Two interactive workshops on Design Thinking (DT) and social entrepreneurship were successfully organized by Smart Kolektiv in July.
The workshops were attended by young people aged 18 to 30, who expressed a desire to learn more about entrepreneurship and make a positive impact on their community. They were introduced to the concept of social entrepreneurship as a form of business that prioritizes social interests. Given that social challenges require systematic solutions, the participants were presented with the Design Thinking method, which has proven to be highly effective in creating innovative and human centred solutions. The workshop attendees learned about the key steps in the Design Thinking process, such as empathy, ideation, and prototyping. Using this methodology, the young people practiced defining problems and needs of the target group, worked on devising solutions, and learned brainstorming techniques.
The workshops participants expressed satisfaction with the opportunity to gain new knowledge, emphasizing that developing business ideas is a significant step for which any support is valuable. For this reason, those who develop initial ideas and solutions will have the opportunity to apply for participation in the Regional Incubator for Social Entrepreneurs (RISE) program. RISE is a free support program for developing ideas and innovative solutions for positive changes in the community, implemented by Smart Kolektiv in Serbia. Participants in the RISE program will develop their idea from October this year to February 2025 with the support of experts and mentors, and the best teams will receive additional financial support to start their businesses.
The DT workshop was organized by Smart Kolektiv. Workshop participants who develop initial ideas and solutions will have the opportunity to apply for participation in the Regional Incubator for Social Entrepreneurs (RISE) program supported by the Agence Française de Développement, the European Union (EU), Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), the Franco-German Youth Office (OFAJ), and PULSE (Groupe SOS), while the RISE ideation program in Serbia is implemented with the support of the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade.
The first DT workshop was also one of the activities of the project “Perspectives for Youth in Rural Areas” within the German Development Cooperation in Serbia, implemented by the German Organization for International Cooperation GIZ in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Youth as the leading partner.
