Annual report KAPITEL 1 2020 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 SWITZERLAND
Editor SINGA Schweiz c o Impact Hub Z rich Sihlquai 131 8005 Z rich 2 IKMAPPRI TI NE TL Imprint Concept Silke Kn bl Textimum Design Christine Lange Berlin Texts Adeba Abdullah Khel Elody de Brito Giordano Neuenschwander Rossana A Ammann Seraina Soldner Tina Erb Translation Correction Elody de Brito Karen Oettli Seraina Soldner Pascal Muggli Photos Innes Welbourne James Geen Madhumita Varma Thomas Kast Contact Zurich info singaswitzerland ch 41 0 76 571 93 09 Copyright 2020 SINGA Switzerland All rights reserved A N N U A L R E P O R T 22002200 Geneva geneva singaswitzerland ch 41 0 77 526 31 78
3 KAPITEL Ana Maria Manda Founder of PAPYOT SINGApreneur 2020 Zurich ANNUAL REPORT 2020 SINGA offered me the community I was looking for It was a useful experience which allowed me to meet entrepreneurs and experts who are following their own mission The great S INGA team shared their passion and inspiration and was there for me at every step Thank you SINGA
4 O R GA N I SAT I O N C H A RT SINGA in Switzerland Organigram Michael Bimmler Board Member Lawyer Barrister in London Aleksandra Orman Lorenz Board Member International HR Leader Coach Consultant Babak Fargahi Board Member Lawyer at RISE Attorneys at Law Dominik Scherrer Advisory Board Member Founder of ecloo Rayan Aebi Advisory Board Member Senior Venture Architect ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Amandine Rodrigues Board Member Brand Strategy Director at Buzz Brothers
5 Seraina Soldner Co Founder Co Director Tina Erb Co Director Adeba Abdullah Khel Mentoring and Event Manager Geneva Elody de Brito Communications Manager Giordano Neuenschwander Head of Office Geneva Rossana A Ammann Evaluation and Event Manager Zurich Pascal Muggli Program Manager Zurich as of 2021 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 O R GA N I SAT I O N C H A RT SINGA in Switzerland Organigram
9 11 28 30 32 35 36 38 39 6 TA B L E O F CO N T E N T S SINGA Vision Mission SINGA in Switzerland Foreword The SINGA Programs Inclusive Entrepreneurship Review 2020 The SINGApreneurs and their business ideas A word with the winners of the SINGA Awards 2020 Our impact 2017 2020 Businesses founded in 2020 Exciting news from entrepreneurs of the SINGA network Supporters of the SINGA Factory Workshop Trainers Mentors Building bridges between innovative communities Interview with Michel Nicolet from the Hospice G n ral in Geneva Thank you to our partners Audit Report ANNUAL REPORT 2020 7
SINGA 7 SINGA means connect in Lingala a language spoken in the Democratic Republic of Congo a mission that is at the core of SINGA s activities both in Switzerland and internationally The first SINGA organisation was founded in 2012 in Paris Since then SINGA has won a number of awards and prizes for its innovative and inclusive programs and has managed to create a network of committed people worldwide Today the international network of SINGA organisations is present in 21 cities and 10 countries including France Canada Belgium Germany Italy Spain Luxembourg the UK and the United States as well as Switzerland While each organisation operates independently and responds to local needs and contexts we share our network and exchange methods know how and best practices To strengthen our efforts and collaborations a SINGA Global association was founded in Paris in September 2020 Our vision is that everyone no matter where they come from can fulfil their potential and contribute to shaping an inclusive and innovative future Our contribution We bring people with and without refugee or migrant backgrounds together to collaborate on entrepreneurial projects ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Vision Mission
SINGA 8 SINGA in Switzerland was founded in Zurich in December 2016 and expanded to Geneva in 2018 In November 2019 we welcomed Rossana to our team and her priceless motivation and passion for our mission in Zurich In Geneva Adeba joined the Geneva team two weeks before the lockdown in March 2020 and has been an amazing and dedicated team member ever since Since 2017 SINGA has supported 92 people from refugee and migrant backgrounds to develop 79 business ideas in Switzerland Out of the 59 participants who completed the SINGA Factory between 2017 and 2020 15 have become self employed or founded their own company or association The SINGA Factory is supported by Engagement Migros a Development Fund of the Migros Group Other SINGA programs and events are supported by the Canton of Zurich through its Cantonal Integration Program KIP and the SINGA programs in Geneva are supported by the Fondation Sesam and Lombard Odier and other supporters singaswitzerland ch ANNUAL REPORT 2020 SINGA in Switzerland
Who wants to start a business in the middle of a pandemic How do you manage to run an entrepreneurship program in these times How do you adapt and survive as an organisation How are you doing as a team We heard these questions many times throughout the last year How we experienced this year and how it shaped our thoughts and learnings are as diverse as our team so we want to share everyone s perspective here SINGA Team f l t r Elody de Brito Adeba Abdullah Khel Giordano Neuenschwander Seraina Soldner Tina Erb Rossana A Ammann 9 FOREWORD 2020 What a year
