#SocialEntrepreneurSeries
Search Result: 22
Social Entrepreneur Series – Fostering inclusion by audio description [Community Participation]
Social Entrepreneur – Dawning Leung “The true meaning of equality and inclusion is not to arrange a dedicated session for the visually impaired, but to make it possible for them to take part in the same activity with their sighted counterparts.” Dr Dawning Leung, the founder of Audio Description Association (Hong Kong) (AuDeAHK), believes that persons with visual impairment should enjoy the equal rights to “watch” movies, to “view” exhibitions as well as to join various cultural and outdoor activities. To study audio description, Dawning left for the United Kingdom to acquire a relevant Doctorate degree. In 2015, she founded AuDeAHK to promote audio description and to train audio describers in the Chinese societies. What is audio description? According to Dawning, it is a school of professional translation technique of transferring visual elements into verbal descriptions. In film audio description, for instance, audio describers will depict the scene settings and the characters’ moves, facial expressions, outfits etc. in between dialogues and sound effects. The visually impaired may hence comprehend the plot by hearing rather than by watching. Audio description benefits not only persons with visual difficulties. Everyone can obtain supplementing information from the translated visual contents. For example, children with special educational needs may understand the emotions of characters through audio description. “I recalled a lady wearing a pair of reading glasses who followed our audio described tour in a museum. Towards the end of the tour, she took off the glasses and said, ‘I’d rather listen to your narratives!’” Innovative Venture – Film Audio Description Services, Audio Description Services for Outdoor Activities, Audio Description Services for Museums The innovative venture mentioned above is funded by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund and assisted and supported by the Fund’s intermediaries in project implementation. The details of the innovative venture are as follows: Name of Organisation: Audio Description Association (Hong Kong) Limited Service nature: Community Participation Beneficiary group: Persons with disabilities Project type: Prototype Intermediary Programme: Impact Incubator , Good Seed What is Social Entrepreneur Series? Stories of how other social entrepreneurs aspired to start their own business might facilitate your social innovation and entrepreneurship exploration. A series of social entrepreneur stories will be featured and categorised into six sub-series: Education and Learning, Job Training and Opportunities, Community Participation, Healthcare, Food and Transport. What you are going to read are stories of social entrepreneurs taking forward the startup projects that help themselves and others.
Social Entrepreneur Series – A Barrier-Free School that Fosters Employment [Education and Learning]
Social Entrepreneur – Kristen Li Persons with disabilities (PWDs) are facing barriers to learning in general. Learning aids do exist but with the prevalent “one size fits all” philosophy they often cannot cope with specific needs of individuals. Ask the right question; devise the valid solution; solicit the proper support for implementation. This is how Kristen Li and her team put social innovation into practice and won the championship of a social enterprise competition. Kristen saw the market need for custom-designed training and tapped the opportunity. Together with her colleagues, she set up the Barrier-Free School. They used what they had learnt in school and established an IT platform which provides PWDs with three-in-one "training - job matching - career support" service. Through tailor-designed training softwares, PWDs acquire the skills fit for employment with remunerations on par with able persons. The Barrier-Free School is contributing to social inclusion of the disabled in the long run. Innovative Venture – Barrier-Free School The innovative venture mentioned above is funded by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund and assisted and supported by the Fund’s intermediaries in project implementation. The details of the innovative venture are as follows: Name of Organisation: Barrier-free Technology and Culture Limited Service nature: Education and learning Beneficiary group: Persons with disabilities Project type: Prototype Intermediary Programme: Good Seed What is Social Entrepreneur Series? Stories of how other social entrepreneurs aspired to start their own business might facilitate your social innovation and entrepreneurship exploration. A series of social entrepreneur stories will be featured and categorised into six sub-series: Education and Learning, Job Training and Opportunities, Community Participation, Healthcare, Diet and Transport. What you are going to read are stories of social entrepreneurs taking forward the startup projects that help themselves and others.
Social Entrepreneur – Nivey Tsang, Samantha Kong and Herman Chan (From left to right) These young people know how it feels being old. Raised by his grandparents, Herman developed empathy for elderly people at a young age. In 2012 he teamed up with Samantha and Nivey (both were students at The University of Science and Technology) and started Eldpathy. Eldpathy encourages participation in elderly philanthropy through experience programmes. The idea brought them the Champion of Hong Kong Social Enterprise Challenge and HK$140,000 as seed capital, as well as funding from the SIE Fund for scale up. Eldpathy continues to grow and the concept they promote is getting more popular among schools, NGOs and corporations. It also appeals to retirees who join as volunteers. Innovative Venture – Eldpathy - Elderly Poverty Simulation Education Programme The innovative venture mentioned above is funded by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund and assisted and supported by the Fund’s intermediaries in project implementation. The details of the innovative venture are as follows: Name of Organisation: Eldpathy Company Limited Service nature: Education and learning Beneficiary group: Elderly Project type: Scale-up Intermediary Programme: Impact Incubator What is Social Entrepreneur Series? Stories of how other social entrepreneurs aspired to start their own business might facilitate your social innovation and entrepreneurship exploration. A series of social entrepreneur stories will be featured and categorised into six sub-series: Education and Learning, Job Training and Opportunities, Community Participation, Healthcare, Food and Transport. What you are going to read are stories of social entrepreneurs taking forward the startup projects that help themselves and others.
