The Social Economist Season 3 concludes with a third mini-series on the topic of energy! Europe’s energy transition and what it means for both businesses’ competitiveness and Europe’s strategic autonomy is more important than ever. Is this an area where the social economy and social enterprise business models perhaps have a competitive advantage? Join us for this three episode mini-series to hear more on this critical topic.
In this eighth and final episode of Season 3, our third mini-series concludes! Host Toby Gazeley from Euclid Network is joined by Chris Vrettos from REScoop to discuss their work supporting energy cooperatives and communities across Europe. REScoop is the European network for energy cooperatives and communities, representing a vital group of organisations from the social economy at a crucial time in Europe’s energy transition.
Chris and Toby delve into the ‘state of the art’ on Europe’s energy cooperatives and communities. Their conversation ranges from the practical questions about ‘how’ one starts or gets involved in an energy cooperative to the overarching European policy landscape and some recommendations for policy makers. Energy cooperatives - enabling local energy production, consumption and ownership - may be a key element of Europe’s energy transition that enables enterprises to be more competitive, citizens to be more resilient and to enable Europe’s energy independence. This conversation and the optimism it highlights for both a sustainable European energy future and the role of the social economy in enabling this as the perfect way to conclude season three of The Social Economist.
Instead of recommending a podcast, Chris recommended a book (perhaps next time we’ll consider a written interview for Chris). Nonetheless, he recommended How to Blow up a Pipeline - a very appropriate book relating to Europe’s energy transition. Toby, of course, couldn’t help but recommend another podcast: Dish, a feel good podcast where some familiar faces are interviewed over some tasty sounding meals.
Please do get in touch to toby@euclidnetwork.eu with questions and comments.
A special thanks to our producer Jan Kiszowara and the European Commission for making The Social Economist possible.
Our theme music is ‘another twelve’ by Mikel Patrick Avery at Music for Podcasts.
The Social Economist Season 3 concludes with a third mini-series on the topic of energy! Europe’s energy transition and what it means for both businesses’ competitiveness and Europe’s strategic autonomy is more important than ever. Is this an area where the social economy and social enterprise business models perhaps have a competitive advantage? Join us for this three episode mini-series to hear more on this critical topic.
In this seventh episode of Season 3, our third mini-series continues! Host Toby Gazeley from Euclid Network is joined by Marc Nijmeijer from WellDecommissioned to discuss their work as an impact scaleup working in the energy transition. WellDecommissioned works in both the decommissioning of oil and gas fields as well as in the development of geothermal power, utilising software to reduce costs and increase impact.
Marc and Toby discuss the realities of what it looks like to found and scale an impact start-up working in the energy transition. They touch on the challenges presented in the energy sector at the moment as well as the opportunities Europe’s energy transition presents. They discuss several different elements of WellDecommissioned work ranging from their work internationally across the world to local projects in The Hague on geothermal power and the valuable support of EU funding.
Marc was kind enough to share a couple of podcast recommendations including Everything Energy from the International Energy Agency and The Daily (the New York Times) podcast. Toby, as always, jumped in with yet another recommendation: Trump 100. As we come to the end of this third season, and given all the wild current events stemming from US politics, we know these recommendations are ever more important!
Please do get in touch to toby@euclidnetwork.eu with questions and comments.
A special thanks to our producer Jan Kiszowara and the European Commission for making The Social Economist possible.
Our theme music is ‘another twelve’ by Mikel Patrick Avery at Music for Podcasts.
The Social Economist Season 3 concludes with a third mini-series on the topic of energy! Europe’s energy transition and what it means for both businesses’ competitiveness and Europe’s strategic autonomy is more important than ever. Is this an area where the social economy and social enterprise business models perhaps have a competitive advantage? Join us for this three episode mini-series to hear more on this critical topic.
In this sixth episode of Season 3, our third mini-series kicks off! Host Toby Gazeley from Euclid Network is joined by Achille Hannoset from the European Commission’s DG ENER to discuss the overarching European energy policy landscape and its relationship to the social economy.
Achille and Toby discuss the changing narrative surrounding Europe’s energy transition - from an emphasis on sustainability towards a lever to enable competitiveness and affordability. They reflect on the opportunities European policies on energy have created for the social economy, explicitly supporting energy communities and cooperatives with knock-on societal benefits created through market liberalisation. This conversation comes at the perfect moment ahead of the Citizens Energy Package, something that social economy stakeholders should definitely keep an eye on.
