Social Value Platform SOVAC to Hold Offline Event Next Month After 3 Years

Over 100 Social Enterprises, Ventures, and Institutions to Participate in "Connections for Growth" Event at Seoul Walkerhill Hotel on the 20th of Next Month

Chairman Chey Tae-won of SK is giving closing remarks at the first SOVAC held at the Walkerhill Hotel in Seoul in May 2019. Photo by SK

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jeong] The social value platform 'Social Value Connect (hereinafter SOVAC) 2022,' which was first launched in Korea at the proposal of SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, will hold a large-scale offline event on the 20th of next month.

According to the SOVAC Secretariat on the 29th, SOVAC 2022 will be held on the 20th of next month at the Walkerhill Hotel in Gwangjang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, under the theme 'Connect for Growth,' with participation from over 100 SOVAC partners including social enterprises, social ventures, impact investment institutions, public enterprises, and academia.

SOVAC was proposed and launched by Chairman Chey Tae-won in May 2019 as Korea's first private social value festival. Since then, due to the spread of COVID-19, it has been held as an online monthly event, but it is now returning to an offline event after more than three years, attracting attention from industries such as social enterprises and social ventures.

SOVAC has functioned as a platform where experts from various fields and citizens gather to communicate for solving social problems and creating social value, while also leading the growth and development of Korea's social enterprise ecosystem. The secretariat has been accepting participation applications from social enterprises and the general public through its website since last week, and expects more than 3,000 people to participate in this event.

An official from the secretariat said, "At this SOVAC, we will focus on discussing sustainable growth strategies for the social enterprise ecosystem, including growth of individuals and organizations through solidarity and cooperation, and the evolution of local creators."

At the opening speech of SOVAC on the day, writer Lee Ji-seon (professor at Handong University), who overcame severe burns and published her new work 'A Pretty Decent Happy Ending,' Ha Ji-won, CEO of the non-profit foundation 'EcoMom Korea' which has been conducting environmental education for youth, and Hong Ju-seok, CEO of 'Urban Play,' which transforms cities through content, will talk about creating social value in their respective fields and growth achieved through connecting people, organizations, and regions.

Following this, nine themed sessions will be held separately, including ▲Exploring sustainable growth of local creators ▲Changes and challenges in the non-profit ecosystem ▲Building a climate technology ecosystem for net zero ▲Establishing a social safety net for children ▲Demo Day, and participants will be able to freely join and communicate.

In particular, this SOVAC stands out for strengthening networking programs to provide practical support for the growth of the social enterprise ecosystem.

Booths with a business expo concept have been set up where public and private organizations such as KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency), Asan Nanum Foundation, and Together Foundation offer social enterprise and social venture support and nurturing programs in one place. Leading domestic impact investors will conduct consultations with social entrepreneurs seeking investment at the event. Consultations on business cooperation with large corporations, management, IT, and legal services will also be held simultaneously.

Additionally, a local market will be operated on-site to introduce and sell products from representative local creators nationwide who contribute to balanced regional development and revitalization of the local economy.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.