Elody de Brito The challenge that 2020 represented in terms of programming turned itself into an opportunity to learn new tools and acquire new skills It also demonstrated that an organisation with a strong vision and common values allows the implementation of new ideas quickly and efficiently Of course the road to change never ends it holds surprises and requires an investment from all the actors involved in the SINGA adventure Adeba Abdullah Khel Everyone got used to the new way of working really fast and even though we all experienced the obstacles of screen fatigue and work life balance from working at home I was impressed at how engaged and motivated the SINGApreneurs remained Not being able to meet in person certainly posed a challenge and made it more labour intensive to build relationships of trust but the consistently positive feedback of the participants and their dedication convinced me that we managed to deliver value and a positive environment in which to develop their projects Giordano Neuenschwander 2020 showed us clearly that we share this planet and that we need to be more humble and mindful towards how we treat the environment animals and each other Thanks to the SINGA community and our amazing team it has been a year of learning taking time to reflect solving problems in creative ways and trying out new and unconventional ways to keep going while putting kindness collaboration and community at the centre 10 FOREWORD For me it was definitely a memorable experience to live the first two months of the programs during the lockdown for a lot of us the weekly SINGA workshop was THE recurrent moment when we could learn imagine and create together when everything else in our lives seemed uncertain We and the participants will remember it for a long time Seraina Soldner Even though we all had to spend 2 months within our four walls I felt more connected to people than ever before We all experienced what it means to have little freedom which made us understand at least a little bit how many people feel all the time especially people from refugee backgrounds The common experience made us more united and also the SINGA community came closer together because many took part in making the best out of the situation online workshops Skype 1 1 support and great community Zoom events Many thanks to all SINGA supporters and the best team ever for your flexibility solidarity and innovative thinking I enjoyed and got recharged every day by the power and energy of the SINGApreneurs their projects their diverse backgrounds motivations and stories as well as with the work in the team the engagement and valuable contribution from the supporters and the community I appreciated the flexibility of the entrepreneurs and the honest feedback we received on how to keep offering them the best program to continue developing their businesses Rossana Ammann We are grateful to be part of this inspiring positive and generous community where we all learn together and can be ourselves in exciting and challenging times ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Tina Erb
The SINGA Programs Inclusive Entrepreneurship SINGA in Switzerland offers several complementary programs to support people from refugee and migrant backgrounds who want to launch a business or become self employed in Switzerland Over a six month period the SINGA Ideation Lab and the SINGA Factory impart practical knowledge about founding a company and connect participants SINGApreneurs with experts advisors potential customers partners and investors Participants can test and validate their business ideas before jumping into the development of their projects and preparing the launch of their services or products SINGA PROGRAMS 11 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 The SINGApreneurs 2020 and the SINGA team in Geneva
12 SINGA PROGRAMS In the SINGA Mentoring program each SINGApreneur is accompanied by an individual mentor who provides advice and access to their professional network over a period of at least six months The S INGA Business program provides additional hands on individual support to SINGApreneurs who are close to or in the process of founding their business Mentor Melina Dupont r and SINGApreneur Joelma Mendes Dudouit l ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Our aim is to support the entrepreneurs experts and supporters involved in our programs to connect as a community so that they can contribute their individual skills and learn from each other By promoting the entrepreneurial potential of people from refugee and migrant backgrounds in Switzerland we hope to contribute to the creation of a truly inclusive and innovative society that benefits all
In March 2020 when the Covid 19 lockdown was announced we only had a few days time to rethink our programs and come up with a SINGA Ideation Lab 2 0 that could be delivered online in an engaging and productive way Even though it was challenging looking back we are convinced it was a success thanks in no small part to the flexibility commitment and motivation of the participants workshop leaders mentors partners and supporters who make up the SINGA Community 13 SINGA PROGRAMS Review 2020 Several weeks before the national lockdown SINGA s Recruitment Day brought together 27 participants and 12 experts at the SDGs solution space in Geneva In June 2020 the SINGApreneurs and their mentors met for the first time for a workshop on Business Communication for entrepreneurs in Zurich ANNUAL REPORT 2020 This intense year made us realize even more how nurturing it is to be surrounded by a meaningful entrepreneurial community even online and it pushed us outside our comfort zone providing an opportunity to explore new ways of bringing people together and having an impact The community has kept growing and today more than 250 people share their time expertise skills and network with the SINGApreneurs and support the SINGA team to offer better programs across Switzerland
SINGA PROGRAMS 14 Despite lockdowns and restrictions the SINGA team has successfully created a strong feeling of togetherness and the passion of the entrepreneurs and of their mentors is infectious It was beyond joyful to watch the Award Ceremony such talent passion creativity and so much hard work had clearly gone into the pitches I am grateful to SINGA for helping the participants reach their dreams of building a better world and for enabling me to play a small part in this creation The best example of how the entrepreneurs we work with always motivate and inspire us to try new things are the SINGA Awards 2020 a unique live streamed edition This experience turned out to be an opportunity to gather people from all over the world Entrepreneurs and business experts the S INGA international community as well as families and relatives from the SINGApreneurs everybody had the chance to hear them pitch their business ideas while interacting with them in real time asking questions and giving feedback at the end of their presentations ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Dr Tanya Murphy Social Impact specialist and mentor of SINGApreneur Mohamed Diop
