Show Notes
Dr. Melanie Rieback, CEO and Co-founder of Radically Open Security, sees business as a form of self-expression, of creativity and activism. She also believes that social enterprises in their current form are not delivering and are stuck in an extractive capitalist dimension. Now she is on a mission to provide an alternative model, which she has dubbed post-growth entrepreneurship. She has already designed a university course (worth 6 ECTS points) for it, as well as setting up an incubator around the same thinking called NonProfit Ventures.
Melanie is a former Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the Free University of Amsterdam (VU) and has won a range of awards for her work. She has been named one of the fifty most inspiring women in tech in the Netherlands and one of nine most innovative women in the European Union.
More from What If We Get It Right?
In our prep interview with Alison Taylor we hear about ethical organisations and including employee voice. Her interview was part of our full story on activists and innovators in business: whatifwegetitright.com/season-3-activists-and-innovators
With many businesses confused about what ‘doing good’ actually means, employees are stepping up and pressuring their organisations to act on behalf of an interest greater than their company’s profits. They want to see their leadership take action and are speaking up as a political act of resistance. Employee activism is increasing globally with people are voting on their feet, ready to leave their jobs when their companies don’t perform. Join us as we explore how employee activism can be a force for good.
Are employees the social innovators and intrapreneurs organisations now need to lead by example? One thing is clear, innovators alone will not be able to drive the systemic change we need to address climate change and achieve social justice. The corporate world is being challenged from within - by activist shareholders and employees - to play its part. Join us as we explore the world of business and how resistance is necessary to make business a force for good.
In the fourth and final episode of this series we see the bigger picture – and why these entrepreneurs feel they need to keep on trying. Despite dealing with complexity on a day-to-day basis, they are determined to work toward their greater plan. Patrick, Mike, Douce, Washikala and Chance might be on to something. By starting and supporting these businesses, they have created a new model for people in the region to take ownership of their future. What are the ingredients for long-term impact and building ecosystems that flourish? We revisit Mike and Patrick and find out whether their approach could become a model for others. Could they be getting it right?
Episode three takes us deeper into the intricacies of setting up a business in an uncertain and complex environment. If social entrepreneurs can offer ideas and business solutions for community value, what role should government play? And how can NGOs and other societal actors get involved? Besides the insights from Douce and Washikala, we meet Chance Rwezi, who runs a coffee co-op on the island of Idjwi. While Douce and Washikala need to test their assumptions within their communities, Chance has challenges that lie outside the country. How does he see the balance between local and global economies and community value?