We work with people who use entrepreneurship as a way to create social change. Together, we aim to enable a more equal and inclusive society, where everyone has the opportunity and capability to provide for themselves and their families.
What is a social entrepreneur?
A social entrepreneur is a person who uses business as a way to solve social challenges, such as reducing poverty and empowering women. He or she has an objective to make a social impact rather than just to make a profit, and operate by providing goods and services in an entrepreneurial and innovative fashion. They are visionaries that work at all levels – from creating change in local communities to influence the way social issues are addressed globally.
Social Entrepreneur stories
Improving families’ living conditions in Brazil
One of the social entrepreneurs we collaborate with is Fernando Assad from Brazil. Through his organisation Programa Vivenda, he provides affordable and easy-to-install home improvement kits to mitigate the unsafe housing situation in Brazil’s favelas. Around 40 million people in Brazil live in houses that pose health risks.
Read the full storyWe bring people together
Social entrepreneurs often face challenges in expanding their business, having limited access to financial means as well as business networks and supply chains. This is where IKEA Social Entrepreneurship comes into the equation. By sharing our networks and our business knowledge, we team up with social sector organisations to support established social entrepreneurs to increase their impact. Also, we collaborate and do business with social entrepreneurs to produce unique items and develop services for IKEA.
Learn more about how we work and how we partner with different organisations to support social entrepreneurs.