SINGA PROGRAMS 15 More than 120 people attended the online edition of the SINGA Awards in Zurich on November 2 nd This year also marked the development of new public sector partnerships In Geneva the Hospice g n ral is now supporting participants of the SINGA programs as part of their professional development offers recognizing that entrepreneurship can be a pathway to professional fulfilment economic independence and social inclusion Time will tell if 2020 has changed the way we work exchange and live together forever What is certain is that we were privileged to share the better part of it with amazing and inspiring entrepreneurs in Zurich and Geneva We cannot wait to see their businesses grow and reach their next milestones and for you to discover them on the following pages The SINGA Awards in Geneva attracted ANNUAL REPORT 2020 more than 150 people online on October 21st
SINGA PRO KA G PR IATME SL 16 The SINGApreneurs and their business ideas Contact the SINGApreneurs in Geneva A N N U A L R E P O R T 22002200 Contact the SINGApreneurs in Zurich
Joyce Dworak Ghana 17 SINGA PROGRAMS Cycle 4 April September 2020 in Zurich With FRISKYNESS Joyce would like to support the valuable craftsmanship of people working in the fashion and textile industry in Ghana From beautiful and traditional fabrics she designs fashionable and empowering clothes for young people and sells them in Switzerland and Europe Joyce also sells clothes to young people with African roots to help them develop more pride and self confidence in their origins while living in the diaspora Pranita Chettri Nepal Pranita is the Co Founder of Books For Change a non profit organisation based in Switzerland which operates in Nepal and India Books For Change supports the development of child friendly libraries in government primary schools located in rural regions in Nepal and India to improve the reading habits of children there enabled through the sale of children s books Coming from India she understands the importance of access to quality education for every child regardless of their background and gender She is currently managing the education programs for Books For Change Pranita wants to support regional NGOs in empowering girls through scholarships theatre storytelling and advocacy Since 2016 she and her team have already established a total of 18 libraries in schools in Nepal and India Layla Ibrahim Staubli Syria With Orient Express Catering Layla would like to set up a catering company that offers women with a migrant background and Syrian women in particular the opportunity to work and support themselves financially in Switzerland As an experienced entrepreneur Layla aims to promote a gender equitable and sustainable business culture and provide Kurdish and Arabic cuisine from Aleppo to customers in Switzerland her new home In addition to event catering the aim is to supply large distributors with oriental specialties in order to ensure a regular income for all women in the company Taro and Alessandra are the founders of Hosoe Caff an ethical artisan specialty coffee roastery based in Zurich and focused on positive social values coupled with ethical and sustainable principles After importing the best coffees from South and Central America Asia and Africa to Switzerland the idea is to roast it themselves and provide specialty coffee to ethical consumers coffee lovers and coffee stores Taro is a scientist who worked in finance and Alessandra is an archaeologist Both admit to a passion and nerdiness when it comes to coffee ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Taro Hosoe and Alessandra Salvin Japan and Italy
Through his project Baba Mumtaz Ben founded a cooperative in Tunisia which offers families the opportunity to sell their traditional organic products such as dates olive oil almonds figs and spices in Switzerland Ben is in direct contact with each family and is particularly interested in product quality traditional production and fair trade In Switzerland the project Baba Mumtaz works in cooperation with the association Ben48 which promotes Arabic entertainment cultural exchange music and open conversations between both worlds At events visitors are invited to immerse themselves in the Arab world to experience it in full The first event took place in the form of the Sahara Festival in February 2020 18 SINGA PROGRAMS Ben Aymen Mosbah Tunisia Ana Maria Manda Romania Ana Maria is the founder of PAPYOT a company helping people and businesses to offer curated and personalised gifts Customers can buy tailored gift packages including a variety of sustainable and locally sourced goods ranging from books to sweets ceramics to plants or experiences and many other surprises PAPYOT s mission is to provide smart tailored and sustainable gifts for everyone and every occasion Save time find instant inspiration and surprise people when you offer them a gift PS at PAPYOT you benefit from free advice from gifting experts Amaru K ng Uganda LoveStory Branding is a boutique branding agency that helps passionate dreamers to reach their fullest potential by designing brands that customers fall madly in love with Amaru s focus is to help small purpose driven businesses to develop their brand identity offline and digital by optimising their presence in the marketplace in order for them to stand out make a lasting impression and build a meaningful connection with their target customers Originally from Uganda Amaru is a New York City trained Visual Storyteller and Brand Coach who previously lived in Nairobi New York and Kampala before relocating to Zurich in October 2019 Alexandra Cherali Ieva Paludneviciute Lithuania leva s startup idea Seekclub is to improve the quality of life of women who experience urinary incontinence She aims to achieve this by offering modern and sustainable bladder leakage pads