Sustainable Life Design Across Generations

– How juniors & seniors take sustainable action in their (work)life

Sustainable development is about passing on a better planet to future generations – but what about the current ones? Why do we only hear about Millennial work-life demands when talking about sustainability in the work place? What about the senior generations who care just as much? And (how) can juniors and seniors build their work lives in support of sustainability throughout their careers and beyond?

At our miniconference on the 5th of November we explored how you can design your own (work) life around sustainability, how companies can adjust their workplace efforts to accommodate and how juniors and seniors can join forces for the greater good.

Speakers at the event were:

• The social business expert who provides an overview of key concepts, trends & cases (Tania Ellis, Founder, The Social Business Company)
• The millennial who quit his prestigious job in the financial sector to build a work life around his passion for sustainability (Varan Pathmanathan, CEO & Founder, MakeImpact; Co-founder, Sustainable Change Makers)
• The senior who refused to retire and today is an active contributor to sustainable change projects worldwide (Lars Mønsted, Retired Sustainability Specialist; Chairman, Seniors Without Borders)
• The corporation that designs sustainability programmes to engage both juniors and seniors (Sanne Urbak Rasmussen, Director, CSR & University Relations, IBM Denmark)

See photos from the miniconference here:

See full programme here (click on photo):

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Sustainability & Tech

– How can technology drive sustainable business solutions & innovations?

Digitalization, big data, AI, VR, blockchain, IoT, GDPR, apps and platforms. Fintech, healthtech and fashiontech. There are so many new tech terms and disruptive business concepts in the air. But what do they mean? And how does all this fit into the sustainability agenda?

At our miniconference on the 10th of May we explored how technology can drive sustainable business solutions & innovations and how you can accelerate you own sustainability efforts through the use of technology. Speakers at the event were:

• The social business specialist who provides an overview of key concepts, global trends & cases on sustainability & tech (Tania Ellis, Founder, The Social Business Company)
• The forward-looking NGO that applies blockchain technologies in new business alliances to improve supply chain transparency in the protection of Nature (Tobias Trier Fuglsang, Advisor Innovation and Market Transformation, WWF)
• The commercial IT company that applies innovative technology solutions to improve livelihood opportunities in rural communities (Marie Højgaard Berg, Partnership Manager, Bluetown)
• The international alliance that works to bridge sustainable development needs with digital finance (Marianne Haahr, Director, Sustainable Digital Finance Alliance)

If you were unable to attend, you can click on the links above to read articles on how our speakers are linking sustainability & tech. You can also learn more about the role of technology in bringing about sustainable change in the article “Teknologi redder ikke verden” (in Danish).

Watch videos from the miniconference and find the full programme here:

See photos from the miniconference here:

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Purpose, Passion & Personal sustainability

– About spirituality, compassion and consciousness in your business & (work)life

You’re a passionate professional in the business of doing good & doing well. But what about your own sustainability? How can you keep yourself in balance in a fast-paced environment? How are you connecting to your own purpose? And what can we do to create a workplace culture that embraces consciousness, authenticity and meaning? 

At our miniconference on the 8th of November we explored why and how you should integrate spirituality, compassion and consciousness in your business & (work)life. We deep dived into how to nurture our own personal sustainability and how we can apply greater consciousness and meaning into business and workplace culture. Speakers at the event were:

• The international social business expert who provides an overview of global trends and cases on personal sustainability (Tania Ellis, Special Advisor & Founder, The Social Business Company)
• The serial entrepreneur and CEO, who is transforming his business from within in order to serve people, planet and profit with love and compassion (Martin Bjergegaard, CEO, Frokost.dk)
• The sustainability director that applies Native American wisdom principles and mindfulness in one of Denmark’s largest energy companies (Marianne Kildedal, Head of Responsible Leadership & CSR, SEAS-NVE)
• The award-winning sustainability expert and Young Global Leader, who has discovered how silence and Nature can lead us to a sustainable world (Laura Storm, Founder, Regenerators).

If you were unable to attend, you can read articles highlighting the different approaches adopted by our speakers by clicking on the links above.

