Articles Archives - SIX | Social Innovation Exchange

Social innovation – a powerful approach to address the grand societal challenges

Social innovations on the rise Social Innovation has increasingly been attracting attention in recent years. As a novel approach to address complex global problems of health, social care, education, energy, and environmental policies, it has been embraced by stakeholders and communities on the local, regional, and national level. As the Atlas of Social Innovation has ... Social innovation – a powerful approach to address the grand societal challenges

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By Prof. Dr. Jürgen Howaldt

Why Being Nice is Canada’s Social Innovation Superpower

If I had to pick just one thing that makes social innovation work, it would be collaboration. And if I had to pick just one thing that Canada does particularly well?Well, it’s collaboration—our small population in a huge country, we have had to work together because, let’s be honest, we’re really nice. The world loves ... Why Being Nice is Canada’s Social Innovation Superpower

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By Andrea Nemtin

Thoughts about SIX

Kristin Wolff, a long-time friend of SIX, reflects on her experiences at SIX gatherings.

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By Kristin Wolff

Fifteen Years of Social Innovation

Geoff Mulgan, founder of SIX, reflects on SIX’s 15-year history, highlighting both the setbacks and promise of social innovation in a turbulent world.

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By Geoff Mulgan

6 things social innovation can offer to an out of control world

Author Charlie Leadbeater summed up the London SIX Wayfinder 2017 with six things that social innovation can offer to the future.

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By Charlie Leadbeater

A reflection on social innovation from Brazil

I’ve been working the development field for thirty years and one of the first lessons I learned when still a trainee at the W.K.Kellogg Foundation, was the need for innovation to solve longstanding ‘social problems’. Be they in education, health, rural development, philanthropy & volunteerism – the main programme areas in the 1990s in Latin ... A reflection on social innovation from Brazil

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By Carla Duprat

Is social innovation even a thing?

Martin Stewart-Weeks (Founder and Principal, Public Purpose) reflects on social innovation and why it matters.

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By Martin Stewart-Weeks

We dared to imagine

I still remember the excitement in the air, as we sat around the large official dinner tables in the impressive conference hall in Beijing back in the late fall of 2006. Present were some of the people I respected most highly when it came to social change, democracy innovation and the respect for not only ... We dared to imagine

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By Uffe Elbaek

Spreading social innovation through practice

TACSI’s reflections on 15 years of nurturing ideas, relationships and practices—locally and globally—through the SIX community. SIX was founded just a year before TACSI, back in 2008—a time when big tech was still a symbol of progress, the White House had an Office of Social Innovation, and most meetings happened face-to-face. At TACSI, we were ... Spreading social innovation through practice

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By Chris Vanstone

Launch of the Social Innovation Mission Facility for EU Missions in Vienna

On 3-4 July, 2025, partners from Austria, Germany, Portugal, Netherlands, UK gathered in Vienna for launch of the Social Innovation Mission Facility.

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