SEG - Social Entrepreneurship Grant Programme is a business plan competition for social entrepreneurs where the best plans receive seed capital. The Programme offers the opportunity to students after graduation to go back to their community, be self-reliant and develop a career path by building a business that also helps their community (including elements such as innovation, revenue generation, employing people from their community, etc.)

Areas of impact: Education and social enterprises in Mekong sub-Region (Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam)

Photo by George M. Groutas: Arakan Organic Model Farm - Htet Kyaw, Social Entrepreneurship Grand (SEG) Programme, Child's Dream, Arakan State, Myanmar, 2013 

Resources and Training Centre for Women's Cooperatives in Kathmandu offers paying training classes to members of its co-operatives, as well as outside participants, on topics such as micro-finance, saving, accounting, gender rights, etc.

Areas of impact: Women's co-operatives and income generation activities, micro-credit, economic empowerment and capacity building in Nepal

Photo courtesy of WACN: Award Ceremony, New Resources and Training Centre for Women, Prativa Subedi, Kathmandu, Nepal, 2012

The Career Pathways Training Programme provides extremely disadvantaged Cambodian women and youth with training and employment opportunities that will enable them to achieve economic independence.

Areas of impact: social rehabilitation for women and children, social enterprises, capacity building, self-reliance, economic empowerment in Cambodia

Photo courtesy of Hagar International: Career Pathways Training Programme, Hagar International, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 2008

The project was about finding water to support the income generation activities for a school of young girls in Dedougou, Burkina Faso. The construction of a well was necessary to irrigate the fields for their plantations, where they grow fruits and vegetables. Farming allows them to be more independent and generate income when selling their harvests in the neighbouring local markets.

Areas of impact: water, sanitation, farming and income generation, education, project management in Burkina Faso and Finland

Photo courtesy of Lyra Capital Pty: Sustainable Water Solution for a school of young girls, Dedougou, Burkina Faso, 2011

The concept was to build an incubator of socially-minded ideas and create an ecosystem that would allow the launch and financial support of social innovations and of social enterprises in Finland

Area of impact: Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship in Finland

Photo by Jonathan: Light strands in Asia,October 2008  

The project consisted of assessing the work of Finn Church Aid’s community projects in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

 Areas of impact: Development cooperation programme, economic empowerment, social rehabilitation, assessment and partnerships in Liberia and Sierra Leone

Photo by Anne Badan: FAWE Mothers' Club, Soap Production for income generation, Grand Bassa, Buchanan, Liberia 2009 

Representing Women’s Bank Initiative (Naisten Pankki, Finland) at the 2009 International Colloquium of Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security, co-convened by President of Finland Tarja Halonen and President of Liberia Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.

Areas of impact: Women and Economic Empowerment in Liberia, advocacy and capacity building

Photo: Elisabeth Rehn, first woman Defense Minister in the world, with Anne Badan, at the 2009 International Colloquium of Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security, Monrovia, Liberia 

Aalto Social Impact (ASI) is a grassroots-level community platform at Aalto University in Finland created to foster social change-makers at the confines of disciplines such as business, technology, arts and design . The association consisted of 4 different boards including students, researchers, professors and practitioners who had a desire to engage and become a change agent. Many events, educational courses and projects have come out of the activities of ASI.

Areas of impact: grassroots-level societal impact community, social change & community engagement Network in Finland and globally

Photo by Anne Badan: Howard Gardner, Harvard Professor and writer, Aalto Social Impact, “How to Change the World” lecture course, Helsinki, Finland, 28  May 2010

The objective was to develop a new strategic initiative within Aalto University that promotes and facilitates Aalto’s research and educational programmes for societal impact globally: Aalto Global Impact 

 Aalto University is an Innovative multi-disciplinary university, where science, art and design meet technology and business. Helsinki, Finland

Areas of impact: education, collective impact, Base of the Pyramid (BoP), sustainable development, capacity building in Finland and globally

Photo by Anne Badan: ACCESS: Design Needs Your Voice! Exploring opportunity gaps, co-creation workshop, “Helsinki Meets Cape Town” event, Cape Town, South Africa, November 2012

Design for Urban Transformation was the umbrella concept under which the legacy of Aalto University World Design Capital Helsinki (2012) continued to live on to Cape Town (WDC 2014).

Various international events, cross-disciplinary courses and students projects have been created during the course of 2 years, bringing WDC Helsinki legacy to South Africa.

Areas of impact: Design to improve lives, urban transformation, societal change, education, capacity building and more in South Africa and Finland

Photo by Anne Badan: Philippi Township, Sweet Home Farm Project, World Design Capital workshops, Cape Town, South Africa, 2013-2014

Designed two academic courses for Aalto University. From concept creation, content and lectures design, methodology and principles, partnerships to tutoring and capacity building.

“Design for Extreme Affordability” (2011-2012) - School of Mechanical Engineering
“How to Change the World: Part 2 – partners projects”(2011) - School of Business

Areas of impact: Education, sustainability, extreme affordability, product and service design, innovation, capacity building in new learning environments

Photo by Rahul Abhisek: “Design for Extreme Affordability - Scarcity of Resources" course, School of Mechanical Engineering, EDUAID, low cost lighting solution project in Nepal, 2012

Lecturing, Tutoring and Mentoring of Master level students from various schools (Mechanical Engineering, Technology, Architecture, Business, Arts & Design):

“Talkoot Taxi” project - Sustainable Global Technologies (2014)
“Aalto Global Impact Challenge” course (2012-2013)
“Design for Extreme Affordability” (2011-2012) 
“How to Change the World” part 2: sustainable projects (2011) 
“Student Business Projects: Burkina Faso” (2010-2011)
“Development Cooperation Projects” (2010)

The evaluation criteria are often based on creativity, applicability, replicability, sustainability and impact.

Areas of impact: Education, capacity building in new learning environments, social entrepreneurship, Sustainability in Finland and abroad

Photo by Anne Badan: Blackboard in Prof Alastair Fuad-Luke's office, Aalto School of Arts, Design & Architecture, Helsinki, Finland, 2013