INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO INTEGRATION AND EMPLOYMENT CHALLENGES.4TH EDITION - 2018

WHY WE ARE DOING THE PROGRAM?

Elena ArèneDirector Ashoka Belgium

Magali FranklCorporate Citizenship Lead Accenture Belgium & Luxembourg

Despite the formidable response from civil society to welcome and involve refugees and other newcomers into society as active changemakers, these local initiatives often do not grow or replicate fast enough to deal with the massive and complex issues around migration, integration and employment.

Our objective, together with our partners in this edition of the Impact Programme in Belgium, is to strengthen the impact of social entrepreneurs actively engaged in chal-lenges around social integration and/or employment. A unique aspect of this program is that it brings social entrepreneurs and the business world together for meaningful exchanges during which they learn from each other.

This Impact Programme is part of HELLO EUROPE, an Ashoka initiative aimed at organizing accelerator programs on migration and integration throughout Europe. In the process of identifying and supporting proven systems-changing solutions to grow more quickly, we also bring together the key decision-makers and a strong ecosystem from all the sectors involved to re-imagine and co-design integral approaches that can grow and multiply as fast as the problems they hope to solve.

We are excited to support and strengthen social entrepreneurs engaged in finding inno-vative solutions to the integration and employment challenges we are facing throughout Europe.

The complex societal challenges we are facing today require impactful solutions, inno-vative business models and partnerships across sectors. We see more and more social actors in the employment ecosystem partnering with public and private actors to co-create new employment solutions. This is the third time Accenture partners with Ashoka to identify these actors, in order to challenge them on how they can create even more social impact. We are looking forward to this learning journey, during which we can share our capabilities while being inspired by new perspectives, and ultimately to having an even greater long term impact by working together.

IMPACT PROGRAMME IN BELGIUM

Social entrepreneurs are individuals with innovative solutions to society’s most pressing social, cultural, political and environmental challenges. Through training and mentorship, Ashoka’s Impact Programme helps social entrepreneurs take their innovative ideas and build a sustainable business model around them so that their solutions can ultimately have a greater impact on society.

This year marks the 4th edition of Ashoka Belgium’s Impact Programme and is done in partnership with Accenture, the U.S. Embassy to the King-dom of Belgium and Oksigen Lab. Our theme focuses on the challenges of integration and employment. Following a call for projects, eleven social entrepreneurs were selected to benefit from free personalised support for four months (from January to May) to structure their business model and work on their development strategy.

At the end of these four months, each entrepreneur will present a socially oriented business plan and will have the opportunity to pitch their project to a jury that will select the most impactful project for the 2018 Impact Award.

Launch event of the Impact Programme 2016, at Accenture Belgium

Each social entrepreneur will be matched with a business expert who will coach them on a weekly basis for four months, helping them to reflect on the professionalization of their project. During multiple seminars based on the “7 Key questions for social entrepreneurs” guide by Ashoka, the participants will explore impact measurement, new organizational and economic models and many other crucial topics around growing a successful social enterprise.

Since 2013, Ashoka Belgium has teamed up with Accenture to provide pro bono consulting for the Impact Programme. Ashoka is a strategic partner of Accenture’s Skills to Succeed program. Thanks to this part-nership, more than 30 entrepreneurs in the fields of economic development, job creation, health, education, human rights and the environment have received customized, hands-on training and mentorship.

MEET THE 11 PARTICIPANTS OF THE IMPACT PROGRAMME!

CONTEXT

BALANCE HR

MISSION

PROJECT LEADERFREELANCE HR NETWORK OFFERING THEIR EXPERTISE FORUNDERPRIVILEGED PEOPLE

I have hold a Masters in Business Science, Labour Science, as well as an executive MBA. I worked for ten years as an employee in HR (consulting & HR management) for companies like KPMG, ORMIT & Nestlé. The last eight years, I have been working as freelance HR and social entrepreneur at Balance HR. I combine this work experience with my social engagements: volunteer work at the social organisation Youth-Start; Fellow status at the Center for Evidence-Based Management; and as former president of ORMIT Alumni (organising charity events).

