Ashoka
Unlocking Corporate Social Responsibility: from Retail to Social Impact
Five years ago, Ashoka and IKEA Social Entrepreneurship launched the Dela global accelerator programme to support social entrepreneurs and finetune their strategies by collaborating with experts from different sectors. Over 300 co-workers from IKEA have now participated in this programme, supporting more than 45 social innovators to further develop and test their innovative strategies for systems change, and transforming the areas in which they work. We spoke with Christina Enocson, Retail Equipment Manager at IKEA with more than 30 years of experience at the company. Christina joined the first edition of Dela in 2019 to support Ashoka Fellow John J, the founder of Grassroot Tea Corporation in India. Since last year, Christina has been involved in the fourth edition of Dela, supporting new Ashoka Fellow Rafael Rincón and his team at Fundacion Gastronomía Social in Chile, who are working innovatively to ensure food security for everyone. Read on to hear Christina’s reflections of participating in this global accelerator. Christina: Well, the beauty of working with IKEA is that you have the opportunity to explore so many different roles and work with multiple tasks. There are always opportunities for development and to try new things. I began my journey with IKEA in retail while I was still studying. After that, I had the chance to move to product development, where I worked in various areas such as kitchen and dining, living room, and IKEA Food. For the past few years, I have been working with the retail side again, but this time within Retail Concept. For me, that’s key: to have a job that is engaging and offers a variety of experiences. Then, about four or five years ago, I first heard about the Dela global accelerator programme and the opportunity to contribute to creating a positive and sustainable impact. From my initial involvement in Dela, I learned so much and the experience was incredibly fulfilling and energizing from the very beginning. This time, I feel I have a much deeper understanding of the social entrepreneurship field. It’s rewarding to be able to see the whole process and to anticipate that our efforts will lead to something much larger. Working with the Gastronomía Social Foundation, they’ve not only become partners but also good friends, which is incredibly rewarding as well. Christina: My initial involvement with the Dela programme taught me to embrace the journey without presuming to have all the answers. The food business is different from one country to the next: here I am in Sweden, and I support the Gastronomía Social Foundation in Chile. I can only give the right support if I have a mindset of being open and curious. In the end, it’s all about asking the right questions that help to connect the dots. Right from the start, it was clear that sitting on the side wasn’t an option. It was all about rolling up my sleeves, diving in, staying open-minded, and really embracing the new challenges that come your way. If you’re ready to do that, you’ll definitely contribute to achieving great things together with the team and the social entrepreneurs you work with. Christina: We definitely ran into troubles and challenges. Sometimes, it felt like we were stuck and not making progress. But we kept our regular meetings, ready to tackle the challenge. I believe that sticking with those meetings, even when it didn’t seem like we were getting anywhere, was important for our progress. We kept talking, faced our problems directly, and yes, we got frustrated at times. But we didn’t give up and that really helped us get moving again. We also made good use of the tools that the Dela programme gave us — resources like easy templates, process guidelines, learning circles and friendly catch-up calls. These helped us think straight and keep pushing forward. In IKEA we have a saying: if at first we don’t succeed, we must try and try again. This means keep going, work together, and use the help around you to find your way. And for us it worked, we ended up getting exactly where we wanted to be. Christina: I’ve learned so many useful things from the Dela Accelerator programme that I now apply to my daily job. For example, during my time in the accelerator, I participated in Ashoka’s Future of Business course. It taught me to step back and look at the bigger picture, instead of getting stuck with problems that are immediately in front of me. It also taught me how to ask better questions at work, which has been helpful. Back at my job, I can’t stop talking about the Dela programme. I’m proud to be a part of it, and I’m proud to work for a company like IKEA that supports social entrepreneurs. I also take pride in working for a company that provides us, the co-workers, with opportunities to participate in these programmes. When I discuss my contributions to the accelerator with family and friends, they are always impressed. Christina: Being a part of the Dela Accelerator programme has helped me see in a more tangible way how IKEA is supporting social entrepreneurs. Before my involvement, I wasn’t exactly sure how this was done. I also believe that it adds something valuable to IKEA. While most of my friends and family aren’t particularly interested in my work, they become really excited and intrigued when I discuss the Dela programme and how important it is to support social entrepreneurs. This fills me with pride. Additionally, it has opened up a new network of people within the company, which I find very valuable. The network I’ve joined is incredibly welcoming, — everyone is open, curious, and supportive, not only at Ashoka but also within IKEA Social Entrepreneurship and the broader IKEA network. Now, as we are in the final experimentation phase, I am meeting many different experts from within IKEA who support the journey. This experience is truly amazing. The Dela programme is also collaborating with the IKEA Next Generation Leaders programme. This gives me the opportunity to coach a young future leader, to see things from new perspectives, and for us to grow together. There are a lot of ways in which you can support change, yet what we’re discussing here is a more sustainable change. Engaging in systems change means addressing not only the obvious problem but also the root causes — this is an approach that I try to bring with me in my daily work. It challenges me to continuously ask, “What is the true problem here?” My experience working with Dela, Ashoka, and the social entrepreneurs involved in this programme has taught me a lot in this regard. The goal isn’t just to support, it’s to deliver meaningful, long-term support. While short-term support is for sure valuable, creating systemic change is what leads to lasting transformation and impactful change. Working with Rafael and his team is incredibly exciting. They are passionate about what they do and are determined to make the world better. Being a part of that movement is both rewarding and energizing! The team at Gastronomía Social Foundation has clear goals and is dedicated to reaching them. Sometimes, we need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture to figure out the best way to create significant change: it does not happen overnight. I love how creative they are and how they always want to try new things. Their energy is just so motivating. To put it simply, collaborating with these driven social entrepreneurs, like Rafael and his team, is contagious. Their excitement rubs off on you, and despite setbacks, in the end, it shows that we all can make a difference. Many people are still unaware of what an accelerator programme like Dela is. Whenever I share my experiences and encourage others to get involved, everyone is keen on the idea. I often mention that the most fulfilling aspect is engaging in something truly unique — making even a small contribution toward a better world. If I could offer any advice, it would be this: dive in and give it a try. Let’s make a difference together. The Dela programme is currently in its fifth year, and has counted with four editions and 560 participants. Since the first accelerator, 65% of the participating social entrepreneurs have changed their strategies to grow their impact beyond their organizations and all of them felt more confident in pursuing systems change. As per the participating co-workers, all of them gained valuable insights, became more aware of their agency, and activated others for social impact. Learn more about the programme and meet the current cohort here.
Q: Christina, could you share with us why you decided to join the Dela programme?
Q: Before meeting Rafael, what were your hopes or expectations of working with a social entrepreneur on a specific topic, in this case the food industry?
Q: What have been the most challenging and rewarding moments for you during your participation in the Dela programme? How did you overcome these challenges?
Q: What are the main three learnings or takeaways that you bring with you into your professional role?
Q: You have been part of the company for over 30 years. Has your perspective towards IKEA changed after participating in the programme?
Q: How do you understand the term “systems change,” and why do you think it is important to support it?
Q: If you had to summarize your experience in the Dela programme, what would you share with us?
Q: Finally, is there any advice you would give to others who would like to join an accelerator like Dela to support social entrepreneurs?
This piece is part of a mini-series documenting co-workers and social entrepreneurs exchanging knowledge and inspiring each other to contribute towards greater impact and systems change. Watch here for more articles as they are published!