Grassroots Innovation Incubation
Can a community mechanic from the grassroots innovates solution to solve their own local challenges?
We believe the answer is a strong YES!
Perhaps it is time to foster grassroots-focused innovations by empowering local people to solve their own problems, from economic to quality of life issues. In Thailand, innovative solutions usually come from above or from above, usually resulting in the widening inequality gaps in almost all dimensions.
In partnership with Ch.Kanchang (CK), National Innovation Agency and Grassroots Innovation SE, we are developing a program that celebrates and supports grassroots innovators, connecting them with supporters both in term of knowledge and financial resources, the program also initiate a community of technical-savvy grassroots innovators from across Thailand in order to advise and support each other.
We provide a staged-financing incubation support whereby 10 teams received 30k Baht to improve their innovations, and in few months, choosing 3 out of those that are most ready for 100k further to scale their innovative impact. The incubation process focuses on improving four dimensions of their innovations; costing, engineering / mechanics, design and marketing. After which, ChangeFusion will introduce innovators to various partners and organizations that might further support the scaling of those innovations, for example, NIA has social innovation program that grassroots innovators with readiness could transition to.
Data for Change Lab
Exploring the use of innovative data management for sustainable development.
Big Open Data Against Corruption
Creating the first open dataset for anti-corruption practitioners and media to use to predict and prevent corruption. The collection of public data will be extracted and classified for relatable keywords by volunteers. These prepared data will serve as data source for future anti-corruption applications such as data cross-relating tool and visualisation.
The project is a collaboration between Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ), UNODC, Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand (ACT), ChangeFusion, and OpenDream , with an initial funding from the Media for Social Justice fund in Thailand and TIJ.
Big OpenData against Corruption
A partnership initiative
AI for Traffic Deaths and Accident Reduction
Using OpenData, AI and machine learning to understand causes of repeated accidents and predict fatal accidents. Using accident and fatality data from many sources such as Road Accident Victims Protection Company, emergency services, and local authorities, the data will be put together into machine learning models to aid the understanding of the cause of accident in "blackspot" areas where fatal accidents are repeated, then the model will predict the risk of accidents in those area based on multiple factors. The insight from the data prediction will be used as information for the project team to work with related authorities and communities to develop preventive measures.
The project was a collaboration of passionate individuals who came from variety of disciplines such as health, tech, justice, and local authorities, forming a team of serious practitioner to tackle the problem.
#MySis: AI Chatbot Against Gender-based Violence
Using chatbot and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help victims of gender-based violence, especially domestic violence. The chatbot provides access to emergency support, legal and action-based knowledge as well as linkages to various services that can help from non-profit call center, police to family court and more.
The project was initiated by Peabrom Mekhiyanont who was a police investigator working on domestic violence cases. The chatbot is turning into a platform to coordinate works among many organizations providing active services on gender-based violence issues. It’s receiving technical & content development supports from Women and Men Progressive Movement Foundation, UNICEF, UN Women, OpenDream, BotNoi and ChangeFusion. It’s being developed into a tech for gender social enterprise for sustainability.
The initiative is supported by DTAC, Thailand Institute of Justice, Thai Health Promotion Foundation.
MySis Chatbot (beta test)
https://m.facebook.com/mysisbot/
UN Women’s article
Taejai.com CrowdFunding
Thailand’s first Social crowd-funding platform.
We initiate Taejai.com in 2012, a social crowd funding site, in partnership with OpenDream, Thai Young Philanthropists Network and For KON Thai foundation. The website is meant to support social groups – which can be non-profit organisations, social enterprises, or individuals – who have creative ideas to tackle social/environmental problems and need small fund to start. Taejai projects cover many areas of social and environmental issues relating to children, women, handicaps, senior citizens, animals, education, environmental preservation, urban planning etc.
For transparency, those who donate through Taejai can follow progression of their donated projects on the website, e-news letter, and Taejai’s donation events. As a part of ChangeFusion’s mission in supporting social enterprises, early stage social enterprises can test their business ideas via Taejai.com. Several projects have already raised funds and made their prototype products, for example, pens for blind people, shoes for elderly people, etc.
Taejai had already raised around 2 million USD from ten of thousands of people, supporting hundreds of projects.
For more information, please visit
www.taejai.com
Impact-first investing
Facilitate investment with impact as first-priority to impact enterprises
Investing for change
We facilitate and manage impact investment to finance impact enterprises.
Social investment club facilitation
We work together with various groups of social impact investors to form multiple clubs to collaboratively invest into impact enterprises of their choices. We help develop the social investment concept, priority, due diligence process as well as appropriate structure to manage their joint investment. The target is for angel round investment.
ChangeCapital
Our social investment company ChangeVentures also operate an investment holding company that invests into various impact enterprises at early growth stage with both equity and loan. Portfolio companies’ aggregate income was over few millions USD. The goal is to catalyze and grow a new breed of enterprises to rebalance nature, society and economy, and set examples to inspire others.
