Where does social enterprise fit into the Sustainable Development Goals, and what opportunities have you identified for entrepreneurs to address local/global problems?

When a brand comes on board with us, we look at all of the amazing things they’re doing. We look to see if that is attributed to any of the indicators underneath the Sustainable Development Goals, because almost all of them are addressing a social or environmental mission at the core of their business. You’ll find they will align with a minimum of one of the SDGs, but some of them, because of the way they do business, think about every single thing that they do, from where they’re purchasing, to how they’re hiring, to creating more inclusive opportunities and helping their communities. All of those things together are where we start to see these businesses are not just ticking one goal, but they’re actually ticking several. I am an absolute lover of the Sustainable Development Goals, because they’re so easy to understand. When you see those goals, and you know there is a deadline of 2030, it’s easy to recognise we are trying to achieve a world with zero poverty, gender equality and education for all. It just makes sense. On the same token, we are 43 years behind schedule. Those goals were potentially unachievable when they were first set, they already knew that we were going in a backwards direction. Social enterprise is a pivotal business model in helping us achieve those, because it helps rewind that clock back.

If all businesses just chose one social or environmental issue that they wanted to tackle, I believe we would actually be able to achieve those goals by 2030. We’ve got a long way to go.

Impact Boom has been proud to have worked with you on the Elevate+ Accelerator. What were some key lessons from that program that would be valuable for other purpose-led entrepreneurs seeking to create their own impact?

Having been in social enterprise for a while, it was always really good to just reiterate some of the things I’ve heard. But, I have to say, I’m an absolute super fan of everything that the Yunus Centre does. It was just out of this world to be able to hear those key insights from absolute leaders in the world, not just in local economies. From Ingrid Burkett to Alex Hannant, it was just sensational. I loved Ingrid’s straightforward thinking of “you need to make sure you’ve got a business that is a business and not just a hobby”. It needs to be actually making money, because you need to make sure you’ve got that business model down pat. You’ve got the sales, the income, and what you are doing with those profits sorted. If you’re even making a profit to start off with, you must consider what to do with those profits. You need to make sure you’ve got a business. The key insight is you do sometimes lose, because your heart is so big that you want to help everyone and do everything, but you end up giving away too much of yourself. That was really powerful.

Alex came in at the end of the program, and it was really good to re-identify some of the things I maybe do myself, for example giving too much of myself and maybe working towards burnout.

It was really good for me to see that I’m not alone and that we have to look after ourselves if we’re going to be looking after our social enterprises.

Some of those insights involved looking at my business, and some meant taking a good hard look at myself as well. I think those two combined lessons are the only way that business can move forward too.

What inspiring projects or initiatives have you come across recently that are creating a positive social change?

Well, these are probably from my Elevate+ cohort, the group of people I was with. I´ve gotten to see them grow and expand, they’re all sensational. I’m a huge fan of the startup landscape and small businesses. People like the Mend boys are creating an app that’s going to completely transform what it looks like to have a chronic health condition and managing that. Then, there is the Circle Group who are using IT services to change the world. For me, my cohort are the heroes of social enterprise, and I can’t wait to see where all of those journeys take them.