Interviewee: Konstantina Zoehrer
Focus Region: Greece
Category: Entrepreneurship support

Konstantina Zoehrer is a young, passionate entrepreneur whose mission it is to rebuild emerging ecosystems, like Greece, by fostering social change. She is a co-founder of the social enterprise Loft2work, where she manages operations. Loft2work is based on three pillars: commercial, hybrid and social. The commercial part is working closely with companies,  on Greek and international level, on issues regarding innovation and collaborative structures. Loft2work’s hybrid part develops social innovation projects in collaboration with other companies as organizations and its social (or non-profit) part, is its community coworking space, where students, professionals and aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs get besides a space to work from also supportive services. All three parts are based on research and implementation.

The young social enterprise made break-even within one year of operations and works on its expansion through synergies on national and international level in order to support Greece’s emerging market of social and creative economy.

Konstantina is a also member of Sandbox, a global community of hand-selected young achievers and innovators, and initiated Startup Live Athens, under the umbrella of Starteurope, which supports and fosters entrepreneurship in Europe. 


Currently she is working on a research on how informal structures and communities contribute to the socioeconomic development of several, less privileged areas.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background. Do you have entrepreneurs in your family?
No, there are no entrepreneurs in my family. I remember that I questioned the frameworks given and wanted to create something useful and meaningful whether it would be within the framework of a company or inside society. My studies in political science and history are not the expected background of an enterprising individual. Not to forget to mention that I changed jobs quite often. Yet, I have incorporated what I studied in my daily routing at work. Whether it is social/ human sciences or a social enterprise, what I do and how I create is human-centered.

What made you become so interested in social entrepreneurship? What role did the economic environment in Greece play in this development?
My background is in social and political sciences and I tried to find a way to apply the knowledge I gathered through university and working for the communications industry into a sustainable model providing solutions with social value. Working with social technologies was a way to stumble upon entrepreneurship, mostly in the area of technology and discovered what I was missing. Technology is a great tool to develop solutions but it is not a solution on its own most of the times. Not all societies in the world have access to what the developed world considers as guaranteed. 

The economic environment in Greece was a factor to see how to find a way to solve problems that seemed solved, to approach them differently, more embedded in the socioeconomic and cultural context rather than just applying practices from other countries without considering culture. Greece, is showcasing Europe’s weaknesses of  uniting its cultural mosaic with its social and economic welfare.

I came to Greece long time before the “so-called” crisis, I worked here years before, I studied here and I was about to leave the country, as so many other young people my age. It was not the crisis that made me stay, but the challenge and the incredible amount of untapped talent, its social and cultural capital.

You are involved in a variety of activities such as Loft2Work, Startup Live Athens, as well as some research and writing. Can you tell us more about these activities (origin, purpose, activities, goals, future directions) and what you what you want to achieve?
To begin with, I honestly believe that you never stop learning. Startup Live Athens came to life because the team behind it wanted to connect the Greek entrepreneurial community with Europe and to support it through its network. The initiative brought to Greece, in summer 2011, is based on three-day entrepreneurial education program, someone could call it a fast accelerator program, and a vivid community and network around Europe. It was also the point to challenge myself and set into reality what I was talking about but afraid to show to a wider range of people.  The fact that I initiated it, does not mean that I will lead it forever. I believe that it is far more than just another startup event, it filled a gap in the field of entrepreneurship education and it will continue with one way or another, whether as Startup Live Athens or as the point of reference for the next generation of initiatives.

As a team, we shared responsibilities and rotation leadership is something we believe in. Recently I decided to let go and let someone else take the lead. One of my mentors told me that leaving something you created when it has success point, when it is at a pick, shows more responsibility rather leaving it when it has reached a crisis point. It was not an easy decision, but I had to do what Startup Live Athens was teaching – Walking the talk and working on my social venture. It was my turn to prioritize.

Loft2work is not only the social enterprise I am part of, but also the crossroads of our team. Sophia, with her intense research and business background; Andreas coming having a strong hospitality background and being into music and arts; myself with communication and informal structures and creativity. It is where we create together and this is what Loft2work stands for: collaboration, research, social innovation and implementation, culture. We managed to reach break-even within one year, while we changed our business model and shaped it into what we had envisioned. In September 2012, we expanded to another city with an affiliate space, Loft2work Thessaloniki, which is addressing the needs of creative economy of Thessaloniki and engaging also the aspiring technology sector. During last summer we developed our first social research regarding the area of Kerameikos, which is one of the less privileged areas in the center of Athens, aiming to implement social projects that will support the areas developed based on social issues raised from the in-depth interviews. We are working on the third space, which will be on the island of Crete. Currently, we are developing three new projects that address the areas of informal education and health.