Kicking-off this last mini-series in style, Achille was kind enough to recommend a number of podcasts including Nerdland and Philosophize This!. The crowning jewel was perhaps the recommendation of ‘How wind energy could power Earth … and 17 other planets’ with Dan Jorgensen on TED Talks Daily - a chance to get to know Europe’s Commissioner for energy a little better. Toby couldn’t resist recommending a podcast and shared an old favourite: Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard.
Please do get in touch to toby@euclidnetwork.eu with questions and comments.
A special thanks to our producer Jan Kiszowara and the European Commission for making The Social Economist possible.
Our theme music is ‘another twelve’ by Mikel Patrick Avery at Music for Podcasts.
The Social Economist Season 3 continues! We're continuing with our second mini-series where we're tackling one of the most present and challenging topics of the day for the social economy: defence.
In Episode 5, host Toby Gazeley from Euclid Network is joined by Andrea Baranes from Banca Etica to discuss the long-standing position of ethical finance on defence investments and the implications of including defence in sustainable finance frameworks.
Andrea and Toby examine the concerning trend of diluting sustainable finance definitions to include sectors like defence, fossil fuels, and nuclear energy. The conversation also explores the risks posed by the EU's shift toward competitiveness over sustainability, the importance of "banking biodiversity," and the challenges facing both ethical finance and the social economy in this changing policy landscape.
Andrea was kind enough to recommend a website and information resource rather than a podcast: valori.it - a platform providing critical information on ethical finance, sustainable finance, and the social economy, primarily in Italian with some content in Spanish and English.
Please do get in touch to toby@euclidnetwork.eu with questions and comments.
A special thanks to our producer Jan Kiszowara and the European Commission for making The Social Economist possible.
Our theme music is 'another twelve' by Mikel Patrick Avery at Music for Podcasts.
The Social Economist Season 3 continues! We’re continuing with our second mini-series where we’re tackling one of the most present and challenging topics of the day for the social economy: defence. What does Europe’s new focus and prioritisation of defence spending mean for the social economy? Is it all bad news or could there be some benefits for social enterprises? We’re hearing from organisations across Europe about their views on the social economy’s relationship to defence. Join us as we get this conversation going among social economy stakeholders.
In this fourth episode of Season 3, our second mini-series kicks off! Host Toby Gazeley from Euclid Network is joined by Martin Luxemburg from the Unknown Group to discuss the potential contribution ‘impact’ enterprises can make in the area of defence. They reflect on the recent event on ‘Securing the Future’, held as a side event to the NATO Summit in The Hague in 2025 at Titaan - a central part of the impact campus that the Unknown Group is building in The Hague.
Martin and Toby discuss the wider implications for innovation and areas like ‘peace tech’ stemming from an increased focus on defence investments. They also note the potential knock-on benefits across society and the economy innovations in one particular field can have. Securing the Future will return in 2026, next time with even more hands-on opportunities for founders to showcase their innovative products in the defence sector.
As well as getting our discussion about the relationship between the social economy and defence started, Martin was also generous enough to recommend a podcast for our Dutch listeners: Alle Geschiedenis Ooit - Grote Namen (All History Ever - Big Names) - a history podcast looking at the lives of significant historical figures. Toby also jumped in with another history podcast, this one in English: Empire, with a particular recommendation for the episodes on ‘The Troubles’.
Please do get in touch to toby@euclidnetwork.eu with questions and comments.
A special thanks to our producer Jan Kiszowara and the European Commission for making The Social Economist possible.
Our theme music is ‘another twelve’ by Mikel Patrick Avery at Music for Podcasts.
The Social Economist Returns with Season 3! That’s right - we’re back and we’re delving into the hottest topics impacting the social economy in 2025. This season, we’ll be looking at the wider changing policy landscape influencing the social economy before exploring Europe’s energy transition and the new emphasis on European defence spending.
The Social Economist Season 3 continues! We’re back and we’re delving into the hottest topics impacting the social economy in 2025. This season, we’ll be looking at the wider changing policy landscape influencing the social economy before exploring Europe’s energy transition and the new emphasis on European defence spending.
