soulincubator: Cooperation with the Schwarz Group
When we started soulbottles, we had a pretty big vision: We wanted to quickly build a successful drinking bottle business and then establish more and more companies and organizations so that these soulorganizations could work together for a greener and fairer world. Over time, we noticed three things:
- A water bottle business is not that easy and somehow requires a lot of time and people.
- It's probably not enough to just create (and keep) a bunch of new organizations; you probably also have to work with the ones that are already there to change them.
- In order for the whole thing to have a real long-term effect, we should also improve the political framework for ecological movements and impact-oriented companies. That is why, among other things, soulbottles is a founding member of the Responsible Ownership Foundation and part of the Common Good Economy (GWÖ) , the B Corp movement and the Social Entrepreneurship Network Germany .
The soulincubator and our strategy
This idea then led to the creation of the soulincubator - admittedly a few years later than planned - with which we support young projects to combat the plastic crisis. Together with our partner ProjectTogether, we decided on a strategy of supporting a wide range of projects in the first six months and looking at which team needs exactly which resources. In the next step, we can then scale the solutions that work well to the point where they can change society.
Systemic Change through Collaboration
soulbottles and ProjectTogether believe that systemic change is only possible when different actors - initiatives, startups, companies, the public sector, foundations, NGOs - pull together and work together in cooperation. If we really want to make a big change, we also have to look for partners who will join us. These can include partners with whom we do not share all of our values, because they often have the greatest leverage for systemic change. It was with this attitude that we began discussions with the Schwarz Group in November.
Our decision
After seven intensive rounds of discussions with the Schwarz Group, we have defined clear framework conditions for the soulincubator to ensure that the cooperation is based on real change. These framework conditions include:
- 14 start-up grants
- The financing of two ChangemakerXchange weekends
- Provision of technical expertise, e.g. in the field of polymers
- cooperations with soulincubator projects
The community of project participants voted overwhelmingly in favor of this cooperation. However, critical questioning remains necessary to ensure that all partners keep their promises and that a systemic impact is created.
Conclusion
We are excited about the next chapter of the soulincubator and look forward to your feedback. Let's work together towards a sustainable future!
