Intentions“ zeigt in einer Serie von kurzen Filmen ihre Arbeit und die interessanten Ergebnisse.
Meiner Meinung nach setzt Tori mit ihren kurzen Videos einen Benchmark im Bereich Bewusstseinsbildung (Awareness). Schaut sie euch an und lasst Linus und mich wissen was ihr davon hält.
Swiss social entrepreneur of the year 2009
June 8, 2009 By View Comments
The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship has begun the search for the “Social entrepreneur of the year 2009″. Since the year 2000, the founder of the World Economic Forum, Dr. Klaus Schwab, and his wife Hilde Schwab are searching globally for leading social entrepreneurs. The winner of the Swiss swiss social entrepreneur of the Year 2007 was Stefan Zappa with his “dark restaurant” called Blindekuh…a MUST-go when in Switzerland! Read more about the Blindekuh and the concept here.
Schweizer Social Entrepreneur des Jahres 2009
June 8, 2009 By View Comments
Die Schwab Stiftung für Social Entrepreneurship sucht 2009 erneut den “Swiss Social Entrepreneur” des Jahres. Der Gründer des Weltwirtschaftsforums, Prof. Dr. Klaus Schwab, und seine Frau Hilde Schwab suchen weltweit seit dem Jahr 2000 nach führenden Social Entrepreneurs. Schweizer Preisträger 2007 ist Stefan Zappa mit seinem innovativen Gastronomie-Konzept “blindekuh”: in seinen Dunkelrestaurants werden “Sehende” in absoluter Dunkelheit von blinden und sehbehinderten Menschen bedient…ein Besuch ist absolut bereichernd! Mehr Infos über die Blindekuh und das Konzept finden sie auch hier.