As said in the beginning, writing, research, and my involvement at other initiatives, are part of my learning journey and an important part of my personal and professional development.

Which of these pay your rent and which of these are volunteering projects on the side?
Before Loft2work, I was working as a freelancer for communications and creative industry and in various in-house positions. Since I joined Loft2work, it is also what I do for a living and provides me with the opportunity to focus on its growth but also to assist, a couple of non-profit projects, creative groups and startups on a volunteer basis.

With Greek youth unemployment rates being among the highest across Europe, where do you see your role as an ambassador among your peers? Do you see yourself in a potential future leadership position (politically or economically) in order to define what Greece will be in the future?
I was about to leave the county as many others did and do last summer. I closed the company I had at the time based in Athens, prepared everything for my relocation to Vienna, where I was born. Paid my bills and took responsibility of legal and financial details to prepare my leave. It was not an easy decision. A friend of mine told me: “You leaving Greece? You love challenge, but more than challenge, you love this place, there is an extremely nurturing affection between you two, and you will come back.” Some days later I was asked if I could bring Startup Live to Athens,  especially at that point. It was the summer when Greece was in the media with strikes and maybe the most crowded demonstration, peaceful and less peaceful ones,  that I had seen during the ten years I was living there. At the same time, Sophia and Andreas, founding team of Loft2work, invited me to join me on the journey called Loft2work, operating in Greece, and literally taking more and more the direction into what the three of us had envisioned, everyone of us from a different perspective. So, I just came back from a short break. Regarding leadership, I would say that there is a lot of talk about it, and less action. There are some people that inspire, motivate with their words and/or actions, but I think that it takes a lot of social consciousness to make people believe in their actual skills and apply them in order to create. I would call it collective leadership, because our society is formed around social interaction. Meaning that everything I do is human and society-centered. I do not mind if you call it leadership, for me it is social consciousness that leads to action and a better future. In order to lead, you have also to follow sometimes, otherwise society does not make progress, but you can choose who and when you follow and take also responsibility of your decisions.

If you were a political leader of Greece right now, what would be the first thing you would change?
Engaging bottom-up rather than imposing top-down and building a bridge between both levels. It might not be easy but if you want long-term change, you have to set the solid foundations of it.

What are the biggest challenges that young entrepreneurs are currently facing in Greece? Maybe you can also talk a bit about the general environment for entrepreneurs. How does your work fit into this?
I would say that young entrepreneurs face the same difficulties all around the world, the only thing that changes are the framework.

As your generation will make up the labor market of the next years and decades, how do you and your peers try to create a sustainable and future-oriented labor market?
Changing mentalities, setting collaborative frameworks and taking responsibility. It sounds like a cliché but if you look at the world as it is today, our generation, especially those living in the so-called developed countries, is gifted with advanced tools whether from science or technology, has more access to knowledge than any generation before and has to find a way to use their skills, knowledge and tools in order push things forward (Yes, this could remind you of the famous Apple quote) for the whole world. The fact that we are young does not mean that we are not responsible of the future.

Over the last years, how has the social entrepreneurship movement evolved in Greece?
During the last years we see the social sector developing more and more, but with small steps. I would say that social entrepreneurship is not only a fancy buzz word, but a different way of making business. In Greece we see it in an early-stage, but there is huge cultural and social capital which has been untapped or not considered yet as entrepreneurial or intrapreneurial action, although it is unleashing its potential day by day and changing the business landscape with one way or another.

What would be your advice to anyone thinking about starting a company or social enterprise?
Start small. Stay human. Work hard.

If you are going after security, cooperate salaries then maybe you should think twice. Any business needs vision, passion and people. A social enterprise needs a little but more persistence.

In an interesting and discussion-spurring talk by Karen Wilson (EFER) at the REE Europe at Aalto University, she summarized the following myths, which we wanted to share with you:

Entrepreneurship = Business

• Lots of the entrepreneurship courses are provided exclusively at business schools
  
• Many growth entrepreneurs come from engineering, science and arts and medicine.
  
