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The core innovation of C3 is that it provides coaching and incubation for entrepreneurs to become agents of social change, by allowing them to give back to the community and world in a meaningful way via their programs. The company maintains a clientele base consisting of entrepreneurs and start-ups that contribute to society and the environment in a positive way and it ensures the success of these firms by providing them with much needed support and coaching. Their business is the first of its kind in the middle east and especially in the UAE.
C3 has 3 primary programs each catered towards allowing entrepreneurs to maximize their potential in a manner that allows them to give back to the community via a social cause. The programs are 1.) C3 Community App: This allows experts and entrepreneurs to interact with one another 2.) C3 Accelerator: Helps social entrepreneurs grow and establish themselves, it offers workshops and expert sessions, as well as corporate support. 3.) C3 Partners: Gives entrepreneurs access to senior executive support for temporary or part time-basis.
Co-founder Medea Nocentini summed up her inspiration like this: "When I was younger, I did a lot of volunteering in Italy, when I moved to the U.S I also did a lot of volunteering. I started doing what we call “skill based volunteering". They bring people along according to the skills you are good at, for example if you want to finance a person, you bring someone with finance skills. It is not only the volunteering per say, we were beneficiaries, apart from helping the elderly and sick people, what they want is your skills towards an innovation that needs that kind of skills." It was this model that pushed her to create a social enterprise development program that is now C3.
C3 enables emerging social entrepreneurs to succeed in their endeavors by providing them with a step-by-step process to ensure the success of their venture. Medea Nocentini and Anna-Liisa Goggs are the co-founders of the enterprise, who have managed to lead the company towards financial stability over the years. Initially founded in 2012, the company now has a growing network of over 1,500 volunteers consisting of entrepreneurs and professionals who aim to benefit other start-up social enterprises via coaching and support. The company is financially stable while their impact on society has been positive because they have allowed other social enterprises to grow and flourish.
As a social enterprise itself, C3 utilizes a mix of both non-profit and commercial methods. The company consistently reinvests 51% of its profits into other social enterprises. This is only possible since the company itself is financially stable and the owners are proud of this achievement because they are now able to cover their costs while also investing in social start-ups, which builds off the cycle of positive impact. While the company's main goals are to positively impact society, in order to sustain their positive programs and efforts the company requires a substantial amount of funding which they have been able to reduce by leveraging the help of volunteers who they then help find part-time employment while they work with C3.
C3 utilizes the UN Sustainable Developmental Goals to asses potential clients contributions to society, and only allow clients into their program if they contribute to helping the environment or society in a positive way. Thus, their benefit to society and the environment comes from the fact that they allow these other social enterprises to grow and flourish by giving them access to consulting and support from their vast network of professionals. The company has even won the award for the U.A.E pioneer of the UN Sustainable Development Goal number 17 “Partnership for the Goals” for the great benefit they have created for both the UAE Society and Environment through developing social and environmental companies. This has an exponential benefit as C3 provides economic empowerment and development to the region through the development of start-ups who then in turn work exclusively for the benefit of the UAE Society and Environment.
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Medea Nocentini, Co-Founder & COO
C3 is a Social Enterprise that was established in 2012. It helps to unlock the growth potential of entrepreneurs and maximize their positive impact. Their vision is for emerging social entrepreneurs in the Middle East to become active and positive change by leveraging experienced professionals seeking meaningful ways to give back.