What does it really take to build an ecosystem where social impact thrives? In this heartfelt and insightful episode of The Invisible Experts Podcast, we’re joined by Jessica Oyarbide, co-founder of Ekhos, a platform dedicated to strengthening social impact ecosystems across Latin America and Europe.

Entrevista realizada al volver del viaje de inmersión a India con EKHOS 2020.

A new year begins, and almost as if life were a calendar in which you tear off a page to turn to the next, the start of a new cycle brings with it opportunities to reflect and decide what we want to achieve in the 365 days ahead.

This year, the Companies with Impact section was launched in collaboration with Multimedios El Eco and Jessica Oyarbide, founder of Marcas que Marcan and EKHOS, with the aim of showcasing a different way of doing business. A recap of what happened during the year.

In Argentina, the saying "tie it with wire" is popularly used to refer to finding solutions to fix or amend things using available resources. This everyday act demonstrates the innovative way of thinking behind it and is one of the foundations of Frugal Innovation.

Almost 10 years ago, when Jessica Oyarbide and María Virginia Romero had the opportunity to visit India for the first time, each for different reasons, they saw that India had something unheard of in the West: millions of companies that were emerging with the goal of helping to mitigate the country's social and environmental challenges, organizations called "Social Enterprises" that were transforming entire communities.

Sometimes it seems that people who decide to create businesses aimed at solving or mitigating social or environmental problems do so in isolation, as an initiative in which a few decide to do something for the planet and its people. But in reality, there is an entire global network of people who believe in a different way of doing business, and they demonstrate that it is not only viable, but also inspiring for many more.

From November 18th to 22nd, People and Planet First Week was celebrated, a global week that seeks to highlight initiatives and companies that put the planet and people first. This organization seeks to create a global badge that quickly identifies organizations that adhere to these principles.

How often do we feel outraged when we see trash dumped in our city's natural spaces? If we're able to enjoy a mate by the lake or play with our children in the squares, why aren't we able to take away or properly dispose of the waste we generate?

Last week, two very important events took place in Buenos Aires: the Women Economic Forum and the IDB Lab Forum. Organized by different entities, they shared one key point: the importance of developing ecosystems to promote Social and Impact Enterprises.

As the number of startups and companies seeking to do business with a positive impact on people and the planet grows, so does the interest in learning how to achieve this. The Tandil Impact Roundtable brings a dynamic proposal to raise awareness of this approach, right from our city.

As the end of the year approaches, the question "what should we give as a New Year's gift?" begins to circulate among SMEs and large companies. This moment is a great opportunity to promote social procurement initiatives, which not only consider the price and quality of the products and services being sought, but also contribute to generating a positive impact.

The existence of companies seeking to generate a positive impact on society and the environment is nothing new. Their emergence, growth, and expansion around the world are thanks to impact ecosystems that create fertile ground for these organizations to thrive.

Next Sunday, November 24th, a sustainability initiative will take place in the city. Its goal is to mobilize the community and generate a positive impact on our natural environment. The main objective will be to clean up the Dique del Fuerte Lake area in Tandil.

The business world is evolving. The focus is no longer solely on increasing profitability, but on caring for and regenerating the planet, reducing inequality, and improving people's well-being.

What does cleaning up coastal areas have to do with designer glasses? How can homeless people get jobs in a pizzeria? How do you create a service for businesses provided by blind people? These aren't rhetorical questions, but rather concrete examples of brands born by putting people and the planet first.

When people in Argentina think of India, they generally associate images of the country with small, dirty streets crowded with low-income people. But that's just one facet of India. This vast and diverse country also boasts innovative solutions, cutting-edge technology, a rising middle class, and strategies that lift millions out of poverty each year.

In a region as diverse and vast as Latin America, social and environmental challenges tend to be complex and similar across the continent. Therefore, the search for joint solutions becomes both a necessity and an opportunity.

The opportunities between Latin America, India, and the United Kingdom are much broader than meets the eye. In each of these regions, social and environmental challenges are being addressed by Social and Impact Enterprises, supported by the ecosystems that drive them.

Lack of funding often prevents major causes and projects from achieving the necessary impact. Unsustainable organizational models pose a long-term challenge, especially in complex contexts. Charity Shops are a viable alternative for marketing and supporting causes at the same time.

Can initiatives created to solve social and/or environmental problems achieve economic sustainability? It may sound utopian, but there are business models designed for this purpose: Social Enterprises.

When thinking about Scotland from Argentina, images of medieval castles and towns, cliffs, and people playing bagpipes are probably the most common, but the enormous development of this country in the United Kingdom regarding Social and Impact Enterprises is unknown.

From November 18th to 22nd, People and Planet First Week is being celebrated, a global initiative that puts people and the planet first when thinking about business. As part of this week, which seeks to highlight the potential for transforming lives and protecting the environment while building sustainable communities, T+ACTIVA, a sustainability event, was held in our city.

It was 2014, and there I was, sitting at my desk in Tandil, in front of my computer with Google search open and my mate ready to be poured. I had just returned from my first year working in India. I knew my stay in Tandil was temporary, but I still wasn't sure what my next step would be. The only thing I had decided was that I wanted to learn everything I could about Social Enterprises. There was something about the concept that really caught my attention, and this time I wan

The role we play as consumers is fundamental in promoting responsible consumption, but even though awareness and determination are geared toward generating a positive impact, it's sometimes difficult to find how and where to consume products and services that are better for people and the planet. These are some of the places where you can find Positive Impact Companies.