In Episode 2, we delved into the challenges facing sustainable front runners posed by recent changes in European policy. In Episode 3, host Toby Gazeley from Euclid Network is joined by Malo Bourel from Mouvement Impact France to reflect on what these changes mean for social and impact enterprises.
Malo and Toby discuss changes to key policies like the Corporate Sustainability Reporting and Due Diligence Directives. Following the Business for a Better Tomorrow Coalition’s manifesto published leading up to the European elections in 2024, the European context can be seen to have changed dramatically. These changes have impacts for big businesses in Europe but so too for social enterprises with recent changes harming the most ambitious and sustainable impact enterprises. Recent trade disputes are also discussed, noting that even while these global negotiations may seem out of scope for individual enterprises, they will have a (negative) impact on the social economy as a whole.
Malo recommended a thought provoking podcast for our listeners (in French): Loins des yeux loin du care. Toby couldn’t be stopped from recommending a podcast and this time recommended The Crime Agents - for those interested in crime, justice and crime reporting in the UK in particular.
Please do get in touch to toby@euclidnetwork.eu with questions and comments.
A special thanks to our producer Jan Kiszowara and the European Commission for making The Social Economist possible.
Our theme music is ‘another twelve’ by Mikel Patrick Avery at Music for Podcasts.
Please do get in touch to toby@euclidnetwork.eu with questions and comments.
A special thanks to our producer Jan Kiszowara and the European Commission for making The Social Economist possible.
Our theme music is ‘another twelve’ by Mikel Patrick Avery at Music for Podcasts.
The Social Economist Season 3 continues! We’re back and we’re delving into the hottest topics impacting the social economy in 2025. This season, we’ll be looking at the wider changing policy landscape influencing the social economy before exploring Europe’s energy transition and the new emphasis on European defence spending.
In Episode 1, we reviewed the rapidly changing policy landscape that’s emerged since the European Parliament and USA’s Presidential elections in 2024. In Episode 2, host Toby Gazeley from Euclid Network is joined by Cornelius Müller from Sustainable Public Affairs to reflect on the challenges presented to sustainable front runners by the backtracking by the EU on policies promoting sustainability.
Cornelius and Toby discuss in detail the changes since 2024 reflecting on how sustainability has been put on the back foot by recent decisions such as the abandonment of the Green Claims Directive. They reflect on how simplification is being used to not so subtly deregulate Europe and take a step away from Europe’s previously ambitious industrial policies that had sustainability at their heart.
Cornelius was kind enough to recommend not a podcast but rather something to read. He recommended: The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson, a book looking at the future and focusing on the need to tackle climate change. Toby of course recommended a podcast rather than something to read, this time recommending Parenting Hell with Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe. Another non-news recommendation for some much needed light relief.
Please do get in touch to toby@euclidnetwork.eu with questions and comments.
A special thanks to our producer Jan Kiszowara and the European Commission for making The Social Economist possible.
Our theme music is ‘another twelve’ by Mikel Patrick Avery at Music for Podcasts.
The Social Economist Returns with Season 3! That’s right - we’re back and we’re delving into the hottest topics impacting the social economy in 2025. This season, we’ll be looking at the wider changing policy landscape influencing the social economy before exploring Europe’s energy transition and the new emphasis on European defence spending.
In Episode 1, host Toby Gazeley from Euclid Network is joined by Valentina Patetta from the European Federation of Ethical and Alternative Banks and Financiers (FEBEA) to reflect on the changes in policy landscape since the end of Season 2.
Valentina and Toby discuss the change in tone as well as policies since the European elections in 2024 and the knock on impact of the USA’s Presidential Election. They reflect on the new emphasis around competitiveness and simplification - perhaps code for de-regulation - as well as the changing position on the Commission when it comes to supporting the Social Economy.
Valentina was generous enough to recommend two news podcasts for our listeners. These were: Scanner by Italian journalist Valerio Nicolosi; and Al Jazeera’s News Updates podcast. Toby couldn’t help but recommend a podcast too, this time recommending Good Hang with Amy Poehler - something a little less news focused.
Please do get in touch to toby@euclidnetwork.eu with questions and comments.
A special thanks to our producer Jan Kiszowara and the European Commission for making The Social Economist possible.