Social Entrepreneur Series – Scents of cultural inclusion [Job Training and Opportunities]
Social Entrepreneur – Max Cheng (left) and Johnny Lo (right) Max has a lifelong affinity with incense. He had seen his family burning incense in religious rituals since he was a child. In his teenage years, he produced art pieces with incense sticks. He majored in visual arts at university and used incense in his final year project. Inspired by a professor, he went on to launch his own hand-made incense brand. Initially, he focused on making traditional incense sticks but the business was lagging. Prompted by his girlfriend, he started to use cookie-cutters to make incense of different shapes such as leaves and flowers. Sales soon picked up. The success encouraged Max to explore new possibilities. He visited different places in search of new ingredients and more sophisticated skills. By adding different scents and spices to hand-made incense sticks, Max created beautiful yet practical items for daily use. As his career took off, Max wanted to contribute more to society. He partnered with Johnny to set up the social enterprise Lin Heung House. The two founders provide training in incense making and job opportunities of workshop assistants for young and adult women of diverse race. While earning an additional income, the women can also showcase their talent and boost their self-confidence. Yet there are obstacles in recruitment. Some are reluctant to show their faces in public due to religious or family reasons. So Max assigns them to work in different supporting roles. Max believes many women of diverse race in Hong Kong are talented and capable. Some are good at henna painting, others making spiced tea and weaving. Yet, they lack opportunities to shine. Max says he is not offering assistance but collaborating with people of diverse race by drawing on their expertise. Innovative Venture – Lin Heung House – Connecting the Community with Scent The innovative venture mentioned above is funded by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund and assisted and supported by the Fund’s intermediaries in project implementation. The details of the innovative venture are as follows: Name of Organisation: Lin Heung House Service nature: Job training and opportunities Beneficiary group: People of diverse race Project type: Prototype Intermediary Programme: Good Seed What is Social Entrepreneur Series? Stories of how other social entrepreneurs aspired to start their own business might facilitate your social innovation and entrepreneurship exploration. A series of social entrepreneur stories will be featured and categorised into six sub-series: Education and Learning, Job Training and Opportunities, Community Participation, Healthcare, Food and Transport. What you are going to read are stories of social entrepreneurs taking forward the startup projects that help themselves and others.
Social Entrepreneur Series – Sower of Dreams [Job Training and Opportunities]
Social Entrepreneur – Kit Wong One may regard Kit Wong as a winner in life - attained outstanding academic achievements, had a nice job and fulfilled his dream of lyric writing. A few years ago, he quit his job and established a social venture "La Violet Education" which introduces a series of dream plans to encourage youngsters to pursue their dreams. "Young people have great potential. What I am doing is like planting the seeds. It may take a long time to bear fruit. But what if I can inspire the next Thomas Edison, or give a helping hand to the next Martin Luther King Jr?" said Kit. Two years ago, through his other social venture "Under Production", Kit published an illustrated storybook written by Mohammad Moavia, a Pakistani student suffering from muscular dystrophy. They have recently helped Moavia publish his third book. But Kit doesn't like the word "help". He said they are mutually beneficial: Moavia got his life improved with the income whereas the scheme becomes sustainable as Moavia's books are their best-sellers. To better nurture the seeds, the planter has decided to move one step forward. Kit is starting five subsidiaries based on the five service scopes of "Under Production", giving young people a chance to run a business while "Under Production" offers technical support. It aims to let young people gain practical experience that will help them achieve more. Innovative Venture – UP Poverty Youth Engagement The innovative venture mentioned above is funded by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund and assisted and supported by the Fund’s intermediaries in project implementation. The details of the innovative venture are as follows: Name of Organisation: Under Production Limited Service nature: Job training and opportunities Beneficiary group: Children and Youth Project type: Start-up Intermediary Programme: Impact Incubator What is Social Entrepreneur Series? Stories of how other social entrepreneurs aspired to start their own business might facilitate your social innovation and entrepreneurship exploration. A series of social entrepreneur stories will be featured and categorised into six sub-series: Education and Learning, Job Training and Opportunities, Community Participation, Healthcare, Food and Transport. What you are going to read are stories of social entrepreneurs taking forward the startup projects that help themselves and others.
