Daniel Sachs Foundation

What a night to remember!   Yesterday, we celebrated F1RST’s Impact Eve at the beautiful Bonnier Art Hall, surrounded by our incredible community of talents, schools, and business partners.   The F1RST community continues to inspire us with its warmth, inclusivity, and ambition. Reflecting on 2024, we’re amazed by what the team has accomplished:   📈 Community growth: From 706 to 1,327 members 🎉 Events & activities: 126 organized 🙌 Engagement: 3,272 community participations 🤝 Mentorships: 108 mentors facilitated 💼 Work Opportunities: 70 roles enabled 🤝 Corporate partners: 21 strong partnerships 🌍 Expansion: F1RST now active in Malmö and Uppsala   We’re deeply grateful to everyone who has been part of this journey so far – and the best is yet to come! Salman Sarwar Fares Bitari Rachinal Salameh Melody Batti Blesserman Pedrie Osman Esam Touma Leymuun Farah Ugbaad M Harbi Sabinor Haas Lönnroth Linda Åberg Febe Amu Magnusson Nicole Ejeklint Fequiere Maria Fabricius Daniel Sachs Paul Alarcon Alanes

** Celebrating the inaugural Apolitical Day ** We were excited to join public leaders, academics, and investors in London for a day of inspiring conversations and unforgettable moments at the first-ever Apolitical Day. As co-founders of the Apolitical Foundation and proud investors in Apolitical it’s been an honor to be part of this incredible journey from the very beginning. None of this would have been possible without the audacious leadership of Lisa Witter, Robyn Scott, and their extraordinary teams. A special congratulations to Elect Her CIC and Recambio for winning the first Political Leadership Impact Award. Thank you for your dedication - we’re already counting down to Apolitical Day 2025! #ApoliticalDay #FutureOfGovernment

** Radical centrism, not populist mimicry, is what we need now ** ”Trumps valseger, liksom ytterkanternas framgångar i Europa, speglar väljarnas växande brist på förtroende för det politiska etablissemanget. Men det handlar inte om en genuin dragningskraft till extrem ideologi, utan längtan efter förnyelse. Mittenpartierna måste ta sina väljare på allvar.” Today, Daniel Sachs and Paul Alarcon Alanes have published an op-ed in Dagens Nyheter, Sweden's leading daily newspaper. They call on established parties to take voters' demands for renewal seriously by rethinking leadership, strengthening the connection between politicians and citizens, and crafting new policy programs rooted in ideological integrity. The link to the full article is in the comments section.

Exciting news! We’re proud to announce a powerful new partnership between Erling-Persson Foundation, the H&M Group and F1RST that will help us scale and expand our reach. With generous support from the foundation and hands-on involvement from H&M Group’s leaders, including mentorship by Karl-Johan Persson, this collaboration will empower F1RST to open doors for even more students across Sweden. F1RST is an independent foundation established by the Stockholm School of Economics and the Daniel Sachs Foundation, dedicated to breaking down barriers to educational opportunities and building a supportive path for underrepresented students – from early career dreams in 8th grade to their first job after university. A big thank you to Kristina Stenvinkel, Ylva Linderson, Åsa Agebäck, Lina Wall Borgenbring, Ebba Kettner, Ethel Ghirmai, Karl-Johan Persson and everyone at Erling-Persson Foundation and H&M Group for making this partnership a reality.

** A New Wave of Hope ** The Apolitical Foundation is on a mission to rebuild trust in political leadership when it's urgently needed. At the heart of this mission is an accelerator, empowering political entrepreneurs to create independent, non-partisan leadership programs in countries around the world. This year’s inspiring cohort includes 22 teams from 25 countries, each gaining critical training, resources, and a peer network to support them in building homegrown political leadership incubators. Their commitment gives us renewed hope for a more inclusive future for democracy. Learn more about the Accelerator by following the link in the comments.

**Reflections from the road: momentum is building for political philanthropy** Our recent engagements with leaders in Berlin, Paris, and Milan have made one thing clear: the push for private sector and philanthropic involvement in supporting democracy is gaining strength. While the recognition to act is growing, many are still navigating the how. With years of experience and a focus on building systemic, effective approaches, we’re eager to share our insights and collaborate with funders ready to drive change. If you're interested in joining efforts to safeguard and revitalize democracy and politics, let’s connect and explore next steps together. Thanks to all the organizers for arranging such thought-provoking spaces and opportunities for shared learning!

Politics may be polarised, but people largely are not. At the #GlobalProgressAction24 Summit in Montreal, I had the opportunity to speak about the rising conflict threatening democracies across Europe—a tug-of-war between authoritarian forces and progressive social movements, led by young people and women, standing up for democracy.   In my remarks, I stressed that the rise of authoritarianism isn’t rooted in ideology, but in a profound loss of trust in institutions. Voters are disillusioned with the political establishment’s ability to tackle real issues like the cost of living, healthcare, and economic opportunity. To restore trust, we must revitalize institutions, introduce fresh leadership, and stand firm in defending liberal democratic values.   Special thanks to Patrick Gaspard, Johan Hassel, Braeden Caley and the teams at Canada 2020 and Center for American Progress for inviting me to speak at such a timely event.   Sharing a clip of my speech for those interested, and I look forward to continuing this crucial conversation on how we can strengthen and revitalize democracy.

Hosted by the CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND (CAP Action) and Canada 2020, the 2024 Global Progress Action Summit in Montreal brought together progressive leaders, strategists, and changemakers from around the world to address urgent societal challenges and shape forward-thinking policy solutions. The Daniel Sachs Foundation joined Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other global leaders to engage in critical discussions on the revitalization of democracy. Daniel Sachs delivered a keynote on radical centrism, calling for bold institutional reforms, bringing new voices into politics, and reimagining politics beyond just policy changes. A heartfelt thanks to Patrick Gaspard, Johan Hassel, Braeden Caley, and their outstanding teams for organizing such a thought-provoking event. We look forward to next year’s summit!

Please join us in welcoming the 8th cohort of the Raise Your Voice School for Politicians Höj Rösten Politikerskola , launched by the Daniel Sachs Foundation in 2016. This year, 28 emerging leaders from across Sweden, representing a wide range of experiences and key issues, will embark on a transformative, year-long journey to explore their political leadership. We’re excited to see the impact they’ll create and wish them every success on their path! Höj Rösten Politikerskola Maria Fabricius Daniel Sachs Paul Alarcon Alanes Jenny Madestam Noura Berrouba Per Schlingmann Najma Mohamed Apolitical Foundation

In June, the largest business newspaper in Sweden, DI Weekend, accompanied our founder Daniel Sachs and Secretary General Paul Alarcon Alanes on a trip to Berlin. They met with the Apolitical Foundation and key stakeholders in Germany’s democracy ecosystem. The response to the interview has been overwhelming, sparking considerable interest in how to engage with our work. Here are a couple of tangible ways to get involved: 💡 Reach out to Apolitical Foundation and Lisa Witter to explore how you can support their mission updating representative political leadership for the 21st century through a worldwide non-partisan movement. 💡 Support Multitudes Foundation and Sarah Durieux to provide political changemakers in Europe with financial resources, strategic advice, practical support and a community of practice to advance their mission of reimagining politics. For those interested in reading the profile on Daniel but don’t speak Swedish, contact Maria Fabricius at maria@dsfoundation.se for more information.