Our theme music is ‘another twelve’ by Mikel Patrick Avery at Music for Podcasts.
In this ninth and final episode of Season 2 of The Social Economist, our third mini-series concludes! We’re excited to be talking about the topic of social procurement and the work of SEUK who’ve been working in this area for many years. This concludes a deep-dive into this important area which offers a great number of opportunities for both social enterprises but also conventional firms and corporate buyers.
In this third episode of this mini-series, host Toby Gazeley from Euclid Network is joined by Andy Daly from SEUK to hear about how their focus on social procurement developed, what it involves and their ambitions for the future.
Toby and Andy cover many of the key areas in procurement. Andy highlighted the importance of supply chains in impacting a company’s ESG footprint and the opportunity that engaging in social procurement offers in going beyond a ‘do no harm’ principle towards having positive social impact. Procurement happens regardless and spending money at social enterprises therefore represents an opportunity for a win-win for companies and society. Andy also highlighted the importance of policy developments such as the Social Value Act for helping to also drive forward an interest in social procurement. The Buy Social Corporate Challenge was another area mentioned by Andy. This is a programme which has been running since 2016 and has the ambitious goal of seeing 1 Billion GBP spent as social enterprises through corporate procurement.
Andy was happy to share a fun recommendation of a podcast to check out. This was Song Exploder, a podcast breaking down songs with members of the band which made them. Toby also shared yet another politics related podcast - we can see a theme - which was Page 94, the Private Eye Podcast. This is one of the more lighthearted politics podcasts he likes to listen to.
Please do get in touch with any questions or feedback at toby@euclidnetwork.eu
A special thanks to Jan Kiszowara at Euclid Network who produces this podcast and the European Commission for making this all possible.
Our theme music is 'another twelve' by Mikel Patrick Avery at Music for Podcasts.
In this eighth episode of Season 2 of The Social Economist, our third mini-series continues! We’re excited to be talking about the topic of social procurement - specifically about what can be done to put social procurement into practice in the context of a local government.
In this second episode of this mini-series, host Toby Gazeley from Euclid Network is joined by Rein Douma from the Municipality of The Hague in the Netherlands to understand how social enterprises are being engaged through procurement.
Toby and Rein cover many of the key areas, discussing the various dimensions of social procurement as well as the potential for social procurement to provide work integration opportunities in a local context. Rein highlighted the importance of collaboration between different departments in local authorities, understanding the trade-offs in prioritising different outcomes. Rein also noted the importance of building the capacity of social enterprises and the need to look well into the future to prepare the ecosystem and procurement opportunities in tandem to ensure maximum impact.
Social Return in the Netherlands was also highlighted as a significant policy as well as various Acts on public procurement, such as Procurement Act 2.82. Rein also highlighted the benefit of local networks of social entrepreneurs for supporting the roll-out of social procurement. In this case, this is Social Club Den Haag.
Rein was happy to share two sports podcasts for our listeners, a new type of recommendation for us! These were Bureau Sport, a Dutch Language Podcast coming out every Monday morning. He also recommended That Peter Crouch Podcast, one which Toby was also excited to try out. Toby also shared, as always, a political podcast recommendation: Politico’s Powerplay podcast.
Please do get in touch with any questions or feedback at toby@euclidnetwork.eu
A special thanks to Jan Kiszowara at Euclid Network who produces this podcast and the European Commission for making this all possible.
Our theme music is 'another twelve' by Mikel Patrick Avery at Music for Podcasts.
In this seventh episode of Season 2 of The Social Economist, our third mini-series begins! We’re excited to be talking about the topic of social procurement - something discussed a great deal at the moment as a big opportunity for social enterprises. What does it mean, who does it involve and what are the opportunities social procurement could bring? These are all topics delved into in this third and last mini-series of season 2.
In this first episode of this mini-series, host Toby Gazeley from Euclid Network is joined by Hina West from People and Planet First verification, part of the Social Enterprise World Forum, to discuss the transformative potential of procuring more from social enterprise.
Toby and Hina cover many of the key areas of work related to social procurement, highlighting the importance of verification schemes for facilitating the identification of social enterprises and the value of working with a cross-border approach.
Hina was happy to share a highly relevant podcast recommendation from her community: My Green Future, a podcast about the skyrocketing demand for people with green skills and the increase in employment in sustainability. Toby also shared a one of his favourite UK politics podcasts, Politics at Jack and Sam’s.