Social Entrepreneur Series – Silver is the New Black [Job Training and Opportunities]
Social Entrepreneur – Zip Cheung Zip Cheung, the founder of OHH Dear Communications was a journalist who specialised in featuring elderly lifestyle topics. The more she contacted the silver-hair interviewees, the more she was amazed by their vivid lives and energetic minds. "It is inspiring that ageing can be so graceful!" she exclaimed. "Traditional Chinese are conservative about dressing; some may find wearing lipstick or colourful clothing extravagant." But Zip believes that every elderly has the right to choose and live in his/her own style and that getting well-groomed is a way for the elderly to maintain dignity and mental well-being. To further explore the beauty of ageing, she founded the silver-hair model agency; it is also the pioneer in the Hong Kong market. She started recruiting mature talents through her network, but surprisingly there were quite a number of self-recommending candidates. "Most of them had no experience in modelling at all, yet were eager to seek new challenges," Zip said. Zip is offering the elderly not just training and job opportunities but also a chance to build confidence and to live gracefully. Currently, all of the talents in her agency are aged over 50, the oldest being over 94. And many turn out to be great models! Innovative Venture – OHH Dear Communications The innovative venture mentioned above is funded by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund and assisted and supported by the Fund’s intermediaries in project implementation. The details of the innovative venture are as follows: Name of Organisation: OHH Dear Communications Company Limited Service nature: Job training and opportunities Beneficiary group: Elderly Project type: Scale-up Intermediary Programme: Impact Incubator What is Social Entrepreneur Series? Stories of how other social entrepreneurs aspired to start their own business might facilitate your social innovation and entrepreneurship exploration. A series of social entrepreneur stories will be featured and categorised into six sub-series: Education and Learning, Job Training and Opportunities, Community Participation, Healthcare, Food and Transport. What you are going to read are stories of social entrepreneurs taking forward the startup projects that help themselves and others.
Social Entrepreneur Series – Relentless Work for AR Learning [Education and Learning]
Social Entrepreneurs - Zero Wong and Ernest Chan Ernest Chan, co-founder of AESIR, joined his partner, Zero Wong to start their own business. They had been through difficult times, but still gritted their teeth as both believe that “It is now or never; we have to act now to change the society.” AESIR specialises in developing AR interactive learning games for SEN (Special Education Needs) students. During his voluntary service, Ernest observed that SEN students were more sensitive to visual stimulation. He was hence inspired to design interesting AR interactive games in a story format, aiming to help SEN students learn in a more efficient way. The road of social innovation was anything but straight for the duo. Their first product was an AR flashcard, which ended silently in failure. Other 3 to 4 different products were launched, but none of them won the consumers’ hearts. Yet, the two fighters were not defeated. “Hang on to what you think is right.” Their endurance was finally rewarded. Their company received job orders and got connected to people related to SEN education. Their business was in a better shape eventually. Their advice for the fellow entrepreneurs is that, “Research is the key. Try to observe, analyse and predict the market needs and trends. Besides, as traditional wisdom teaches us, acquire your wealth in a noble way, and spend it in a wise way too.” Innovative Venture – AR Training Play The innovative venture mentioned above is funded by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund and assisted and supported by the Fund’s intermediaries in project implementation. The details of the innovative venture are as follows: Name of Organisation: AESIR Service nature: education and learning Beneficiary group: children and youth Project type: Start-up Intermediary Programme: Impact Incubator What is Social Entrepreneur Series? Stories of how other social entrepreneurs aspired to start their own business might facilitate your social innovation and entrepreneurship exploration. A series of social entrepreneur stories will be featured and categorised into six sub-series: Education and Learning, Job Training and Opportunities, Community Participation, Healthcare, Food and Transport. What you are going to read are stories of social entrepreneurs taking forward the startup projects that help themselves and others.
Social Entrepreneur Series – Preservation of Legacy Across Generations [Food]
Social Entrepreneur - Joyce Leung What is a “social enterprise”? “It stands somewhat between a commercial organisation and an NGO,” Joyce Leung, co-founder and executive director of Eldage explains with a sigh, “but it is never easy to reach a balance between commercial interest and social needs. A social enterprise is not sustainable unless it has a sound business model.” However, when being asked the greatest drive behind running Eldage, Joyce replied undoubtedly, “The happiness of the master craftsmen.” Joyce, who works in a digital marketing firm, loves her mother’s homemade congee. This inspired her to propose to her company the idea of promoting traditional craftsmanship to the young generation through an online platform. Back in 2016 when Eldage was newly formed, many craftsmen were rather doubtful of the idea. “They might not be willing to share their skills and stories, or might think that youngsters nowadays wouldn’t like to learn those skills anymore. So why bother the efforts?” Luckily, Joyce was not alone. Hiccups were overcome with the support from her boss and colleagues and the company’s digital marketing experience. For instance, they adapt to the online shopping habit of young people and set up an online store, boosting sale while conserving legacy. “At first the craftsmen had hesitation. But as it turned out hot they began to have faith in the partnership.”Joyce reminded fellow young people interested in starting up a social enterprise to “be prepared for failures, be willing to take risks, be flexible in business models, and never act on impulse”. Innovative Venture – Eldage The innovative venture mentioned above is funded by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund and assisted and supported by the Fund’s intermediaries in project implementation. The details of the innovative venture are as follows: Name of Organisation: Eldage Service nature: Food Beneficiary group: Elderly Project type: Prototype Intermediary Programme: Impact Incubator What is Social Entrepreneur Series? Stories of how other social entrepreneurs aspired to start their own business might facilitate your social innovation and entrepreneurship exploration. A series of social entrepreneur stories will be featured and categorised into six sub-series: Education and Learning, Job Training and Opportunities, Community Participation, Healthcare, Food and Transport. What you are going to read are stories of social entrepreneurs taking forward the startup projects that help themselves and others.