Watch videos from the miniconference and find the full programme here:

See photos from the miniconference here:

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Corporate Social Activism

– From taking responsibility to taking a stand

Corporate social activism is on the rise. What are the faces of corporate social activism? Why should companies go from being responsible to taking a stand? Is there a limit as to how far a company can go? And what should companies be aware of if they want to use their business as an activist force for good? At our miniconference on the 8th of May we explored how businesses can go beyond CSR to taking a stand and create social change. Speakers at the event were:

• The international social business expert who provided an overview of global trends and cases on corporate social activism (Tania Ellis, Special Advisor & Founder, The Social Business Company)
• The retail giant that applies choice editing and controversial communication to inform and engage its consumers in sustainable consumption (Thomas Roland, CSR Manager, COOP Danmark)
• The low-cost telecommunications company that initiated a national social movement by changing the company from within (Hanne Lindblad, former CEO and Anja Enggaard former Marketing Manager, Call me)
• The world’s first ethical prison labour company that uses its business to take a stand on poverty and women’s rights (Veronica D’Souza, CEO & Founder, CARCEL

If you were unable to attend, you can read these articles  and see videos highlighting the different approaches of Corporate Social Activism adopted by our speakers from

• COOP: Corporate activism is paying off for COOP
• Call Me: Is corporate activism just a sales booster & brand builder?
• CARCEL: The world’s first ethical prison labour company is a Danish startup

Get key insights and main take aways of the day in CSR Forum’s article: Minikonference om ”Corporate Social Activism”

See photos from the miniconference here:

Download programme here:

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Sustainable Customer Engagement

– Put sustainability into the heart of your sales and customer relations efforts

At our miniconference on the 9th of November we explored how corporate responsibility and sustainability efforts can be used to increase sales, build relationships with customers and ultimately contribute to global development goals in support of sustainable consumption. Speakers at the event were:

• The social business expert, who provided an overview of global sustainable customer engagement trends and cases (Tania Ellis, Special Advisor & Founder, The Social Business Company)
• The fair trade organization that engages consumers to increase market demands for sustainable products (Louise Elver, Communications Manager, Fairtrade Mærket)
• The laundering service company that builds sustainability into its value proposition to attract and retain business customers (Jan H. Matthiesen, Section Manager, De Forenede Dampvaskerier)
• The international expert who changes corporate and consumer behaviour through nudging and behavioural design (Sille Krukow, Special Advisor & Director, KRUKOW)

If you were unable to attend, you can get key insights from our speakers here:

• Fairtade Mærket Danmark: How can virtual reality inspire and engage sustainable consumption?
• De Forenede Dampvaskerier: How do you boost sales with sustainability?
• KRUKOW: How can you nudge your way to sustainable consumption?

See photos from the miniconference here:

Download programme here:

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Sustainable Disruption & Corporate Social Entrepreneurship

– About social startups, CSR intrapreneurship and sustainable innovation alliances

Disruption in business is not only driven by new tech – it is also driven by climate change and many of the other global imbalances that are currently challenging business as usual. Over the next 15 years, sustainability will – according to leading global CEOs – become as big and disruptive in every sector as digital technologies have become over the past 15. At our miniconference on the 2nd of May we explored how businesses can tap into this new corporate innovation opportunity. Speakers at the event were:

• The social business expert, who shared key insights on sustainable disruption and corporate social entrepreneurship (Tania Ellis, Special Advisor & Founder, The Social Business Company)
• The social entrepreneur, who has created a disruptive business model for online travel (Christian Honoré, Goodwings)
• The social intrapreneur, who is disrupting the shipping industry from within one sustainability step at a time (Sofia Fürstenberg, Nor-Shipping)
• The sustainability manager who is driving corporate innovation efforts in alliance with green and social startups (Jonas Engberg, IKEA)

Watch full video presentations from our miniconference and find the programme here:

Get key insights from our speakers here:

• Goodwings: From CSR to Entrepurposeship
• Nor-Shipping: The social INTRApreneur – sustainable innovation from within
• IKEA: Corporate social innovation through startup alliances

See photos from the miniconference here:

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CSR crises and dilemmas

– How to manage conflicts between doing good and doing well

How can you overcome dilemmas between sustainability and business? How do you avoid being hit by a CSR crisis and what to do when the watchdog bites? At our miniconference on the 29th of November we explored some of the complex dilemmas companies are facing when doing good and doing well and got inspired by how real-life cases succeed in managing CSR crises. Speakers at the event were:

• The social business expert providing an overview of global trends and cases of CSR crises and dilemma (Tania Ellis, Special Advisor & Founder, The Social Business Company)
• One of the biggest Danish pension, presenting ethical investment dilemmas between blacklisting unethical companies or engaging them through dialog and ownership (Pelle Pedersen, Responsible Investment Analyst, PKA)
• The multinational IT company, showcasing how they turned a supply chain-related media crisis into a business opportunity (Louise Koch, EMEA Corporate Sustainability Lead, Dell)
• The gaming and gambling company, exploring if corporate responsibility in the gaming and gambling industry is good or unethical business (Stine Hove Marsling, Director for Corporate Communications, Branding & CSR, Danske Spil)

Watch videos from the miniconference and find the full programme here:

Get key insights from our three speakers (in Danish) here:

• PKA: Etiske investeringer – dialog eller sortlisting?
• Dell: Når vagthunden bider – fra mediekrise til styrket forretning
• Danske Spil: Ansvarlighed i spilbranchen – god eller uetisk forretning?

See photos from the miniconference here:

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Social impact on the bottom line

– How to measure the social and environmental impact of your corporate engagement How can you measure the impact of your corporate engagement on the environmental, social and financial bottom line? And how can you use impact measurement tools as a lever for value creation and innovation? At our miniconference on the 31st of May we explored real-life cases where impact measurements are, among other things, used as a tool for communication and strategic decision-making. Speakers at the event were:

• The social business expert providing an overview of the global and national trends, tools and key terms (Tania Ellis, Special Adviser & Founder, The Social Business Company)
• The experienced environmental expert who collaborates with businesses on measuring and valuating the environmental impacts on the whole value chain (E P&L) (Mikkel Stenbæk Hansen, Operation Manager, Miljøstyrelsen)
• The socially committed insurance and pension company that has developed a tool to put monetary value on preventive social inititiaves (SROI) (Vibeke Molin, CSR Project Manager, Skandia)
• The social bank that only invests in businesses with both a social and financial return on investment (Impact Investing) (Claus Skytt, Department Director, Merkur Andelskasse)

See photos from the miniconference here:

Download programme here (in Danish):

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New world solutions to old world problems

– A miniconference about (corporate) social innovation in practice

How can you develop sustainable (business) solutions that create both progress and prosperity? What is trickle-up innovation, and how does it work in practice? How is co-creation breeding ground for social innovation and sustainable change? At our miniconference the 12th of May we explored ideas of co-creation and innovation principles, and how to put these principles into practice. Speakers at the event were:

• The Cambodian NGO that employs innovative social business models to achieve its social mission (-Nikolai Schwarz, International Coordinator, Friends-International).
• The leading Danish chocolate company that has gained huge commercial success through corporate social innovation in its production methods (Lene Hjort Lorenzen, Head of CSR, TOMS Group).
• The long-standing cross-sector alliance that is evolving from focus on donations and short-term gains to shared value and long-term impact (Jakob Gaard Nielsen, CSR Manager, Sticks’n Sushi + Carl Gustav Lorentzen, Corporate Fundraiser, DanChurchAid.

Social business expert Tania Ellis introduced the miniconference with an overview of global trends and cases of some of the new-world business logics and innovation principles, which benefit both humanity and the bottom line. See pictures from the miniconference here: https://flic.kr/p/t95RTM

Download programme here:

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From charity and risk management to sustainable bottom line

– A miniconference about the “sustainable” business case

How can CSR managers find solutions that create both social and bottom line value? How and where can the find data to defend the proposed business cases to the executive boards? At our miniconference in April 2015 we explored tangible ways of measuring the social and economical return on investments, and thereby showing that what is the most profitable strategy can also go hand-in-hand with the solution creating a postive social and environmental impact. Speakers at the event were:

• • • The Norwegian pension funds company that has integrated the sustainable mindset into its heart of business and investments, resulting in a new area of growth for the company (Matthew Smith, Senior Analyst, Storebrand/SSP)
    • The family-owned Norwegian industrial and financial group with an extensive involvement in social entrepreneurship (Katinka Greve Leiner, Direktør, FERD Sosiale Entreprenører)
    • The “green” consultancy company that makes use of “skilled volounteering” on its journey from charity to strategical philantropy (Guri Lindmark, Ansvarlig for Samfunnsansvar, Multiconsult)

Social business expert Tania Ellis introduced the miniconference with an overview of global trends and examples of best practice sustaniable business cases globally. Check out pictures from the conference here:

Download the miniconference programme (in Norwegian) here:

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 The art of sustainable communication

– How to communicate your CSR stories visually

How can you show rather than tell your CSR stories? At our miniconference in December 2014, we explored how companies can use art, design, video and other forms of visual tools to communicate and share their CSR efforts with both internal and external stakeholders. Speakers at the event were:

• The green hotel chain that includes visual merchandising in its CSR communication and branding (Kirsten Aggersborg, Guldsmeden Hotels)
• The social non-profit festival which uses aesthetic capital in the form of music, art and image campaigns to support its community engagement (Christina Bilde, Roskilde Festival)
• The multinational pharmaceutical company that applies infographics, video and games in its CSR communication (Camilla Crone Jensen, Novo Nordisk)

Social business expert Tania Ellis introduced the miniconference with an overview of global trends and cases of visual CSR communication. On the day of the miniconference, we also wanted to work with the theme of visual communication and therefore invited: BESPOKE  to prepare a little ebook summarizing some of the points from the day (www.bespokecph.com) Irene Mynthe from Draw2think to draw graphic recordings which visualized the presentations (www.draw2think.dk/) Read the ebook and see graphic recordings below:

Click on the image to get a full view of the graphic recordings:

See the whole program (in Danish) here:

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Shared value partnerships

What does shared value mean? What kind of partnership does it pave the way for? How does shared value partnerships work in practice? What are the pitfalls you should be aware of? And what benefits can the parties individually and collectively achieve by working together? These were some of the issues we explored at our mini conference April 30th in Copenhagen, where we looked into shared value partnerships seen with the eyes of both big national and multinational companies as well as small social start-ups. Speakers at the event were:

• The social enterprise, working with both consumers and large commercial enterprises to improve the living conditions of young women in Africa (Veronica D’Souza, Ruby Cup)
• The multinational shipping company that bases its new growth strategy on sustainability partnerships including customers and social entrepreneurs (Mette Olsen, Maersk Line)
• The retail chain that creates corporate social innovation with local and global partnerships to promote Danish population’s health and ethical trade (Thomas Roland, COOP)

Social business expert Tania Ellis introduced the miniconference with an overview of global trends and cases of shared value partnerships.

See the whole program (in Danish) here:

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Sustainable communication

– Communicating your sustainability efforts in a transparent, authentic and engaging way

How do you make your sustainability reporting come alive? How can you use social media to build your responsible business brand? And how do you tackle a media crisis when and if your sustainability efforts go wrong? These were some of the issues we explored at our miniconference in Oslo, where we looked into the art of sustainable communication seen with the eyes of both big national and multinational companies as well as small social start-ups. Speakers at the event were:

• The commercial company who has down-scaled its CSR reporting, and instead upscaled on its CSR communication (Mikkel Klausen, CSR manager, KMD)
• The social entrepreneur who has created a positive, national media storm without spending a dime on branding (Anne Dubrau, Co-founder, Epleslang)
• The multinational company who has learned that a good image is difficult to build,  but easy to loose (Jan Kristensen, Director Business Sustainability, Telenor Group)

Social business expert Tania Ellis introduced the miniconference with an overview of global trends and cases of sustainable communication. The Social Business Company’s Norwegian partner, Kia Klavenes, facilitated the programme, as we discussed, networked and exchanged experiences on the topic throughout the afternoon. See the whole programme in Norwegian here  

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Social suppliers and green procurement