and underwear Moreover Ieva s mission is to contribute to a cultural shift in female identity and the shame associated with certain aspects of this condition She believes that focusing on this taboo topic will encourage more women to seek help and find ways to improve their daily life ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Alexandra founder of Golden Light was introduced to energy healing techniques through her own health crisis In her search for ways to help herself heal from several conditions where conventional medicine could not help such as allergies motion sickness bloodstream issues and self sabotaging beliefs as a result of traumas she found energetic techniques to be a successful treatment for her health problems She learned to use subtle energies of the body and mind through techniques known as Pranic Healing and Psych K They are based on ancient spiritual principles with scientific rationale
Pierre Khouja Makhoul Syria 19 SINGA PROGRAMS Cycle 2 March October 2020 in Geneva With ADternative Pierre aims to promote the visibility of small shop owners in the Romandie The agency offers tailor made and low cost advertising by providing a platform on which businesses can upload their own advertisement even from a smartphone to make it visible on physical screens placed in different shops spread across a given area With his project Pierre wants to put his passion for programming and his twenty one years of experience in IT to serve the needs of local businesses in order to facilitate good advertising for everyone Joelma Mendes Dudouit Brazil After ten years of experience in the childcare sector in Geneva Joelma wishes to develop her own business based on the needs she observed in many parents with newborns Her project Nurse de Nuit will offer a night time childcare service with a human approach personalized to the needs of each family This is to be achieved through her commitment to enabling better quality of sleep and more serenity in the new parents daily life while working towards the autonomy of the baby and the well being of the parents Joelma is Brazilian and mother of two children Since September 2020 the foundation Pro Juventute Gen ve is supporting the test phase of the project that will start in January 2021 Sadettin Karatas Turkey With his business idea Bizimkiler Natural Products Sadettin wants to offer high quality food products from Turkey on the Swiss market Working directly with suppliers in the field and with few intermediaries the company will offer healthy and natural sweet and savoury products as well as spices and Turkish specialities all easily accessible to customers through an online shop and home delivery service From his work in various companies Sadettin has gained the experience and skills to start his own business which he is co founding with his wife Dilek Sadettin founded his company while participating in the SINGA Factory in September 2020 SINGA GESCH FTSBERICHT Susana s project is Camila Caf a Swiss company aiming to import 100 Arabica roasted speciality coffee from Colombia with a combination of diverse flavours acidity bitterness sweetness and a wide array of aromas fruity gourmet spiced to coffee lovers in Switzerland Her other services include subscription boxes with scheduled deliveries virtual coffee tours and an e learning platform as well as partnerships with local non profit organisations Susana holds a Master s degree in International Business and has more than seven years of management experience in the supply chain field and in the commercial department of a retail business She is working on her idea with her co founder and husband Joel who has a strong financial background having worked in corporate finance for seven years specifically in the real estate industry 2020 Susana Alzate Colombia
Mustafa K Turkey Mustafa is the driving force behind Safe I a furniture reinforcement product which aims to provide a safe place to shelter as well as access to supplies and means of communication in the case of a disaster Safe It offers a steel frame that can be placed under ordinary household furniture that can transform a simple table into a shelter that is able to carry rubbles and other falling objects in the course of an earthquake The frame is modular affordable easy to handle compatible to many tables and configurable to the highest possible extent Mustafa holds a Master degree in mechanical engineering from a technical University in Ankara and has professional experience as a mechanical design specialist SINGA PROGRAMS 20 Ana Gabriela Fachin Brazil Ana Gabriela is the founder of R unir a personalized and user friendly consultancy supporting small businesses to get closer to their customers and build their marketing strategy Ana has more than 10 years of experience working as a communication strategist with many global brands in Brazil and in New York and is specialized in user consumer centric analysis With R unir her goal is to make brand consultancy accessible to everyone in a simple and approachable way helping to reduce the gap between small businesses and big companies and connecting them to specialized professionals Tenzin Lehpel Nepal Tenzin and his committed team are developing Enkun a web platform and mobile app where users may they be recent graduate students refugees or passionate individuals can upgrade their professional skills with local professionals and teachers giving face to face courses by live stream or in real life By making learning easy and interactive everywhere the goal of Tenzin and his team is to give the opportunity to their customers to create purposeful projects while building a network of people sharing the same interests Tenzin is an IT engineer and is accompanied by co founders and IT fellows Michael CTO and Sanjevve tech lead Ghaida is passionate about food and sharing healthy delicious and easy recipes with others Her 40 years of experience being a mom a friend and an amazing host enabled her to develop the cooking techniques that ignite her business idea Joud Home offers face to face and online customized cooking classes for people who are looking for an easy way to learn to cook healthy recipes from around the world adapted to their budget and taste Her goal is to motivate people to cook by providing culinary techniques that make cooking easy healthy and creative ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Ghaida Odat Syria