Social Entrepreneur Series - Edutainment for inclusion [Community Participation]
Social Entrepreneur – Alan Lee Sign language is the basic form of communication used by the hearing impaired (HI). Most people cannot read sign language, making it difficult for HI to communicate with the general public. Alan Lee, whose deceased mother was HI, understands the difficulties faced by HI well. Serious illness induced by cancer prohibited his mother from wearing any hearing aids, causing difficulties in her communication with medical personnel. "If the public know a little simple sign language, they can have better communication with HI and help reduce their anxieties and helplessness." Inspired by his mother’s experience in hospital, Alan established Rubber Boy Academy with his knowledge in animation to produce a series of 3D "edutainment" (blending educational and entertainment elements) animation featuring the cartoon character "Rubber Boy", aiming to enhance mutual communication between the public and HI. Training courses on 3D animation design and production will be provided to assist HI to enjoy a better career development and remuneration. "Even for persons without hearing impairment, there are times when gestures speak better than speech." Alan hopes "Rubber Boy" can change the public's perception of sign language, thus encouraging the public to learn while promoting social inclusion. Innovative Venture – Rubber Boy Academy The innovative venture mentioned above is funded by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund and assisted and supported by the Fund’s intermediaries in project implementation. The details of the innovative venture are as follows: Name of Organisation: Rubber Boy Academy Limited Service nature: Community Participation Beneficiary group: Persons with disabilities Project type: Prototype Intermediary Programme: Impact Incubator What is Social Entrepreneur Series? Stories of how other social entrepreneurs aspired to start their own business might facilitate your social innovation and entrepreneurship exploration. A series of social entrepreneur stories will be featured and categorised into six sub-series: Education and Learning, Job Training and Opportunities, Community Participation, Healthcare, Food and Transport. What you are going to read are stories of social entrepreneurs taking forward the startup projects that help themselves and others.
Social Entrepreneur Series – A food-saving supermarket [Food]
Social Entrepreneur – Terence Hon Unlike ordinary stores or supermarkets, GreenPrice Supermarket specialises in selling “short-dated food” – food having passed the best-before date. Two of the three founders are university students, yet they enjoy running a social enterprise and studying at the same time. “You enjoy many advantages as a student. You can be more flexible while practising your business skills,” grinned Terence Hon, Co-Founder & Business Development Manager of GreenPrice. Terence was astonished by the serious food wastage problem in Hong Kong. In 2016, he teamed up with three partners in the idea competition organised by Good Seed. Making reference to foreign examples, they came up with an idea to resell food passed the best-before date to save edible food from the landfills. They finally picked a physical store considering its feasibility: it could attract traffic and could provide food tasting for customers to experience that short-dated food is perfectly safe to eat and tastes just as good. “Nevertheless, we were once accused of swindling, alleged for selling substandard goods. It took quite an effort to explain.” More challenges such as high rents and unstable supplies follow as GreenPrice continues to expand its business. Terence, while battling rough tides, has a thought from his heart to share, “Don’t forget the calling of your heart. I always remind myself this social enterprise was founded to rescue food, solving social problems with innovative ideas. A sound business model is important, but never focus only on profits.” Innovative Venture – GreenPrice The innovative venture mentioned above is funded by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund and assisted and supported by the Fund’s intermediaries in project implementation. The details of the innovative venture are as follows: Name of Organisation: Green Price Limited Service nature: Food Beneficiary group: General Project type: Prototype Intermediary Programme: Good Seed What is Social Entrepreneur Series? Stories of how other social entrepreneurs aspired to start their own business might facilitate your social innovation and entrepreneurship exploration. A series of social entrepreneur stories will be featured and categorised into six sub-series: Education and Learning, Job Training and Opportunities, Community Participation, Healthcare, Food and Transport. What you are going to read are stories of social entrepreneurs taking forward the startup projects that help themselves and others.
Social Entrepreneur Series – Teach for all, Teach4HK [Education and Learning]
Social Entrepreneur – Arnold Chan What makes Arnold Chan, a straight-A top student, quit his million-dollar job in an investment bank and change career path to starting a social enterprise to help children from grassroots families? It is the belief of "education changes destiny". After joining a brief summer stint in Beijing, Arnold was overwhelmed by the innovative idea of enlisting university graduates to serve in schools with underprivileged students. The fellow teachers can learn from the uncommon experience while the students are given role models to follow and be motivated to realise their full potential. Arnold then teamed up with a group of enthusiastic and passionate young leaders to set up Teach4HK, following the model of Teach for America. Teach4HK offers a 1-year fellowship programme to university graduates who will serve full-time in schools. While the children will directly benefit, Arnold hopes that a greater impact can be attained when the fellow teachers, with experience in teaching, will take education into account to make a difference whatever their future career will be. Innovative Venture – Teach4HK The innovative venture mentioned above is funded by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund and assisted and supported by the Fund’s intermediaries in project implementation. The details of the innovative venture are as follows: Name of Organisation: Teach for Hong Kong Foundation Limited Service nature: Education and Learning Beneficiary group: Children and Youth Project type: Start-up Intermediary Programme: Impact Incubator What is Social Entrepreneur Series? Stories of how other social entrepreneurs aspired to start their own business might facilitate your social innovation and entrepreneurship exploration. A series of social entrepreneur stories will be featured and categorised into six sub-series: Education and Learning, Job Training and Opportunities, Community Participation, Healthcare, Food and Transport. What you are going to read are stories of social entrepreneurs taking forward the startup projects that help themselves and others.
