Every year, thousands of people all around the world go out on a limb to launch new businesses; ones that use profits to tackle various social issues occurring in this broken world around us. At All Good Ventures, we call these people “social entrepreneurs”, and their businesses “social enterprises”. And we, for one, are perpetually in awe of them.

So in awe of them in fact, that in 2018 we established a charity to holistically support them. The heart behind All Good Ventures is pure and simple. We want to help social entrepreneurs from across the globe launch social enterprises; specifically, ones that use business profits to bring freedom to people who really need it. In short, we do this by annually offering successful applicants three things: Money (seed funding), Mentoring (via a dedicated business mentor) and Muscle (extra support with jobs that crop up in the first year of business).

But enough about us. Let’s bring the focus back to them; the social entrepreneurs on the ground doing the work to start the businesses, grow them, and ultimately use profits to radically change the lives of others for the better. Read on to meet the four latest social enterprises supported by All Good Ventures in last year’s funding round (2021). They really are striving to change the world for the better. May you be as inspired by them as we are!

Restore Social Enterprises

Restore Enterprises is an Australian social enterprise that employs Australians with disabilities, injuries and mental illness to manufacture and restore furniture for sale. Launched 2021, the goal is to nurture employment skills in a secure environment, and later see their employees move into permanent work with other employers. Once the social enterprise is making profit through furniture sales, revenue will be put back into employing more people with disabilities. Down the track, they also intend for some restored furniture to be donated to local safe houses, for the benefit of families escaping domestic violence. How’s that!?

Ridi Trading (Adili Africa), Kenya

Ridi Trading is the online trade arm of existing social enterprise Adili Africa. Launched last year, this new online trade arm enables extremely poor Nairobi artisans including weavers, carvers, painters and the like to sell their products online both locally and internationally. Pre COVID-19 these artisans earned daily wages by selling art in markets. Sadly, markets no longer exist, thus there’s no legitimate way for them to make a living; hence the desperate need for an online sales method. Profits will be divided fairly between the artisans, and also go towards operating Adili Africa’s holistic health programmes.

Thunderbird Studios

Thunderbird Studios, which launched in 2021, has been established for the benefit of young indigenous addicts and human trafficking survivors in the far north of Canada. Project leader, John Lambert, is a third-generation First Nations woodcarver who owns a highly successful wood carving and teaching business, and is best known for selling commemorative carvings to government organisations. Youth participating in Thunderbird Studios will be referred by existing First Nations education programmes; they’ll attend creative workshops facilitated by John and also receive wraparound social services support. The first intake of youth is expected to commence in the next couple of months. John’s existing business is the main profit-making component of the social enterprise.

Ministry of Chai

Ministry of Chai is a New Zealand based mobile chai tea cart business founded by local chai tea lover, Esther Burnett. Esther launched Ministry of Chai in 2021 and is currently working to expand the business by offering boutique events and private hire of the caravan, and by opening an online shop selling tea accessories and dry spices. She is also working hard to source fair trade and ethical spices as opposed to spices she can readily source nearby. Eventual profits from her social enterprise will be funnelled into 1-2 community projects in rural India that focus on women and children’s education.

These are just four of the nine new enterprises we’ve been deeply inspired by and hence supported in last year’s funding round. If you’re looking for an extra dose of inspiration we encourage you to read on our website about five more that launched in previous years.

One final note from us. If – like the social entrepreneurs above – you’re in the throes of developing and/or launching your social enterprise idea, may we lend some encouragement: changing the world through business is undoubtedly hard work, but with passion, determination, and the right external support you CAN make it happen. We’ve seen it happen. You inspire us and we wish you the best of luck!

Applications to become an All Good Venture are open until 31 March. Find out more and apply today.

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All Good Ventures is a registered family charity founded by New Zealand-based Americans Heather and Rod Claycomb. Both successful businesspeople themselves, the Claycombs launched All Good Ventures in 2018. Their heart behind the charity is pure and simple: to see people from all corners of the globe freed from deprivation by helping launch new social enterprises. You can listen to the in-depth version of their story here, or hear from some of the social entrepreneurs they’ve supported here.