Within two year of launching Start Up! tens of people told me that there was no business model in our idea.That no organisation (forget grassroots groups) would pay for strategy, incubation and impact acceleration services : there were grant-based programs anyways offering these services at a heavy subsidy.
I was reminded that I did not have the finance or operational skills to do what I had set out to do. There were no strategy or marketing MBAs in the team.
These 'advisors' were mostly impact investors who perhaps did not have full visibility on the dynamic, pulsating possibilities of the non-profit world.
I often did not have answers to their complex ROI questions, even though I knew my numbers. I would tell them that I had no interest or intention in building my brand. My ideas of doing niche and deep work with a small team would be interpreted as naive and unambitious.
But then on the other hand, there were NGO leaders, social entrepreneurs, and grassroots doers who kept encouraging us to start up, and show up. They could see what we saw - the massive possibilities of strategy and leadership development on the ground.
And so, just by showing up everyday, and by celebrating small daily wins, we turn 13 this year.
There are as many diverse, and creative ways of doing business, as there are entrepreneurs. This is what we learnt from grassroots and non-profit leaders. We also learnt that the heart is the most important in the business of social change and impact.
Thank you to all our partners for traveling with us!
❤️💜💙
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We are turning 13 on 25 February! We could not think of a better day than Valentine’s Day to celebrate our heart-led journey of change!
As we launch into our heady teen years, there have been milestones and mistakes, struggles and success, learning and unlearning. But most of all our journey has been marked by the love that we have received from you all; and our love for what we do everyday.
Heart Up! – our birthday campaign from today till the 25th of February - is our celebration of our love and friendship with each one of you! Stay tuned for more birthday excitement over the next 11 days!
Manisha Gupta Swati Awasthy Divya Nissi Healing Fields Foundation Omega Resilience Awards Mark Valentine Safetipin Manisha Ghule Pravah 5th Space Saath Ahmedabad EnAble India VOICE 4 Girls Aajeevika Bureau QUEST Alliance Khoj International Artists Association Aangan Trust Basic HealthCare Services Udayan Care Mahila Jan Adhikar Samiti, Ajmer Swayam Shikshan Prayog SSP Land Conflict Watch Farmer Samir Bordoloi Nandini Velho Raahgiri Foundation Ruhani Kaur Kumar Sambhav Shrivastava
#socialimpact #socialentrepreneurship #strategyforimpact
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HR Generalist
1moHappy Birthday people 🎂