Mohamed Diop Senegal Mohamed is the founder of GoStartup a participatory financing platform that aims to promote innovation and solidarity by connecting sustainable development project owners with a committed community of potential investors or donors Fascinated by entrepreneurship and opportunities related to innovation while being concerned about the limits of our current economic model Mohamed aims to help build a circular economy and a more sustainable world with his alternative concept He is a specialist in network and systems infrastructure and the founder of another startup active in the IT field in Switzerland fusion si SINGA PROGRAMS 21 Anna Born Hungary Anna created The French Jungle as she has personally experienced the tedious process of learning French with traditional methods when arriving in Switzerland Wth The French Jungle she wants to develop a platform that will offer a combination of online videos and face to face learning focusing on everyday situations allowing learners the language explorers to speak French with confidence learning it faster and at a lower cost As a linguist and a language teacher Anna is in charge of the curriculum of the courses and material development Anju Debono India With Jeevan Yoga and Arts Anju aims to offer classes and workshops on yoga and meditative arts based on Indian culture and philosophy to different clientele groups Her goal is to help hard working professionals deal with stress and information overload by offering personalised and tailor made courses based on their needs Anju is a certified yoga teacher and a creative dancer who aims to form a team of fellow yogi yoginis and artists to collaborate on various projects Before moving to Geneva Anju lived and taught in France the Czech Republic Dubai and India her home country Anju also plans to organise mindful green trips to India once the tourism industry has recovered from the lockdown Maria s project Sensory Box offers an eco responsible alternative for health and education professionals looking for therapeutic tools specifically designed to improve the sensory experience of children with special needs By optimizing the use of time and the stimulation modalities in therapy sessions Maria aims to meet the needs of both patients and professionals for improved interactions and a long lasting meaningful quality of treatment Maria has more than fourteen years of experience in the educational field specifically with children with communication and language difficulties Maria left the SINGA Factory in September 2020 due to personal reasons but she continues to work on Sensory Box as a side project ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Mar a Celeste Saavedra Ocampo Chile
Pierre Kouja Makhoul Founder of ADternative Joyce Dworak Founder of Friskyness Geneva Zurich SINGA Award Winner SINGA Award Winner ADternative will be launched in the very near future I am currently working with several potential partners in Geneva as well as the cooperators The prize money will be used primarily to fine tune technical aspects hardware and software as well as administrative procedures contracts insurance communication Receiving the SINGA award confirms to me that people believe in Frisky our vision and our business and social perspective Thanks to the prize money we will improve and invest in the quality and sustainability of our products working conditions marketing and community projects that bring joy and cultural exchange to our clients and partners SINGA PROGRAMS In 2020 SINGA granted 2 5 000 CHF to two SINGApreneurs providing them a much needed boost for the development and foundation of their businesses To select the winners of the SINGA Awards our teams in Geneva and Zurich worked closely with a Jury of partners supporters and workshop leaders To be shortlisted for the Awards the entrepreneurs had to identify a clear value proposition based on a solid market research They had to convince the Jury of the feasibility and the financial viability of their idea and show their motivation and capability to reach their goals 22 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 A word with the winners of the SINGA Awards 2020
Community Awards winners 2020 This year the supporters and com munity members present at the SINGA Awards voted live for the best pitch of the night Each winner or team received 300 CHF Pranita Chettri Co founder of Books for Change Zurich SINGA PROGRAMS 23 Susana Alzate Co founder of Camila Caf with Joel Ribeiro SINGA Community Award Winner SINGA Community Award Winners I feel so happy and proud that I completed the SINGA Factory Winning the Community Award was a big surprise It means that the audience was able to connect with the purpose and vision of Books for Change In 2021 we will conduct the evaluation and monitoring of our 18 current libraries and we will also be starting our first pilot solar project in a rural school in Nepal an eco friendly project we are very excited about Having participated in the SINGA program gave us valuable tools to transform our idea into a real business We conclude the program having a business model a brand identity a partnership settle and our website published We are waiting for our first importation to start selling our coffee in Geneva by the end of 2020 and continue growing our business in Switzerland ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Geneva
