Guest Lecture - Etienne Salborn

How can young people from the most challenging backgrounds become social entrepreneurs and drive regenerative change? Etienne Salborn, founder of the Social Innovation Academy (SINA), shares the transformative
approach behind self-organized, regenerative communities in Africa that empower marginalized youth to become the change they wish to see in the world.

Through real-life examples, the talk explores how SINA’s unique “freesponsibility” model—balancing freedom with responsibility—provides young people with the tools to turn personal adversity into impactful solutions. Participants will gain insights into innovative leadership without hierarchy, the power of self-management through Holacracy, and the personalized empowerment journey that enables youth to generate over 2,000 jobs and 100+ social enterprises in Africa.

The input will challenge conventional notions of leadership and education, demonstrating how regenerative communities can unlock human potential, foster social innovation, and create long-term systemic change.

Etienne Salborn, founder of SINA, is a globally recognized social entrepreneur. Honored by Leaders50, AACSB, and MIT D-Lab, he empowers disadvantaged youth and refugees to drive change. He lectures on social entrepreneurship and systemic change at ESCP Business School and MCI Innsbruck.