Social and Environmental Entrepreneurship on the rise in the Netherlands (and elsewhere)

Between 13.12.2022 and 22.12 2022, the Dutch partner of the project, Youthpreneur Stichting, successfully implemented five webinars on Social and Environmental Entrepreneurship topics.

The webinars were attended by over 100 participants and were marked with a lot of networking, inspiring story-sharing of successful women in different branches, and many positive comments from the participants.

“I wanted to learn more about social entrepreneurship, as before the webinars I knew very little about that. I liked the fact that the knowledge I gained was not taken from some theory, but from the actual personal experiences of the lecturers. I don’t think I will change anything regarding my career. However, I am happy that now I am richer in all the insights I gained on the topic. I would recommend taking part because there are so many dedicated people involved in this project who would help in any possible way” – said Irina S.

The webinars covered many topics, like for example:

• What is the 3rd sector, and what it means to work in the 3rd sector;

• How to make your business environmentally sustainable – can you do a greater good with a more significant impact while doing what you are best at;

• EU Green Deal;

• How to build your inspiring, authentic stories, and how big the importance of women’s inclusion in the business world is.

“The webinars were informative and full of examples from the real business world, as well as tips from the speakers. I am motivated and inspired to work on my ideas, and goals and to make them real” – commented Ilinka S.

Later on, in the period of January and February, the Dutch team of mentors implemented 27 one-to-one online mentoring sessions for the webinar participants. The mentoring sessions were an extension of the webinars, where the mentees and the mentors agreed upon confidential sessions where they would discuss current challenges, career goals, and ambitions to grow. In total, five mentors were involved in this part.

Here is a testimonial of one of the mentees, Kristina:

”I recently attended the Promoting Women Environment Entrepreneurship webinar, which was an incredible experience. The webinar brought together successful women from various backgrounds and business areas to share their stories and offered tips on succeeding in the business world. As a young professional, I found the webinar to be particularly empowering. It was inspiring to hear from women who have achieved so much in their careers and to learn from their experiences. The webinar provided practical advice for navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship, and it was clear that the speakers were committed to supporting and empowering other women in the field. Additionally, the webinar provided a career coach session for anyone interested. I took that opportunity, and it was invaluable. I left the webinar feeling motivated and empowered to pursue my own goals, and I know that the insights I gained will be invaluable as I continue to grow in my career. I highly recommend this webinar to anyone interested in entrepreneurship or looking for inspiration and guidance on succeeding in their field. Thank you to the organizers and speakers for such an amazing event!”

It seems that nowadays when we work more and more online, we are overwhelmed with the amount of information that we can find on practically any topic we need. Yet, it is still of an essence to us to network and to find a circle of like-minded people who are ready to share their personal experience.

“It’s a powerful tool to learn and share knowledge. It offers support to female entrepreneurs and anyone who does have an idea but doesn’t know where to start. Inspiring leadership women with their knowledge and experience bring the mentoring sessions even better to focus on what matters most to the individual. At the same time, the network you build opens up many possibilities for the future, ” said Elena, one of the mentors.

Especially, when we talk about social entrepreneurship, which is oriented on a social cause and bringing social change, there is a need to find a first-hand experience and advice from people who are already involved in this sector.

What is your opinion about the future of social and environmental entrepreneurship, not only in the Netherlands but also worldwide, and why exactly women can play a significant role in it?