Valentina Scanziani's Global Ecosystem

Working in the family business wasn't enough for Valentina Scanziani. So, she kept on operating in the chemical industry and in the meanwhile she looked for a way to «change the world, driven by the desire to give back what I've received and by the refusal of inequality». Her desire surfaced while volunteering, studying economics of developing Countries at Bocconi and during an internship at UNCTAD in Geneva. In the end, she found two ways to help. She co-founded Stella Onlus, a non profit association that finances humanitarian projects in Togo, and she's part of the Ashoka Support Network. The latter is a network of 350 members in 22 Countries who provide financial and professional support to social entrepreneurs in order to help them maximize the impact of their activities.

Ashoka was founded in the U.S. in 1980 and now ranks sixth in the Top 500 NGOs World published in 2016 by NGO Advisor. It promotes and supports innovative solutions to urgent social problems. «The model is based on synergies created by a multi-stakeholder ecosystem of expertise and visions brought by social entrepreneurs, private companies, schools, individuals, universities, media, pundits. They no longer operate in a narrow sector, nor they aim for mutually incompatible goals, but they secure alliances and define new strategies united by the purpose of creating a positive impact on a larger scale. The ultimate goal is to change the system». Scanziani thinks that profit and non profit should communicate with each other. They would both benefit from the crumbling of the wall that keeps them separated: «For profit entrepreneurship can give third sector organizations the managerial skills that are missing due to lack of funds. And the latter can provide enthusiasm, ethics, and attention to environmental, social, educational issues». Another hot topic is the social impact assessment, and not just because of the need to report to backers and partners. «When you feel you're doing the right thing, ask yourself: to what extent? And how can I improve?».