Especially in times of crisis we long for hero stories, because hero figures offer hope and inspiration. Social entrepreneurs are often presented as heropreneurs: they save the world, help disadvantaged people, earn money, become immediately active in crises, are full with innovative power, and all of that at the same time. But what does this actually mean for the social entrepreneurs themselves and what effects do such enormous pressure situations have? How can ecosystem actors such as foundations, intermediaries or interest groups not create additional pressure, but rather strengthen the resilience and wellbeing of social entrepreneurs?

Social Impact Award (SIA), in collaboration with ChangemakerXchange (CXC), The Possibilist and the Social Entrepreneurship Center (SEC) of WU Vienna, host an interactive fishbowl discussion exploring those questions. The format of a fishbowl discussion gives every attendee the possiblity to participate in the conversation equally, sharing experiences, thoughts, and questions with everyone. This event is part of the fringe day of the Social Entrepreneurship World Forum (SEWF) 2023 in Amsterdam.

The discussion will be kickstarted with findings of the most comprehensive surveys of social entrepreneurs on the topic. Peter Vandor, founder and head of the SEC, will share insights into his research for the global communities of Social Impact Award, The Possibilists Alliance, and the Impact Hub Network on resilience and wellbeing of social entrepreneurs. This builds the basis for the main discussion with active participation from the audience. Matthias Scheffelmeier, co-founder and managing director of CXC and initiator of The Possibilist Alliance, will share his learnings of the years working with countless Social Entrepreneurs worldwide. Ana Janosev and Jonas Dinger, managing directors of Social Impact Award, will share the success and failures of fostering wellbeing throughout one of the world's largest support program for early-stage and aspiring social entrepreneurs.

The event is free, but participation is limited to 30 participants based on a first-come first-serve principle. To sign up, click here.