BGF organized the two-days training "Social mission and personae" for the teams part of the RISE Journey

27 November 2021

During this week, Balkan Green Foundation has organized the two-days training on "Social mission and personae" for the teams part of the RISE Journey.

On the first day of the training, seven (7) teams aspiring to be successful future social enterprises, were taught methods to better identify and analyze social issues they can tackle with their business ideas. The training also covered topics such as: how to distinguish social issue and social mission; how to better understand the social problem by analyzing the causes and impacts of the problem; and how to better define the social mission of the business idea for addressing (part of) the problem.

Furthermore, the training also focused on how to imply tackling different stakes and develop several activities for achieving that mission, as we amplified the importance of taking into consideration the stakes that are linked to the mission. Participants were presented with the persona concept of costumers and beneficiaries, how to differentiate them, when they are not the same, and how to identify cases when they are the same, for the purpose of allowing start-ups to better understand where their solution is going, and more importantly, to understand how their solution impacts their customers and beneficiaries.

Teams were given homework on preparing personae for their potential future customers and beneficiaries, and on the second day of the training, presentations of their homework took place. Through this homework, the intent was that teams better understand the importance of having the customers and beneficiaries personae identified in an early stage in order to have the problem and constraints/hurdles identified they will face during their pathway for becoming a social entrepreneur.

The seven (7) teams, part of the RISE Journey, were very enthusiastic about the method taught in identifying personae of customers and beneficiaries as that helped them understand their impact on a broader and higher level.

The RISE project - Regional Incubator for Social Entrepreneurs - believes that young people in the Western Balkans are talented, full of innovative ideas, and eager to achieve them. That is why we want to support the ideas of social entrepreneurship that will make the region a better place.

RISE supports young change-makers in developing their ideas with an impact on sustainable social businesses.

Balkan Green Foundation is one of the six local incubators responsible for implementing RISE activities within the Western Balkans region.