Page 16 - Marcela Lima

Sarah O’Connell
Dublin, Ireland | Founder & CEO of "ReWear" |
Sustainable Fashion Advocate
"Sustainability shouldn’t be a
luxury—everyone should have access
to ethical fashion. But changing habits
and growing a social enterprise at the
same time is no easy task."
Process Book
Pr ocess Book Discover
John Murphy Personas
To support the ideation process, I created three personas
About Galway, Ireland | Founder & Director of "EcoRevive" | "Shifting from a charity to a social enterprise THE WHEEL SEI
Sustainability Advocate & Mentor gave us financial independence, but it’s a based on my research insights to represent different
Age: 38 FUNDING
Education: Fashion Design & Business About different mindset. Now, my focus is ensuring types of social enterprises and the people behind them.
Background: Former fashion industry professional Age: 58 this work continues long after I step down." Personas are typical users whose goals and needs stand CHARITY
turned social entrepreneur Education: Social Work & Nonprofit Management Grants Trade CLG SERI GRANTS
Mission: Make second-hand fashion mainstream & sup Background: Spent 20+ years in the charity sector Income € for larger groups of users. They help build empathy, keep LOCAL DEVELOPMENT
port charity shops
before transitioning to a social enterprise model
Mission: Reduce waste & promote circular economy the design user-centred and avoid designing for generic COMPANY
solutions through upcycling and education Company Size Small Medium Large users by focusing on real people with real problems. The
Grants Trade Goals & Needs BUSINESS MODEL
Start-Up Growth Mature use of personas helps to identify and prioritise the most
Income € Reduce waste by repurposing discarded furniture Company Phase
and textiles, and runing enducational programs. important features in a design solution. Alice has been running small workshops for migrant She wants to formalise her initiative and Alice thy to apply for funding & grants
Small Medium Large Also provides jobs and training for marginalised Key Challenges women to help them find jobs or start their own register a SE, but she does not know but is a complex and overwhelming
Company Size groups. He needs to expand digital presence and businesses. where to start with. There are information process.
improve e-commerce capabilities for upcycled Ensure sustainability of EcoRevive after his retirement. I combined characteristics of both the people leading the available but it is all very confusing.
products and improve trade income for not rely He needs to develop a succession plan to transition
Start-Up Growth Mature only in grants. responsibilities while keeping the organisation’s mission social enterprise and the organisation itself, looking at their
Company Phase and impact. EcoRevive faces challenges in staying
innovative and relevant in a rapidly evolving sector.
needs, challenges, and goals. The personas include SEs at
different stages of development (see Figure 11).
Goals & Needs
Promote sustainability by making second-hand fashion
mainstream. E-commerce platform for preloved fashion. Scenario Welcome To!
Educates consumers on sustainable fashion choices.
Partners with charity shops to sell second-hand clothing
Alice Maia For example, one of the personas, Alice, is in the early
Key Challenges stages of starting her SE and is feeling overwhelmed while
Managing partnerships with charity shops and ensuring trying to find the right resources. I created a scenario that She tries to set up an online store so she can Balancing a part-time job with her passion As an immigrant Alice lacks a network
smooth logistics. Staying competitive with fast fashion follows Alice’s journey see Figure 12. generate some income but she lacks IT and design is proving overwhelming and it’s draining of support and she is feeling lonely.
giants. Keeping operations sustainable while expanding.
Building consumer trust in second-hand fashion. Bal knowlodge. her energy, time and money. Without the support she needs she
ancing growth while staying true to social impact goals. even consider abandon her dream.
Cork Ireland | Founder of "Migrant Maker" | Advocate for “I want to create a space where migrant Those two exercises – create a persona and a scenario
Economic Empowerment
women feel empowered and financially inde - helped highlight that any possible solution needs to
About pendent, but the system is complex, and
finding the right resources is overwhelming” be user-friendly, simple, and intuitive, as social
Age: 35
Education: Business Administration Grants Trade entrepreneurs are already dealing with many tasks and LEO
Background: Originally from Brazil, +5 years in Ireland.
Wanted to create an impact with her work Income € have limited time. Collaboration also emerged as a key She eventually finds a mentor
Mission: Empower migrant women through skill devel through a local immigrant business
opment & entrepreneurship Small Medium Large element - not only to support the growth of the enterprise, group, gaining some clarity on the
Company Size next steps.
Goals & Needs but also to reduce the personal isolation that often comes
Start-Up Growth Mature
Support migrant women finding economic opportuni Company Phase with this kind of work. The solution should also be low-
ties by providing training, mentorship, and entrepre
neurship support. She aims to secure stable funding Key Challenges cost, since funding is often limited in the early stages.
and grants to sustain her social enterprise while also
expanding her network to collaborate with other organ Limited access to funding and a lack of transparency in These points helped guide both the ideation process and Alice tries to find support in her LEO but they
isations and policymakers, ensuring long-term impact. grant processes. Language barriers and cultural won’t help as they don’t see her business plan
differences make stakeholder engagement difficult, while the selection of the ideas for being further developed. viable. It is all very frustating!
navigating business regulations as an immigrant
entrepreneur adds further complexity. Additionally, she
struggles to balance operational tasks, fundraising, and
community engagement within limited time. 17