Innovation Office University of Basel ’s Post

Congratulations to Valeria Duflot and Ricardo Oliveira Neves on their roles as Co-Chairs of the Catalyst 2030 Europe Chapter. Valeria’s ongoing commitment to fostering equitable and compassionate systems has been evident since the Chapter’s inception. Her deep understanding of policy and regional networks, combined with her experience as a social innovator, have been instrumental in creating a more inclusive and collaborative ecosystem. Valeria’s ventures, like Venezia Autentica and The Humming Tree, have set new standards in social innovation, reaching millions and transforming markets, practices, and mindsets. She is poised to continue advancing initiatives that amplify the voices of social innovators and deepen engagement across the region. Ricardo, a seasoned social entrepreneur and Ashoka Fellow, brings his extensive background in strategic communication, community engagement, and conflict resolution. His decades of experience in consulting, combined with a passion for the European vision of collaboration, will be invaluable as the Europe Chapter seeks to strengthen its impact. Ricardo’s dedication to fostering dialogue and building bridges among diverse stakeholders aligns closely with the Chapter’s goal of shaping a thriving community for social innovation across Europe. A heartfelt thank you to Mel Young MBE, whose leadership has guided the Chapter through a period of growth, and to DAVID PAREJO, whose past contributions helped lay a strong foundation. Their efforts have been pivotal in positioning the Europe Chapter as a leader in systems change within the Catalyst network. Catalyst 2030, a global movement born from social entrepreneurs, works to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 through systemic transformation. By uniting governments, businesses, and communities, Catalyst 2030 drives collaboration to address root causes, fostering innovative solutions that span sectors and regions. This leadership transition reflects our shared commitment to a future where systems change becomes a reality, with social entrepreneurs leading the way in creating a sustainable, inclusive world. #Catalyst2030 #SocialInnovation #SystemsChange #EuropeChapter #LeadershipTransition #SocialEntrepreneurs #Sustainability #Collaboration #SDGs2030

🌟 Highlights from Our Recent Webinar with the Innovation Leader Milena Stoycheva🌟 In case you missed it, our webinar with the former minister of Innovation and Growth of Bulgaria was packed with valuable insights from one of the leading voices in innovation and entrepreneurship. Here’s what we covered: ✅ How Milena manages to juggle 17+ active roles, from co-founding to board membership and beyond. ✅ Key strategies to develop a strong culture of innovation in companies. ✅ Expert advice on how startups can build and effectively utilize a board. ✅ A glimpse into what's next for Milena after such an impressive track record. ✅ Practical tips for aspiring founders launching their startups today. Catch the replay and learn from a true leader in the field! Junior Achievement Bulgaria European Female Founders (HerFund Project) Kelvin Health The Edge - Research & Business Development EIT Digital Digital Health and Innovation Cluster Bulgaria American University in Bulgaria

With the development of venture capital industry in Central and Eastern Europe, more and more female leaders are stepping into the spotlight, propelling growth and innovation in this fast-paced industry to new heights. 🌟 As such, our Managing Partner Tatjana Zabasu Mikuž was nominated by Vestbee as one of the Top 25 Women in the VC and startup ecosystem in Slovenia! 👏 ⬇️ Check out the full article below. 

🌟 Excited to announce some of our amazing speakers for the #EthicalAssembly2024! 🌟 ✨ Francesco Rocca from Impact Hub Lisbon: Impact Hub is the largest network of social entrepreneurs globally present in more than 110 cities and with over 16,000 members. The Lisbon Hub has a clear focus on Impact Entrepreneurship, #CircularEconomy, Sustainability and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and its mission is to accelerate the transition to a new economy where people and planet thrive. Over the past 7 years, Francesco has provided strategic leadership, overseen the expansion of physical spaces and managed relationships with the local community and stakeholders globally. ✨ Marina Schmidt 🍎🍏 from Red to Green: Marina Schmidt is an acclaimed climate educator and founder of the impact media outlet R2G Media, an in-depth content studio specializing in #Agriculture and food sustainability. Her flagship podcast, Red To Green, is ranked in the top 5% globally and has a loyal listenership in over 160 countries. It is obligatory onboarding material for new hires at several VCs and startups and is deemed 'excellent' by MIT. ✨ Alice Segre from maze impact: Alice represents MAZE, an #ImpactInvestment firm that offers a toolbox to everyone committed to delivering positive social and environmental outcomes. With close to 30M successfully invested to date, MAZE distinguishes itself as a leading early-stage funding program for impact-driven startups. Join us and learn how MAZE is supporting new teams dedicated to making a positive difference in the world through innovative solutions and sustainable practices. Grab a ticket and roll up your sleeves! We’ve got work to do #climateaction. 🚀🌍 #SustainableFuture #Innovation #CommunityBuilding #Inspiration #ImpactHub #RedToGreen #MazeX