Edward Vanhoutte Managing Partner Tel: +32 474 98 45 34 edward@balancehr.be

Belgium counts 9% early school leavers, and a third of them are unem-ployed. Leaving school early decreases their chances of success in finding a job. The percentage of start-ups among the total number of companies in Belgium is 4%, which is the lowest of the EU15. Entrepre-neurship continues to be looked at around the world as a leading answer to economic and social problems. Lack of entrepreneurship means lack of business innovation, national income and social change.

Balance HR is a community of senior HR freelancers who combine forces to advise and temporarily support HR leaders with their assign-ments & change projects. Our purpose is to connect people to make work better and more meaningful. Balance HR also o�ers its expertise on a voluntary basis to underprivileged people who are looking for (better) jobs or who wish to start a business.

CONTEXT

HAVEN COOP

MISSION

PROJECT LEADERA SAFE PLACE FOR YOUNGENTREPRENEURS

Haven guides young entrepreneurs who want to realise their business dream from the youth home context. Haven is a cooperative that serves as a training platform and billing centre. Young entrepreneurs, aged between 18 and 30, test their entrepreneurial project for viability for two years. They follow an intensive coaching and coaching programme, based on positive reinforcement. They are assisted by a coach attached to their local youth house, which is an environment that is accessible and familiar to youth.

I am trained as a facilitator. I started my career as a job coach with Randstad Diversity. I then acted as coordinator for education programs in the rural area of Noord Hageland focusing on refugees and the environment. I am also a co-member of a pilot project in Belgium in CEAL (Community based Action Learning).

Katrin Van den Troost Coordinator Tel: +32 484 83 24 63 katrin@havencoop.be

CONTEXT

MOBIEL 21

MISSION

PROJECT LEADERCYCLING CHANGES LIVES

Jan ChristiaensTeam leader Tel: +32 16 31 77 02 jan.christiaens@mobiel21.be

There are many challenges for young people in today's society. There is a significant focus on being active in the labour market, but still 20.4% of young people looking for a job in early 2015. One of the ways to tackle challenges in this area is to encourage and support young people to become more entrepreneurial in life. Sharping entrepreneurial com-petencies can lead to more self-employment and later even to further job creation for others but equally to stronger employees with an entre-preneurial mindset.

Mobiel 21 wants to bring about a new mobility culture in which sustainable options are the default choices. Next, to the environmental and financial aspects, we pay special attention to the social aspects of sustainable mobility. With the Cycling School, we o�er solutions for people who are dealing with mobility poverty. The cycling school is a direct answer to the problem ‘I do not know how to ride a bike.' But it's much more than just about the skills. It touches also on the need for integration, empowerment, mobility, chances for work, opportunities for education, health and environmental challenges. In our experience, we have found that cycling leverages social inclusion.

Mobiel 21 is an organisation that promotes sustainable mobility. One of our projects is the establishment of a Cycling School. With the Cycling School, we reach 100 persons per year, mostly people with low income and/or a migrant background. Student feedback teaches that learning how to cycle leverages autonomy, improves chances of finding a job, improves integration, and builds self-esteem. Cycling changes lives.

I have a background in social work and have previous experience with low-skilled immigrants (language courses, job application training, on-the-job skill training, math, alpha-betisation, ... ) and grass-roots organi-sations.For ten years, I have been working as ateam member of Mobiel 21 and as a team leader for the last three years. I mainly work in the fields of citizen participation, research and innova-tion, mobility technology (apps and tracking) and communication.

Illias Marraha Founder +32 488 36 96 81 illias@muslinked.be

CONTEXT

MUSLINKED

MISSION

PROJECT LEADERBRINGING MUSLIM TALENT TOGETHER

CONTEXT

MWFUND

MISSION

PROJECT LEADERFACILITATES ACCESS TO SPORTS FOR UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN Evelyne Morelle

Non-profit organisations relationship +32 478 800 288 evelyne@mwfund.be

There is an educational gap among children in lower socio-economical situations. Belgium is one of the worst European countries with regard to discrimination of minorities in the educational system. The second struggle for minorities is the gap in employment. They are four times more likely to be unemployed while having a job is a powerful tool to form an identity. The last challenge is the empowerment of minorities in their identity formation within the society.

Muslinked is a network organisation for high potential Muslims. We bring talents and bridge builders together in three domains: entrepre-neurship, education and the social profit. We stimulate social engage-ment within all these domains.

