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Social Entrepreneurship at the Margins Profiles

Now that these organizations have completed all of their program requirements, we hope you’ll join us in welcoming them to the Miller Center family of alumni. You can learn more about their work and get in touch to support them or refer others who you think might want to work with them by sharing this page of their profiles. Expand the drop down by clicking on the enterprise name.

Bagel Bejgl - Serbia

Marijana Savic, director est. 2014

http://www.bagel.rs

Primary sector(s) of Impact:

Gender equality

Mission Statement:

Our mission is to improve the economic future of women and girls. We are doing that through production and sales of bagels. The main goals of bagel business is creation of employment opportunities within Bagel but also referral for job placement to other private companies through organization and delivering trainings and internship in Bagel Bejgls where beneficiaries gain skills, knowledge and vocation as well as reference for future jobs. The one of most important goals is to generate profit to fund long-term support programmes for survivors of violence (safe housing, legal, psychosocial, medical and education assistance).

Executive Summary:

Bagel Bejgl is an effort of NGO Atina to provide economic future and sustainability of its programs dealing with social inclusion of victims of human trafficking and other forms of exploitation. We have established a social enterprise in 2014, as place where we offer unique flavor of bagel pastry to our fellow citizens, but also create conditions for economic empowerment of our beneficiaries through training program and financial support to further work of NGO Atina. Bagel Bejgl represents NGO Atina’s step towards affirmation and development of social entrepreneurship which is in our society more than necessary.

Investment/Support Seeking:

To achieve that we need Bagel Bejgl is seeking 205000 usd and specifically for delivering trainings for women and girls, hiring women chief and other personnel, rent and adaptation of a space for women bagel creative culinary hub as well as wholesale bagel production center, purchasing necessary equipment as well as for marketing and social media campaign
With this investment and with your help, Bagel Bejgl will increase net profit for at least 70% each year and enable sustainability and quality of safe housing and reintegration of women and girls trafficking survivors.

Furthermore, with your support 7 new position and job opportunities for women with experience of violence will be created and 200 women will be trained for the jobs in the bakeries, catering, restaurants and hotels as well food markets.

We will establish a hub that will continuously deliver specific trainings and education related to food and hospitality industry as well be a nexus for women and potential job opportunities in private sector ported to find employment through employment opportunity management

Delitelabs - Netherlands, Europe, Africa, Global

est. 2015

https://www.delitelabs.com/

Primary sector(s) of Impact:

Entrepreneurship, education

Mission Statement:

We empower newcomers to unlock their true potential through entrepreneurial training to create their own path to building sustainable livelihoods and an inclusive society.

Goal 1: No Poverty, Goal 4: Quality Education, Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities, Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Executive Summary:

DELITELABS is an inclusive Startupschool headquartered in Amsterdam, since 2015 we enable newcomers (people with a refugee background to unlock their true potential via Entrepreneurial training and support systems. Over 250 people have participated in our programs and we always partner up with local municipalities, corporates and the broader business communities, to deliver our trainings. We focus on building people first, train them on process, skills and mindsets enabling them to shape their own route towards independence. After 1 year 70% is active via their own business, suitable employment or higher education, after 3 years 45% is working with their own business. We have an effective model which we always embed in the local ecosystem, which generates transformative impact. In the upcoming years we want to scale our impact internationally via a partnership model that would enable local players to implement support systems that work

In order to grow our impact and run training programs in 20 cities by 2025 (via our partner model) we are seeking 300,000 grants (150,000 for phase 1 and 150,000 for Phase 2) to build out and implement our scaling model: scalable contents & delivery formats; digital contents & Support Platform; Train the Trainer program; Partner setup services.

Earth Heir - Malaysia

Xiao Cheng Wong, Founding Partner & CEO est. 2013

http://www.earthheir.com

Mission Statement:

Celebrating craftsmanship by designing thoughtfully, engaging in ethical partnerships and advocating conscious living.

Executive Summary:

Earth Heir® is an award-winning Malaysian social enterprise that began with an appreciation for craftspeople and artisans, who spend years honing and perfecting their skills to create their finest art pieces. We collaborate with a network of over 100 artisans, and a core group of 40 traditional artisans and refugees in Malaysia to build sustainable livelihoods for underserved communities.

By combining traditional artisanal skills with contemporary design and product training for artisans, Earth Heir® is a true celebration of Malaysia’s varied heritage art forms and unique cultural narratives.

We believe in human connections, environmental stewardship and seek to keep heritage skills alive.

Investment/Support Seeking:

Seeking $100,000 in grants to scale our impact by expanding our work for higher income and for more artisans in Malaysia.

