Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship

Apply Now: 100x Impact Accelerator Supporting Ventures Driving Global Change 100x Impact Accelerator based at the London School of Economics are looking for the next generation of social ventures affecting positive change, offering £150K in unrestricted grant capital, a 12-week hybrid programme with world class insights, and access to a community of changemakers who are driving change on a global scale. Find out more and apply below by the 6th Jan ⬇️

Please join us on Friday, January 24th (⏰ 15:30-16:30 GMT) at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and online for our next #InsightsforAction seminar! Moderated by Professor Marya Hill-Popper Besharov, Academic Director of the Skoll Centre, the discussion will focus on how businesses can be changed from within to prioritise purpose. Drawing on experience using the DEAL approach alongside other frameworks, the speakers will discuss tools and strategies for redefining the mission, culture, and operations of businesses. The session will draw on both research and practice, offering actionable insights for creating sustainable, purpose-driven change. Speakers: 🍃Erinch Sahan, Business and Enterprise Lead at Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL) and former CEO of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) 🤝 Bruno ROCHE, Founder of the Economics of Mutuality Alliance and ONE Society and former Chief Economist at Mars This seminar is hybrid and open to the public. For those joining in person, the seminar will be followed by a reception. Read more and register here: https://oxsbs.link/3OUChQO Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

🌟 Last week, we hosted our annual Skoll Centre Community Convening! 🌟 It was an inspiring day where we brought together valued members of our community and network to share their expertise and experiences in the field of social impact. The event connected academic researchers and practitioners from across different geographies, backgrounds and sectors. The day was filled with refreshing insights and valuable conversations, leaving us energised for the year ahead. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to making this gathering so impactful—especially to our incredible speakers who made the day so memorable. Here’s to continuing this journey together 🙌 #SocialImpact #Community #Collaboration #SkollCentre Marya Hill-Popper Besharov Dr Catherine Hasted Jessica Jacobson Sarah Tuke Nick Gregg Elizaveta Belkina Menna Clarke Claire Wathen Cynthia Rayner Sonja Betschart Mark Hand Jonathan Michie Melissa Berman Charmian (Char) Love Celia Cruz Jess Daggers, PhD Dominic Hofstetter Karim Harji Bridget Kustin Geetika Mantri Evan Paul Mary Johnstone-Louis Marina Leal Nadir Shams

"Tomorrow is here. It is now. I want to believe that I will be home again, and that home will be home again". British Academy Research Fellow and Skoll Centre Early Career Research Fellow Ammar Azzouz, PhD has a unique perspective on the recent events in Syria and he shares them here in a moving and insightful piece in the Guardian below.

Calling all impact educators. Bring Map the System to your campus and inspire your students to explore the systems behind the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges. See below for more details.

Inspire the Next Generation of Changemakers 🔎 Map the System equips students to analyse, map, and communicate complex social and environmental issues. Partner with the Skoll Centre and join a growing community of educators redefining how we teach social impact. Why participate? ✅ Engage with world-class learning resources ✅ Connect with a global network of educators and practitioners ✅ Give students the opportunity to compete at Oxford Info sessions: 🗓️ December 10th, 17:00 GMT 🗓️ December 12th, 12:00 GMT 📖 Sign up for an info session today and find out more by clicking on the link below. #EducationForChange #MapTheSystem #FutureLeaders https://lnkd.in/esG38Vqz

🌍 Give your students the tools to deeply understand complex problems and develop actionable insights for change. Map the System is more than a competition — it’s a global learning experience, empowering students to tackle challenges with systems thinking. Educators, partner with us to bring this programme to your institution and connect with a worldwide network of changemakers. 📢 Upcoming info sessions: 🗓️ December 10th, 17:00 GMT 🗓️ December 12th, 12:00 GMT 💻 Learn more by clicking on the link below and registering for an info session. #SocialImpactEducation #GlobalCommunity #SystemsLeadership https://lnkd.in/esG38Vqz

☀️Bright Futures Start Here: A Social Franchise for Early Learning Investing in early childhood development (ECD) yields transformative benefits for societies and economies. Yet, in South Africa, over 1 million 3–4-year-olds lack access to early learning programmes, while 2 million more are enrolled in unregistered centres. Despite being a government priority, there is no formal system to deliver ECD for children under five. Parents often rely on community-based programmes run by local entrepreneurs—mostly women—through over 40,000 ECD centres nationwide. These micro-enterprises employ nearly 200,000 staff but often operate with limited resources. With the right support, this informal network has the potential to deliver high-quality early learning at scale. SmartStart South Africa is leading the way by recruiting, training, and supporting ECD centre owners to run successful, high-quality programmes. Drawing on the principles of commercial franchising, SmartStart collaborates with the South African government and private funders to build a scalable delivery platform reaching all nine provinces. Learn more about this innovative model in our case study, created with the World Intellectual Property Organization – WIPO as part of the Global Innovation Index 2024. The report explores how social entrepreneurship and innovation can drive meaningful impact and the policies needed to unlock their potential. 👉 Read the full case study below... #EarlyChildhoodDevelopment #SocialInnovation #EducationForAll #SmartStart #GlobalInnovationIndex #WIPO #ImpactDrivenSolutions https://lnkd.in/eYTHdGKd

🌍 Panel Discussion: The Geopolitics of Brazil’s Return to the Global Stage 🗓 When: Wednesday 4th December 2024 📍 Hosted by: Institute of Development Studies in Brighton and Online As Brazil’s 2024 G20 presidency comes to an end, join Skoll Centre Early Career Research Fellow, Laura Trajber Waisbich, at this panel discussion this week, as Laura and other experts reflecting on: * Progress on Brazil’s priorities: fighting poverty, promoting sustainable development, and reforming global governance. * Brazil’s upcoming leadership roles in BRICS+ and as host of COP30 in 2025. * The shifting role of the Global South in today’s geopolitical landscape. 🎟 This event is free and open to all. 👉 Register below to join the conversation in person or online. #Geopolitics #Brazil #G20 #BRICS #COP30 #GlobalSouth #SustainableDevelopment #SkollCentre #IDS #PanelDiscussion https://lnkd.in/eBbUXu9B

Bring Map the System to your campus and inspire your students to explore the systems behind the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges. 🌍 Join our global network of educators, students, and practitioners dedicated to creating a new generation of systems thinkers. With a transformative learning programme and a global competition, we’re redefining how students approach social impact. 📅 Learn more at an upcoming info session: 🗓️ December 10th, 17:00 GMT 🗓️ December 12th, 12:00 GMT Start your journey today by clicking on the link below. #MapTheSystem #EducationForImpact #SystemsThinking https://lnkd.in/esG38Vqz