On 4 October 2024, Foundation for Shared Impact (FSI) engaged 18 Goldman Sachs Community TeamWorks volunteers in an Impact Jam to run a business clinic for aspiring and budding social entrepreneurs and social impact leaders.
Joining us at the business clinic were entrepreneurs and leaders from Agewhale, EmpowerU, Hong Kong Momtrepreneurs, LumiVoce Foundation, and TALK Hong Kong. Sharing with participants their respective organizational problem statements, these under-resourced entrepreneurs and leaders hoped to gain advice and support to continue their work at the forefront to empower caretakers, marginalized youth, migrant workers, and women entrepreneurs, as well as to educate youth on biodiversity, and prevent child sexual abuse and support adult survivors.
Effectively Engaging the Private Sector to Access Resources and Support
We organized a roundtable discussion to kick off the business clinic. Moderated by Lawrence Wong from the Office of Corporate Engagement at Goldman Sachs, the discussion concluded with insights and knowledge shared by Iain Drayton, Head of Investment Banking in Asia Ex-Japan (AEJ).
Additionally, as a founding member of the “Get In Cambridge” campaign and the China Development Foundation, Iain is a dedicated advocate for democratizing access to opportunities for underrepresented communities. In conversation with the social impact entrepreneurs and leaders, Iain shared tips and advice on effectively engaging with the private sector to access financial and human resources, based on his experiences as a private-sector leader and member of several nonprofit boards. He also shared lessons on successfully motivating team members and the important responsibility of a leader to foster open and transparent communication.
Cross-sector Collaboration to Build Capacity for Social Impact Organizations
Following the roundtable discussion was a 90-minute business clinic, where each social impact entrepreneur or leader was paired with four Goldman Sachs Community TeamWorks volunteers, including Ales Sladic, Head of Asia Pacific Equity Structuring and Head of Asia Pacific Equity Derivatives Sales. The volunteers had the opportunity to gain a thorough understanding of the organizations, and leverage their knowledge and expertise to provide the entrepreneurs and leaders with solutions and recommendations to address the challenges articulated in their problem statements.
Also joining the business clinic to offer invaluable advice was Vivek Kumar, a seasoned financial industry executive with extensive regional experience in the SME and enterprise ecosystem, who recently joined the FSI Board of Advisors.
The business clinic was a success, with participants giving it nine stars out of 10 and all agreed that they would recommend others to join FSI’s Impact Jams.
By utilizing their respective knowledge and expertise, the volunteers helped under-resourced social impact entrepreneurs and leaders build capacity through:
- offering recommendations to Agewhale on its pricing strategy, corporate pitch deck, and growth strategies;
- transforming EmpowerU’s pitch deck to more effectively communicate its impact and engage external stakeholders;
- helping Momtrepreneurs develop a framework for a succession plan covering talent development, board governance, funding strategies, and operational issues;
- reviewing and improving LumiVoice Foundation’s existing membership program and developing ideas for more sustainable funding strategies;
- reviewing TALK Hong Kong’s pitch deck and strategic plan documents to refine its fundraising strategy.
Said Taura Edgar, Founder and Board Chair at TALK Hong Kong: “The team was really insightful and helped us restructure our pitch deck for better absorption and impact.”
“It was good to talk to people outside of our organization, who offered fresh perspectives and ideas that potentially could help with our funding strategies. The brainstorming session was great!” said Chloe Poon, Program and Operations Manager at LumiVoce.
The positive feedback was echoed by Goldman Sachs Community TeamWorks volunteers: “It’s inspiring to meet passionate young founders of social impact organizations. I enjoyed giving some insight and hopefully helping them navigate their journeys ahead. Hope to see the organization grow in the future!”
Are you interested in participating in our mutually beneficial Impact Jams to provide essential capacity-building support to Hong Kong’s under-resourced entrepreneurs and social impact leaders? Whether it is to kick-start your personal social impact journey, engage and develop your talents, or achieve your corporate ESG and CSR goals, FSI’s Impact Jams are customizable, impactful engagements conducive to creating lasting shared impact. Get in touch with us at communityconnections@shared-impact.com to learn more!
