General manager, corporate affairs, at Contact Energy, Nicholas Robinson, casts some insight into how his "large corporate enterprise" is being inspired by the work of social enterprise hub the Akina Foundation.
It was over a year ago now when we first sat down with the bright-eyed and energetic crew, of the then Hikurangi Foundation, to learn about the fast-growing world of social enterprise in New Zealand. Aware of the famous models of social enterprise, like Tom's Shoes, we were pretty unaware and ignorant of the quiet efforts going on at home in New Zealand.
We were excited and intrigued by what we saw and heard. Here was this small organisation which was running like hell to keep up with the momentum of a growing number of enterprises seeking to marry up the, often seen-to-be competing, worlds of environmental and social outcomes with vibrant and dynamic business.
As a large corporate enterprise in New Zealand it is often difficult for us to meaningfully connect with social and environmental issues that extend beyond writing the cheque and collecting money in buckets along the Main Street. What social enterprise offers us is the opportunity to be involved in enterprises that are potentially scale-able and, if successful, have long term sustainability.
We were an early driver and major sponsor of the movement to retrofit insulation in homes before it was funded by government. When we were introduced to Hikurangi and to the Launchpad we were looking for something that would enable us to take our commitment to social and environmental development another step forward. And so began our partnership with the Akina Foundation and Launchpad.
