View from the conference coalface: Skoll suits or Oxford Jam?

Both are social innovation fests full of excitement for the visiting entrepreneur, says Scott Darraugh, CEO of Social Adventures – and at face value there is a clear contrast between the two events: “Put it this way, at Skoll you needed your suit – there was a no tie policy at the OJ!”.

 

“You get the sense that Skoll is very much about the structures behind being a social entrepreneur, focused on the foundations and angel investors that support these people and organisations – Oxford Jam is more about working at the ‘coalface’ of social issues.”

 

Operating at the coalface is one way of putting it. Nigel Kershaw, CEO of Big Issue Invest, one of the UK's leading impact investors, expressed a similar view, remarking in jest, as he sat down for a chat in the Oxford Jam café: "I’m supposed to be at Skoll but I thought I’d come over and rough it with you lot.”

 

Whether you 'rough it' at the Oxford Jam, or indulge in the spectacle of the Skoll World Forum, however, both these events are a major opportunity for social entrepreneurs to top up with advice, inspiration and great contacts. Darraugh says the greatest value for him comes from the chance to mix with like-minded entrepreneurs and spend time "chatting to folk from across the globe about how they are doing better business to make a better world”.

 

To sum up, Darraugh gave Pioneers Post two of his take-away insights to go in the Skoll World Forum party bag: 

 

First: “Bill Drayton, founder of Ashoka, said ‘the age of repetition is dead and the only way to make a change is innovation.”

 

Second: “Life beyond the social impact bond. Another thing that Skoll told me is that we are going to need more innovation in our thinking about social investment if we are really going to make a difference to the challenges we face at the moment.”