to be businessworthy

Oslo Business for Peace honorees’ are chosen for standing out as an example to the general public and for ”being an inspiration to the business community, by showing how to achieve success in business through ethically aware business practice”.

In 2013 I was given this high recognition, where the Committee of former Nobel Award laureates did choose me as a Dane as one of just five business people from all over the world, who stands as international examples of how to combine social responsibility and good business.

Being businessworthy is applying one’s business energy ethically and responsibly to create value for all.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, agreed upon on by world leaders in 2015 represent the world, we all want by 2030. The 17 goals can prove to be the most important tool to change the world into a more sustainable place to live.

Knowing, that business cannot succeed in societies that fail. I will do my utmost to be business-worthy in all my efforts, and to tune my business to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. I call on my peers to do the same. Sign the businesworthy pledge at businessworthy.org

Here you can find All Ears TM in Denmark as an example of fulfilling goal no 10 “Reduced inequalities” together with other examples of Oslo Business for Peace Honorees’ fulfilling UN Global Goals and giving experience of how we all can create value.

My business and personal background

I have a business background within the IT business before establishing and over years developing a business model that on a daily basis demonstrates comprehensive rehabilitation of disabled people, where the outcome is employment. All Ears TM became over years one of the leading social firms in Denmark.

My wonderful daughter, Sandra, has been my inspiration for establishing and managing All Ears TM, as a Work Social Integration Enterprise for more than 22 years. When we lost her last Autumn, for me personally it was a push to review and change my work life.

Therefore, All Ears TM – with all the great and dedicated employees – has been consolidated as an “A/S”, (limited company) still being a Work Integration Social Enterprise run on normal market terms that delivers high-quality customer service by hiring and educating people who suffer from severe eye diseases. All Ears are turning the disability into a competitive edge, and creating jobs both in All Ears TM and other Danish companies.

All People Foundation has been established as the owner of All Ears TM A/S. The goal for the Foundation is to contribute to employment opportunities for persons with reduced work abilities as well as spreading the knowledge as to running a business of high social impact and with the aim of establishing more future social enterprises.

In my new work life, I am continuing to be protector for the All People Foundation as well as independent consultant through my own enterprise WISE Support s.m.b.a.

My contribution

I am more than ever convinced that all people have the right to achieve an active work life “Leaving no one behind”! Furthermore, I am looking forward to support social enterprises in making an even more profound impact and at the same time continue my work as part of professional networks and activities within sustainable business set ups in Denmark and abroad.

In my opinion – we should not put people in boxes, but instead see the strengths of the individual person and make the impossible a success when giving space and let the mission of social business embraces all people – with each their values. We can all feel marginalized with a disability, lack of job experience, age, cultural background and status and can therefore need a hand to get new experiences leading to employment.

We all know, that when hiring we are looking for personality and qualifications and when boosting the self-esteem and train the re-entrance on the job market for the individual person, we can together make a huge change for the society and for the individual person and their families.

Having to face a life situation with a disability, I have experienced, that the individual person benefit of the possibility of getting trained directly in a business environment in for example a social firm. That is no matter if the individual person has to train the use of compensating tools for the disability directly in a job situation, has to train the lack of confidence, qualifications or social competences. Here the social firms can make a huge change together with the rest of the business environment and create job opportunities for a group of persons with reduced abilities.

The benefit is that when having a wide variety of employees in your firm, you are better equipped to match the demands of different types of customers with particular needs.

I believe in partnerships with shared values as a tool for breaking down barriers and while working with goal no. 17 in UN Global Compact, we can eliminate silo thinking and develop new thinking leading to new results. We do need new results with positive bottom-lines and sustainable business models.