Different people start their businesses for different reasons. Some like to be called entrepreneurs. Sound neat, right. 🙂 Some do it out of the desire to make a lot of money. Some simply don’t want to report to anyone else. All legit reasons. But I believe there is the single best reason to become an entrepreneur, which is tackling real problems worth solving. As you are still reading this, I like to believe we have something in common. We care about the things we create. We know that being an entrepreneur is not about the final destination, but about the journey and the impact, we make along the way. And as we all know, there are gazillion ways of how one can make an impact in today’s world. We just need to find that one problem worth solving.
And from my own experience, once you find a real problem that you are passionate about – nothing should stop you to just go for it. My advice when that happens? Get to work, surround yourself with people who support, be prepared to make and learn from mistakes along the way, and never give up, no matter what!
Since sharing makes the world better, in this article, I’d love to focus on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and share with you some interesting solutions from across the globe. Solutions that focus on solving real problems.
SDG #1 – END POVERTY in all its forms everywhere
- Beam is a platform that crowdfunds training for homeless people and supports them in the transition to stable work.
- Wagestream allows workers to get a percentage of their payment immediately, so they don’t have to wait till the end of the month.
SDG #2 – ENSURE FOOD SECURITY & GOOD NUTRITION
- ShareThe Meal App is the world’s first app against global hunger! Donations from the ShareTheMeal app support various WFP operations ranging from resilience building and school feeding programs to providing food assistance in emergencies.
SDG #3 – ENSURE HEALTHY LIVES and promote well-being for all at all ages
- Beaba app is demystifying and offering information about cancer to children, youth, and their caregivers through games and entertainment.
SDG #4 – PROVIDE QUALITY EDUCATION & Lifelong Learning for all
- Coding Pirates offers young kids to play around with coding and programming. They teach kids the basics of programing via weekly meetings, various workshops, and online sessions, for example by developing their own games designing robots. Btw. I like their name – it’s pretty cool! 😉
SDG #5 – EMPOWER GIRLS & WOMEN and Achieve Gender Equality
- Entreprenelle is an Egyptian startup that supports women economically by educating, training, and linking them to entrepreneurship resources. In addition, they organize community events, co-developing projects, and giving access to entrepreneurial hubs.
- Diversify specialized in recruiting innovative and diverse teams to avoid unconscious bias in decision making.
SDG #6 – ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO WATER AND SANITATION
- TAPP Water has developed faucet filters that increase the taste and quality of tap water with the aim to avoid people buying plastic bottles. Since April 2020 Tapp Water donates a filter each time one is bought.
- I-DROP Water is a non-profit that seeks to alleviate this problem by installing a high-tech water filtration and dispensing machines at grocery stores in Africa. Customers can refill their own containers, reducing waste, and greatly improving access to clean water.
SDG#7 – SECURE SUSTAINABLE ENERGY for all
- Skynotch Energy Africa engages in developing energy projects using hydro, solar, and wind or hybrid technologies.
SDG#8 – CREATE JOBS, SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS AND EQUITABLE GROWTH
- Ulula is a platform that gives employees the tools to anonymously report workplace abuses like forced labor.
- WisR is a social business from Austria that connects inspiring, older people, and future-oriented companies. Their goal is to capture the limitless potential of older people by including them in innovative projects to close the gap between generations, promote knowledge transfer, and reshape outdated perceptions of age.
SDG#9 – BUILD RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE, PROMOTE INCLUSIVE INDUSTRIALIZATION & FOSTER INNOVATION
- Qualcomm Wireless Reach brings advanced wireless technologies to underserved communities globally. Wireless Reach enriches people’s lives through programs that strengthen economic and social development.
SDG#10 – LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND AND TREAT EVERYONE EQUALLY
- FeelsLikeHome assists students studying abroad in Austria in finding a home and getting settled both in terms of language assistance and in terms of bureaucratic hurdles connected to moving to a different country and culture.
- More Than One Perspective connects educated and talented refugees with companies in Austria. They train refugees to enable their successful entry into the job market through coaching, workshops, and programs.
SDG#11 – PUT SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF CITIES & COMMUNITIES AT CORE
- MyRide Africa is a mobile platform making public transport and carpooling convenient, safe, and comfortable.
SDG#12 – KEEP BALANCE BY MANAGING & CONSUMING NATURAL RESOURCES SUSTAINABLY
- TooGoodToGo is a food waste app that connects users with unsold food from a variety of shops and restaurants.
SDG#13 – TAKE ACTION TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE AND IT’S IMPACT
- Rebel Meat helps consumers reduce their meat consumption and live healthier with products like burgers and steaks using 50% meat and 50% vegetables, and thereby making our food system more sustainable. They use locally produced meat and every ingredient is organic.
SDG#14 – KEEP OUR SEAS CLEAN
- The Ocean Cleanup aims is to remove 90 % of floating ocean plastic. With the help and support of individuals, corporations and governments all over the world, they aim to realize the mission and work towards a future where plastic no longer pollutes our oceans.
- Bracenet gathers fishing nets and creates bracelets out of them.
SDG#15 – PROTECT, RESTORE AND PROMOTE ECOSYSTEMS AND BIODIVERSITY
- Ecosia is a search engine that plants trees. The company uses the ad revenue to fund trees being planted where they’re most needed.
SDG#16 – BUILD PEACE AND EFFECTIVE, OPEN AND ACCOUNTABLE INSTITUTIONS for all
- Circle of 6 app is designed to help prevent sexual violence. Two taps and your chosen circle of 6 people know where you are and how they can help you
SDG#17 – CREATE A GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP BY TURNING SDGs INTO A UNIVERSAL AND COLLABORATIVE PROJECT
1MillionStartups supports startups and entrepreneurs, who are dedicated to solving real-life problems and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They connect and support SDG startups from all over the world so together we can create a better world!
These are just a few of many organizations that found a problem worth solving and decided to do something about it. Entrepreneurs & startups across the world are creating solutions to real-life problems and the grand challenges of our time. But as we all know, there are gazillions problems worth solving. To sum up, now it’s up to you, pirate! Are you ready to take action and make a positive difference in the world?