Positive impact brands are those that recognize that business success is measured not only by financial returns, but also by the impact they have on people and the planet.

In the United Kingdom, there's a concept called Social Enterprise Cities, which seeks to identify and promote local social enterprises created to solve or mitigate social and/or environmental problems through business models. Is this a utopia or a possibility for Argentine cities?

For Social and Impact Enterprises to emerge and grow, it's not enough to have people who believe they can transform realities; they need an ecosystem that supports and guides them. The Tandil Impact Taskforce was created to foster the development of the local Impact Ecosystem.

Around 80% of people with disabilities are unable to access decent employment appropriate to their abilities. Social and Impact Enterprises demonstrate, once again, that businesses can be created with a strong focus on social integration. Three Argentine examples and one from the United Kingdom exemplify how to effectively generate social inclusion.

There are strategies, tools, and methodologies that allow us to transition from traditional companies and businesses to businesses with a positive impact on people and the planet. But to embark on a path of impact, the key is to ask the right questions.

From June 10th to 15th, a trade mission of Latin American companies took place in the United Kingdom, which included participation in London Tech Week, one of the world's largest technology industry fairs. Among the Argentine companies that formed part of the delegation and participated in the activities were two companies with a presence in Tandil: Marcas que Marcan and Bee Real.

That there are social, environmental, and economic problems to be resolved is evident. Who should be responsible? Governments, businesses, NGOs, individuals? The Sustainable Development Goals provide a common agenda to engage different sectors in orienting their actions toward the common good.

Have you ever wondered how the food you eat every day is produced? Under what conditions do the people who grow it work? Or how the land is managed? Sustainable gastronomy not only answers these questions, but also offers paths in harmony with nature.

Caring for the environment when doing business should no longer be optional. The consumption of natural resources is far more intensive than the Earth can regenerate on its own, and the extractive development model is causing great harm to both the planet and its people. However, there is another way to do business, and we find examples of this in Tandil.

There is a way to trade more sustainably, fairly, and equitably. During Fair Trade Month, three examples of businesses that generate a positive impact on the planet and people.

Have you ever wondered who made the clothes you wear? Who grew and harvested the food you eat? Under what conditions was the yerba mate or coffee you drink every day produced? Fair Trade is a movement that emerged from the recognition of the enormous injustices that exist in traditional commerce and proposed a commercial and productive alternative centered on respect, equity, and justice.

The existence of companies that generate a positive impact on people and/or the planet through their businesses doesn't happen by chance. There is a whole group of people and organizations that create the optimal conditions for these types of businesses to emerge, grow, and develop. This space is called the Impact Ecosystem.

Impact Companies not only seek economic benefits, but are also committed to creating a positive impact on society and the environment while carrying out their activities. Key tools to identify companies that adhere to these principles are certifications and verifications.

The word impact is increasingly used to describe certain activities or business models—but what does it really mean? Is it about economic success, or is it linked to something else?

There's a different way to do business: focused on generating a positive impact on people and the planet. Learn about three cases of Social Enterprises in Argentina that are changing the game.

People change, and so do businesses. There is another way of doing business, one that doesn't consider economic success as its primary indicator of progress, but rather integrates the well-being of people and the planet into its business model.

Jessica Oyarbide is a speaker from Argentina that talks about social enterprises and impact ecosystems.

We know them. We see them. We consume them. However, we don't know how they're built. Jessica Oyarbide is going to tell us how the brands we live with every day are created. But she won't stop there; she's going to delve into brands with impact. Those that are changing the way we do business. Those that, beyond generating profitability, seek to generate a positive impact on the planet 🌎 and people 👨👩.

Today is World Refugee Day , which seeks to raise awareness about the ongoing crisis surrounding migration and refugee governance and to honor the resilience and courage of the thousands of people who leave their homes to survive.

“We've woken up another day,” my grandfather would say when you asked him how he was. It seems like an everyday occurrence, but that doesn't make it any less important. You've woken up another day! A day full of hours, minutes, seconds, for you to honor life.

Los emprendimientos con impacto social están en crecimiento y con ellos, más empresas creen que es necesario trabajar con causa y buscar conscientemente generar un impacto positivo cambiando la forma en la que hacemos negocios. En este episodio hablamos de este tipo de emprendimientos; de los retos y las recompensas que ofrecen, de la gran necesidad de crear empresas más conscientes de su impacto y cómo poder lograr ese impacto. Acompáñanos junto a Jessica Oyarbide, Fundadora

Fair Trade had sparked my curiosity at the time, but it remained dormant for a while. Social Enterprises were always my great passion; Fair Trade simply reappeared in my life as a kind of serendipity.

EKHOS chose to connect Latin America with more developed social enterprise ecosystems, such as India. The goal is to build bridges between different countries and exchange knowledge, methodologies, and tools.

Can the world be changed through entrepreneurship? What does it mean to undertake with a purpose? What is the difference between a social enterprise, a triple impact enterprise, and an inclusive business?

EKHOS chose to connect Latin America with more developed social enterprise ecosystems, such as India. The goal is to build bridges between different countries and exchange knowledge, methodologies, and tools. India's social enterprise ecosystem is highly advanced. There are more than 2 million formal social enterprises. There are multiple social enterprise models for each of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).