1. How to enable sustainable food systems in urban contexts
through social entrepreneurship
Workshop 6/2/2015
Enterprising Socially Program
Athens Development and Destination
Management Agency
Angeliki Vassiliou
06/02/2015
2. How to enable sustainable food systems in urban contexts
through social entrepreneurship
Workshop 6/2/2015
The context
• Vibrant social economy landscape, social
entrepreneurship ecosystem still under
development
• Law 4019 and public initiatives
• Challenge: top-bottom state attempts to
direct social entrepreneurship initiatives–
away from grassroots level
3. How to enable sustainable food systems in urban contexts
through social entrepreneurship
Workshop 6/2/2015
Our mentality
• Get to know the ecosystem and mobilization:
interviews, workshops, events
• Different approaches, different definitions &
perceptions.
• Gap: method, a common framework of reference re
social entrepreneurship
• Developed and provided a method, which serves as a
self-awareness tool, evaluation tool, training tool and
guideline for the services provided, goal: change the
mentality
4. How to enable sustainable food systems in urban contexts
through social entrepreneurship
Workshop 6/2/2015
The program
• Application and evaluation
• Diagnostics
• 10 day courses, 2-day bootcamp
• 1-1 business support based on the needs
• Evaluation after the program
• Investment readiness
• Raising awareness program
5. How to enable sustainable food systems in urban contexts
through social entrepreneurship
Workshop 6/2/2015
Added value
• Method
• 40 start-ups and/or enterprises to transform
their business or agency to social enterprise
• Change of mentality: stakeholders
• Openness
• Bottom-up approach: opportunities in sectors
and provide the tools
• Facilitate rather than impose
6. How to enable sustainable food systems in urban contexts
through social entrepreneurship
Workshop 6/2/2015
Launching Event
Enterprising Socially:
Athens, a center for social
entrepreneurship
Where: The Hub Events,
5, Alkminis street
February 18, 3pm
7. How to enable sustainable food systems in urban contexts
through social entrepreneurship
Workshop 6/2/2015
Thank you
Athens Development and Destination Management Agency
7, Filellinon street, 2nd floor
Tel: 210-3312002
Email: social@developathens.gr
Aggeliki Vassiliou
Editor's Notes
Let me give you a brief snapshot of the context in Athens: there is a vibrant social economy landscape at the grassroots level. Informal citizen’s groups, collectivities, NGOs and movements. A social entrepreneurship ecosystem has been emerging for the past 2-3 years. A law was voted in Parliament in 2011 which institutionalized the “social economy” space and introduced a new legal form based on the cooperative structure, the “social cooperative enterprise”. Following that, and with the promise of grants to be distributed to that kind of businesses, the State funded numerous initiatives, aiming to boost the establishment of that type of businesses at the local level (TOPEKO and TOPSA). This depicts a long tradition of statism in Greece which overshadows any private inititiative. Our agency participated in these initiatives. the success of these state initiatives are questionable, not only in terms of economic sustainability but also in terms of social capital, the level of trust between stakeholders and collectivities as they are top-to-bottom driven.
What did we do? As local authority, as opposed to the region and the state, we had a more direct contact with the grassroots stakeholders. During the past 2 years we have been organizing a series of consultations with local stakeholders and people, we have organized workshops, we conducted interviews and events.
What we realized through this process and internal research is that there is no single definition about social entrepreneurship. There are different perceptions and approaches, European, American, European Commission. The public sector in Greece perceives social enterprises through a specific legal form but it doesn’t go further to qualitative criteria. On the other hand, there are many private initiatives at the grassroots level that make the difference, that operate as businesses in order to create social value.
What is lacking is a common point of reference that will bridge the gap between the perception of the public sector and the civil society in order to accept common parameters according to which a social enterprise operates. This is what we have done and Giorgos keranis will speak more thoroughly about it. We have developed a method, a tool that serves as an evaluation and self-awareness tool for social entrepreneurs, the involved stakeholders and all citizens that want to engage in such an endeavour.
Based on this method we are offering a program with training courses, business development and investment readiness services to potential start-ups on social entrepreneurship and whoever wants to transform their business or NGO to a social entrepreprise, curtailed to their needs.
What makes us different: the method, pilot program for capacity building to 40 start-ups or whoever wants to transform their agency or business to social business. Change of mentality through our raising awareness program, open approach to stakeholders, to beneficiaries, bottom up approach