From 12 to 16 October, Social Entrepreneurship Week will take place for the eighth year, with the aim of raising awareness of social entrepreneurship, providing practical knowledge and inspiring the development of new initiatives. The programme will include masterclasses for social entrepreneurs, an event for young people, and a conference on the opportunities offered by the social economy in Latvia.
The week will begin on 12 October at 9.30 with a breakfast for social entrepreneurs and the masterclass “Keeping the Strength to Do Good” – a discussion on how to avoid losing sight of oneself while taking care of a business, a team and a social mission.
On 13 October at 14.00, current and aspiring social entrepreneurs and representatives of NGOs are invited to join the online masterclass “Brand and Export – How to Prepare for Entering Foreign Markets?”. Brand strategist Diāna Ņikitina and entrepreneur Laura Sebre will explain how to turn a social mission into a brand advantage and communicate its value clearly in foreign markets, how to assess whether a product is ready for export, choose the most suitable market and approach potential customers.
On 14 October at 18.00, the Ministry of Welfare, together with the social enterprise “Visas Iespējas”, invites young people and other interested participants to the live online podcast “How Can We Create Change Together?”. The discussion on social entrepreneurship and volunteering will explore different ways in which young people themselves can get involved in creating meaningful change in society.
The central event of Social Entrepreneurship Week will be the conference “Social Economy in Latvia: From Good Intentions to Change”, which will take place on 15 October and will also be available online. Experts from various fields and social economy practitioners will share their experience of how economic activity and civic participation can create opportunities for people and contribute to better living conditions for us all. Social entrepreneurs, representatives of non-governmental organisations and communities, businesses and other interested participants are invited to learn about funding and support opportunities, find out how to engage volunteers, and explore ways of assessing the impact of their work.
This year, the conference will focus on the diversity of the social economy and encourage organisations to assess their work in terms of the contribution they make to society. The programme will highlight the work of social enterprises, associations and communities, volunteer participation, and the contribution of businesses to addressing issues of importance to society.
The online masterclass, the event for young people, and the conference, which will include sign language interpretation, will be streamed live on the Ministry of Welfare’s Facebook page. Further information and registration details will be published on social media.
Social Entrepreneurship Week events are organised with financial support from the European Social Fund Plus project “Support for Social Entrepreneurship”.