• Reality: Entrepreneurship is cross-disciplinary and must be taught that way
  

Entrepreneurship = start-ups

• Many universities neglect to teach students about how to grow companies
  
• Realty: More focus must be put on growing companies, not just starting them which is relatively easy in comparison
  

Measure of success = students becoming entrepreneurs upon graduation

• Kauffmann research shows the average age of entrepreneurs is 39
  
• Reality: Students must be taught entrepreneurial skills, attitudes and behaviors which can be applied throughout their life
  

Technology Transfer as a “gold mine”

• Only a handful of universities in the world excel and are profitable with technology transfer
  
• TTOs can often become bottlenecks
  

Innovation = R&D

• Innovation is much broader than R&D. OECD data shows a large amount of non-technology innovation
  
• Pouring more money into R&D will not necessarily yield more innovation
  
• Reality: Too often there is a disconnect between Innovation and Entrepreneurship Policy

"Every society can only be as intelligent, effective and successful as the people it‘s made of. […] It is not an indulgence to cultivate great talent, it is an indulgence, a criminal indulgence not to do so." (Dr. Alfred Herrhausen, former Chairman of Deutsche Bank)

Interviewee: Dr. Florian Kapitza
Focus Region: Africa & Asia
Category: Education support

Education is the most important lever for the development of people and people are the most important lever for the development of any society. But the problem is that 400 million people worldwide don’t have access to secondary education. Their chances to realize their potential and contribute to the economic, political and social development of their countries are consequently extremely limited.

Aiducation International is a for-impact organization, dedicated to giving people access to education. Founded in 2007 by parts of Kenya’s civil society, the organization awards merit-based high school scholarships to bright and needy students in developing countries (current focus is on Kenya). Thereby, donors (AiduMakers) donate in a highly impact-efficient way: They help individuals (AiduFellows) to realize their chances in life, while at the same time pushing the human capital in developing countries closer to their factual potential. The 1-1 principle ensures very high transparency of the investment as the AiduMaker receives regular performance reports during the 4 years of the scholarship. The AiduMaker can participate in selecting the student and each scholarship is named after the AiduMaker (e.g. “Frank-Smith-Scholarship”). Until today, Aiducation has been awarded numerous prices and is run by volunteers (called Aiducators) with chapters in Germany, Kenya, Switzerland, and UK.

Currently Aiducation International awards 150 scholarships per year on merit to high achieving children in Kenya who are identified as potential future leaders. It offers mentorship, networking and job placement opportunities to these young adults.

As the co-founder of Aiducation International, Dr. Florian Kapitza said, “I'm part of Aiducation International because I want to help students realize their potential and I love achieving this together with very inspiring people from all over the world!”

How did you come up with the idea? When and how did Aiducation International get started?
It all started with Jeremiah Kiponda Kambi (Kenya) who had received a scholarship to become a physician. It was then that he understood the importance of complementary funding programs in order to support deserving students in their education and career development, an investment from which the entire community would benefit. At that time (1998/99), I lived in Ivory Coast and was amazed by the diversity of young talents. However, I also understood that they would hardly realize their potential, as many of them did not even have access to basic education – a prerequisite for the development of a person. When we (Kristin and myself) met Jeremiah and heard about the idea to give opportunities to high-potential students with financial need, it immediately appealed to us. Together with several friends, the three of us founded Aiducation International with one part of the team in Kenya to identify deserving applicants and one part of the team in Switzerland to raise funds to finance scholarships and push the idea forward. It was only later that we realized the similar patterns across many if not all developing countries: A large variety of high-potentials but no opportunities to unleash their talent through education and other career possibilities.

How has your project evolved over time and where are you standing today?
Over the past years we have grown from a small idea without any supporters to an organization, which awards 150 scholarships per year to high achieving children in Kenya who were identified as potential future leaders.

This is a remarkable success and I am sure you are very happy about your positioning. Could you tell us about the biggest impacts of your project to the sustainable social development in the African society?
In Kenya, we pay the school fees for our “AiduFellows” (scholars). This has an enormous impact. It gives hope to the AiduFellows and their families, it reduces the number of students out of school who often face brutal alternatives to going to school: working as day laborers, sitting at home, and in some cases even being married off long before their 18th birthday. We have had several such situations already, in one extreme case one of our scholarships led to the cancelling of an arranged marriage of our of our students. So, the impact is often very tangible. And above all our scholarships give our students the chance to excel in school: 2/3 of our AiduFellows belong to the top 30% of their classes in secondary schools, with a good reputation and traditionally academically strong class mates. One of our AiduFellows is for example David Charo Katana who recently graduated from secondary school as the best out of several thousands students in his county.

