Post by Patrick Hoffmann

One word to describe my first time at European Forum Alpbach: serendipity.   Chance encounters that turn into deep conversations and connections – while strolling through the picturesque village, hiking through beautiful mountain vistas or even when your train gets cancelled and a small odyssey in great company ensues.   I am grateful to European Forum Alpbach and Ashoka for convening foundation leaders from across Europe for a thought-provoking workshop on how to finance system change.   And while joining the “Europe in the World” Days, the occasional doom and gloom was lifted through some of the most insightful discussions I have heard in a long time on how we can boost European competitiveness, security and democracy.   Three things I take away: 🌳 A deepened conviction to focus our work with The Human Safety Net on systemic impact: scaling impactful programs and direct services has to go hand in hand with tackling the root causes of our chosen societal challenges of helping refugees find a job and giving children the best start in life. 💶 A renewed drive to mobilise finance for good, by joining forces between The Human Safety Net and Generali to continue our journey in impact investing, but also by doing our part to leverage pensions as an engine for investment and growth. ✒️ …an autographed copy of the latest book by Joe Stiglitz who has been a hero of mine ever since I picked up Making Globalisation Work as a 16-year-old (clearly, I was not very cool). Christina Lagemann, Sarah Haas, Kimberly McArthur, Carole Frampton, Sophia Becker, Charlotte van Randenborgh, Dr. Sunčica Klaas, Cyan Ching, Tonderayi Mageza, Marie Ringler, Franz Karl Prüller, Stefan E. Germann, Marcel Müller-Marbach, Katrin Harvey, Friederike v. Bünau, Milosz B., Olga Shirobokova, Eldin Bajric, Winfried Kneip, Carola Carazzone, Kathrin Dombrowski and many more! #EuropeanForumAlpbach #RechargeEurope #THSNinAction