Starters

Starters is a Dutch Social enterprise, founded in 2013 that empowers young people and professionals to become impact-driven leaders and entrepreneurs. Starters is part of the national ‘Social Entreprise Code’ which is a Dutch code of conduct for social enterprises that prioritise social impact and can be used as a quality mark to demonstrate adherence to social entrepreneurship principles. We believe that every individual can make a difference and that personal leadership and entrepreneurship are the engines for tackling societal challenges. Our vision is a world in which impact entrepreneurship is the norm. Our mission is to provide the ecosystem in which impact makers can let their initiatives flourish. We design and deliver action-oriented training programmes in impact entrepreneurship and leadership. Participants work on real-life societal challenges while developing personal leadership skills, entrepreneurial competences and systems thinking. We operate on three interconnected levels: the individual change-maker, the organisation where change must take place, and the broader ecosystem in which both are embedded. Since the start we have trained more than 4000 youngsters across the entire Netherlands. Our core values guide our approach: we are pioneering, we learn by doing, and we connect people and perspectives. Through programmes for youth, professionals and cross-sector networks, we build communities that accelerate sustainable and inclusive transitions. Our youth participants are in the age between 20-30 years old, from all kinds of different backgrounds. Through our programs they not only learn to take their future into their own hands by shaping the world they want to live in. As we aim to offer our programs for free, we create equal opportunities and the participants are from all walks of life, educational and economic backgrounds and genders. This way, our programs indirectly also contribute to more tolerance and inclusivity in the society.