BUSINESSES DOING GOOD
24 SEPTEMBER, 2018
AGORA went around the world this August, highlighting businesses in line with our core values.
We kicked it off with Second Home , a social business with a mission to support entrepreneurship and creativity. Great things happen when different industries and ideas collide, which is why they have charities, corporates and fast growing companies based together in our spaces. It’s a unique workspace but also a cultural venue. Live music, film screenings, talks, wellbeing events and classes are also offered at the space. The interdisciplinary events programme helps you discover new ideas and inspirations that can enrich working life and “Be better.”
Second stop of AGORA around the world was Kenya. In Kenya, almost 1 million girls miss up to 6 weeks of school each year because they lack access to sanitary pads. ZanaAfrica Group expands access to quality feminine hygiene products through the marketplace using aspirational brands designed for women, and by women, creating safe spaces to learn about health and reclaim dignity. Access to sanitary pads increases school attendance and retention. Combined with reproductive health ed, unwanted sex is reduced and delays pregnancy. This is business with impact.
The third stop of AGORA Around the world was South Korea. Picture this: you can now charge your phone using solar energy. Yolk is a South Korean company which designs chic solar chargers that city dwellers can fit in their notebooks. The product solarade will charge your phone as fast as a wall charger!
What if travel planning was as easy as looking at pictures? Spottly is a free app from Hong Kong entrepreneur Charlotte Chen. You can use it to discover amazing places to go through just browsing pictures and videos — like a Tumblr + Pinterest for travel/locations. Already it has an impressive community of travellers and content, so it’s easier than ever to plan your weekend of travels thanks to the pictures that are worth a thousand words. This Founder is unstoppable.
Fifth stop of AGORA’s trip around the world: Brazil! Youper is an AI tool which acts as you own personal assistant for taking control of your emotional and behavioral health. It’s an app, so you can always have it in your back pocket, there to help you overcome any anxiety with quick daily coversations. Youper learns from scientists who study the mind and the brain to help people live happier lives and each profile is shaped into a personalised path for the you to overcome challenges and achieve higher levels of personal empowerment. Here, Artificial Intelligence means Youper is always learning from you and evolving alongside you.
AGORA made it to its 6th stop on its trip around the world: Dubai! Womena is a platform that promotes diversity and inclusion in the regional entrepreneurship ecosystem. It’s the first female-led investment community in the MENA region. Founded in 2014, womena has spent years building an award-winning Angel Investment group that facilitated over 3 million AED in funding into 10 companies. And Womena is just getting started! The goal of womena is more women in business, more women investors, and a more inclusive, diverse, and consequently booming ecosystem. Photo by @100.pixels
Seventh stop of AGORA Around the World is the USA: Memphis Meats brings delicious and healthy meat to your table by harvesting it from cells instead of animals. You can enjoy the meat you love today and feel good about how it’s made because it is better for you and for the world. It’s healthier, more nutritious and safer for you, respectful of animal welfare, and produces less waste and dramatically fewer greenhouse gases. Bon Appétit!
Eighth stop of AGORA Around the World is Cairo, where they’re celebrating the rising sun with a silent disco! Secret Sunrise was born in South Africa and aims to unite the world through dance and conscious collaboration. It has built a community that’s all about getting out of out of your comfort zone, dancing, connecting and feeling complete freedom and self expression. The best news? It’s finally come to London!
Diwala is a digital economy platform, powered by blockchain, that enables people to build their identity through skills. It is building a decentralised platform that verifies the skills of people in displacement. Their mission is to kickstart a skill market economy to empower more opportunities for growth and independence to people. Diwala is using blockchain for social impact and empwering people all over the world to be travellers, students and entrepreneurs, as blockchain technology will verify their identity. Diwala is Building Sh*it that matters — that’s why they’ll appear on our panel at Oslo Innovation Week on 26th September, 2018.
AGORA is on it’s 9th stop of it’s trip around the world: Japan. Smart News is a smartphone app to help users discover the latest news from around the world. The app displays stories from a variety of news sources without allowing too much customization. The aim is to give users the most accurate and unbiased information by pulling from a number of sources that are considered liberal, conservative, and otherwise.
Ashoka is an international organization that promotes social entrepreneurship by affiliating individual social entrepreneurs into the Ashoka organization. Their stated mission is “to shape a global, entrepreneurial, competitive citizen sector: one that allows social entrepreneurs to thrive and enables the world’s citizens to think and act as changemakers”. Like AGORA, Ashoka cultivates communities of Change Leaders. This will transforming institutions and culture worldwide. AGORA is an Ashoka nominator because both organizations are set on the belief that anyone and everyone can be a chagemaker.
Last stop of AGORA around the world: we salute Cee-Roo the artist who inspired this campaign. He’s a Swiss artist who sampled the sounds from all around the world and put them together to create unique soundtracks. Here’s what our founder has to say: “Cee Roo is collectively shining light on the state of the world today — politically, environmentally — every angle. It does not paint a pretty picture. It galvanised why we as humans must continue to innovate, to create, to drive towards creating a better world. If the world can collectively create such evil, it can also collectively create good. We must remain curious to achieve that.”
Originally published at agoraworld.one.