Social Entrepreneur Series - Roll to a beach of social integration [Transport]
Going to the beach and diving into the sea might be the farthest dream for wheelchair users since wheelchairs are not designed for running on sands. Gloria Ma, a team member of “Wheel to Beach”, is a wheelchair user who encounters barriers in her daily life. This inspired the team to introduce a specially designed beach-wheelchair. Equipped with big yellow wheels and handles, this special wheelchair can ride on sands as well as float on water, allowing persons with disability to have a close encounter with the sea and have fun with the waves. We will move much closer to an inclusive and barrier-free society when everyone has the will to take a step forward. Social Entrepreneurs - At the front: Gloria Ma; at the back from left to right : Daneil Cheung, Gayt Tang, Sarah Chu, Adele Chiu and Tony Chan Innovative Venture - Wheel to Beach The innovative venture mentioned above is funded by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund and assisted and supported by the Fund’s intermediaries in project implementation. The details of the innovative venture are as follows: Name of Organisation: Wheel Power Charity Limited Service nature: Transport Beneficiary group: Persons with disabilities Project type: Prototype Intermediary Programme: Impact Incubator Elderly people face the risk of severe injuries if they fall. The story "STICKu, stick to you, stand with you" introduces the social entrepreneurs who make use of innovative technology to minimise possible injuries for unaccompanied elderly, read on and find out more! What is Social Entrepreneur Series? Stories of how other social entrepreneurs aspired to start their own business might facilitate your social innovation and entrepreneurship exploration. A series of social entrepreneur stories will be featured and categorised into six sub-series: Education and Learning, Job Training and Opportunities, Community Participation, Healthcare, Food and Transport. What you are going to read are stories of social entrepreneurs taking forward the startup projects that help themselves and others.
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Social Entrepreneur Series - STICKu, stick to you, stand with you [Transport]
Social Entrepreneur – Richard Leung (left) and Brian Lam (right) Elderly people face the risk of severe injuries if they fall when they are alone. Prompted by a fall accident his sister experienced during a cancer battle, Richard Leung spent two years partnering with designer Brian Lam to develop STICKu the smart cane, wishing to remove the stigma associated with canes that they are only for the old and weak. The smart cane is equipped with location positioning and several emergency support functions. For instance, an alert message will be sent to the caretaker once the emergency button near the end of the handle is pressed. An alarm will be turned on to draw the attention of passers-by when the smart cane is left unattended on the ground for over 15 seconds. STICKu escort the unaccompanied elderly to minimise possible injuries. Innovative Venture - STICKu The innovative venture mentioned above is funded by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund and assisted and supported by the Fund’s intermediaries in project implementation. The details of the innovative venture are as follows: Name of Organisation: BNET-Tech Company Limited Service nature: Transport Beneficiary group: Elderly Project type: Start-up Intermediary Programme: Impact Incubator The upcoming transport story will introduce a social entrepreneur who roll to a beach with a specially designed beach-wheelchair, stay tuned! What is Social Entrepreneur Series? Stories of how other social entrepreneurs aspired to start their own business might facilitate your social innovation and entrepreneurship exploration. A series of social entrepreneur stories will be featured and categorised into six sub-series: Education and Learning, Job Training and Opportunities, Community Participation, Healthcare, Food and Transport. What you are going to read are stories of social entrepreneurs taking forward the startup projects that help themselves and others.
Social Entrepreneur Series - Unleash the hidden cooking talents [Food]
Mothers are doing their magical trick in the kitchen, turning ordinary ingredients into gourmet dishes with their skills and experience. Yet these delicacies often stay inside the family, remain to be appreciated by a broader audience. Social Entrepreneur - Dodo Cheng (left) and Brandon Cheung (right) The founders of “HOPEmade Sharing Kitchen”, Dodo Cheng and Brandon Cheung, noticed that lots of women from grassroots families possess excellent cooking skills. The two had the idea to make good use of restaurant kitchens during their non-peak hours for these ladies to make cakes, jam and herbal tea, etc. By selling these food products, they can earn an income, or even start their own brand and develop a career in the long run. Going a step further, a 6 000 square feet cooking space was set up under the “Co-cooking HK” project which aims to recruit more women and to help them pursue their dreams with their cooking talents. Talented home chefs demonstrate culinary skills to pursue their dreams beyond their role at homes. Innovative Venture - HOPEmade Sharing Kitchen / Co-cooking HK The innovative venture mentioned above is funded by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund and assisted and supported by the Fund’s intermediaries in project implementation. The details of the innovative venture are as follows: Name of Organisation: Community Development Enhancement Fund Limited Service nature: Food Beneficiary group: Low-income Families Project type: Start-up / Scale-up Intermediary Programme: Impact Incubator The story "STICKu, stick to you, stand with you" introduces the social entrepreneurs who make use of innovative technology to minimise possible injuries for unaccompanied elderly, read on and find out more! What is Social Entrepreneur Series? Stories of how other social entrepreneurs aspired to start their own business might facilitate your social innovation and entrepreneurship exploration. A series of social entrepreneur stories will be featured and categorised into six sub-series: Education and Learning, Job Training and Opportunities, Community Participation, Healthcare, Food and Transport. What you are going to read are stories of social entrepreneurs taking forward the startup projects that help themselves and others.
