How this social entrepreneur overcame her fear of not making a difference

How this social entrepreneur overcame her fear of not making a difference
Generation Why Not — With a stellar education in politics and investment management, 25-year-old Paula Schwarz was destined for a successful career in financial consultancy. Instead, she launched a social initiative, which is now helping to tackle one of the greatest crises facing mainland Europe since the Second World War.

“I’ve always had a very deep love for Greece. I’m half Greek myself and spent much of my childhood being brought up there. So when the country was hit by an economic crash, and then one of the largest refugee crises in history, I knew I had to do something. The problem? I didn’t know where to start.

“The country is on its knees economically, tourism is suffering and the refugees themselves are in a desperate situation. Instead of joining an existing NGO, I decided to invite a team of entrepreneurs, company executives and venture capitalists to a boat off the island of Lesbos to discuss a new approach to the crisis. My hope was that these people would apply their passion, innovation and business-sense to solving a social issue.

IMG_3684

“Eighteen people attended the first ‘Start-Up Boat’ meeting and the end product was an online platform called First-Contact, which provides the key information refugees lack when entering Europe. On the day it launched, the website attracted 18,000 hits, it now has hundreds of thousands of users.

“Since then, Start-Up Boat has created Migration Hub, a collection of four co-working spaces in Berlin, Athens, Lesbos and Samos, where those working on migration-related issues can work rent- free. And more recently, we’ve launched Marharcar, a carpooling service that connects volunteer drivers and coordinators with emergency refugee personnel to help deliver much needed supplies to the frontline. We currently enable 200 deliveries a day and are looking to expand to Macedonia.

“The biggest lesson I’ve learnt from all this is that it requires very little input to create game-changing ideas. If you can make a website, launch a newsletter and think like an entrepreneur, then you can effectively change the world.”

Keep track of our Millennial Hopes and Fears online special.

This article originally appeared in Huck 55 – The Freaked Out Issue. Buy it in the Huck Shop now or subscribe to make sure you never miss another issue. 

Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Latest on Huck

Baghdad’s first skatepark set to open next week
Sport

Baghdad’s first skatepark set to open next week

Make Life Skate Life — Opening to the public on February 1, it will be located at the Ministry of Youth and Sports in the city centre and free-of-charge to use.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Nydia Blas explores Black power and pride via family portraits

Nydia Blas explores Black power and pride via family portraits

Love, You Came from Greatness — For her first major monograph, the photographer and educator returned to her hometown of Ithaca, New York, to create a layered, intergenerational portrait of its African American families and community.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Meet the muxes of Juchitán, Mexico’s Indigenous third gender
Activism

Meet the muxes of Juchitán, Mexico’s Indigenous third gender

Zapotec folk — Having existed since the pre-colonial era in southeast Oaxaca state, a global rise in LGBTQ+ hate is seeing an age-old culture face increasing scrutiny. Now, the community is organising in response, and looking for a space to call their own.

Written by: Peter Yeung

Russian hacktivists are using CCTV networks to protest Putin
Activism

Russian hacktivists are using CCTV networks to protest Putin

Putin’s Jail — In Kurt Caviezel’s project using publicly accessible surveillance networks from around the world, he spotlights messages of resistance spread among the cameras of its biggest country.

Written by: Laura Witucka

Inside the world’s only inhabited art gallery
Art

Inside the world’s only inhabited art gallery

The MAAM Metropoliz — Since gaining official acceptance, a former salami factory turned art squat has become a fully-fledged museum. Its existence has provided secure housing to a community who would have struggled to find it otherwise.

Written by: Gaia Neiman

Ideas were everything to David Lynch
Film

Ideas were everything to David Lynch

Dreamweaver — On Thursday, January 16, one of the world’s greatest filmmakers passed away at the age of 78. To commemorate his legacy, we are publishing a feature exploring his singular creative vision and collaborative style online for the first time.

Written by: Daniel Dylan Wray

Sign up to our newsletter

Issue 81: The more than a game issue

Buy it now