Every Shelter - Global

Julia Wallin, Co-Founder & COO est. 2018

https://everyshelter.org/

Primary sector(s) of Impact:

Emergency Shelter, Health

Mission Statement:

To relieve suffering and grow resiliency for those displaced by war, persecution, and disaster through the design, creation, and delivery of shelter products.

Executive Summary:

Every Shelter designs and delivers life-saving shelter solutions with and for refugees. We use a process of iterative human-centered design to address the most pressing pain points of displaced communities, relief agencies and other strategic stakeholders in order to create durable, sustainable and appropriate solutions that improve living conditions and health outcomes in refugee camps and settlements. Our product portfolio includes a patented modular flooring system and improved shelter technology created from a repurposed waste stream. We partner with private sector foundations, private donors and corporate social responsibility programs to deploy our products through implementing relief partners. Our business model ensures we are complimenting, not competing, scarce relief industry funds while providing durable and sustainable products that improve health and life quality outcomes for vulnerable families. In turn, the cost savings our products provide from improved durability, health outcomes and increased family savings allow relief agencies to reach more people while simultaneously improving the standard of humanitarian shelter.

Investment/Support Seeking:

We are currently seeking $600K in grants and philanthropic partnerships for market development and supply chain optimization of our disaster tarps which will ultimately grow into a sustainable revenue source for our humanitarian response.

Humanity Crew - Global

Maria Jammal est. 2015

https://humanitycrew.org/

Primary sector(s) of Impact:

Mental health

Mission Statement:

Deliver first response mental health support to the victims of disasters

Executive Summary:

Humanity Crew is an international aid organization specializing in the provision of first response mental health interventions to refugees and people in crises.
We work to deploy mental health and psychosocial support to people in crisis zones in order to improve their wellbeing, to restore order in their lives, and to prevent further psychological escalation.

Our work is backed with research and innovative digital tools, combined with advance preparedness and first response training around the world.
We seek to create a world in which mental health support is a fundamental component in all emergency efforts for victims of humanitarian crises.

Investment/Support Seeking:

In order to carry out our mission, we need to raise a total of $1.3 Million dollars in grants and donations over the next 3 years. This will support our response to disaster missions in the Mediterranean, Greece, Gaza and 13 other global disasters around the world, providing mental health first response to survivors of disasters.

In 2021 we are seeking $461K to (1) respond in 6 disaster missions globally, to (2) develop an online platform for our remote mental health support that will reach more people in disasters while reducing the costs of delivery of first response over time,and to (3) digitalize our mental health first response training program, aiming to train 1500 people by 2023, creating a well-trained community prepared to respond to disasters. The trainings will also be a source of income to Humanity Crew delivering $225,000 of earned income in the first two years alone.

ImmSchools - USA

Viridiana Carrizales, Co-Founder and CEO est. 2018

https://www.immschools.org/

Primary sector(s) of Impact:

Education

Mission Statement:

ImmSchools is an immigrant-led 501(c)3 nonprofit that partners with K-12 educators to transform our schools into safe, welcoming, and inclusive learning spaces for immigrant students and their families. It is our theory that by uplifting the inherent power of undocumented students and families, strengthening the leadership capacity of educators and dismantling the oppressive systems in our schools, we will transform our K-12 education system to create a liberated world for all.

Executive Summary:

ImmSchools facilitates peer-led workshops on immigrant’s rights in and out of school, provides educator professional development, and works in collaboration with schools and school districts to implement equitable policies. Our approach is both community-driven and intersectional; centered on the experiences of our undocumented students and families in schools. We envision a world that deeply values the rich and diverse experiences of immigrants, and where our undocumented communities can live free from systems of oppression and injustice.

Target Market:

Given the demographics of our current regions, ImmSchools’ end beneficiaries are K-12 immigrant students, living in low-income households, and in mixed-status families. ImmSchools target market is the 13,500 school districts in the U.S. where 4.1 million immigrant students are currently enrolled.

Value Proposition:

For K-12 school districts working to create inclusive and welcoming schools for immigrant students, ImmSchools offers comprehensive training and support that prepares teachers, school staff and administrators to effectively support all students regardless of immigration status. Unlike other providers, our programs are designed and led by local immigrant educators, creating a learning experience that is relevant, impactful, and actionable for teachers, staff, and administrators.

2 Million dollars in grants in order to scale our work to 3 additional states by 2023 impacting over 336,000 students in K-12 schools.

Kakuma Ventures - Kenya/Turkana West

Innocent Tshilombo, Founnder & Managing Director est. 2017

https://kakumaventures.com | info@kakumaventures.com

Primary sector(s) of Impact:

Connectivity

Mission Statement:

Affordable and reliable access to connectivity in refugee camps.