Social Entrepreneur Series - “Robotic Arm”brings rehabilitation to homes [Healthcare]
Social Entrepreneur - Alvin Cheung (left) and Newman Ho (right) Stroke affects physical capability, but there is a huge chance for a patient to resume a normal life if one could seize the golden treatment period with the aid of proper rehab training. However, rehabilitation equipment in general is bulky and expensive, while queuing time is needed for public rehab service. Newmen Ho is a researcher in healthcare technology in university. He partnered with Alvin Cheung, who used to work in business management and has a family member suffering from stroke, to develop a handy and economical robotic arm. They hope the robotic arm can be widely used in the community like in the elderly homes, whereby helping more patients to enjoy a speedy recovery. The robotic arm works with a sensor and a tablet. When a stroke patient wearing the arm tries to hold a cup or hold his/her fist tight, the system will detect signals of the user’s hand movements and guide the hand muscles to complete the corresponding actions. Repeated training can help to restore hand muscle ability. Hope the popularisation of healthcare technology could allow stroke patients to seize the golden treatment period for a speedy recovery. Innovative Venture - Deployment of Stroke Rehab Robots in Communities The innovative venture mentioned above is funded by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund and assisted and supported by the Fund’s intermediaries in project implementation. The details of the innovative venture are as follows: Name of Organisation: Zunosaki Limited Service nature: Healthcare Beneficiary group: Elderly Project type: Start-up Intermediary Programme: Impact Incubator Diet is an essential part to our lives. The Diet story "Unleash the hidden cooking talents" will introduce the social entrepreneurs who make use of co-cooking place to help women from grassroots families pursue their dreams. Read on and find out more! What is Social Entrepreneur Series? Stories of how other social entrepreneurs aspired to start their own business might facilitate your social innovation and entrepreneurship exploration. A series of social entrepreneur stories will be featured and categorised into six sub-series: Education and Learning, Job Training and Opportunities, Community Participation, Healthcare, Food and Transport. What you are going to read are stories of social entrepreneurs taking forward the startup projects that help themselves and others.
Social Entrepreneur Series - A green life, a vivacious mind - to thrive as plants do [Healthcare]
Social Entrepreneur - Zoe Chan, Mike Tsang and Chung Woo (From left to right) As we age, our physical conditions deteriorate. Sometimes dementia befalls. Activities as simple as gardening can stimulate the five senses and help us maintain life’s tempo. Zoe Chan used to work in the finance industry. She was impressed by the vitality of plants through horticultural therapy, a subject she thereby decided to study and pursue. She proceeded to found “PuYU” with two retired young olds, Chung Woo and Mike Tsang. Horticultural classes are tailor-made for the elderly with mild cognitive impairment to slow down the degrading of their cognitive functioning. Golden-agers are also trained as “MindfulGreen Ambassadors” in realisation of “young-old serves old-old” while spreading positive energy. The strong vitality of plants enables them to withstand tough weather and thrive; it also helps heal people’s soul. Innovative Venture - Mindful Green – Horticultural Therapy Services The innovative venture mentioned above is funded by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund and assisted and supported by the Fund’s intermediaries in project implementation. The details of the innovative venture are as follows: Name of Organisation: PuYU Horticultural Therapy Services Limited Service nature: Healthcare Beneficiary group: Elderly Project type: Prototype Intermediary Programme: Good Seed Another Healthcare story “Robotic Arm brings rehabilitation to homes” will introduce the social entrepreneurs who use innovative healthcare technology to help patients suffering from stroke enjoy a speedy recovery. Read on and find out more! What is Social Entrepreneur Series? Stories of how other social entrepreneurs aspired to start their own business might facilitate your social innovation and entrepreneurship exploration. A series of social entrepreneur stories will be featured and categorised into six sub-series: Education and Learning, Job Training and Opportunities, Community Participation, Healthcare, Food and Transport. What you are going to read are stories of social entrepreneurs taking forward the startup projects that help themselves and others.
