#MEET Soul Kitchen

#MEET Soul Kitchen

This is a short interview we conducted with Teona Dalakishvili, the founder of “Soul Kitchen”. If you like the concept of this idea and would like to vote for it, click HERE.

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• What is your background?

My name is Teona Dalakishvili. Project name: Soul Kitchen. I come from Georgia, I am 26 years old and I work as founder and program coordinator of NGO Creative Development Center and manage social enterprise "Creative Cafe". I have been studying social and political sciences as my BA and MA, though have gone through many training, mainly focusing on youth empowerment and active citizenship.

• Describe your idea or project in two sentences.

The main goal of the project is to support inclusion process in Europe through promotion of social entrepreneurship, more concrete with creating platform for cultural catering services.

• What are the benefits you take from the Entrepreneurship Campus?

I have had a chance to read through amazing materials, and I am very happy I came across this opportunity. Unlike other contests, here you not only have platform to submit ideas, but to learn, enlarge your knowledge and meet new people, new ideas and even find partners through international network.

• What motivates you to be an entrepreneur?

I have been in NGO field since quite a long time. what I have realized is, that we have still very big problems among young people, their integration, employment, not to mention anything about vulnerable groups and challenges they face to be integrated in local communities. Idea of entrepreneurship brings more opportunities: anyone can become entrepreneur, if they will find a courage to be one. and I see entrepreneurship as a way to empower individuals, as well as different groups, by creating more opportunities, and what is the most important, more and more innovation.

• Imagine you have ‚supreme power’ to create and innovate: how would your world look like? What changes would you like to make in your community and/or in the world? Share your thoughts from a ‚supreme power’ and entrepreneur standpoint.

Well, if I had super powers, first thing I would do is to share this power with others, so they also get more courage and nobody would be afraid to start something step by step, without being scared to fail, or being misjudged. I would fill world with incubators, where people could meet up, use resources, and create something right away. I would create skill banks and idea banks, where anyone could share their craziest ideas and be encouraged and supported by all community to start, because start is the most important.

• What would you say to potential voters who may be reading your interview?

Well, it is highly important for me to be in this process of developing my idea, so I am very much happy, when I receive feedback, or even new ideas how this can be developed. I am not a person, who is fighting for idea property rights, for me important part is, that idea is implemented, so I would be happy to have teamers and supporters to develop this idea further. The main idea is not winning, but finding like minded crazy people, ready to stand with you through the process. so I hope to find such people.

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• NOTICE: If you want to see more submitted ideas and projects at the Youth Citizen Entrepreneurship Competition, visit BEST IDEAS and BEST PROJECTS and VOTE for the ones you think deserve to WIN the Competition!