I have a Masters degree in Biochemis-try, and I am going for another Mas-ters in applied economics. I founded a chain of 3 bakeries. During that time I realised that there are a lot of social issues in society. That’s why I took a step back from my business career and started to work in the social profit sector. I have worked with very di�cult youth. I learned a lot about the social barriers that those young-sters face growing up. Now I'm a sta� member for a scouting association and chairman of Muslinked.

Today, 15.5% of the Belgian population lives under the poverty line, repre senting 4 20.000 c hildren.40% of the children living in Brussels, 25% in Wallonie and 10% in Flanders are underprivileged.

Facilitating the social and ultimately professional integration of underprivileged children, through sport.In 2016-2017 MWFund has supported existing non-profit sports organizations dedicated to underprivileged children in Belgium. As of 2018, MWFund wants to expand its activities from fundraising to becoming an actual player in the field of sport, social and professional integration, under the mentoring of the existing NPO "Sport dans la Ville (SPLV)" which is the largest association of professional integra-tion via sport in France.

I hold a Bio-Engineering degree (UCL) and complementary degrees in Non-profit Management (ULB) and Sustainability (ICHEC). I worked 18 years at Procter & Gamble as Senior Patent Attorney and then decided to change paths and moved to the social sector. I started by working in HR and Administration Management at SOS Children’s village and then took the same role at Oeuvre de l’Hospitalité. Currently, I’m a free-lance European Patent Attorney and at the same time volunteering at Ecole Misonne and Sport2BE by MWFund.

CONTEXT

REFUGEES GOT TALENT

MISSION

PROJECT LEADERDON’T LET YOUR TALENT SLEEP

In January 2016, somewhere between Belgium, Iraq and Peru, the desire was born to create links between those who come, those who leave, those who remain. We are all migrants in one way or another. The link is the encounter, life, peace. Art is a way to express, to chal-lenge, to speak, to laugh, to cry, to moan, to remember, to forget, to share, to meet, to meet oneself, to tell, to talk all this silent life.

CONTEXT

NATURE VZW

MISSION

PROJECT LEADERSTRETCH YOUR MIND

The Flemish Care and Health Agency states that in 2014, in the 17 to 18-year age range, 11.9% of boys and 20.4% of girls have already thought of taking their own lives on more than one occasion. In the same age-group, 16.1% have already deliberately harmed themselves (overdose of drugs, cutting with knives, razors) (Agentschap Zorg en Gezondheid, 2014). At the same time, mental issues demand the second longest period of absence on the job due to sickness, just right behind cancer. (Vacature, 2017)

Nature VZW would like to test and further develop innovative thera-peutic programs, based on Adventure Therapy. We believe we can o�er useful and complementary therapeutic programs in addition to tradi-tional therapeutic sessions, in cases of prevention of psychological problems and recovery processes. In these therapeutic programs, we would like to focus on how to connect with oneself, the other and nature, while being both mentally and physically active in a natural environment. The program will be based on the Gestalt approach, but will be organized in combination with a more 'classical’ approach.

I hold a bachelor degree in Social Work, a postgraduate degree in Development Work and a Masters degree in Interna-tional and Comparative Political Science. I worked as a youth worker, social worker and development worker before I started to work as an outdoor trainer and since a few years as coordi-nator for NATURE.

Tom Frans Coordinator +32 485 02 41 95 tom@nature.be

I hold a university degree in Communi-cations and have been trained as a coach by CFIP. I have a background in marketing, advertising, communica-tion and HR. I co-founded RGT in March 2016 and have acted as its presi-dent since.

Sophie Querton President+32 474 48 84 89 sophie.querton@gmail.com

RGT o�ers the opportunity for refugee artists to

- practice their art in a box-equipped workshop- demonstrate and disseminate their works- meet other artists and audiences- open up to artistic events in Belgium

We welcome to our factory designers, painters, photographers, calligra-phers, sculptors, poets, musicians, actors, singers, dancers, etc.

