Social Business Academy: Leadership camp in Tallinn

Last weekend, over fifty young participants from Latvia and Finland gathered in Tallinn, Estonia, for the Social Business Academy Leadership Camp. It was an opportunity for them to connect, learn, and explore how they can become entrepreneurs driving positive change in the world. 💡

At the end of the weekend, the participants pitched exciting social business ideas such as clothing upcycling masterclasses, a zero-waste restaurant, recycling plastic bottles into 3D printer filament, and a platform to help vulnerable people looking for odd jobs.

Over the weekend, speakers from various backgrounds inspired the participants to uncover the leader within. Erkki Kubber from Social Enterprise Estonia talked about social entrepreneurship in Estonia, challenging attendees to come up with business ideas that could tackle some of the country’s biggest social issues. Kaisa Leikola, an experienced leader in both NGOs and business, shared her thoughts on why leadership matters. Kaneyuki Irie spoke about social entrepreneurship in Japan, offering examples. Elīna Bušmane and Charles Bušmanis from the social enterprise Design Elevator led a hands-on workshop on design thinking and ideation. Lastly, Tiia Hietala shared her own journey as a young entrepreneur, offering inspiration and practical advice on developing an entrepreneurial mindset.

Kristaps (23), a participant in the program, says: “Here we are equipped with the right mindset to move forward in an environment like entrepreneurship.”

Elīna (19): “I think it’s really cool that you can do practical things, work with other young like-minded people, and practically develop your personal business ideas.”

Their learning journey doesn’t end here. Participants now have the opportunity to partner with mentors who are the perfect fit for their ideas, allowing them to continue growing and refining their business ideas. They are also invited to be part of the transnational Spark Network, bringing together like-minded youth from Finland and Latvia.

🤝 The project is implemented by Reach for Change Latvia, Radošās Idejas, Juvenia, and Lahden Diakonialaitos.

This activity was supported as part of “Social Entrepreneurship for Youth Empowerment in Finland and Latvia”, an Interreg Central Baltic Programme 2021-2027 project co-funded by the European Union (SocEntYouth ID CB0100057). The activity is financially supported by the Society Integration Foundation from Latvian state budget funds allocated by the Ministry of Culture.