Please do get in touch with any questions or feedback at toby@euclidnetwork.eu
A special thanks to Jan Kiszowara at Euclid Network who produces this podcast and the European Commission for making this all possible.
Our theme music is 'another twelve' by Mikel Patrick Avery at Music for Podcasts.
In this sixth episode of Season 2 of The Social Economist, our second mini-series concludes! After hearing about the European Council Recommendation to improve social economy framework conditions and how Germany has been making progress in the development and implementation of their new strategy, in this episode we were delighted to hear from Scotland’s experience. Since 2016, Scotland - both from public authorities and ecosystem stakeholders - has been working to support social enterprises through the implementation of a 10 year strategy. As EU Member States start to develop or reflect on their policies to support social enterprises, perhaps looking to Scotland could provide some inspiration of guidance.
In this third episode of this mini-series, host Toby Gazeley from Euclid Network is joined by Martin Avila, CEO of Community Enterprise in Scotland. Toby and Martin delve into the Scottish strategy, understanding its history and some of its key areas of focus. Martin highlighted the importance of the consistent political support for social enterprises in Scotland over more than the last decade as well as some of the challenges they’ve experienced. Martin also highlighted some of the topics of the upcoming review of the 10 year strategy and what this should look like post-2026. Even though Scotland has a lot of experience in designing tailored policies for social enterprises, the discussions around integrated vs sectoral approaches or where social enterprises should sit within government structures are reminiscent of countries all around Europe.
Martin recommended perhaps the best podcast available at the moment: our very own The Social Economist, although he did seem to forget the name at one point. Toby was happy to share an additional recommendation for those looking to broaden their podcast listening: The D-Con Chamber.
Please do get in touch with any questions or feedback at toby@euclidnetwork.eu.
A special thanks to Jan Kiszowara at Euclid Network who produces this podcast and the European Commission for making this all possible.
Our theme music is 'another twelve' by Mikel Patrick Avery at Music for Podcasts.
In this fifth episode of Season 2 of The Social Economist, our second mini-series continues! Following on from our focus on the European Council Recommendation to improve social economy framework conditions, we’re excited to be taking a closer look at the exciting strategy adopted in Germany in 2022. This interview was however recorded before the recent political changes in Germany leading to an early election in 2025.
In this second episode of this mini-series, host Toby Gazeley from Euclid Network is joined by Jessamine Davis from the Social Entrepreneurship Network of Germany (SEND.ev) to understand how the new national strategy has been developed, what has led to its adoption and what it should mean for social enterprises.
Toby and Jess cover many of the key areas in the German strategy. Jess highlighted the importance of the German Social Enterprise Monitor (DSEM), part of the European Social Enterprise Monitor project (ESEM), for raising awareness and understanding of social enterprise as well as establishing an agreed definition for social enterprise. Jess also highlighted the importance of champions within the government for supporting social entrepreneurship as well as several key support measures including opening new investment opportunities for social enterprises, developing a platform for social innovation and opening up procurement opportunities.
Jess was happy to share three diverse recommendations for podcasts to check out. This included a German language podcast, Lage der Nation, as well as two in English: Oh God, What Now?; and The Blindboy Podcast. Toby also shared a light hearted recommendation (again), Enemy in Paris, as well as a current events podcast: the Political Fourcast.
Please do get in touch with any questions or feedback at toby@euclidnetwork.eu
A special thanks to Jan Kiszowara at Euclid Network who produces this podcast and the European Commission for making this all possible.
Our theme music is 'another twelve' by Mikel Patrick Avery at Music for Podcasts.
In this fourth episode of Season 2 of The Social Economist, our second mini-series begins! This kicks off a three episode deep-dive into the EU's recent Council Recommendation to improve social economy framework conditions and national strategies to support social enterprises.
In this first episode of this mini-series, host Toby Gazeley from Euclid Network is joined by Miia Rossi-Gray from DG EMPL in the European Commission to dive into the EU's Council Recommendation, unpicking what this EU policy initiative means for social economy stakeholders across Europe.