Social Entrepreneur Series - Companions in an inclusive community [Community Participation]
“Misunderstanding easily leads to prejudice.” When they were students, Bosco Ng and Eva Wong participated in international events and made friends with people of various ethnic groups. Yet they noticed that in Hong Kong a wall of “misconception” stood between different groups due to inadequate communication. Social Entrepreneur - Eva Wong (left) and Bosco Ng (right) In 2011, they co-founded WEDO GLOBAL to train people of diverse race to be community tour guides who would lead the participants to explore the lives and culture of difference races, fostering mutual understanding. The two walk with the people of diverse race and witness their transformation from shy persons to confident speakers. Bravo! Look forward to the day when people of diverse race shine in each and every field. Innovative Venture - WEDO GLOBAL Multicultural Programme (Sham Shui Po & Yau Tsim Mong districts) The innovative venture mentioned above is funded by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund and assisted and supported by the Fund’s intermediaries in project implementation. The details of the innovative venture are as follows: Name of Organisation: WEDO GLOBAL Service nature: Community Participation Beneficiary group: People of diverse race Project type: Scale-up Intermediary Programme: Impact Incubator A society comprises different walks of life. Apart from the people of diverse race, the elderly also need our care and support. The Healthcare story "A green life, a vivacious mind - to thrive as plants do" will introduce the social entrepreneurs who use gardening to help the elderly stay smart. Read on and find out more! What is Social Entrepreneur Series? Stories of how other social entrepreneurs aspired to start their own business might facilitate your social innovation and entrepreneurship exploration. A series of social entrepreneur stories will be featured and categorised into six sub-series: Education and Learning, Job Training and Opportunities, Community Participation, Healthcare, Food and Transport. What you are going to read are stories of social entrepreneurs taking forward the startup projects that help themselves and others.
Social Entrepreneur Series - South Asian sport that connects [Community Participation]
The language barrier may hinder communication between different ethnic groups. Is there a way to communicate without using language? Social Entrepreneur - Wyman Tang (left) and Yuk Kwong Lo (right) Wyman Tang, an adjunct assistant professor in Anthropology, came up with a way of communication using “Kabaddi” the popular South Asian sport. He partnered with Yuk-kwong Lo, a secondary school teacher, to co-found Kabaddi United Hong Kong, aiming to promote cultural inclusion among young people with the sport. They organise experiential activities at schools and in the community while providing training for young people of diverse race to be assistant coaches and ambassadors. In the world of Kabaddi, people cheer and laugh as one regardless of ethnic backgrounds. Sports can break language barriers and connect people from different backgrounds and ethnic groups. Innovative Venture - Kabaddi HK - Multicultural Integrated Action The innovative venture mentioned above is funded by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund and assisted and supported by the Fund’s intermediaries in project implementation. The details of the innovative venture are as follows: Service nature: Community Participation Beneficiary group: People of diverse race Project type: Prototype Intermediary Programme: Impact Incubator Cultures exchange and interact in countless ways. Another Community Participation story "Companions in an inclusive community" will introduce the social entrepreneurs who organise community tours to help people of diverse race integrate into the community and build confidence. Read on and find out more! What is Social Entrepreneur Series? Stories of how other social entrepreneurs aspired to start their own business might facilitate your social innovation and entrepreneurship exploration. A series of social entrepreneur stories will be featured and categorised into six sub-series: Education and Learning, Job Training and Opportunities, Community Participation, Healthcare, Diet and Transport. What you are going to read are stories of social entrepreneurs taking forward the startup projects that help themselves and others.
Years ago, Cecilia Ho was a painter who indulged in her creative work and seldom interacted with others. Things changed after an occasion of voluntary mural painting work for elderly and a task of curating a community visual art exhibition. She realised that art is more than a solitary act of creation. It can also go into the community to connect with people and spread happiness… Social Entrepreneur - Cecilia Ho Cecilia then initiated innovative ventures “Art Muraler” and “Bling”, which bring young people, including the unemployed or rehabilitated, to various communities to decorate homes for the elderly and spread joy with colour. Cecilia is most impressed when she sees how these youngsters reach out to the community and show compassion and care as they collaborate with the disadvantaged. They remain cheerful and energetic after a day of mural painting under the sun while finding confidence and satisfaction from art. Youth find their self-worth in art. Innovative Venture - Art Muraler / Bling The innovative venture mentioned above is funded by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund and assisted and supported by the Fund’s intermediaries in project implementation. The details of the innovative venture are as follows: Name of Organisation: 2Bliss Studio Limited Service nature: Job Training and Opportunities Beneficiary group: Children and Youth Project type: Prototype / Start-up Intermediary Programme: Impact Incubator The Community Participation story "South Asian sport that connects" introduced the social entrepreneurs who promote a popular South Asian sport to help break language barriers and facilitate cultural exchange. Read on and find out more! What is Social Entrepreneur Series? Stories of how other social entrepreneurs aspired to start their own business might facilitate your social innovation and entrepreneurship exploration. A series of social entrepreneur stories will be featured and categorised into six sub-series: Education and Learning, Job Training and Opportunities, Community Participation, Healthcare, Food and Transport. What you are going to read are stories of social entrepreneurs taking forward the startup projects that help themselves and others.
