Social Innovation and Sustainable Business Talks podcast series – #6
The project is partly supported by The Mötesplats Social Innovation project funded by Vinnova, Sweden’s Innovation Agency, and the Media, Management and Transformation Research Centre (MMTC) at Jönköping International Business School in Sweden.
In this podcast series, you will hear what practitioners from sustainability-oriented companies and academics from different fields focusing on social innovation and sustainability research think about the major challenges and future opportunities in the transition to the circular economy.
One of the perspectives in the discussions will be social innovations needed in addition to technological innovations to support more sustainable consumer behavior. The aim is to inspire business developers in companies to further develop more sustainable business ideas and promote social innovation.
The podcast closes with practically relevant research questions for researchers that will help us in the academia to focus on the key issues in transitioning to the circular economy.
Hosted by: Dr. Ulla Saari, Senior Research Fellow at Tampere University, Finland, and extended team member of the Media, Management & Transformation Research Centre (MMTC) at Jönköping International Business School (JIBS).
Company in focus of the discussion: IKEA
Company representation: Åsa Skogström Feldt, Head of Social Entrepreneurship at IKEA
Guest from Academia: Asst. prof. Mark Edwards, Jönköping International Business School
Short bios of discussants
Asst. prof. Mark Edwards, Jönköping International Business School
Mark has a professional background in psychology and has worked in many roles with people with disabilities and their families and communities. He has a masters degree in human development and a PhD in organizational sustainability. He teaches and researches in these fields.
Åsa Skogström Feldt, Head of Social Entrepreneurship at IKEA
Åsa has a combination of business and NGO background. Some of her previous assignments include: global President and CEO of The Hunger Project in New York, CEO of The Hunger Project Sweden, establishing social entrepreneurship in the supply chain at IKEA of Sweden, head of marketing for Sony Ericsson in Germany, corporate communications director for Aspiro and marketing communications manager for Ericsson Mobile Communications in the Middle East and Africa.
Throughout her carrier Åsa has focused on women empowerment; on board assignments, by co-founding two women’ organisations, in exchange programs and grass root activism around the world and in her everyday life.
Read about the IKEA approach to supporting social entrepreneurs through its supply chain and its expanded support: https://www.ikeasocialentrepreneurship.org/en
Dr. Ulla Saari holds a PhD degree in Industrial Engineering & Management and a M.Sc. degree in Environmental Engineering from the Tampere University of Technology, and a M.A. degree in Languages and Social Sciences from the University of Helsinki, Finland. Her current research topics include: sustainability, sustainability-oriented innovation, sustainable production and consumption, and sustainable business models. She also has 20 years’ experience in the high-tech industry in various senior manager level roles in international organizations.
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