NBS Workshop 2021: Small Players Guiding the Way to Global Change

In this panel discussion, Katharina Moser gathered three leaders to discuss the role of small and medium enterprises in catalyzing global positive change.
The guests were:
• Bas van Abel - Founder of Fairphone, a company building more sustainable smartphones by sourcing materials responsibly, advocating for workers’ welfare, and sharing practices transparently.
• Theresa Imre - Founder and CEO of markta, Austria's first digital farmers' market. markta experienced the challenges posed by rapid growth during the pandemic, as they enabled consumers to shop online while supporting local producers and vendors.
• Ian G. Hobday - Founder and CEO of Startup Gurus, an organization supporting European startups with resources their founding team might lack, with guidance on strategy, marketing, angel investing and beyond.
The candid and intimate discussion described the challenges and opportunities faced by small and scaling organizations. From the entrepreneurial loss of social life, to the flexibility to integrate sustainability at the core of an organization with "no legacy to deal with", this group had plenty of shared experience and insight to discuss.
This conversation was part of the 2021 Multi-sector Dialogue for a Sustainable Transformation.
The Dialogue's theme was "Radical Change vs. More of the Same?" Leaders from business, the public sector, and academia participated in conversations and networking around cutting-edge sustainability issues.