Mustafa K Founder of Safe it Geneva Since 2019 the Tsadik Foundation supports the SINGApreneurs with the yearly Impact Award The prize of 5 000 CHF rewards an entrepreneurial project that has a solid social and or environmental impact 24 SINGA PROGRAMS Impact Award winner 2020 Winning the Impact Award is a sign that many competent people agreed upon the value of what I have been working on and this makes Safe it becomes a project that is worth struggling for even more The prize money will enable me to invest in the two next closest goals I am pursuing which are IP Protection and mechanical calculations Special Mentions from the Jury in Geneva Sadettin Karatas founder of Bizimkiler Produits Naturels I legally founded my business in Geneva in September 2020 and I am now ready to import and deliver a first batch of natural products from Turkey by the end of November This recognition gives me both courage to continue with more confidence and pride in having my project approved and supported by local professionals Joelma Mendes Dudouit founder of Nurse de Nuit This distinction represents the fruit of my efforts and the dedication of all the people who have supported me Nurse de Nuit will be able to support families in taming the sleep of their newborn babies from January 2021 during our test phase carried out in collaboration with the Pro Juventute Foundation in Geneva ANNUAL REPORT 2020 On October 21 st Sadettin Karatas and Joelma Mendes Dudouit received a special mention from the Jury in Geneva for the impressive milestones achieved in their respective projects
Our impact in numbers 2017 2020 50 92 people and 79 projects and of the businesses associations supported in 2019 are now selling products they developed during the SINGA Factory business ideas supported by SINGA since 2017 SINGA PROGRAMS 25 8 new businesses associations founded in 2020 only 40 of people supported since 2017 have a refugee background and or have projects supporting refugees in Switzerland 86 of participants have successfully completed the SINGA Factory since 2017 Since the start of SINGA activities in Switzerland in 2017 over professionals have supported us over the years 80 77 or 257 professionals are still supporting us today new professionals have been supporting SINGA in Zurich and Geneva in 2020 All numbers are considered until 1st December 2020 Read more about SINGA s impact on our website ANNUAL REPORT 2020 320
The SINGA programs also aim to improve the professional confidence of the participants and help them contribute to shaping a more innovative society in Switzerland 26 SINGA PROGRAMS Professional confidence and community The SINGA programs was a hands on varied skill development program that left me inspired after every workshop The support and guidance from my mentor the SINGA community and the team was very motivating It was a fantastic opportunity to be with passionate entrepreneurs from diverse cultures and stories who had the same drive for paving their own individual path in Switzerland Pranita Chettri Founder of Books For Change SINGApreneur 2020 in Zurich Throughout the programs I constantly learned and understood how to pivot to readapt my project to the reality of the market I have evolved a lot in terms of personal confidence and I have also developed my professional network in Switzerland I highly recommend SINGA for the quality of the program and the support given by the team For me SINGA came at a time when I was going to need support to implement my idea Participating in the programs showed me that I could do it that the road to entrepreneurship was not going to be easy but that my project was promising and worth exploring This adventure allowed me to discover myself to explore my abilities and skills and this is only the beginning Joelma Dudouit Founder of Nurse de Nuit SINGApreneur 2020 in Geneva ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Mohamed Diop Founder of Gostartup SINGApreneur 2020 in Geneva
SINGA in Switzerland 2017 2020 Business Fields SINGA PROGRAMS 27 19 18 16 Tech Hardware Gastronomy Retail e g sales import export of goods 13 11 9 Non profits Wellbeing Education 5 5 4 Fashion Other services Tourism e g communications marketing branding etc ANNUAL REPORT 2020 e g body care coaching
Retail Kenanah Khattab Rame Taha Reka Samynathan Palmyra Catering Manjappai Founded their LCC in Zurich in September 2020 Founded her LCC in Zurich in July 2020 They are offering traditional Syrian food cooked in the slow food style fresh homemade and nourishing They cater small and big private or professional events and ap ros The most important thing that we have taken away from the SINGA programs was the valuable guidance to move forward and found our business The program also helped us a lot to become more attractive to our target group www palmyra catering ch Reka has set up an online grocery store to sell high quality Indian food and ingredients that are not available in Switzerland Founding the business was the very first step of Manjappai s growth Our first shipment of products will arrive in November and we are now ready to spread our online business delivering high quality Indian products in Zurich www manjappai ch ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Gastronomy BUSINESSES Businesses founded by entrepreneurs supported in 2019 28
Retail 29 BUSINESSES Tech Hardware Pilar Anguita Mackay REVOLVA SARL Le Jardin Vivant Founded his LCC in Vevey in August 2020 Founded her cooperative in Lausanne in August 2020 IT engineer Ali believes 3D is the future of e commerce he has founded a Swiss based IT solutions provider specialized in 3D visualization web development and modern analytics consulting Founding my own business REVOLVA SARL allows me to support very interesting projects developed by my first clients such as sustainable watchmaking smart packaging and data analytics Thank you SINGA team for supporting me along the way and until now www revolva ch Le Jardin Vivant is an organic food cooperative that offers local and sustainable products in bulk as well as internship opportunities for refugees to support their professional inclusion Since the end of the SINGA Factory so much has happened We recently found a well located place to start the cooperative and we are selecting the first products we will offer in the shop Le Jardin Vivant will open in December 2020 in Lausanne and we are actively looking for cooperators www lejardinvivant ch ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Ali Alsweiki