Social Entrepreneur Series - Rolling Books - rolling out knowledge [Education and Learning]
The wooden cart loaded with colourful books rolls into schools and communities to help children broaden their horizons through reading. Coming with the cart are a wide variety of creative literature activities, such as dramas and sketch appreciation, which stir the children’s interest. Social Entrepreneur - James Chong Reading is not boring – it is the core belief behind “Rolling Books”. Its founder James Chong is passionate about reading and is committed to promoting the reading culture. While working for poverty alleviation in an NGO, he noticed that many children from low-income families see reading as boring because they lack the pleasant experience. He was determined to break this stereotype and started “Rolling Books”, aiming to bring the joy of reading to these children through an innovative way and to provide them with an equal opportunity to enrich knowledge through habitual reading. Reading brings knowledge, which can help children from low-income families to advance on the social ladder. Innovative Venture - Rolling Books The innovative venture mentioned above is funded by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund and assisted and supported by the Fund’s intermediaries in project implementation. The details of the innovative venture are as follows: Name of Organisation: Rolling Books Limited Service nature: Education and Learning Beneficiary group: Children and Youth Project type: Prototype Intermediary Programme: Good Seed The Job Training and Opportunities story "Spread colours through painting by youth" shared the colourful work of a social entrepreneur, who uses art to help young people find their self-worth. Read on and find out more! What is Social Entrepreneur Series? Stories of how other social entrepreneurs aspired to start their own business might facilitate your social innovation and entrepreneurship exploration. A series of social entrepreneur stories will be featured and categorised into six sub-series: Education and Learning, Job Training and Opportunities, Community Participation, Healthcare, Food and Transport. What you are going to read are stories of social entrepreneurs taking forward the startup projects that help themselves and others.
Social Entrepreneur Series - Navigating World Wide Web with voice [Education and Learning]
Social Entrepreneur - Sunny Cheung In a fast-paced city, computers are indispensable to our work and learning. Unfortunately, some persons with disabilities encounter difficulties in using a keyboard and a mouse due to limited muscle control and coordination. Sunny, a cerebral palsy patient, is only capable of typing with one finger since his physical mobility is one-fifth of that of other people. Admitted to university, he realised that his typing speed lagged behind others, which greatly impacted his time management in examinations. To overcome this obstacle, he developed a software programme - CP2Joy by combining a joystick and a voice recognition tool. With this programme, he could give vocal commands to control the computer by sounding the 5 vowels ‘a’, ‘e’, ‘i’, ‘o’ and ‘u’. Sunny hopes that the design would benefit disabled persons by facilitating their learning and exploration of the Internet world while boosting their productivity. Persons with disabilities use vocal commands to explore the Internet, crossing the digital chasm. Innovative Venture - CP2Joy System The innovative venture mentioned above is funded by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund and assisted and supported by the Fund’s intermediaries in project implementation. The details of the innovative venture are as follows: Service nature: Education and Learning Beneficiary group: Persons with Disability Project type: Prototype Intermediary Programme: Impact Incubator Apart from the Internet, books are also treasure trove of knowledge. Another Education and Learning story, "Rolling Books - rolling out knowledge" documented how a social entrepreneur promotes reading culture with a colourful wooden cart. Read on to find out more! What is Social Entrepreneur Series? Stories of how other social entrepreneurs aspired to start their own business might facilitate your social innovation and entrepreneurship exploration. A series of social entrepreneur stories will be featured and categorised into six sub-series: Education and Learning, Job Training and Opportunities, Community Participation, Healthcare, Food and Transport. What you are going to read are stories of social entrepreneurs taking forward the startup projects that help themselves and others.
6 Fun Facts about Social Innovation
When it comes to startup, people always think of running a business for money. To become an entrepreneur, you may take some time to observe the diverse needs of the society before you unleash your creativity and help the underprivileged persons by starting your own business through social innovation. If you are interested in learning more about social innovation, or you already have in mind some innovative ideas for your business, the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund (SIE Fund) under the Commission on Poverty could definitely help. Here we have a few fun facts about social innovation and the SIE Fund that facilitate an easy understanding, please read on! Social innovation = Social enterprise? Social Innovation aims to address social needs by improving knowledge, products, or services. Social innovation does not limit to social enterprises but open to all, including individuals, organisations and corporations. Poverty alleviation = Cash handout ? Not necessarily! Innovations can help alleviate poverty. The SIE Fund addresses poverty and social exclusion by funding innovative solutions that serve the needs of society. Mostly through intermediaries, the Fund provides visionary individuals and organisations with diverse resources in support of research, capacity building and the entire life cycle of innovative ventures. Cross-sector collaboration The SIE Fund values cross-sector collaboration. Collaborative platforms engaging different sectors including the public, businesses, the government and academics have been set up to address respective social needs. Examples of these platforms are the FOOD-CO Food Support Collaborative Platform, Community Housing Movement, etc. 180 000 beneficiaries As of December 2019, about 180 000 people were benefitted from the Fund’s funded projects. Beneficiary groups include persons with disabilities, children and youth, low-income families, people of diverse race and the elderly, etc. 1 400 innovative ideas As of December 2019, the SIE Fund has nurtured more than 4 100 social entrepreneurs and incubated around 1 400 innovative ideas. Social innovation one man band Individuals can apply for funding under the Innovative Programmes administered by the Fund’s intermediaries. As of December 2019, the number of individual applicants among all funded projects is more than that of charitable institutions. It is always hard to take the first step, but you will never walk alone on your social entrepreneurial journey. Apart from the SIE Fund which have just been introduced, we will soon be sharing a series of stories about how social entrepreneurs brought massive changes to the society with simple ideas. Stay tuned with us! You are welcome to contact the intermediaries of SIE Fund and share with them your innovative ideas!