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Social entrepreneurs are visionary individuals who create innovative solutions to some of the world’s most perplexing social issues to create a widespread change. WASTE is a prime example of such visionaries; they specialize in creating unconventional urban bags, accessories and furniture out of advertising banners.

It all began in 2006 when the first concept bag was created by two friends with a vision and a passion for the environment: Kees es Souk was born. Today, Waste own and manage a collaborative designer-tailor workshop and have become international bag and furniture manufacturers. In addition to their presence in several concept stores and sleek boutiques, Waste lately developed a taste for vintage furniture, married to their signature component, reused banners; the result gives a refreshing and bespoke touch to any space.

WASTE participated in the 2014 BDL Accelerate Startup Competition and this year they have returned as Gold Sponsors of BDL Accelerate 2015 and have designed beautiful gift bags for our attendees using banners from last year’s event. You can visit their booth during the 2-day conference this Thursday and Friday to see samples of the items they design and manufacture and get an idea to how they contribute to the the environment and socioeconomics of Lebanon.

In the MENA region, there has been a rise in social entrepreneurship. The high youth population has been expressing dissatisfaction with the status quo and the socially committed young generation has turned to social entrepreneurship to create a social impact at an accelerated pace.

However, being a social entrepreneur is not an easy feat; it’s tough and challenging and there are several things to consider before being a social entrepreneur. To enable a new generation of social entrepreneurs to create positive change, Chivas launched The Venture, an initiative that calls for innovative businesses that create a positive impact and gives them the opportunity to apply and pitch for a share of The Venture’s $1 million fund, and to gain access to their tools and mentorship to accelerate their growth.

As part of the BDL Accelerate 2015 Idea Stage Startup workshop series and competition sponsored by Daher Capital and is themed Reimagining Lebanon , SETT a think tank focused on enabling emerging startup companies, has been offering a series of design-think workshops to empower applicants with the entrepreneurial skills to develop solutions for a better Lebanon. The contestants, who passionately want to create an impact in their community, have been assembled into 8 teams of 3 and each group has been assigned with an issue that they need to address.

If you have a great idea for solving a pressing social issue, do not be discouraged! Society needs you so go ahead and join the world of social entrepreneurship.