Ashoka
Together towards a more sustainable future
The purpose of Waves - Summit for Changemakers, Social Innovations and Impact Entrepreneurs is to challenge actors across different sectors to build a more sustainable future together, especially through social innovation. Social innovations are new solutions to a social problem that are more effective, equitable or sustainable than existing solutions — creating value primarily for society as a whole rather than for private individuals.
According to the Waves Summit Project Manager Johanna Ahlström:
“The agenda is thoroughly considered and carefully built to offer the participants aha-experiences, to strengthen their networks and to increase cross-sectorial collaboration towards our shared sustainability goals.”
The summit offers more tools to build sustainable societal change. The following themes are discussed during the day:
- investing in social innovation,
- how to create an investment portfolio that supports positive,
- societal change as well as,
- how to create an ecosystem that accelerates social innovation.
“We want to give the changemakers new tools for their everyday work. We also want to wake the discussion and understanding of the role and potential of social innovation in society and thereby enable the development of new pathways to funding as well as new forms of support and acceleration”, stresses Johanna Ahlström.
Waves summit will be full of joy and positive energy, as it plans to celebrate the success and acknowledge the potential of social innovation, changemaking and impact entrepreneurs. The summit is organized by Ashoka Nordic, the Nordic branch of Ashoka: the world’s largest network of social entrepreneurs and changemakers.
A Changemaker is someone who wants to take action
The Tradeka Foundation is one of the financiers of the Waves summit that will take place in Helsinki and online this September. The organizers aim to create a platform to support this kind of dialogue at the summit. The Summit brings together private and public actors, policymakers, changemakers, investors and social enterprises.
According to Satu Niemelä, who has worked with Tradeka’s donations activities for years, there is a societal need for conversation that crosses boundaries and silos:
The donations made by Tradeka Cooperative, the Tradeka Foundation and the Kuluttajaosuustoiminnan säätiö -foundation (KOTS) are among others targeted at children, elderly, art, culture, and new innovations. These three actors give a substantial amount back to society every year through grants and donations. In 2022, the sum amounts to 1.7 million euros.
For Tradeka, giving grants and donations to activities for the common-good is essential for taking social responsibility and having an impact on society. Tradeka wants to support activities that create something new and change customary structures and ways of acting.
Authentic collaboration and a cross-sectorial dialogue
Johanna Ahlström describes a changemaker as follows: “A changemaker is someone who wants to take action to make better societal solutions. It's that sensation inside of you saying: I should try again but from another angle. There are a million ways to make change happen, but we just need to find out what the ways are for us in our time and place, and who to do it with.”
“Tradeka is supporting the summit, because we want to accelerate the birth of new innovations. Ashoka brings an international angle to the table, which can open new doors for Finnish innovations on their path to a wider utilization”, says Satu Niemelä.
Read the blog in Finnish below: