Director

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I'm incredibly excited to be part of the team supporting Sheffield's growing ecosystem of Social Enterprises.

I've always had a strong affinity with Sheffield and I made it my home 5 years ago. When I moved here, alongside a familliy, I also started a business. Mina was an EV charging startup which although wasn't a social enterprise, was a B Corp and I hope balanced purpose and profit in a way that benefited our team members, the local community and the environment. I sold the business in 2023 and I'm excited to spend some more time putting something back into the brilliant city that supported me so much.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what great work entrepreneurial social enterprises are doing to make the world a better place, and to helping the vibrant SSEN community however I can.

Director / Co-chair

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I have a strong background in social enterprise and managing operations, currently working as the Operations Lead at Beam. In this role, I've developed creative strategies backed by data to help vulnerable adults in the UK. Originally from Colombia, I now proudly call Sheffield home and have also started my own venture, Loro Crisps, which sells delicious plantain crisps in four countries.

My career has always been focused on social impact. Before Beam, I worked with Printed by Us, a Sheffield-based social enterprise, where I helped them grow sustainably while expanding their reach. At Beam, I lead a team of caseworkers dedicated to helping vulnerable people find jobs and housing.

With a Master's degree in Management & Entrepreneurship from the University of Sheffield, I'm eager to use my skills and passion to support SSEN's mission of expanding its impact and helping communities thrive.

Director

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Jon has been involved with SSEN for over ten years, and was one of the original Directors that set the network up as a Community Interest Company. Jon runs two social enterprises, Strip the Willow and Reach Homes focused on sustainability, recycling and environmental living. He believes in sustainable housing and living and is an active member of the Chamber of Commerce, regularly having input into round tables and discussions throughout the wider city. Jon keeps to us to account on our sustainability and even made our office desks from recycled wood!

Director

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Kris joined us as a Director in April 2022. She brings with her broad, cross-sector experience as she has worked across health and social care, public health, voluntary and community, education, housing and commercial sectors at local, regional and national levels. She now runs her own business helping charities, social enterprises and limited companies to be more sustainable, grow and improve their offer and make the world a better place. Kris provides direct support to the CEO and is also supporting us to develop our trading arm.

Director / Co-Treasurer

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A Director since July 2022, Rene is the CEO of Food Works Sheffield, and he understands first hand how hard and rewarding it is to set up a successful social enterprise. Rene believes passionately that our planet and society need more organisations that are run with a heart and purpose, but he knows that getting the right support and knowledge is not easy. He is committed to growing a strong network, run by and for the entrepreneurs building our social enterprises, to make the journey a bit easier for others.

Director and Co-Chair

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Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Richard moved to Sheffield to study law in 2012. He loved the city so much that he decided to stay, working in international business development at a machine knife manufacturer before becoming a Sales Manager at Sheffield Forgemasters. Most recently, he established the micro-finance charity, Purple Shoots, in South Yorkshire as a hub for the rest of England offering business start-up finance for those precluded from conventional finance due to their circumstances. Richard leapt at the chance to join us as a Director in the summer of 2022 to help shape our vision and to grow and develop social enterprise in the region.

Director / Co-Treasurer

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Sam joined our Board of Directors in March 2021 and has a wide range of experience of working with social enterprises and charities in a range of capacities. Sam has her own Accountancy business, over ten years old, and has won various awards through it. She has had several roles within the third sector, from scout leader, to trustee, treasurer and director. She understands social enterprise accountancy and supports the CEO with HR procedures. She also works with the team to support the coordination and delivery of our in-person networking events.

Director

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First and foremost, I believe passionately about social purpose organisations and their role in society. I have been working with and for social enterprises or voluntary sector organisations for the past 15 years. I jointly founded and run my own social enterprise, Data for Action, which supports other organisations with social purpose to embed learning and insight strategies into what they do. Increasingly, I believe that social enterprise should be the default approach in the UK (and beyond) to enable people, organisations and economies to face the shared challenges that lie ahead. 

The opportunity to be part of and shape SSEN's future also speaks to other parts of my identity and interests too. I am from Sheffield originally and I still live here. I am an active citizen in the city, undertaking some work here but also catalysing action through initiatives like Sheffield Data for Good. I have been actively engaged in city-wide conversations around the City Goals too and that is a particular area I think I could apply my skills effectively with a strategic lens for SSEN.