We have been to: Kristiansand, Trondheim, Oslo, Asker&Bærum, Tromsø, Molde, Stavanger and Bergen.
Springboard addresses the difficulties that people of immigrant background face in Norway particularly as they relate to securing employment or growing their own businesses.
Springboard empowers immigrants, especially women, with the tools they need to start their own businesses. The primary goal of this project is to provide professional training through detailed courses and mentorship for immigrants to secure the skills and knowledge they need to improve their lives and start sustainable businesses.
Training will be provided across via in-person and digital courses on vital topics and information needed to successfully start and grow a business (i.e. making a business plan, business strategy, accounting, marketing and branding, technology tools to grow your business) and/or find work. The in-person courses will take place in six Norwegian cities.
*There are no costs involved in participating in the program.
People of immigrant backgrounds encounter varying degrees of discrimination on the grounds such as gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual preference or socio-economic position. In Norway today, many immigrants (women and men alike) believe that they are unlikely to secure skilled work regardless of their academic attainment and professional experience. They often attribute this to their race, ethnicity, religion, language barrier and the perception of being “the other” or foreign.
This belief continues to be the trend and has now become the status quo, as newly arrived immigrant people learn that their opportunities are limited. For those able to secure employment, they are often employed in low-skilled jobs. With Springboard, we plan to challenge societal limitations that have been internalised by people in our target group, and chart a new way forward, together.
The primary goals of this project are to amplify the voices of immigrants on the economic, social and professional challenges they face, and, to provide a training platform for business skills acquisition and entrepreneurship. This project seeks to not only highlight existing problems but also find actionable solutions by engaging with stakeholders across social and economic sectors. Through this series of events, we aim to facilitate competence development, business understanding and strengthened self-esteem for immigrant people in cities across Norway.
With Springboard, we aim to amplify the conversation on professional empowerment for our target group, whilst creating a platform for visibility, job opportunities, and socio-economic progress for immigrant and minority groups in Norway. In so doing, we hope to break barriers, create networks and enable employment opportunities that will empower.
18 – 65 years of age, and identify as being an immigrant, a member of a minority group, or a repat.
Have an interest in starting your own company and may already have a business idea.
Self-starter, energetic, ambitious and eager to improve your professional and personal life.
Over 16 hours of learning that includes business skills acquisition, branding, marketing and networking.
Courses on relevant topics that include Business Strategy, Digital Marketing, Financial & Legal requirements that is accessible 24/7.
Increase your network & opportunities. Learn from experts & experienced entrepreneurs.
We will hold in-person workshops in cities across Norway throughout the year. The Springboard workshop will provide skills and tools needed to accelerate your business acumen and grow your business. Selected participants will receive tailored feedback on their ideas and projects. They will also learn from industry experts and entrepreneurs who will share tools and best practices.
The digital platform will provide various multi-media resources full of video courses, documents and tools to assist your entrepreneurial journey. Participants of the on-site workshops will also join the digital platform to access additional resources and continue learning and improving their skills from the comfort of their homes.
This platform is free and open (with registration) to everyone and members of our target groups across Norwegian towns, cities and communes.
More information will bes sent out to participants and published on our social media.
Founder, Diversify & Mettle Consult
Economist, with expertise in Entrepreneurship, Business Strategy, Monetisation & Growth
Founder, Papillon Bergen & Co-Founder of Support not Protect
Project Partner, Panelist & Workshop Facilitator
Founder, Inter-Nationals
Panelist & Workshop Facilitator with expertise in Finance
Associate Professor, University of Bergen
Panelist & Workshop Facilitator
Program Director, Catalysts
Panelist & Workshop Facilitator with expertise in Project Design, Management, and Research
Founder, Manifold
Workshop Facilitator with expertise in Project Design and Execution
Founder, Network for Work
Workshop Facilitator with expertise in Communication and Networking
Consultant, Bjørnefjorden Kommune
Panelist & Workshop Facilitator
Program Director, Diversify
Springboard Project Management
Founder, TechUp
Mentor & Course Facilitator with expertise in Website Development, SME Accounting & Digitalisation
Director of Partnerships, Diversify
Multi-city Project Facilitation
Project Manager, Diversify
Multi-city Project Manager
Founder, SAWA Foods
Mentor & Workshop Facilitator, with expertise in Business Idea Generation, Validation & Design Thinking
Community Manager, Diversify
Events & Community Director, Brand Execution
IT Consultant, Netlight Consulting
Workshop Facilitator with expertise in Agile Methods, Customer Focus, Build-Measure-Learn & MVP
Social Worker, Bergen Kommune
Panelist with expertise in Project Startup and Management
Founder, Startup Consultancy & Adjunct lecturer in Entrepreneurship, BI
Workshop Facilitator with expertise in Business idea Creation & Validation, Business & Revenue Models, Fundraising & Investment
Organisational Psychologist & Speaker's Coach
Panelist & Workshop Facilitator with expertise in Design-Thinking and Research & Analysis
CEO, Lelo-Development
Panelist & Workshop Facilitator with expertise in International Business, Marketing, Innovation Management & Branding
Founder @ Decarbonify
Panelist & Experience Sharing with expertise in Sustainability & Circular Economy
Founder, Elenovations
Panelist with expertise in Electrical & Telecommunication Engineering, Bio-electrical Research & Development
CEO, Fotobaren AS
Workshop facilitator with expertise in Business Development, Corporate Partnerships and Strategy
Speaker, Coach and Intercultural Trainer at the Stavanger Chamber of Commerce
Workshop facilitator with expertise in Project Management, Intercultural Competencies
Founder, Living Seeds
Workshop Facilitator with expertise in Business and Personal Development
Founder of Salsitas AS and Seeds of Norway
Panelist and Experience Sharing
Geologist and Founder of Guillem Cheung Photography
Panelist and Experience Sharing
Entrepreneur and Founder of Startup Migrants
Panelist
Senior Associate, Ernst & Young
Experience Sharing
Founder, The Oslo Desk
Experience Sharing
CEO, TheFactory Academy
Experience Sharing
Chief Talent Sourcer, Avantgarde Search
Panelist with expertise in job opportunities and career development.
