The Impact Bootcamp

Abstract

This graduation project involved the development of a three-day training for social business development for Kenyan entrepreneurs. The project is carried out for ProPortion, a creative agency based in Amsterdam that realizes social business. Social businesses are a companies that aim to solve social challenges through a for-profit approach and ProPortion focusses on social challenges in effect people in developing countries. The project came forth out of an opportunity identified by ProPortion in Kenya, where an emerging group of Kenyan entrepreneurs expressed interest in growing the social impact of their companies. However, the different context of the target group required a new form and focus for ProPortion’s service. As a result, the initial graduation assignment asked for a broad scope towards developing a new social business development service for Kenyan entrepreneurs. In the initial phase of the project relevant elements in the field of social business are explored and defined, resulting in an understanding of the evolving role of business in society. Field research in Kenya led to the identification of three target group segments: the socially engaged for-profit entrepreneur, the philanthropic entrepreneur and the start-up social entrepreneur. Each type of entrepreneur expressed different perspectives and challenges concerning the creation of social impact with their business. A common mindset towards social business is that it involves ‘giving back’ to society in a way that costs a business money. Therefore, the direction for the new service focused on understanding how to create a connection between profit and social impact for a company. Through generative research in Kenya a service concept is developed in form of an intense three-day training called ‘The Impact Bootcamp’. The Impact Bootcamp offers a program for purpose-driven entrepreneurs to grow the social impact of their company. The bootcamp takes place in an inspiring location outside the city and is designed to facilitate peer-to-peer learning between the entrepreneurs. Besides growth of the social impact of the company, the Impact Bootcamp also aims to allow like-minded entrepreneurs to connect, bond and collaborate. A recent development in the field of business strategy is the concept of Creating Shared Value, developed by leading business strategist Michael Porter. Shared value describes how a company can develop activities that create value for both the business and society. One of the activities developed for the Impact Bootcamp is designed to increase the understanding about shared value by exploring to what extent the current activities of a business create shared value. For this activity a template is designed that is part of the facilitation materials of the bootcamp. The facilitation material for the bootcamp is combined in the Impact Workbook and is designed to enable peer-to-peer learning in a way similar to interviewing. Each activity is done together with a different entrepreneur while continues to follow their own individual process. The Workbook guides the participants through the activities of the bootcamp and gathers the results in one overview. Finally, the design of the bootcamp is made tangible in the development of a pilot for the Impact Bootcamp, scheduled to take place in April 2016, two months after the completion of the graduation project.