HELLO EUROPE: FIRST ECOSYSTEM ACCELERATORS

ASHOKA, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ZALANDO, IS LAUNCHING THE FIRST ECOSYSTEM ACCELERATOR OF ITS KIND TO BRING SOLUTIONS TO THE MOST PRESSING ISSUES IN THE FIELD OF MIGRATION IN EUROPE.


WE AIM TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP OF LEADERS FROM THE SOCIAL INNOVATION SECTOR, NGOS ACTIVE ON THE GROUND, CHANGEMAKERS WITH MIGRANT BACKGROUND, POLICYMAKERS, RESEARCHERS AND CHANGE LEADERS FROM BUSINESS AND IMPACT INVESTMENT SPACE. WE WILL FACILITATE THEIR JOURNEY TO WORK TOGETHER TO ADDRESS THE KEY SYSTEMIC CHALLENGES IN THE FIELD OF CLIMATE REFUGEES AND MIGRANT ENTREPRENEURSHIP & EMPLOYMENT.

What we aim to achieve together:

  • The creation of collective system change solutions in two clusters (1) migrant entrepreneurship & employment and (2) climate refugees.

  • A set of insights products and policy strategies showing the results of the process, key questions and recommendations identified as key by the stakeholder groups which will inform our next phase of implementation. 

WHY THIS IS THE RIGHT STRATEGY

This is the moment. More people are on the move everyday, many due to climate change. But the sector seems stuck: migration is seen as a divisive issue, systems to manage it are old and outdated, organizations are siloed and there are many barriers for collaboration. Migrants are often portrayed as passive subjects of compassion and kept out of the decision-making processes.

There is a demand. Across sectors, there’s a desire for new approaches that dismantle siloes, bring innovation, involve final users in decision-making, and propose solutions that can be scaled widely. Through our work with policy makers and other stakeholders in Hello Europe, we’ve seen this demand as well as the possibility and power of collaborative approaches, especially in response to COVID-19, where people from all places and with all kinds of expertise came together to find new solutions.

Our approach works. Our approach sees migration as changemaking in action, where migrants are recognized as the “makers” they are, innovative solutions are scaled to provide better results, and collaborative, collective solutions emerge that can transform the entire system. We’ve developed some key principles that have proven particularly effective. 

  • We apply a proven accelerator approach with systems-change tools and frameworks to guide participants through a process aimed at action.

  • We place systemic social entrepreneurs at the center, who provide an energy and innovative approach.

  • We also know how to measure the impact being created and improve it.

  • We break the silo approach by enabling key players to analyze and transform the ecosystem they are in together, while still supporting individual solutions to scale.

  • Our cluster approach enables approaching systemic issues in a cross-cutting way with key players that don’t regularly work together.

Does this approach resonate with you? Are you passionate about the topics? Would you like to learn more from other changemakers with experience and insights from various sectors? Do you want to explore how this field might be relevant for your work and what are the latest trends moving the conversation?

Serena Mizzoni