Social Enterprise Catalysis
Incubating and growing social enterprises
SE.school
SE.school is an online learning platform for aspiring and current social entrepreneurs. All contents are by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, mostly consists of real cases discussion by the founders of different social enterprises in Thailand (all in Thai language currently). When the learner finished all requirements (watch the clips, send in their SE concept and get feedbacks) then UNDP and ChangeFusion jointly issue a course certificate. SE.school is supported by Banpu PLC.
(SE.school site)
BANPU Champions for Change (BC4C) (2011-present)
BC4C is an incubation programme for young social entrepreneurs. Funded by the Banpu Public Company Limited since 2011, this programme is open for youths (30 year old age limit) to submit social business plans, either as individuals or teams. We first select ten projects to receive a first fund of 50,000 Baht each to implement their plans within three months. Next, our committees will select four promising projects and grant them another 200,000 Baht fund to run their social business for six months. Beyond these seed funds, the teams participate in capacity development workshops, mentorship and networking support throughout the programme.
(Banpu Champions for Change Facebook)
(Article on BC4C #8 on Banpu Public Company site)
(Download BC4C multi-year impact assessment report)
UnLtd Thailand (2010-2012)
UnLtd is an early stage social enterprises support programme first developed in the UK. ChangeFusion brought the model into Thailand in 2010, the third country to implement UnLtd model in the world after India. With an aim to foster social impact and financial sustainability of each project, we seek, support, and incubate social entrepreneurs who are applying creative ideas to tackle social and environmental problems. UnLtd Thailand’s main supporter is the Thai Social Enterprise Office (TSEO), established under the Thai Health Promotion Foundation Act as the executive authority to deliver the Social Enterprises Master Plan (2010–14) for the Thai government.
(UnLtd Thailand Facebook Page)
(UnLtd Thailand Performance Review at ThaiPublica)
(ADB paper with UnLtd Thailand mentioned on page 5)
(IADB Paper)
Social Enterprise Promotion Policy (2008)
ChangeFusion led the partnership with the British Council in 2008 to bring prominent social leaders and government officials to the UK to learn about social enterprise policy. Then we worked with the government to setup the Thai Social Enterprise Promotion Committee, we served as co-secretary of the Thai Social Enterprise Committee chaired by the Prime Minister, that led to the development of 5-year master plan on promoting social enterprises and the setup of TSEO to execute the plan. TSEO was established as an organisation under the Thai Health Promotion Foundation as a specialized government body. The TSEO’s missions were to promote and support social enterprises in Thailand. www.tseo.or.th
Youth Social Enterprise Initiative (YSEI)
YSEI was a social enterprise competition programme for young entrepreneurs. This was the first regional incubation programme in South & South East Asia, sponsored by the Swiss Agency for Development (SDC), Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP), UNESCO and Microsoft.
As this project had been aimed at supporting sustainable and scalable social enterprises, we supported 22 social enterprises in Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh by providing financial support, incubation, and networking. Unfortunately, the project was discontinued in 2008 due to the financial crisis in the US between 2007-2008.
(YSEI Report at GKP)
(Presentation at The World Bank)
(UNICEF Paper with several mentions on YSEI)
(Startup and Change The World Guide from YSEI)
“Incubating a social enterprises is like growing a tree.”
Socially Responsible Investment / ESG Funds
Mobilizing resources and investment for impact
Leveraging capital market for impact
We work to leverage capital market for impact, by building social finance innovations.
BKIND FUND
Co-designed first socially responsible investment mutual fund (ESG) in Thailand with Bualuang Asset Management & For Khon Thai Foundation, IPO value was 1.8 billion Baht. BKIND fund also has a unique element whereby 40% of its management fee is turned into a sub-venture philanthropy fund that directly support social initiatives. (Since 2015)
(Article on ChangeFusion & BKIND Fund at Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN) Knowledge Portal)
Thai Sustainability List Criteria, the Stock Exchange of Thailand
We co-designed with BKIND team and sustainable investing committee within the Stock Exchange of Thailand to develop broad criteria for a list of sustainable listed companies. Based on existing BKIND criteria and consideration of global sustainability criteria such as DJSI & FTSE4Good as well as GRI, the Thai sustainability list was launched. The list eventually became further enhanced and developed into a Thai Sustainability Index (SET TSSI).
(Link to SET TSSI)
THAI GOVERNANCE FUND PARTNERSHIP
Support the creation of industry-wide collaboration with 10 mutual fund companies creating funds to invest into listed companies with high governance standard and supporting anti-corruption projects. The partnership is initiated by the All related funds contribute an average of 40% of their management fees into an anti-corruption initiative fund that directly support anti-corruption, governance building and investigative media initiatives. (6B THB since 2017)
(Link to Thai CG FUND site -THAI)
(Read UNDP’s SDG Localization in ASEAN report with Thai CG Fund partnership as key innovative financing model - P. 101)