One of my favorite traditions at the end of each year is writing personal notes to friends of Social Venturers and sending them out onto all continents (well, at least 4). It is a much needed reminder how far our network of dedicated impact makers reaches and how much we collectively achieve by connecting and sharing our insights.

In 2020, I welcomed more than 35 new members to Social Venturers, I published 17 Insights pieces, hosted 7 Fireside Chats and captured all that progress throughout 12 logbooks. Thanks to working with the incredible Michelle Martello – nickname Smartello – I have made a few iterations to the site and my processes which you will see unfold over the coming months! 

As part of those iterations, I am cranking up the advisory services of Social Venturers:

• Research & Storytelling
• Ecosystem Services
• Consulting

Here’s what else you can expect in 2021:

What’s next

Since inception of Social Venturers in 2019, my focus has been on building the community, collecting stories from the field and creating new insights about building entrepreneurial ecosystems for social change.

In the years to come, I am shifting that focus toward creating greater and deeper impact while fine tuning the revenue model. A girl’s gotta feed her family after all. Of course, the community and insights continue to be at the heart of Social Venturers. But to truly complete this trifecta, I am adding Advisory services to my portfolio to put these insights to work, engage the community in these efforts and to create greater impact in the field. Here are the first products and services to help me achieve this mission:

Masterclasses

I am kicking off the new year with Masterclasses. Once a month, I am hosting done-with-you workshops to share some of my hardest-won lessons with you in a hands-on style! The goal is for you to arrive with a question or idea, and to leave with a first prototype of how you can move forward. 

Impact Solopreneurs: A global network of self-employed impact makers

If you are working for yourself in the social impact space, you know how tough it can be to keep the wheels turning on the day-to-day. In 2020, I teamed up with the fabulous Kaat Peeters in Belgium and Peter Ptashko in the UK to help each other stay accountable and weather the storms of COVID-19. We are excited to expand that circle in 2021 and invite mission-aligned impact makers who work for themselves to join us! Very affordable with a sharp focus on building a global network of purpose-driven one-person businesses!

Monthly themes

Over the course of 2021, I am dedicating each month to a particular theme and you will meet changemakers from around the world working on these particular specialties! In Q1, we will be talking about:

• Redefining Impact (January)
• Building ecosystems for social change in communities of color (February)
• Women ecosystem builders ((March)

How you can help

If anyone in your network is looking for fractional support in their ecosystem building efforts, let them know that Anika is here to roll up her sleeves and help!

If you are working for yourself and dedicated to creating social impact through an entrepreneurial approach, join us for Impact Solopreneurs! We kick off on February 9th, early bird rate ends January 26! If you want to meet us before signing up, join us for a free session on January 26th!

I have a few other themes planned for Q2 but would love to hear what questions and challenges you are grappling with so that I can find some experienced experts to help us find answers! Let me know what you want to learn more about!