2023/10/10

They join forces to improve the mental health of emerging adults and invest in social entrepreneurs in the Nordics

To mark World Mental Health Day, The Inner Foundation, Reach for Change, and the Tim Bergling Foundation are today launching a collaborative initiative aimed at supporting improved mental health for emerging adults (aged 18-29) in the Nordics. This initiative, known as "Next in Mind", will provide support to social entrepreneurs currently offering innovative solutions for the target group across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland. Social entrepreneurs will receive both funding and business development coaching with the aim of increasing their reach and impact.

According to an OECD report, the proportion of emerging adults in the Nordics suffering from mental health challenges is among the highest in all of Europe. The same report indicates that there are twice as many emerging adults in the Nordics suffering from mental health challenges when compared to other age groups in the wider population.

"By investing in knowledgeable and innovative social entrepreneurs, we are contributing to positive individual and societal development in the Nordics and strengthening the mental health of emerging adults. We believe that the most effective way to contribute is to support these social entrepreneurs and collaborate with key stakeholders in society. This collective initiative is aimed at reversing the negative trend in mental wellbeing," says Annika Sten Pärson, Co-Founder and Chairperson of The Inner Foundation.

Reach for Change, The Inner Foundation, and the Tim Bergling Foundation have come together to invest in and support both for-profit and non-profit social entrepreneurs currently working on mental health solutions. The solutions should be scalable with the aim to reach a significant number of emerging adults in the Nordics, and may range from treating mental health issues, to methods for prevention and enhancing mental wellbeing.

The Next in Mind initiative will also bring together representatives from the private sector, public sector, academia, as well as emerging adults from across four Nordic countries, making it a truly collaborative impact initiative. By uniting several sectors and sources of expertise at the core of the initiative all dimensions of society are represented, thus paving the way for long-term and sustainable change.

"We have supported over 2,000 social entrepreneurs in Europe and Africa, so we understand the power of social entrepreneurship and that there are many solutions out there that can reshape our current systems. As Reach for Change was co-founded by a social entrepreneur and the private sector, these types of partnerships are in our DNA. Therefore, it's exciting to co-create Next in Mind from its inception. Instead of starting from scratch, we want to build on the good work already being done and invest in solutions that exist but need coaching and investment to get to the next stage," says Sofia Breitholtz, CEO of Reach for Change.

“Emerging adults are often a forgotten group when it comes to investments in mental health and wellbeing. That's why we are proud to be a part of Next in Mind, which will make help and support more accessible to them. Through Next in Mind, we further raise awareness about mental health, contributing to removing the stigma and ensuring that more emerging adults reach their full potential. Moreover, the involvement of young adults is crucial, I believe, in understanding the solutions needed and what can truly make a difference," says Klas Bergling, Founder of the Tim Bergling Foundation.," says Klas Bergling, Founder of the Tim Bergling Foundation.

The initiative consists of two components:

Incubator program: focuses on developing and scaling social entrepreneurs with solutions for improved mental health and wellbeing of emerging adults. This program will include - among other elements - coaching to improve their business model, readiness for scaling, impact measurement, and funding strategies.

Strategic advocacy interventions: will aim at enabling entrepreneurs with mental health solutions to successfully expand their operations, be integrated into the public healthcare system, and sell their services to relevant buyers.

Additional partners and funders for the project include Kavli Trust (Norway) and Illusian (Finland). Next in Mind also has several partners that will be contributing with their knowledge and expertise, such as Kinnevik, Northzone, Bain, Eva Ahlström Foundation, Ing Marie Wieselgren Foundation, and Ashoka.

Read up about the Next in Mind initiative here.

For more information, please contact Camilla Svedberg, Head of Communications at Reach for Change at: camilla.svedberg@reachforchange.org