The Master Class empowered a total of 70 participants, who worked on 30 humanitarian-focused business cases and raised their ventures to the next level. These ventures focused on improving strategy, impact, go-to-market plans, and financial planning. The participants embarked on a journey with extensive mentoring from experts of the local social entrepreneurial ecosystems in Austria and Ukraine, thereafter, pitching their ventures in front of an expert panel.
The global culmination event opened with inspiring words from Peter Kaiser, Deputy Secretary General of the Austrian Red Cross and Annette Msabeni, Manager of the Organizational Transformation Unit of the IFRC. Panelists from ERSTE Foundation, Uniqa, and the American Red Cross also took part. Fourteen teams representing 11 countries pitched highly relevant cases and put forward their investment propositions. Some highlights include:
Lebanon RC’s presentation on Commercial First Aid and Blood Donation Services. Syria RC's innovative approach to income generation through hydrochloride production. Ethiopia RC's strategies for diversifying income streams for EMS. Georgian RC’s development of Home Care Services and Kenya RC’s focus on income generation through entrepreneurial fabrication hubs.
Additionally, external ventures in RC core areas pitched their solutions, such as the hydroponics start-up emerging from Nepal RC's contribution to the Limitless Program of the Solferino Academy. Alongside the RC core areas, numerous diverse start-ups proposed solutions in humanitarian education, WASH and community inclusion. See pictures from the Vienna Workshop (link).
The workshop in Lviv, Ukraine, from May 7-9, 2024, marked the culmination of REDpreneur’s first Ukraine Cohort. 14 teams from various branches of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society pitched their ventures, showcasing their dedication to social innovation and making a lasting difference in their communities. The Lviv workshop welcomed international guests such as the Danish Red Cross, Swiss Red Cross, Spanish Red Cross, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Coaches and panelists from Ukraine enriched the workshop with their diverse expertise on local social innovation.
The end of the Master Class in Ukraine marked the beginning of REDpreneur.UA, a follow-up project financed by Nachbar in Not, offering further capacity building and funding opportunities for URCS branches. 23 URCS teams, half of them Master Class alumni, have already applied for seed financing for their social business ideas. These ideas come from 14 regions spanning from Lviv to Kharkiv, and address topics such as psychosocial support, WASH, circular economy, as well as care and social services for people with disabilities. The 15 best social ventures will be selected in June 2024, and will begin implementing their services with the financial and mentoring support from REDpreneur.UA.
Both events highlighted the remarkable efforts and creativity of teams that are dedicated to making humanitarian work more financially sustainable. Further making their National Societies and organizations more financially independent and resilient through entrepreneurship.