Toby and Miia cover many of the key areas in the Recommendation. Miia mentions some of the recent national developments you might want to check out, including Ireland’s new social enterprise policy: Trading for Impact, which has an implementation window from 2024-2027. Miia also noted the use of the Technical Support Instrument to support Member States to work together to support the development of social enterprises. The Council Recommendation is just one element of the Social Economy Action Plan and is of course related to other European level initiatives, such as the proposal of a European Cross Border Associations Status. One thing to remember, which Miia highlights, is that the Recommendation is just the beginning.
Miia was happy to share two great recommendations for podcasts to check out, one more light hearted than the other. The first is 'Revisionist History' and is maybe the more academic of the two. The second is the 'Desert Island Disks', a podcast which Toby also enjoys very much. Toby also shared a light hearted recommendation: 'The Rest is Entertainment'.
Please do get in touch with any questions or feedback at toby@euclidnetwork.eu
A special thanks to Jan Kiszowara at Euclid Network who produces this podcast and the European Commission for making this all possible.
Our theme music is 'another twelve' by Mikel Patrick Avery at Music for Podcasts.
In this third and final episode on digitalisation, host Toby Gazeley from Euclid Network is joined by Gustavs Upmanis from Visas Iespējas to find out how digital tools are being put to work in social enterprises. Together they discuss Gustavs work on creating 'a dating app for employment'. Through MatchWork, Gustavs and the team aim to remove barriers experienced by both employers and aspiring employees in the job hunt, perhaps making it a more enjoyable and easy experience.
Beyond MatchWork, they discuss the impact digital tools have had on social enterprises. This ranges from the impact models that can be built on digital tools all the way to the fundamental change digitalisation has had on marketing, sales and hiring. The opportunity presented by digital tools may be large but so too are challenges such as affordability, access to public support programmes and the initial set up costs. Gustavs and Toby discuss some of their favourite tools they use in their own work including Copilot for Gustavs to help with coding and Todoist for Toby to help him not lose his paper to-do-list.
Gustavs was quick to recommend three of this favourite podcasts. These were: People I (Mostly) Admire; Re:Thinking; and The Anthropocene Reviewed. All interesting listens and slightly more academic than some of Toby's recommendations.
A special thanks to Jan Kiszowara at Euclid Network who produces this podcast and the European Commission for making this all possible.
Our theme music is 'another twelve' by Mikel Patrick Avery at Music for Podcasts.
In this second episode on digitalisation, host Toby Gazeley from Euclid Network dives into one of the hottest topics of the day: artificial intelligence (AI). Toby is of course not alone and is joined by John Logue, CEO of Social Enterprise Republic of Ireland (SERI). SERI is working on becoming Ireland's first AI-enabled social enterprise representative body. Supported by Liam McSherry, their Engineer-in-Residence, they already have two interesting new applications for AI they're using to support social enterprises in Ireland.
Tune in to listen to SERI's work with AI, to hear about its potential application and about the challenges along the way. Perhaps there's a way to learn from this first example, sharing lessons across ecosystems in Europe.
This podcast contains many recommendations for further listening, some new and some old. John was quick to recommend: The Rest is History; The Rest is Politics; The Entrepreneur Experiment; and the Tim Ferris Show. Toby also had a couple of recommendations: Empire; and one less academic listen, Enemy in Paris.
A special thanks to Jan Kiszowara at Euclid Network who produces this podcast and the European Commission for making this all possible.
Our theme music is 'another twelve' by Mikel Patrick Avery at Music for Podcasts.
Digitalisation, one of the biggest transformations of this decade. But what does it mean? And what is the European Commission doing to support social enterprises through this tumultuous time? Tune into the first episode of the second season of The Social Economist where host Toby Gazeley is joined again by Karel Vanderpoorten from the European Commission (DG GROW). Together they discuss recent policies and trends shaping and supporting the social economy through the digital transition. This is the first in a three part mini-series on this topic.
No episode would be complete without podcast recommendations! Karel recommended: Wij, Europeanen a Flemish podcast all about the EU. Toby also shared his recommendation: The Newsagents USA, a podcast all about American politics and currently with a specific focus on the upcoming Presidential Election.
A special thanks to Jan Kiszowara at Euclid Network who produces this podcast and the European Commission for making it all possible.
Our theme is 'another twelve' by Mikel Patrick Avery at Music for Podcasts.
