Ukrainian Social Entrepreneurs: Creating a Better Future Despite the War
Ukrainian Social Entrepreneurs: Creating a Better Future Despite the War
Monday, 7 July 2025
Location: SJES001 (Faculty of Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences (JES))
Distributed Paper
Social entrepreneurship in times of war faces many challenges as financial support is redirected to higher priorities because, in the turbulent state of war, society consolidates around innovations focused on achieving military advantage. However, victory also requires that everyday and innovative social activities are not interrupted, forming a sustainable rear and providing growth potential. Our research focuses on successful social entrepreneurship cases that have gained recognition and crowdfunding support. These companies’ projects were supported by ordinary Ukrainians and philanthropists during a full-scale war, despite the significant financial and tax burden the Ukrainian population is under.
The empirical basis of the study was 5 in-depth interviews with social entrepreneurs, including representatives of such types of businesses as the production of tourist equipment; the board games development; the preservation of folk weaving; the glass bottles recycling, and confectionery at the center of social care for women. In their activities, these companies adhere to the principles of social responsibility and building a more just society, empowering women and children, implementing a win-win approach, and focusing on social inclusion and justice. During the interviews we looked at the whole process of creating each social enterprise step-by-step: the emergence of an idea, test (initial) launch, business project development, mentorship, creation and maintenance of a crowdfunding campaign, the business reaching its first plateau - ensuring self-sustainability and stable positive social impact. In conclusion, we focus on social success factors, organizational solutions, and promotion methods that have demonstrated their effectiveness even in times of war and, therefore, can be adapted and also used to promote social innovations in peacetime and other countries.
The empirical basis of the study was 5 in-depth interviews with social entrepreneurs, including representatives of such types of businesses as the production of tourist equipment; the board games development; the preservation of folk weaving; the glass bottles recycling, and confectionery at the center of social care for women. In their activities, these companies adhere to the principles of social responsibility and building a more just society, empowering women and children, implementing a win-win approach, and focusing on social inclusion and justice. During the interviews we looked at the whole process of creating each social enterprise step-by-step: the emergence of an idea, test (initial) launch, business project development, mentorship, creation and maintenance of a crowdfunding campaign, the business reaching its first plateau - ensuring self-sustainability and stable positive social impact. In conclusion, we focus on social success factors, organizational solutions, and promotion methods that have demonstrated their effectiveness even in times of war and, therefore, can be adapted and also used to promote social innovations in peacetime and other countries.