🗣 'We are at a place where it is easier to imagine a future shaped by climate crisis than a world that looks beyond growth' That was the powerful opening statement of day 3 of the #beyondgrowthAT conference in Vienna. It was a very insightful day hearing from advocates from all paths in life who share a common vision of a world where growth is not the sole measure of success.  Here are a few insights that were shared today: 🚫 Companies that do not focus on growth face ongoing pressure to conform with traditional market tactics, scale their operations and compete on price to stay competitive. Given their slow growth trajectory, they are also not perceived as viable businesses and often face challenges in receiving recognition and accessing capital. 🚀 The startup ecosystem celebrates companies that can be scaled and exited within a few years, rather than companies that create social and/or environmental value. If we eliminate or limit financial pressure and extraction, businesses can focus on creating value for their customers rather than their shareholders. 🎓 Universities and other institutions that build the leaders and business owners of tomorrow still focus on teaching traditional consumption and business models. There is huge potential to think beyond the status quo, and use these young and bright minds to develop new and innovative models that lead to a more inclusive and equitable future. #innovation #inclusiveinnovation #postgrowthentrepreneurship #entrepreneurmindset #startupsuccess 

🚀 #ThrowbackFriday to the 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗮 𝗦𝗕𝗘 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿!   Looking back, we're reminded of the power of collaboration and innovation. This program was all about walking the talk of an ecosystem approach for innovation, bringing together students, early-stage entrepreneurs, researchers, startups, and SMEs to create a dynamic space for bold ideas and visionary action. Today, we take this moment to send a huge thank you to our amazing partners who played a crucial role in making this possible: Banco Primus Câmara Municipal de Cascais GRUPO ACA Grupo Brisa LTPlabs Morais Leitão Pingo Doce/Jerónimo Martins Schréder Hyperion SIBS ZEISS Group Together, we converged the worlds of Smart Cities, Green Economy, Sustainable Service Providing, and more. By leveraging the power of applied research, knowledge transfer, and diverse perspectives, we created a space for future-forward innovation that explored both citizen and customer journeys. This initiative was a prime example of how collaboration between academic institutions and businesses can foster systemic change. It’s not just about incremental progress—it’s about reimagining the future, and these partners were at the heart of it all.   Check out the video below to learn more about our amazing partners!   🌱 Here's to driving impactful change, supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs, and creating a more sustainable and inclusive future for cities and communities. #InnovationEcosystem #FutureCitiesFutureCommunities #OpenInnovation #SmartCities #Sustainability

🌍 Exciting Times Ahead: Embracing Global Innovation! 🚀 As we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of our industries, I am thrilled to share that I am working on a series of initiatives with Global Innovative Ventures (GIV) aimed at fostering entrepreneurship and innovation across Africa and beyond. Our mission is to empower aspiring entrepreneurs by providing resources, mentorship, and funding opportunities through impactful events and programs. 🔑 Key Highlights of Our Upcoming Initiatives: 1. Weekend Special Startup Pitch Events: Yearly events designed to connect entrepreneurs with investors and industry leaders. 2. Educational Workshops: Skill-building sessions focusing on digital marketing, finance, and leadership. 3. Global Networking Opportunities: Creating platforms for startups to connect, collaborate, and grow on an international scale. 💬 I would love to hear from you! What challenges do you see in fostering innovation in your industry? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Let's work together to shape a brighter future for entrepreneurs around the globe!

Ready to embrace your strengths and take your entrepreneurship to the next level? 🙋♀️ Join the 1,550 others whose businesses have already benefited from our 'Backing Female Founders Program' which assists female founders at different stages of the entrepreneurial lifecycle and addresses barriers in the youth, startup, scaleup and global stages of the innovation pipeline through a range of programs, initiatives and funding 🙌 Think 👇 ✔Mentorship from experienced founders and investors. ✔Network creation, individual, personalised support and executive coaching. ✔Guidance on building your MVP, refining business models, testing pricing strategies, and growing marketing. ✔Pre-accelerator, mentorship, webinars, masterclasses and education workshops. Both our flagship Backing Female Founder Programs are now open for applications 🏃♀️ 📢 Accelerating Female Founders Program, which is available to eligible organisations to develop and deliver new or existing business support programs for Queensland Female Founders with innovative businesses (and be quick, as applications close on the 15th April). 📢Female Founders Co-investment Fund, which is available to innovative female-founded businesses undertaking a new early-stage capital raise (checkout the new eligibility). The program is targeted at female founders in innovation who are female entrepreneurs and innovators, established female-founded businesses and companies, investors, industry business associations and part of the Queensland innovation ecosystem. Ready to take the leap? We're here to help connect, scale and grow your business, at whatever stage you are 🚀 Learn more about each program and how to apply here 👉https://lnkd.in/gqqps4Bm

Here are some interesting facts 📊 👉 While 75% of founders, investors, and policy-makers are confident that European start-ups can solve global problems 👉 Only 7,5% believe Europe is the best place to start a startup. Can we actually create a European-level powerhouse that supports and accelerates innovation across the continent? Take a deep dive into the most recent Rise Europe report: 𝗞𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 and learn where and how Europe needs to improve: https://lnkd.in/dpureHAj 👈 The report was a collaboration with Bits & Pretzels and the knowledge support of McKinsey & Company. Beta-is is proud to be part of the Rise Europe network of innovation drivers committed to powering European entrepreneurship. 💪 #RiseEurope #KickstartEurope #innovation #collaborativeinnovation