A new coworking space opening close to Bern Ayantu Abate is the cofounder of Coworking in K niz an inclusive coworking space in the community where she lives and works Ayantu participated in the SINGA Factory from 2017 to 2018 Her original business idea did not work out as planned but she was inspired by SINGA and the amazing workshop leader and Advisory Board member Dominik Scherrer to build her own venture or cook a meal with ingredients she already has in her fridge instead of making something for which you need a shopping list and buy things www koeniz space Education Wellbeing Business The Rebel Company rebranding Clelia Calabr founder and entrepreneur from the SINGA Factory 2019 has officially rebranded her business Entrepikit and now they are an innovation agency called The Rebel Company Their mission is to narrow the gap between university and the job market with education consulting and community building and by doing so tackling the problem of talent waste They are committed to empower grow and inspire human potential to build inclusive teams and resilient young generations through fun and great customer service www therebelcompany co Terre d Argan new line of products Since the end of the SINGA Factory 2019 in Geneva founder Fatima el Hassni and her husband and business partner Mohamed Eshoul have been working hard on establishing a network of suppliers in Morocco building up their production workshop and developing a broad range of natural cosmetic products The catalogue of Terre d Argan now comprises almost 40 products ranging from the classic argan oil to activated charcoal soap and micellar cleansing water some of which are already available on their website Fatima and Mohamed are now working to build connections with retailers to offer physical points of sale for their products in Switzerland Are you a shop owner interested in carrying their products Get in touch info terredargan com ANNUAL REPORT 2020 other services SINGA NEWS Exciting news from the entrepreneurs of the SINGA network 30
Amandine Rodrigues Brand Strategy Director Board Member workshop leader and mentor KAPITEL At SINGA there is always a lot of excitement dynamism and joy SINGApreneurs coaches mentors but also the SINGA team all work together for the good of the community through super creative and inspiring projects and at the same time advocating inclusion and welcoming people with rich and diverse backgrounds At SINGA everyone has something to gain professionally but above all humanly 31 ANNUAL REPORT 2020
The SINGA community thrives thanks to all the amazing people who join because they want to share their interests know how and collaborative energy as professional supporters or mentors SUPPORTERS Supporters of the SINGA Factory 32 Workshop Trainers I am very honoured and humbled to have been supporting and working with the SINGApreneurs and the SINGA team for three years already The most outstanding aspects of the SINGApreneurs are their strong drive hunger to learn kindness and resourcefulness It is a very enjoyable experience to collaborate together and from which I learn a lot too Concretely it also confirms the importance and irreplaceability of the value of migrant entrepreneurs to their new communities and countries Jana Nevrlka Workshop leader at SINGA since 2018 and founder of COFOUNDING ANNUAL REPORT 2020 The SINGA programs would not exist without the dedicated supporters in our community They offer and facilitate workshops provide countless hours of 1 1 support on how to start and develop your own business and share advice on how to manage related challenges both personal and professional
Mentors support the SINGApreneurs by sharing their experience skills and professional network for at least six months The mentoring process is based on mutual trust and respect openness to share knowledge and ideas and willingness to learn from each other Mentors and mentees meet at least every two weeks and work on common goals which they define and adapt together Both need curiosity to be surprised and openness to be challenged The reward is a great learning experience and sometimes a lasting professional collaboration or friendship SUPPORTERS 33 Mentors Peter Shepherd Amaru K ng in Z rich Amaru is a unique young woman overflowing with ideas and energy For me the challenge was to find a balance between this precious source and keeping track focusing on the business aspects of her endeavour An invaluable experience for both of us During the SINGA Mentorship Program I appreciated having a mentor who took a more coaching approach and asked me reflective questions to help me crystalize what projects I wanted to prioritize This resulted in me creating my first online course program a product that would not have taken the same shape otherwise Amaru K ng Founder of LoveStory Branding and SINGApreneur 2020 in Zurich ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Peter Shepherd Project management and HR expert with a focus on Change and Cultural Transformation
SUPPORTERS 34 During six months Mentor Cynthia Macias and Mentee Mustafa K worked together to develop the business plan as well as strengthening the market research of Mustafa s business idea Safe it Cynthia Macias and Mustafa K in Geneva My experience working with Mustafa has been great My mentee has a fantastic idea that is truly transformative in saving people s lives It has been a great experience to work with him in concretizing the idea and business offering and I think he definitely has made a lot of progress When I first joined SINGA my aim was getting in touch with local people and testing my idea I really didn t expect to come this far Thanks to the help endorsement and guidance of my mentor and the S INGA team my business went from an idea to a concrete living thing Everyday I am dreaming planning and figuring out how I can progress and I am pushing myself to do the best in the earliest possible time Mustafa K Founder of Safe it and SINGApreneur 2020 in Geneva ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Cynthia Macias Communications Team at EPFL Innovation Park and passionate about helping small entrepreneurs connect with the resources they need to grow their businesses
