Spark ? More Powerful Than AI?

Welcome to the August edition of Spark.?

Between the hottest month ever recorded and the release of the new?Barbie movie, July has been intense.?The historic moments keep coming though: it’s been two years since the first ever edition of Spark. Since then, we’ve released 24 editions, welcomed thousands of new readers, made countless jokes, and platformed hundreds of stories of young agents of change from around the world.?

We’ve got some big plans for this newsletter. But for now, our communications team would like to say thank you for the support. We’ll make sure this becomes (or stays) your favorite impact newsletter.

Putting the M in Money:Care ??

Staying true to their name, Money:Care just won some money. They deservingly won the 1st prize of Deloitte’s prestigious Grow program, awarding them funding and pro bono support from Deloitte.?

Money:Care, made up of winning trio Timo, Katharina, and Ulrich, is building the future of impact investing platforms. They allow private investors to check the sustainability of listed companies and as a result build their own sustainable investment portfolios.

They’ve made some big moves since winning the SIA Austria Community Award in 2021. Not only did they pivot away from becoming a brokering app, they brought onboard a third co-founder (Ulrich) and have gotten attention from big media outlets like Brutkasten.

The Future of Coffee ?

Artificial Intelligence is powerful and all, but have you ever drank a cup of coffee? Not only does coffee give superhuman focus, it also?changed the course of history, and it might change the future too.?

Vanesa Chebenová and Tamara Golisová, co-founders of SIA Slovakia finalist venture Coffant, are building the future of coffee. They’re building technology to transform coffee waste into commercial fertilizers that can replace unhealthy synthetic fertilizers. We asked the founders to share some more information about their work:?

Can you introduce yourselves to the readers?

We are Vanesa and Tamara. Vanesa is doing a PhD in public health while at the same time working in a hospital and on international research projects. Tamara studies fermentation biotechnologies. She worked as a fermentation process technologist and is currently on maternity leave.

What was your journey with Coffant?

We met through an?academic?platform, where we addressed a topic focused on ecology and sustainability. We love coffee, so we started thinking about the topic. We found out coffee grounds are valuable for the soil but still end up in landfills. Coffant was born out of a desire to change this.

How has your experience with SIA been so far?

So far, we’ve met amazing people with very interesting projects and our mentor has given us great advice. We already learned a lot about presentation skills. We’re looking forward to receiving relevant feedback and taking our business plan to the next level.

Where do you hope to take Coffant over the long-term?

Our project is present in only one city in Slovakia, but we hope we will become pioneers in coffee ground recycling and bring Coffant into more cities, more coffee houses and of course more farms.

SIA x SEWF ??

The best conference of the year is just around the corner, and we don’t say that lightly. The Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) is taking place in October, gathering thousands working in the field.?

Our Managing Director Ana sat down with the SEWF team to talk about all things youth empowerment, why young people need support, and what excites her about her job. It’s an honest insight into her work?and her unrelentless?belief in the community.

Check it out on the?SEWF blog.

The Happiest People in the World ??

If social entrepreneurship was a country, it would be the 14th happiest country in the world, out of 195.?

This is only one of the many pieces of data coming out of the?2023 Possibilists Report. Over 1600 young social entrepreneurs from around the world participated in the survey, which will provide guidance for governments, institutions, and other NGOs to build initiatives that successfully help the people trying to change the world.

Whether you work for an initiative helping young people make an impact, or you are one of those young people, the data?is worth a read.

Moment of Mindfulness: Slowing Down

The world is literally boiling, AI is taking over, and now, the aliens are coming? Sometimes, there's just too much to handle. Coping strategies are endless, but for us at SIA, finding some time to slow down and reconnect in nature is the most powerful tool we have.

As an international community spread across 18 countries, we make it a point to gather a few times each year. Our international community recently met in the mountain ranges of Slovenia, and discussed the successes and struggles of the past 6 months while planning the next 6. It was also a good time to connect with one another, go on some hikes, and enjoy good conversations.?

Even though we’re ready to tackle all these big challenges, we’re still looking forward to the next gathering. How are you slowing down this summer? Let us know by replying to this email!