September is when Sweden is back at work at full tilt after the summer break. The focus is intense and I like the anticipation of opportunities and ideas it brings. The same goes for us at SE Forum where our focus currently is on the final part of the SE Outreach Accelerator program. When I write this, we’re only a few days away from the return of the eight entrepreneurs and we’re excited to support them here in Stockholm and see them take the next steps on their entrepreneurial journeys.

However, these entrepreneurs are not the only visitors we have this month as we are also welcoming a delegation from Latvia and one from Belarus. They are here on a study visit to explore how social entrepreneurs and municipalities can work together in good partnerships. Exciting. And I bet we will learn a lot through the discussions as we have a lot to learn in Sweden.

Together with our guests, we will visit Sweden’s innovation agency Vinnova, and the social enterprise Basta! We will also hear presentations from municipalities and other organizations working in the social entrepreneurship eco-system. Follow our updates on social media and our website to find out more!

I also must mention a conference I was invited to in Denmark, called Unleash. A fascinating event where 1,000 international talents (young people working with positive change in various capacity) were invited to take part in the lab / idea generation /conference. In eight days they developed ideas that supported UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and could be turned into businesses, with me and a bunch of other mentors gladly engaging in giving feedback to the talents.

A very ambitious project headed by Carlsberg Foundation plus a range of partners and I still haven’t processed all my thoughts (that’s for a separate blog piece). However, I can say that I believe I spotted the tipping point of the corporate sector taking that extra step and engaging in positive change around the world. In the name of good business and the SDGs.

Until next time,

Nick