After the end of a mixed European summer, attention is now starting to focus on the European Elections taking place in June 2024! Join host Toby Gazeley on this episode of The Social Economist to hear why these European Elections are so crucial and why they matter for the social economy. Toby of course doesn't attempt this task alone and is joined by his co-host Marcela Neves from Euclid Network and a special guest, Malo Bourel from ImpactFrance.
European politics isn't always the most well understood topic and sometimes people may find it not even the most interesting. But now, at the end of 2023 as Europe moves towards the next European Elections, there's more on the ballot for the social economy than ever before. The implementation of the Social Economy Action Plan, the achievement of the Green Deal and the delivery of an inclusive European economy of tomorrow are all at stake. Malo takes us through the work ImpactFrance are doing to bring together the ecosystem to raise the voice of impact driven companies to make sure these current plans are delivered. You want to get involved in this impact movement? Reach out to Malo at: mbourel@impactfrance.eco.
Of course at The Social Economist, we wouldn't want to leave you without podcast recommendations! Malo has a recommendation for our French speaking listeners: Greenletter Club. Marcela also had another suggestion for our English speaking listeners: Drum Tower. Toby also shared one podcast he's been getting into recently and if you're a fan of the US version of the Office, you may love it too: Office Ladies.
Enjoying hearing the updates on social economy in Europe? Not sure what all these recent developments really mean? Get in touch with the podcast team by emailing toby@euclidnetwork.eu
A special thanks to Jan Kiszowara at Euclid Network who produces this podcast.
Our theme is 'another twelve' by Mikel Patrick Avery at Music For Podcasts.
Young people are the future and empowering them to become social entrepreneurs is an important policy priority. On this episode of The Social Economist, Toby speaks with Julien De Beys - a Legal Officer at the European Commission in DG EMPL and one of the masterminds of the Youth Entrepreneurship Policy Academy (YEPA) - about youth, social entrepreneurship and the Social Economy Action Plan. To help unpick these exciting developments, Toby is joined by his colleague Marcela Neves from Euclid Network who asks some more probing questions on the cross-cutting topic of youth.
We talk in depth about the YEPA and the work of the European Commission on youth social entrepreneurship. Of course, the wider context is important and the work of other organisations such as the OECD is touched upon too. Given the challenges young people have faced and continue to face, this topic is definitely one that deserves some attention!
No episode of the Social Economist would be complete without some podcast recommendations! Julien has one for our French speaking listeners by Franck Ferrand: Au Cœur de l'histoire. Marcela was also keen to share a suggestion for our English speaking listeners from the BBC: Lives Last Ordinary.
Enjoying hearing the updates on social economy in Europe? Not sure what all these recent developments really mean? Get in touch with the podcast team by emailing toby@euclidnetwork.eu
A special thanks to Jan Kiszowara at Euclid Network who produces this podcast.
Our theme is 'another twelve' by Mikel Patrick Avery at Music For Podcasts.
June was a non-stop month of developments for the social economy! From the UN Resolution on Social & Solidarity Economy to the European Commission's Recommendation to the European Council and Social Economy Gateway, it's been hard to keep up.
On this episode of The Social Economist, join Toby and Gerlinde from Euclid Network to hear more about all the developments over the month of June and why you should be taking notice of them. From Toby's visit to the Portugal Social Innovation's Village with EsLider to the workshops on State Aid for public officials, there's no shortage of topics to discuss.
All these exciting developments may sound important but without understanding what they are and what they mean, can they really lead to positive impact? Even Toby seems to have some trouble distinguishing between the European Council and Council of the EU...expert or not, unpicking these developments is not an easy task!
No episode of The Social Economist would be complete without at least one podcast recommendation. This week it's a winner: Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart's 'Leading' Interview with Kate Raworth, the author or Doughnut Economics.
Enjoying hearing the updates on social economy in Europe? Not sure what all these recent developments really mean? Get in touch with the podcast team by emailing toby@euclidnetwork.eu
A special thanks to Jan Kiszowara at Euclid Network who produces this podcast.
Our theme is 'another twelve' by Mikel Patrick Avery at Music For Podcasts.
Find out more about what's been mentioned in this episode:
The UN Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy who played such an important role in driving this achievement forward.
Looking to finance your social impact? Check out the EU Funding Toolkit.