Executive Summary:

The refugees are subject to several restrictions such as the freedom of movement or access to essential products and services. They rely heavily on humanitarian aid and funding is decreasing raising the need for creating a self-resilient community. They have skills and potentialities but they don’t have access to the labor market or learning content to develop their productivity. Refugee Camps in sub-Sahara Africa are located in rural areas where there is a huge technology divide and poor infrastructure. The situation is even worse in the refugee camp that is covered by poor, expensive, and unreliable. connectivity. Kakuma Ventures provides affordable, accessible, and reliable access to connectivity in refugee camps to enable thousands of refugees in the refugee camp to have access to education, business opportunities and transactions, work online, and entertainment. As a result, new businesses and more jobs are created as well as an improved economic situation in the camp.

Investment/Support Seeking:

We are seeking, by 2021, to raise USD 100k as a grant or convertible notes to expand to 43 hotspots to cover 15 out of the 24 blocs in Kakuma refugee camp. With cash flow, we will be able to expand to 70 hotspots to cover all of Kakuma refugee camp and Kalobeyei refugee settlement. 46% of the funds will be used on new equipment, 25% on our strategic initiative, 21% on data, and 8% on servers.

https://app.box.com/s/k1j8suddvravbif14caslhprw7afbkg1/file/718039522054

NEMI Teas - United Kingdom

Pranav Chopra, CEO est. 2015

http://www.nemiteas.com

Primary sector(s) of Impact:

Employment

http://www.instagram.com/nemiteas/

Mission Statement:

Our mission is to lower the unemployment levels amongst the refugee communities in the UK to be less than 5%.

Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities, Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

Executive Summary:

NEMI Teas is a London-based tea company and a social enterprise that offers a variety of whole leaf tea blends as loose tea and in plastic-free biodegradable teabags whilst providing job opportunities to refugees living in the UK.

The key social objective is to lower the unemployment levels amongst the refugee communities in the UK which sits at 18%, nearly five times the UK national average. NEMI Teas does this by employing refugees across its business that allows the refugees to boost their English skills, regain confidence and work on skills required to enter the UK job market. More specifically the refugees are involved in running events, warehousing, packaging, social media and research work. We also hire refugees in a structured three-month training program working at a café before placing them in to full-time employment with Greggs, UK’s largest bakery to ensure their long-term financial stability.

From a commercial perspective, NEMI supplies its teas at both retail and wholesale level across the UK and Europe. NEMI’s core focus is the food-service industry and it is currently supplying to large corporates including PwC, Ernst & Young and SAP as well as restaurant chains including Gaucho and Ceviche along with 200+ cafes and delis. NEMI is looking to expand internationally to further expand its operations and scale the social impact to benefit more than 5,000 lives by 2025.

Investment/Support Seeking:

Seeking £0.7M as a convertible loan for the growth of NEMI’s UK operations and expansion into international markets by mid-2021.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/d64px1lzpnb55ki/NEMI%20Teas_6_min_Pitch.pptx?dl=0

NewBees - Netherlands / Europe

Annemiek Dresen, founder and CEO est. 2016

https://www.new-bees.org/

Primary sector(s) of Impact:

Employment

Mission Statement:

NewBees prepares newcomers, refugees, for a job: for a place in society. We match talent with work, paid or unpaid, so everybody gets a chance to contribute to society through their talent. Because we believe that every talent is unique, wherever you come from.

Executive Summary:

NewBees found a successful way to prepare newcomers, refugees, for a job: for a place in society. We match newcomers to traineeships with local entrepreneurs and organizations, with talent and equality as key values. We have developed a unique methodology and online matching platform that combine smart technology with social contact.
During the traineeship our experienced teams made up of former refugees and locals, provide guidance for both refugee and company, so we really make our matches matter.
Everything we do follows our 4M-model: we MEET people and their talent, we MATCH them to a fitting traineeship, which we make MATTER through our personal guidance for both refugee and company, based on our extensive experience. Finally, we MEASURE the impact we make so we keep improving our service and can show the social and financial effects our work has on newcomers, companies, government and the society.

Investment/Support Seeking:

NewBees is looking for EUR 400,000 in dept capital to finance our upcoming growth. We are uniquely situated to win long-term government contracts with at least 15 cities in the Netherlands in 2021, because we have a product that works and that brings the supply of new talent and the demand of the labor market together. In order to win these contracts we will use growth capital to invest in writing and marketing staff to respond to the tenders that cities will publish between the fall of 2020 and spring 2021.
NewBees already raised EUR 100,000 in dept capital (5-year note at 3% – 5% impact-flexible interest) and is looking for similar investments.

