End of the Year Fireworks – Social Entrepreneurs of the Year 2011 selected in Israel, France, Switzerland, Germany and Central America
The year is ending with a true “Social Entrepreneur of the Year” firework. On five consecutive days last week, the Schwab Foundation and its partners selected and awarded social entrepreneurs in five different countries/regions.
Israel made the start on December 11, where Moti Orenstein, Moshe Theumim and Sami Segol, Co-Founders of Mifalot Education and Society, were awarded during the Globes Business Conference in Tel Aviv. Mifalot reaches more than 20,000 children (Jewish and non-Jewish) ages 3-21 through different sport for social change programs which provide free equipment and coaching, as well as citizenship and values education.
France selected its winner for the year in an animated jury meeting in Paris, facilitated by our close partner The Boston Consulting Group, on December 12. The winner will be announced during the award evening on 1 Febraury 2012.
The selection committee in Switzerland had a tough choice between three excellent finalists. On December 13, they chose Renat Heuberger and Christoph Sutter, Founders of South Pole Carbon as the Social Entrepreneurs of the Year 2011 Switzerland (read more). With 10 offices around the world, South Pole Carbon is a global leader in high-quality emission-reduction projects that address climate change and sustainable development, including waste management and reforestation. Credit-Suisse and Mobiliar hosted the award celebration in the heart of Zurich. The selection process was run by The Boston Consulting Group.
The Boston Consulting Group was also instrumental in the fourth award of the week. In Germany, Hilde Schwab and the other nine prominent members of the jury identified Christian Hiss, Founder of Regionalwert AG as Social Entrepreneur of the year 2011.
Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel was the first to congratulate him and the finalists in Berlin. RegionalWert AG is revolutionizing small-scale agriculture in Germany by offering financing opportunities for farmers that banks do not provide. This enables farmers to purchase or lease land and equipment and convert to organic production.
The last winner for the year, Philip Wilson, Founder of EcoFiltro, was awarded as winner for Central America in a celebration in Guatemala City hosted by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), our partner for the selection process in Central America and the Dominican Republic. EcoFiltro is a self-sustainable social business which produces and sells water filters to low-income communities that do not have access to safe drinking water in Guatemala, Central America and Haiti.
Congratulations to all the winners! We look forward to seeing them all at World Economic Forum events in the coming year!
Editors Note
Mirjam Schöning, Head and Senior Director, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship
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