New Partners announced: 2017 Social Enterprise World Forum
Organisers of Social Enterprise World Forum 2017 are thrilled to announce seven new partners; EY, He Kai Kei Aku Ringa, Air New Zealand, JR McKenzie Trust, University of Canterbury, The Southern Initiative, and Scoop.
The Ākina Foundation, who have been entrusted with bringing the 10th Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) to
Christchurch, believe that partnering with these organisations will ensure the Forum caters to a diverse participant
list.
“We wouldn’t be able to put on an event of this calibre without the contribution of our partners. We’re really fortunate
to have been able to attract organisations that share our vision for building a sustainable future for New Zealand
through social enterprise,” says Programme Director and Ākina team member, Helene Malandain.
Gold partner, EY, is committed to using their global reach to build a better working world and to convene the conversation about the
challenges facing economies and the capital markets. Malandain feels their input into conversations around sustainable
growth, the future of business, greater and more innovative ways of collaborating, or social impact investment, will be
of immense value to participants.
Then there’s new Silver partner, He Kai Kei Aku Ringa, who are providing support for social entrepreneurs of Māori descent to attend the forum. Their name means ‘providing
food by my own hands’, which is perfectly aligned with the theme for SEWF 2017, ‘Ka koroki te manu - Creating our
tomorrow’. It is about taking ownership of the future, it is about the resilience and self-determination of Māori
people, which will be a key focus at the Forum, and how kaupapa Māori values have been contributing to the social
enterprise sector.
JR McKenzie Trust, who already contributed to the Bursary Fund which saw 150 bursaries awarded to social entrepreneurs who face financial
barriers to attend the event, has now also come on board as a Session partner and will facilitate a discussion on
reducing child poverty at the Forum.
The University of Canterbury has been an active supporter of SEWF 2017 since the early stages of the conference design. Now a Session partner, the
University and its team at the Business School will engage in the conversations around the role of tertiary education in
developing a social entrepreneurial spirit. “Helping develop the next generation of business leaders is critical to the mission of the UC Business School.
Recognising the growing importance of social enterprises, we are delighted to be associated with SEWF 2017 through our
support of the session ‘social enterprise in education – opportunities and challenges’,” says Head of University of Canterbury Business School, Paul Ballantine.
Last but not least, Air New Zealand will be bringing the Plenary session on ‘Guardianship, stewardship and the environment’ and Scoop Publishing will provide dedicated media support to the Forum.
40 speakers have already been announced, with over 11 countries represented and much more still to come. For more
information on the Social Enterprise World Forum 2017, and to get tickets, visit www.sewf2017.org
ENDS