Apart from that immediate impact our scholarships will also have a long-term impact, as all AiduFellow are part of a network of high potentials that will move their country forward in an economic, political, and social way.

As an entrepreneur, what are you doing in order to remain on top of things and reinvent what you’re doing to ensure your strong position?
I exchange ideas with other entrepreneurs and read relevant literature.

How do you evaluate the competition between NGOs in the charitable educational field in Africa? Which are your major competitors and what are you doing better / different?
I think there is healthy, positive competition just like in any other field of the economy. It propels the different organizations forward.

What is Aiducation doing differently than many others?
There are four things, which characterize us and distinguish us from others. First, it is the use of donations. The 1-1 principle ensures very high transparency of the investment as the AiduMaker receives regular performance reports during the 4 years of the scholarship. The AiduMaker is part of an informal selection committee and decides from a pre-selected pool of AiduSeekers who he/ she wants to support and each scholarship is named after the AiduMaker (e.g. “Frank-Smith-Scholarship”). Regular reports inform AiduMakers on personal progress and impact. Second, we believe that education is the most effective way of realizing potential. Therefore, Aiducation’s activities fully focus on providing access to education and we are proud to say that 90% of all scholarship funds are invested directly into education. Third, we believe in meritocracy. Consequently, each AiduFellow has to go through a rigorous selection process in which financial neediness and brightness are carefully assessed. Therefore, our AiduFellows are high-potentials capable of contributing significantly to the social, economic and political development of their country. Fourth, Aiducation supports AiduFellows financially (Aid to Education Program) and non-financially (Education to Aid Program) by making them become part of an exclusive network of high potentials. The Education to Aid Program, consisting of elements like mentorship academies, group mentoring, career rotations, workshops, project work, seminars, internships, training, startup experiences and others, allow the students to meet and learn from high profile speakers and from other each other. The whole program empowers AiduFellows to live active lives and to use their potential and capabilities for the economic, political, and social development of their country.

Do you collaborate with other educational charities to have a stronger impact? Which and why?
We collaborate loosely with SOS Children’s Villages in Kenya and Shining Hope for Communities. Both organizations help us recruit suitable candidates.

Many people admit that improving governance mechanisms and transparency in Africa could reduce opportunities for corruption. What are your experiences with corruption and how does that affect what you’re trying to do?
Luckily we have never had active contact to corruption. It is an important problem in Kenya and mainly affects dealing with public authorities. Since our funds go directly to Kenya and then directly to the schools, we are hardly affected by it. 

Are there any other barriers that constrain social entrepreneurs like yourself and governments from working more effectively together? How might they be overcome?
We have never applied for any government grants. At one time we approached the Swiss Development Aid organization, the DEZA and asked if they are interested in working together. Their answer was that they prefer working directly together with government agencies, rather than foundations, companies, or for-impact organizations like Aiducation.

Many non-African NGOs have to listen to criticism that they make a living on the poverty and necessity of the people they work with and that their activities are non-transparent and non-sustainable. How do you ensure that Aiducation International does not fall into the range of these NGOs and what do you do in order to transfer knowledge and resources to the local level for a more sustainable development?
We do so based on four principles.

• Sustainability: Is there something more sustainable than empowering the young generation with education to push their own country forward? 
• Transparency: our concept guarantees a very high level of transparency. The AiduMaker selects the student and a very large portion of his/ her money is invested into that specific student. Moreover our yearly report provides a very high degree of transparency on what we do. Last but not least, any donor is highly welcome to attend our Mentorship Academies in Kenya and directly talk to “his/ her” AiduFellow.
• Living on poverty: To say organizations like Aiducation are living on poverty is like saying that hospitals and doctors are living on cancer and diseases. We are not living on poverty but trying to get rid of it with an innovative and promising approach that has been widely neglected in the past.
• Knowledge transfer: In our Mentorship Academies, invited guest speakers – mainly from Kenya but also some from abroad – pass on their knowledge and experience to the high potentials. Apart from that, we also work closely together with our Kenyan chapter and mentor and coach them in our every day dealings. 

What advice would you give to social entrepreneurs in Kenya or other African countries as well as non-African entrepreneurs who want to get started there?
Just do it.

What are your goals for Aiducation International?
We want to activate as much human potential as possible. Next year, we plan to add the Philippines as another Talent Raising Site to our organization and we are looking for more corporate partners, foundations and private people to support our mission.