Social Impact Mindset

Description

Looking to build your social entrepreneurship skills through hands-on exploration of real societal challenges? This course combines practical learning with collaborative teamwork, helping you understand social issues and co‑create entrepreneurial ideas rooted in social impact.

Participants follow a clear pedagogical sequence: they begin by identifying challenges they observe in their own environment, then work in groups to analyze the problem in depth and understand who is affected and why. Through this collaborative process, participants are encouraged to step outside their own bubble, gaining exposure to diverse perspectives that broaden their understanding and enrich their idea‑generation. As the course progresses, they learn how to develop realistic ideas, explore what makes a solution socially responsible, and reflect on what communities actually need. They also practise communication, active listening, collaboration, and basic problem‑solving methods that support socially oriented entrepreneurship.

Throughout the course, the emphasis remains on practical learning: identifying a problem, exploring its social implications, developing a better idea, and refining that response based on feedback and limitations. Participants will focus on developing the fundamental mindset and skills that support socially conscious entrepreneurial work, including essential foundations in leadership, strategic thinking, co‑creation dialogue, and coaching, applying these directly to the project they design throughout the program.

The program culminates in a final pitch in which each group presents their refined idea, explains how it aims to make a meaningful impact on society, and demonstrates their ability to work collaboratively, think critically, and communicate their proposal clearly. By the end of the course, participants gain a realistic understanding of social entrepreneurship skills as a practice rooted in teamwork and thoughtful action.

Partner Opportunities

This course provides meaningful opportunities for organizations, institutions, and companies interested in contributing to or learning from socially oriented entrepreneurial work. Partners may submit a societal challenge that aligns with their mission or Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) priorities. Participants' groups can choose to explore these challenges as their project, which will be focused on social impact, offering fresh perspectives grounded in careful analysis, co‑creative teamwork, and socially responsible problem‑solving.

Partners may also join selected sessions- such as feedback rounds or final pitches- to share insights, pose questions, or offer real‑world considerations that help participants refine their ideas. This light‑engagement model provides organizations with valuable reflections on issues they care about, while also supporting the learning and development of future socially conscious entrepreneurs.

Partnership involvement is flexible, and organizations are not required to commit time beyond what they find meaningful. The goal is to create mutually beneficial interactions that enrich the educational experience while giving partners access to thoughtful, socially aware exploration of challenges relevant to their work.

Lecturers

Hamed Noori

Hamed is the author of Coaching Across Continents, a handbook shaped by years of practical experience supporting people through change. His career has taken him from entrepreneurship and CEO roles to executive coaching, where he discovered his passion for helping individuals and communities grow.

He founded the Online Coaching Center and the Online Coaching Academy, initiatives that have supported students and individuals across the world and that he continues to build and grow into a diverse community of emerging and experienced coaches. His work now reaches across the EU, where he develops programs that support belonging, understanding differences as a source of learning, and growing together. He has also contributed to major national and international initiatives, including the Dutch National Education Programme (NPO) and the EU MILAGRO project Migrant and Local Grow Together.

Hamed’s contributions have been recognized at Utrecht University with multiple honors: a Diversity and Inclusion Award nomination, a Game Changer in Education Award, and recognition as a Role Model for Student Well-being.

Visiting Experts:

Danielle Vlaanderen

Target audience

This course is designed for individuals working in, or preparing for roles in, social impact and community‑focused environments. It is suitable for those who want to apply practical skills to real societal challenges in their work.

Especially relevant for:

• CSR and sustainability professionals
• NGO and non‑profit staff
• Public sector workers involved in community or social programs
• Early‑career social innovation professionals
• Students pursuing careers in social entrepreneurship or community engagement

Participants strengthen practical competencies in leadership, strategy, co‑creation dialogue, and coaching, applicable across these professions.

Aim of the course

By the end of the program, participants will be able to:

• Identify a societal challenge using clear methods.
• Work collaboratively in teams to explore the social impact of the chosen challenge.
• Develop a realistic and socially responsible idea that responds to the identified issue.
• Create a constructive execution approach, considering feasibility, partnerships, and potential obstacles.
• Apply practical skills in leadership, strategy, negotiation, and coaching throughout the project.
• Communicate their idea clearly and confidently in a final pitch that demonstrates critical thinking and social awareness.

Study load

Participants are expected to complete approximately 5 hours of preparation before the first day of the course. Every day, the course runs from 10:00 to 15:00, followed by one hour of group practice from 15:00 to 16:00. Participants will also complete one to two hours of homework to prepare for the next day.