CONTEXT

SHARIFY

MISSION

PROJECT LEADERA COMMUNITY OF CHANGEMAKERS

We tackle unemployment by training and integrating unemployed people into our entrepreneurial ecosystem. We give them the neces-sary tools and knowledge to be able to start their activity and have a positive impact on today's society. We also help to reduce the environ-mental footprint of companies and innovative startups through the stimulation of circular economic models.

Sharify is a community of changemakers who share skills and knowl-edge through training, experimentation and collaboration, aiming at stimulating entrepreneurship in the collaborative, cooperative and circular economic models.

CONTEXT

REFU INTERIM

MISSION

PROJECT LEADERCRAZINESS AS AN ENABLER FOR INTEGRATION

We see that newcomers (refugees, asylum seekers) currently have a lot of di�culties to find a job. The process of learning Dutch, getting integrated, finding a house, waiting for a positive decision about their refugee status, ... sometimes takes years. The labor market is also very demanding, with high thresholds: the need to hold certain diploma’s, a high level of Dutch, a driver's licence, ...

Refu Interim is not a real interim agency. It is a social project which aims to enhance the social integration and professional self-reliance of newcomers (asylum seekers and refugees). We do that by preparing and guiding them towards a volunteering job in the cultural or social sectors. Through a fun and artistic preparatory program, we enable them to explore and develop their talents. We want to motivate new-comers and organizations to engage through volunteer work.

My work experience lies in the field of Human Rights. After completing my Masters in History and Conflict and Development (UGent University), I started to work at an international NGO (SOS Children's Villages, Dept. of public funding and international projects). Later I became coordinator of the Kinderrechtencoalitie, a Flemish coali-tion of NGO's who reports to the UN on the Belgian e�orts to respect children's rights. My latest project is Refu Inter-im.

Farah Laporte Coordinator +32 495 78 97 28 farah@refuinterim.be

Passionate about knowledge sharing and innovation, I decided to join Shari-fy at its very beginning. My mindset fitted perfectly with Sharify’s aim, to create a community and stimulate entrepreneurship in the new economic models. Born in Munich, raised in Mallorca, I moved to Brussels to study Public Relations, and I have worked in the entrepreneurial & crowdfunding sector since. Always driven to create a positive impact on society and the environment, I love challenges and I like to help advance social & economic innovation.

Marine Liesenho� Co-president Tel: +32 471 64 12 99 marine@sharify.be

CONTEXT

WE AND WORK

MISSION

PROJECT LEADERHR COMPANY WITH SOCIAL IMPACT

On the one hand, we see a large group of people who never get the chance to have a sustainable job. On the other hand, we see a lot of jobs that don't get filled. This paradox of the labor market cannot be solved in the old traditional way. We need to think di�erently about the poten-tial of candidates. Not only a degree is an asset on the labour market. Nowadays too many filters obstruct the way we look at the talents of people. Filters such as 'too young', 'too old', 'underqualified', 'overquali-fied', ‘too foreign', 'too inflexible', 'too unskilled', 'too unenterprising', ‘ too criminal past’, etc.

We and Work (WaW) is a professional HR company, that provides work opportunities that are in line with the talents and motivations of people. Our business is temporary labor, search & selection and project sourcing. We pay special attention to those who have to find their way in the jungle of the labor market without a degree or a network. Our project ‘Make it Work’: brings young people with a criminal back-ground to the labour market. We and Work is an employee-owned com-pany.

CONTEXT

GOOD LOBBY

MISSION

PROJECT LEADERCONNECTING YOUR EXPERTISE WITHNGO’S TO MAKE THEIR VOICE HEARD

The Good Lobby (TGL) believes there is a civic empowerment gap emerging and political power is increasingly distributed unequally. Yet if we were to o�er civil society organizations access to the same resources as corporations, they would have equal access to the politi-cal system, thus creating a fairer society.

The Good Lobby is a skill sharing community aimed at strengthening civil society. We use match-making services, training and lobbying tools to forge partnerships between NFPs and lawyers, academics and other experts. The goal is to empower NFPs and civil society actors to improve their public interest impacts, by conferring knowledge and resources they may not otherwise have access to. This includes organi-zations working in, e.g., integration, unemployment, environment, transparency issues, etc.