In 2020 whether online or offline SINGA managed to keep creating spaces to gather people from all backgrounds interested in innovation diversity and entrepreneurship and to inspire many others to contribute to an inclusive and innovative society in Switzerland in 2020 35 OUTLOOK Building bridges between innovative communities National For the first time we created a national SINGApreneurs Meetup where participants from Zurich and Geneva met and shared their entrepreneurial experiences and advice in an inspiring and playful environment We acknowledged our similarities and realized a lot of us were facing the same challenges especially during the lockdown period This exceptional experience allowed participants to join the discussion from different places in the world confirming the need and potential of such meetups to bring together an innovative community Geneva In October 2020 SINGA collaborated with Deloitte Switzerland and the Global Shapers Community during a pitch training session to challenge the participants of the SINGA Factory The objective was to propose to the SINGApreneurs to test their pitch in front of an unknown audience to practice for the SINGA Awards while having a chance to receive feedback and improve it This session allowed the SINGApreneurs not only to prepare for the feedback and questions from the public but also to find the best way to share their passion and story with an audience ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Zurich The first Networking Event for Migrant and local Volunteers took place in August where SINGA provided a space for volunteers from over 10 different countries to share their stories and experiences about offering their time knowledge and energy to contribute to different organisations In July 2020 SINGA also co organised an Alumni Get Together with our partner organisation Capacity Entrepreneurs from both programs had the opportunity to connect to talk about their businesses and associations and explore new ways of collaborating with each other
36 CONTRIBUTION Interview with Michel Nicolet Inclusion Integration Coordinator at the Hospice G n ral in Geneva In your opinion what do you think the SINGA programs bring to people accompanied by the Hospice G n ral in Geneva The SINGA programs offer them the opportunity to confront their entrepreneurial project with the realities of the market in Geneva in terms of viability reliability evaluation of client demand costs and financial opportunities Thus it enables them to draw up a business plan that will enable them to validate or not the continuation of their project SINGA allows in particular those who have been entrepreneurs in their home countries to test the Swiss market and confirm or disprove potential new professional opportunities However the willingness to set up a business alone is not enough to embark on an adventure that is not without risks The support given by the SINGA team is essential to offer them the support they necessarily need to avoid the pitfalls they will come across at one time or another This support can contribute to the success of a project and the exit from social assistance as well as avoiding the negative consequences of starting a business that would not be viable Why do you think it is important to support people supported by the Hospice G n ral in their entrepreneurial projects Some people we support need to build or even deconstruct a professional project outside the framework of a salaried activity Moreover the adversity and constraints of moving from being a social assistance recipient to becoming financially independent can in some cases encourage their creativity and lead them to imagine setting up a new business As a Geneva based social welfare institution founded in 1535 the Hospice G n ral supports people at certain moments in their lives so they can regain lasting autonomy The integration support for people from a refugee background is part of its mission In this context the Hospice General offers measures to facilitate their inclusion into the host society and their access to the job market ANNUAL REPORT 2020 SINGApreneur Pierre Khouja Makhoul founder of ADternative and winner of the SINGA Award for the most promising business idea was supported by the Hospice G n ral in his participation in the SINGA programs in 2020
37 KAPITEL The willingness to set up a business alone is not enough to embark on an a dventure that is not without risks The support given by the SINGA team is essential to offer participants the help they necessarily need to avoid the pitfalls they will come across at one time or another ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Michel Nicolet Inclusion Integration Coordinator at Hospice G n ral in Geneva
38 KT AH PA INT KE SL Thank you to our partners The SINGA Factory is supported by Hospice G n ral Anonymous Foundation We would like to thank all other partners for their support SINGA programs partners Community partners Academic partners ActiveSynapses Architecture for Refugees Horizon Acad mique Alvera Treuhand Blau10 IHEID Aquilaw Bowie by Be you Network Student Impact Arcadia Blockchain Technologies Capacity Carrefour Orientation Solidarit Deloitte Switzerland Cit des M tiers Ecloo D couvrir EZYcount Foound FOGO Jass Fondetec K nig Beatty Projects Global Tech Box Mamagora Impact Hub Geneva NETZW RK Impact Hub Z rich On va parler ensemble International Trade Center Open Geneva Kraftwerk Powercoders La Click Textimum Labster Prager Dreifuss Standpoint Startups ch STT Schoch Treuhand Team A Tremplin IT partners Mohammad Tahan Open Factory Right Here Right Now Productions A N N U A L R E P O R T 22002200 Cofounding
F I KN AA PNI CT EE SL The audit report is only available in German 39 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 Audit Report
KAPITEL SINGA Schweiz c o Impact Hub Z rich Sihlquai 131 8005 Z rich 40 info singaswitzerland ch singaswitzerland ch ANNUAL REPORT 2020 SWITZERLAND
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