About us
When cutting through the noise, we say things like: We are slicing this elephant in a new way, creating a hybrid solution. And then here, beyond the buzzwords, in our bare humanity, we know our quest is simple.
To remain unrelentingly devoted to inner health, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), driven by incredibly personal motivations. Inner health, after all, leaves no one untouched. We have a deep-hearted commitment.
Why is inner health in such a fractured state? Well, humans are social creatures, wired for connection, intrinsically reliant on one another for existence.
Society and its systems aren’t. We make it our work to untangle the knots that divide society and humanity, keeping people from their own inner health.
By engaging with powerful, scalable initiatives, we create connections between individuals and organizations that together build a healthier, more holistic society. That take us from hurting to healing to thriving, and from exclusion to inclusion.
Our Story
We created The Inner Foundation as a significant force for good – equal parts impact investor, grant giver, and thought leader. We witnessed a big gap between academic insight, best practice, and street-level action in the field of mental health and DEI and found it impossible to sit by and watch the hurt expand. We instead made it our job to turn insight into action, step by active step, and then accelerate healing of the world to the next level: one of thriving.
We consider ourselves part empowerers, part activists. We recognize the complexity and still, we aim for solutions that are simple, doable, and powerful. We set out to build an ecosystem of positive change agents with people and organizations that share our philosophy and theory of change. There are thousands of innovative solutions out there that carry the potential for counteracting the problems of loneliness, loss of direction, exclusion, and lack of diversity. Debilitating issues that are not getting addressed for real.
We are here to change that.
We know you’re out there
We also know that no one can solve the social crisis alone. And that no two solve it in the same way. That’s where we come in — with investment, resources, networking, and knowledge.
We are here to support entrepreneurs and changemakers, working from a for-profit business, not-for-profit organization or a hybrid business model. All with the common intention to improve inner health. We have a specific interest in those targeting emerging adults.
We unearth projects and solutions that drive real change on an individual and systemic level. We invest in strong teams that drive solutions that scale. That strive to change the lives of many.
Are you an impact startup?
Do you have a clear intention of creating positive change for the inner health of many? Do you use business as a force for good to deliver measurable impact while earning profit? Are you still in the early stages of development, but your product ideation is established and proof-of-concept is in place?
Are you a social enterprise?
Do you target the inner health of underserved emerging adults aged 18-30? Do you have a proven solution and a roadmap to scale? Are you operating in Eastern Europe? Our open call is now accepting applications from social entrepreneurs and NGOs. Let’s find out if we make a good working match— take our quick scan.
Are you looking to collaborate?
Are you ready to be part of the system of positive change that aims to improve the quality of life for emerging adults? Are you interested in sharing your insights and knowledge, as well as collaborating with us and other people and organizations that share our philosophy and theory of change?
The team
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Annika Sten Pärson
Founding Partner and Executive Chair
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Pär-Jörgen Pärson
Co-Founder and Non-Executive Board member
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Caroline Stiernstedt Sahlborn
Partner
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Zakaria Hersi
Investment & Portfolio Manager
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Precious Jocson
Chief of Staff
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Ebba Salén
Strategic Communications Lead
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Ye Liu-Poon
Investment & Portfolio Manager
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Vincent Touati-Tomas
Advisor