Area 302

2026 2025 2024 2023

The Social Business Conference (SBC) is a key event in Ticino aimed at strengthening the ecosystem of impact startups—enterprises that seek to generate positive change by addressing concrete problems affecting society or the planet. Unlike other events dedicated to promoting entrepreneurial ideas in the fields of social, environmental, and governance sustainability (the well-known criteria summarized by the English acronym ESG), the SBC aims to bring social entrepreneurs and potential investors directly into contact. The startups selected are already engaged with the market: they are structured enterprises that have developed a product or service and are looking to grow. One of the requirements for participation is therefore an existing presence on the market, at either a national or international level. At the first edition of the SBC, held at the University of Lugano (Università della Svizzera italiana), Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and founder of the Grameen Bank, participated. The bank is a pioneer of microcredit, particularly aimed at promoting women’s self-entrepreneurship.

2026

The 2026 Social Business Conference will be held on May 21, 2026, at Area 302. Stay tuned!

2025

Following the 2012, 2013, 2023, and 2024 editions, the Social Business Innovation Lab (SBI-LAB) organized the 2025 Social Business Conference (SBC) at Area 302, on May 22, 2025. The SBC once again proved to be a significant event in Ticino, strengthening the impact startup ecosystem and connecting social entrepreneurs with impact investors and relevant stakeholders.

The focus areas of the 2025 edition were: sustainable food, sustainable fashion and preservation of the environment. The panelists were: Mr.Matteo Boffa, Co-founder Zebra Ventures, Impact Investor; Dr.Christina Hertel, Assistant Professor University of Geneva, Responsible Entrepreneurship Center; Ms.Katherine Milligan, Senior Lecturer in Social Innovation, University of Geneva, Former Director of the Scwhab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship at the World Economic Forum; Ms. Samantha Caccamo, Moderator, CEO, Social Business Earth.

The SBC 2025 had five main goals: (1) introducing impact startups (early-stage) to potential investors and facilitate their growth and access to financing; (2) engaging local and international stakeholders to expand the Impact Startup and Social Business Ecosystem in Canton Ticino and beyond through concrete commitments (mentoring, sponsoring, financing, knowledge sharing etc.); (3) contributing to the achievement of the UN SDGs; (4) Awarding the Sapiens Natura Prize; (5) Networking.

2024

In the wake of the 2012 and 2013 Social Business Conference (SBC), and its renewed 2023 edition, the Social Business Innovation Lab (SBI-LAB) organized the SBC 2024 at Area 302, on May 23, 2024. Like the previous edition, it was a key event in Ticino, strengthening social entrepreneurship ecosystem and connecting social entrepreneurs with impact investors.

The theme of the panel was: Supporting tools for early-stage social businesses and impact investors in the Swiss and international ecosystems. Current status and future perspectives. The panelists were: Mr. Aymeric Jung, Managing Partner, Quadia, Impact Investor; Mr. Freddy Hunziker, CEO, New Roots; Mr. Sebastiano Cossia Castiglioni, Award-winning Entrepreneur, Chair, Querciabella, Impact Investor and Activist; Dr. Tanja Collavo, Course Director at Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), University of Cambridge; Ms. Samantha Caccamo, Founder & CEO, Social Business Earth (moderator).

The SBC 2024 had four main goals: (1) introducing early-stage social business startups to potential investors and facilitating their access to financing; (2) engaging local and international stakeholders to expand the social business ecosystem in Canton Ticino and beyond through concrete commitments (mentoring, sponsoring, financing, knowledge sharing, etc.); (3) contributing to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); (4) fostering networking opportunities.

2023

The first Social Business Conference (SBC) was held in Lugano, Switzerland, at the Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), on May 18, 2012, and was repeated the following year on May 15, 2013, with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus participating in both editions as keynote speaker. Inspired by these first two events, but with a renewed format, a decade later the Social Business Innovation Lab (SBI-LAB) organized the SBC 2023 at Area 302, on May 5, 2023, as a key event in Ticino aimed at strengthening the social entrepreneurship ecosystem and connecting social entrepreneurs with impact investors.

The round table focused on the theme: Challenges and Solutions of Social Businesses for the SDGs. The panelists were: Dr. Paulo Gonçalves, Professor of Management and Social Entrepreneurship at Università della Svizzera Italiana; Ms. Luciana Delle Donne, Founder & CEO of Made in Carcere, recently awarded by Italian President Mattarella as Officer of the Order of Merit; Ms. Samantha Caccamo, Founder & CEO of Social Business Earth; Ms. Angelica Morrone, Managing Director at Alpha Maven and impact investor; Mr. Massimiliano Sassoli de Bianchi, President of Area 302.

The SBC 2023 had four main goals: (1) introducing early-stage social business startups to potential investors and facilitating their access to financing; (2) engaging local and international stakeholders to expand the social business ecosystem in Canton Ticino and beyond through concrete commitments (mentoring, sponsoring, financing, knowledge sharing, etc.); (3) contributing to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); (4) fostering networking opportunities.