Lecturer/Assistant Professor in Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Innovation,
BI
Workshop Facilitator with expertise in Strategy, Product and Pricing, and Investments Policy
Founder, Adapt360 and The Mars Society Scandinavia
Experience Sharing
Communications Director, Founder Institute
Workshop Facilitator with expertise in Communications and Business Development
Founder, ENK på 1-2-3
Workshop Facilitator with expertise in operations management and accounting.
Professor of Cross-cultural Psychology, University of Bergen
Experience Sharing
Professor of Strategy, Norwegian School of Economics (NHH)
Workshop Facilitator with expertise in Business Strategy, Growth and Management
CHRO and Internal Communications, Grieg Seafood ASA
Panelist with expertise in HR Consulting, Crisis Management, International Project Management and Business Development
Consultant, Fargespill; Public Speaker
Panelist with expertise in Research, Public Speaking and Teaching, with focus on diversity and leadership
Community Manager, StartupLab Bergen
Workshop Facilitator with expertise in Sustainable Innovation and Design Thinking
Performance Marketing Specialist, AG&
Workshop Facilitator with expertise in Digital Marketing and Communications
Founder and CEO, VINCO Innovation Consulting
Workshop Facilitator with expertise in Innovation and Business Development
Founder of Hunter and
Florence; Visual Designer
at Huma
Workshop Facilitator
Researcher at NHH,
Public Speaker,
and Podcaster
Workshop Facilitator
Founder of Flow
Concepts
Panelist
Adviser, Agder fylkeskommune on the project Likestilt Arbeidsliv
Panelist
Works in rehabilitation, member of Kristiansand City Council, Chairman of the Borad of FIDA
Panelist
Head of Intellectual Property, Elkem ASA
Panelist
CEO & CoFounder CoWorx AS
Panelist and Workshop Facilitator
CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, Kristiansand region
Panelist
Project Manager, Agder fylkeskommune
Panelist and Workshop Facilitator
CEO at LundConsult AS
Workshop Facilitator
Senior adviser at University of Agder
Workshop Facilitator
MA student in Global Development and Social Planning at the University of Vest Agder
Experience Sharing
Co-founder of PenguinUp
Experience Sharing
Co-founder of PenguinUp
Experience Sharing
Consultant at Enkindled Vision
Workshop Facilitator
Co-founder of Corn Design
Experience Sharing
CEO of Dealflow
Panelist
Senior Advisor at the Research and Innovation Department at University of Bergen
Panelist
Founder of Goscore
Experience Sharing
Founder of Intipakucha
Experience Sharing
Co-founder of Roots & Fruits Norway
Experience Sharing
Specialist Manager at Apriil
Workshop Facilitator
Senior Advisor at Azets
Workshop Facilitator
Advokat/Special Counsel at SANDS
Workshop Facilitator
Building Bridges.
Creating Opportunities.
Transforming Lives.
Chisom is an Economist, a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Strategist, and a 3 times founder of impact driven companies. She has over 14 years of experience working with organizations like the European Commission, The United Nations, ExxonMobil and The Economist Group. Chisom is analytical and a data enthusiast. She is passionate about interrogating the cross-sectoral relationship between society’s inhabitants, resources, production, technology, distribution and output. She efficiently and effectively unlocks complex systems, interprets data, forecasts socio-economic trends and conducts research.
Having lived and worked in 7 countries across 3 continents, she is highly adaptable to different circumstances and people, and thrives in uncertain environments.
As the founder of Diversify and Diversify Consult, Chisom and her team work with companies, institutions, governments and civil society to develop sustainable DEIB strategies and embed measurable diversity and inclusion initiatives in the workplace and society. In addition, in 2022, Diversify launched the Diversify Nordics Summit, the largest conference in the Nordics that gathers cross-sectoral stakeholders to amplify DEIB in the Nordics and beyond.
In 2020, she founded HerSpace, a diverse and inclusive co-creation community for all genders, with particular focus on women and non-binary people. In 2022, HerSpace launched HerTech, Women in Tech incubator, for women-led companies, with a focus on the inclusion of diverse founders.
Chisom is a thought-leader in DEIB and a passionate advocate for mental health and wellness. She writes often on DEIB and justice related topics, some of her work is published on Forbes.