ONOW Myanmar Co., Ltd. - Myanmar

Matt Wallace, Managing Director and Co-Founder est. 2016

http://www.onow.com

Primary sector(s) of Impact:

Economic Empowerment, Financial Inclusion

Mission Statement

Enabling female migrants to become financially capable and empowered entrepreneurs.

Executive Summary

ONOW is an incubator that launches female migrant-owned businesses. For migrant women who need opportunities to increase their income, ONOW’s incubator is an entrepreneurship training program that provides access to startup finance and long-term individualized coaching. Through ONOW’s startup incubator, women are guided to create a business model and financial projections, are connected to formal financial institutions, and coached as they launch and run their businesses. As part of the incubator, ONOW operates a digital coaching and training platform that acts as a companion to women on their financial journey, increasing the success of the business, and driving uptake of financial services. ONOW has incubated more than 550 micro and small enterprises, has unlocked 260,000USD for their launch, and has coached more than 8500 businesses.

Investment

ONOW is seeking 250,000USD in grants to expand our impact beyond Myanmar in 2021 and 2022. This grant will fund our expansion into Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines, as we launch more migrant-owned businesses.

RefuSHE Artisan Collective - Kenya/East Africa

Geoffrey Thige, Executive Director est. 2012

https://www.refushe.org | artisans@refushe.org

Primary sector(s) of Impact:

Refugees, economic empowerment, girls’ education

Mission Statement:

RefuSHE’s Artisan Collective empowers refugee women and girls through economic opportunities that build confidence.

Executive Summary:

RefuSHE is an international nonprofit that protects, educates, and empowers unaccompanied young refugee women and girls in East Africa through a holistic model of care that covers safety, basic needs, education, vocational training, and community support. The Artisan Collective is the economic empowerment component of our model, which builds creative and business skills through the design, production, and marketing of hand-dyed textile products like scarves, bags, and clothing. 100% of proceeds from all Artisan Collective products are reinvested back into the program and artisans. By providing a combination of technical training, holistic support, and access to global markets, RefuSHE sets its artisans up for sustainable economic independence in the long-term.

Investment/Support Seeking:

As demand for the Artisan Collective’s products continues to grow, we see the potential of shifting into a self-sustaining social enterprise separate from the larger RefuSHE operations. In order for the Artisan Collective to pivot into this new business model, we are seeking $475,000 USD in grant funding to secure a permanent workshop, hire additional artisans, begin purchasing bulk materials, and expand our operational team in Nairobi.

TERN - The Entrepreneurial Refugee Network - UK, US, Canada

Frederic Kastner, Director of social innovation est. 2016

http://www.wearetern.org | fred@wearetern.org

Primary sector(s) of Impact:

Refugee entrepreneurship

Mission Statement:

To enable refugees through the power of their own ideas.

Executive Summary:

TERN (The Entrepreneurial Refugee Network) is an ambitious social enterprise and ever-growing international community with a mission to enable refugees to thrive through the power of their own ideas.

We support refugee entrepreneurs in the creation and development of their businesses, providing services throughout three stages of entrepreneurial process: business exploration, business start-up and business growth. TERN is about more than business though: our entrepreneurship support provides a platform not just for livelihoods independence but also for empowered integration, deep connections with the host country community and – for those who need it – recovery from damaged self-determination.

Investment

$100,000

Tulip Addis Water Filter - Ethiopia

Getaw M. Cherinet (CEO) & Feleke F.Shikur (G/Manager) est. 2011

https://www.tulipaddiswaterfilter.com

Mission Statement:

Provide safe drinking water solution to every family in Ethiopia

Executive Summary

Drinking untreated water can expose families to waterborne diseases, such as typhoid, cholera, dysentery, and diarrhea. In this context point-of-use water filters and purifiers can be lifesaving for families that lack access to clean drinking water. Tulip Addis Water Filter is providing a simple water filter system used for at point of use. We assemble a simple product to meet the local requirements of affordability, availability and clean water supply in Ethiopia. In addition our product does not require any form of electricity and suitable to use in the rural and urban areas

Target Market

We serve customers in semi-urban and rural Ethiopia primarily those who are affected by lack of safe drink water. We have strong customer base in Amhara region and focus to expand our market to Oromia region at which 2.2 million households are living with lack of safe drink water.

Value Proposition

Tulip Table Top Water Filter removes all turbidity and 99.99% of bacteria and protozoa. Through using our product households will obtain easy access to safe water, improve health of their families preventing from water born disease and save their medical expense. It can filter 2-5 liters per hour and produces 30 liters of water per day. This ensures supply of water sufficient for a family. The ceramic element has also an average lifespan of two years or capacity of filtering 7000 liters. We are also serving customers in supplying the filter element and provide after sales service.

Outside Investors $ 750K
Grant $ 380K