Stories

A Brave Year Ahead: A Letter From the 1MS Founders

While it has been awful in many ways, some good things have come out of the last year. One of them is maybe speediness: the ability to do something faster, something that before might have taken ages… There’s been a necessity for bravery and just getting things done. The ways in which we work, shop, play, live and learn have changed dramatically because of the pandemic. The businesses that have survived, and even thrived, have been those that were able to quickly and effectively turn to serve the change. The situation has pushed limits and stretched businesses into new categories, and fast. We believe it’s the only path to sustainable growth.

08.03.2021.

Just as big world crises tend to change societies for the better and highlight the common good, we think that the world has an important opportunity to turn the hard-won lessons of this pandemic into a more equal future for all. 

We will encourage and support the 1MillionStartups community through four main lessons — which embody values that have actually always been at our organization’s core:

FINALLY, THE PURPOSE AT THE HEART OF THE BUSINESSES

Another of the few good things to have come out of the last year has been that more and more big businesses have understood the importance of putting purpose at the center of what they do. Entrepreneurship and startups have also played a significant role in driving this change, using creativity and smart thinking around so many positive causes and ensuring we all make a positive impact on people and the planet.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP AS A STATE OF MIND

People in all industries were more invested than ever in changing the world for the better. We have seen a lot of innovation, a lot of agility, incredible examples of a do-it-yourself innovation approach. Various activities by corporations, startups, different organizations, individuals and movements have driven local, national and even global societal transformations. 

UNITE, SHARE AND COLLABORATE

What is my colleague, neighbor, family member, friend or a passer-by experiencing? Can I help them? The need to come together, share information and be concerted in our efforts has never been more crucial. Because, as we learned, we sometimes just have very limited time to turn things around, and when we share more, explore more together, we can deliver the unexpected. We can’t have the old divisions and ways of working that we used to have. Strong communities, sharing knowledge and experiences, and continuous interactions make the impossible — possible.

DIVERSITY IS IMPORTANT, BUT STRIVE FOR INCLUSION

Have we cracked the nut on diversity and inclusion? No, but it was encouraging to see the amount of energy and resources which everyone finally started applying in 2020, especially after the events in the USA which inspired BLM. While inclusive hiring isn’t the only thing needed to build a diverse workplace and society, it’s certainly a crucial step. And for startups and businesses to be genuinely inclusive, they need to hire a diverse set of people at all levels of the organization. As this is a big and complex subject, in 2021 we’ll focus on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) no. 5 — Gender Diversity — and work actively throughout the year on truly including female entrepreneurs in the startup eco-system.

The world will still be changing; there will be a lot of perseverance required, a need to rebuild better, innovate, and create jobs for the post-pandemic recovery.

#togetherwe are looking forward to a brave 2021

In 1MillionStartups we are dedicating it to collaboration and female entrepreneurship.

Thanks as always for being a part of our tribe!

Selma, Tanja & Helena