For two days, local incubators from Serbia, Kosovo*, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia met with the teams from Pulse France and Pulse Balkans to work together on capitalizing nearly six years of the Rise Project. These two days offered a valuable opportunity for participants to share their expectations, feedback, and experiences gained while contributing to the project over the years.
The workshop also provided a space to reflect on the project’s impact, the effort contributed by each incubator, and to analyze together the results and achievements of an innovative initiative rooted in social entrepreneurship. A key goal of the Rise Project has been to strengthen the capacities of local incubators and equip them with practical tools, such as the MOOC on entrepreneurship and resource materials on design thinking, interculturality, and gender, enabling them to continue fostering social entrepreneurship in their respective countries.
The final day also offered a forward-looking perspective, exploring ways to continue collaborating by leveraging the unique expertise of each local incubator and the rich knowledge of their respective countries. Many avenues were discussed, opening up numerous future opportunities to work together on innovation and social entrepreneurship while promoting dialogue, intercultural understanding, and the capacity-building of CSOs across the Balkans.
Beyond reviewing accomplishments and future perspectives, the gathering also offered a cultural exchange. Participants explored Paris, discovering its rich history as well as meeting local associations promoting inclusion and social innovation. This event was not only a moment to reflect on the past but also an inspiring opportunity to envision the future of social entrepreneurship across the Western Balkans.