25/10/2016

MOSCOW, RUSSIAN FEDERATION

The All-Russian Conference of Social Entrepreneurs is expected to take place on 24 November 2016 in the Skolkovo School of Management in Moscow. Representatives of social businesses, experts and officials from the regions and various ministries and departments, are all invited to participate.

A panel session, round tables and discussion platforms dedicated to the topic of the development of social entrepreneurship in Russia are expected to take place as part of the conference programme. The conference programme will allow participants to hear on-line from experts from all over the world as well as regional platforms and to attend TED-style presentations from renowned social entrepreneurs. There will also be an exhibition showcasing social enterprise projects and demonstrating the success stories of previously proposed solutions to social issues in the regions of Russia.

Expected participants in the conference include the Director of the Our Future fund, Natalia Zvereva, the Chairman of the Committee of the Social Development Association, the IRI Director of Social Projects Vladimir Yablonsky, Rector of the Skolkovo School of Management in Moscow, Andrei Sharonov, the Managing Director of the Gladway Fund, Vladimir Weiner, and others.

The Conference will be organised by the Our Future fund, which works on regional social programmes, the Institute for Internet Development and the Social Development Association. The event is to be hosted with the support of the Skolkovo School of Management, Moscow, and the OAO company Business Environment.

«Communication, the possibility of the productive exchange of information, the gaining of new contacts, experience and being able to find out about the specifics of the work of others — all these things are the most important factors for the development of any business. And social entrepreneurship, in this case, is no exception,» says Director of the Our Future fund Natalia Zvereva. »We have been hosting conferences for social entrepreneurs since 2012. Regional conferences also allow us to understand what this or that particular region relies on and is dependent upon, to find out more about what the business climate in that region is like, allowing us to find areas of potential growth. At the same time, entrepreneurs are able to meet each other face to face, they have the chance to meet like-minded people – more than once we have had a situation where our events allowed people to meet others from their own town and those working in the same neighbourhood. The All-Russian Conference of Social Entrepreneurs not only gives participants the chance to meet those that are already working nearby, but also allows participants to see the bigger picture of the growth of social entreprises in Russia more generally.»

Participation in the Conference is free of charge. You must register online to participate here: http://www.slet-sp.ru. The registration window for participants opened on 25 October and will close on 22 November 2016.

The Our Future Fund for regional social programmes was founded in 2007 on the initiative of  businessman Vagit Alekperov, with the aim of developing social entrepreneurship in all regions of Russia. The Fund works to find the most promising and innovative ideas and projects, and to ensure their effective implementation in practice. Over the last nine years, as part of the All-Russian Social Entrepreneur Fund competition, the Fund has supported 160 projects in the field of social entrepreneurship, projects that have been based in 48 regions of Russia, the support provided totaling 392,986,780 rubles. Funding is allocated in the form of targeted interest-free loans to the competiton winners. The Fund awards the ‘Impulse of Goodwill’ prize for the best contribution to the growth and development of social entrepreneurship, provides social entrepreneurs with consulting services and technical support, manages the ‘New business: social entrepreneurship‘ information and analytical portal and develops educational programmes and legislative initiatives in the social entrepreneurship field.

AUTHOR: Georgiy Ivanushkin

URL: http://www.asi.org.ru/news/v-moskve-projdet-vserossijskij-slet-sotsialnyh-predprinimatelej