Our Future Foundation: Most Social Entrepreneurs are Women
In Russia, up to 70% of CEOs and founders of social entrepreneurship companies are women, the Made in Russia editorial board was told by the Foundation for Regional Social Programs "Our Future".
According to the organization's executive director Yulia Zhigulina, women are actively involved in the social sphere - about 60 percent of the entrepreneurs who receive funds from the organization for their projects from the "Our Future" Foundation are women.
"The success of a venture does not depend on gender. Just like in traditional entrepreneurship, a competent business plan, a professional team, leadership qualities and availability of initial capital play a major role. For many of these points, the "Our Future" Foundation has been trying to help aspiring entrepreneurs for 15 years. And women are often very motivated and sincere in their intentions, which allows them to achieve great success at the very first stage," she said.
Most often women work in pre-school and additional education, medicine, sports and less often in tourism, the foundation said. For example, the Astrakhan multi-profile medical center for the whole family "Medial", which is headed by Elena Musatkina, won "Social Entrepreneur" contest three times. Thanks to the loans received, the clinic was able to move to a new six-story building and purchase the latest diagnostic equipment.
Social entrepreneurship is an entrepreneurial activity aimed at achieving socially useful goals and contributing to the solution of social problems of citizens and society.
Elena Musatkina, Director of Astrakhan multiprofile medical center for the whole family "Medial" became one of the winners of the social entrepreneurship award "Impulse of Kindness" in 2021. Today, her clinic is the only medical organization in the region that provides the third stage of rehabilitation for post-disability patients in a day care facility. The center has won the "Social Entrepreneur" contest three times.
Natalia Nikitina, director of the Kolomna Center for the Development of Cognitive Tourism "Museum City" also won this contest. She also became a laureate of "The Impulse of Kindness" twice. In a short period of time, the woman was able to bring back the popularity of an old Kolomna pastille.
It all started in 2008 with an attempt to create unusual gifts for the participants of the cultural project. In the future, it grew into her own production, on the basis of which now operates a museum in Kolomenskoye Posad, a cafe, tastings and master classes are held, guests from other regions come on tours. Now the entrepreneur has plans to plant her own apple orchards not far from Kolomna.
Another project is the Druzhny New Town Camp in Perm, run by Olga Zubkova. Here children, including those with special needs, can grow and succeed together. As of today, the franchise of the inclusive program for children and youth "New City Druzhny" has already been launched and a cooperation agreement with the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug has been signed.
Such bright examples of successful social entrepreneurship with a female face are many in different parts of Russia, said the foundation "Our Future". Most often they work in pre-school and additional education, sports and less often tourism.
For example, since 2000 in Samara Yevgeniya Belonoschenko launched an international franchise network of child development centers "Baby-Club". Natalia Pereyazeva in Moscow opened "7 Dwarfs" practically a family kindergarten. A similar project is being implemented in the Samara region by entrepreneur Marina Shilkina, author of the "Building Garden" system.
In Rostov-on-Don, Tatiana Shtaydo, a pediatrician and business coach, launched a network of private kindergartens called Razumeyka. And Natalia Gasparyan and Maria Bondar from St. Petersburg brought to life an even bolder idea - they created a travel company for people with disabilities called Liberty.
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Author: Maria Buzanakova