I have a Law degree from Bocconi University in Milan, Italy. Before my graduation, I worked for a law firm in the field of Commercial Law. Since The Good Lobby’s launch in 2015, I have been a volunteer. In September 2017, I came to Brussels to run its o�ce and implement the organization’s program. I’m passionate about the European integration process and civic involve-ment in public a�airs. I believe that citizens play the most critical role in our democracies.

Giacomo Delinavelli Senior Fellow Tel: +32 495 78 97 28 giacomo@thegoodlobby.eu

I have a Masters degree in Archaeology and followed a Vlerick School advanced management program. In 1989 I start-ed as o�ce manager at Gregg Interim where I learned to work with and for people. My CSR roots are there. After ten years I started my own company, ‘Plus’, and made it a profitable and social-oriented enterprise. In 2015 we launched WaW, a workers cooperative with social goals.

Ingrid Verduyn Fouder – CEO +32 477 39 15 96 - ingrid@waw.jobs

PARTNERS

Ashoka is a catalyst for social change. Our purpose is to help innovative social entrepreneurs make the world a better place for everyone by tackling the biggest social challenges. Ashoka has pioneered the field of social entrepre-neurship globally over the last 35 years through the search and selection of Ashoka Fellows (social entrepreneurs) in 83 countries. Amongst the Fellowship there are two Nobel Peace Prize win-ners; more than 50% of Fellows have changed national policies and laws within three years of election, and more than 90% have seen an inde-pendent replication of their innovations. Since launching in Belgium, we have elected and supported 12 Fellows who have positively impact-ed the lives of thousands of people.

We identify the very best social entrepreneurs and welcome them as Ashoka Fellows in our Global Fellowship Program. We provide these social entrepreneurs with finance, access to a suite of professional services and a network of business leaders, entrepreneurs and partners who are com-mitted to supporting them in building a sustaina-ble and impactful organization and work across sectors. We support them to scale their model locally, nationally and globally by providing knowledge, best practices and global networks.Please see http://www.belgium.ashoka.org and http://www.ashoka.org for more details.people.

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technolo-gy and operations. Combining unmatched experi-ence and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions—under-pinned by the world’s largest delivery network—Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With approximately 425,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.ac-centure.com.

Together with its strategic partners, Accenture will equip more than three million people with the skills to get a job or build a business by the end of fiscal 2020 through its Corporate Citizenship Skills to Succeed initiative. Since fiscal 2011, Accenture worldwide has equipped more than one million people with workplace and entrepreneuri-al skills. In Belgium and Luxembourg, Accenture has developed 10 strategic partnerships resulting last fiscal year in 1000 man-days of Accenture pro bono consultancy, 25% of Accenture people involved in Skills to Succeed initiatives and impacting 2,500 beneficiaries a year.

At Oksigen Lab, we believe that today’s pressing social issues require more entrepreneurial approaches, bringing together various types of actors willing to collectively create big societal impact.Oksigen Lab provides coaching to organizations willing to launch and/or scale entrepreneurial modelswww.oksigenlab.euOksigen Lab is part of Oksigen ecosystem, which unites organizations that aim for societal impact through social intra/entrepreneurial activity. - i-propeller NV advises large companies on inno-vation and shared value strategies . - Shaerpa Fund management is focused on manag-ing social impact investment funds and social finance services, with SI2 Fund as the main fund. A holding structure unites the three entities to ensure transparent financial management and coordinate societal impact. www.oksigen.eu

The U.S. Embassy protects and promotes U.S. interests in Belgium through its diplomatic rela-tions with the government, partnerships with the business community, and outreach to the Belgian public. We support American economic and com-mercial interests and provide consular and visa services to Americans living in Belgium and to Belgians wanting to travel to the United States. The Embassy acts on behalf of the American people to promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosper-ous world.Outreach to Belgian civil society and popula-tion-at-large is conducted by the O�ce of Public Diplomacy. Its mission is to promote understand-ing of U.S. political, economic and social issues — explaining to Belgian audiences both the Adminis-tration’s foreign policy agenda and the complexi-ties of U.S. society and culture. The o�ce promotes our shared values through cultural, professional and youth exchanges as well as through grants to organizations that support youth leadership, entrepreneurship, and women’s empowerment, to name a few. Please visit our grants page for more information: https://be.usembassy.gov/educa-tion-culture/grants-programs/

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