In 2024, the World Economic Forum conducted the first global survey on the size and scale of social enterprise. The results were striking.

10 million social enterprises, supporting 200 million jobs. And a sector larger than both the fashion and advertising industries.

It’s clear we live in an age of social entrepreneurship. But despite such growing attention and interest, it can be hard for individuals to know how to contribute. How do you know what type of entrepreneurship is right for you? How do you build connections? And, most important of all, how do you get started?

To explore this topic in more detail, we spoke with Tobias Schär, Founder and Executive Director of Wir Lernen Weiter—a non-profit organization dedicated to improving digital access in Switzerland.

Wir Lernen Weiter collects and refurbishes unused laptops, distributing them across Switzerland via a network of partner organizations. Since 2020, the organization has repurposed over 13,000 laptops, and now partners with close to half of all municipalities in Switzerland.

For donors, they can rest assured that any data on the laptop is erased (and documented by a certified audit trail). For partner organizations (often social aid or other NPOs), they receive a refurbished laptop for a small fee—which contributes approximately 95% of Wir Lernen Weiter’s funding.

 

1. Let’s start at the beginning. How did you first become involved in social entrepreneurship?

After I’d completed my initial studies (and spent two years in the military), I decided to combine a course in Information Technology with working for myself.

It was during this period that I understood the issues affecting the people Wir Lernen Weiter helps. After all, I was studying remotely, and relying entirely on access to my laptop. Luckily, I was living in a household that not only had a laptop but two, three backups.

But I started to ask myself, what about people who weren’t so lucky? Particularly pupils and students: how could you study without a laptop? I also asked myself: weren’t there enough unused machines to meet this demand, if only there was a way to connect the people who needed them?

I created a logo in PowerPoint, I set up a website, and Wir Lernen Weiter was up and running.

 

2. Tell us about your first year in operation. What was it like as a solo social entrepreneur?

To be totally honest: it was total chaos!

I was living with my parents at the time, in a bedroom full of spare computers. Every time I set one up, I’d hear the voice of Cortana (the virtual assistant for Microsoft Windows) – it started to creep me out a little!

Soon enough I moved into my own place, and met my earliest supporter: Benjamin Brändli, who now acts as our Head of IT Operations, with responsibility for all our infrastructure. Together, we spent the first year building up the charity on a voluntary basis, while I completed my Bachelor’s degree.

I then had to make a decision: did I throw myself full-time into Wir Lernen Weiter, or did I pursue another ambition? When I realized how poorly this area was understood by local government and schools, I decided that I would dedicate myself to it full-time.

 

3. Who does Wir Lernen Weiter help?

In the beginning, our audience was almost entirely just pupils and apprentices. I knew those were the people who would struggle to raise funds for a laptop, but who needed them the most.

That’s where our focus started. For the first year, all anyone needed to do was fill out a simple form, telling us why they couldn’t afford a laptop.

But then we started to realize that this wasn’t the ideal process. For one, it was obviously biased, because it put us in the position of “deciding” who received a laptop or not. Like any human, we were susceptible to unconscious biases. If someone couldn’t write fluent German or English, we might think they hadn’t put much effort into their request, and so didn’t “deserve” the laptop as much as someone who had written a long application.

Now, we don’t have any limitations.

We work with partner organizations and social aid institutes across Switzerland. It’s ultimately up to our partner organizations who receives a laptop – which we think plays into our strengths. After all, the thing we’re best able to do is set up and deliver laptops.

 

4. How did you convince partners to become involved?

In the beginning, we did this through conventional cold calls. I called some municipalities where I already had contacts, and told them about my idea.

But I’m not a natural salesperson. I was very upfront with my first partners. I told them: we’re very new, and we don’t have any other partners. Now, that might have undermined our credibility—but in actual fact I think being that honest has really helped us.

Because we don’t make things up. We don’t boost our numbers. We tell it like it is.

To start, I was making 50 or 60 calls a day. If someone said they’d get back to me, I’d make sure I followed up with them the week after, and the week after that. I was very persistent: I believed in Wir Lernen Weiter, and knew that we could be a useful partner to municipalities across Switzerland.

 

5. Transparency is a big part of how Wir Lernen Weiter operates. Why is that so important?

It’s funny you bring that up. I actually had someone message me about this on LinkedIn. They said: why do you post your salaries online, why do you share so much information about your organization?

I replied: why not? We want Wir Lernen Weiter to be as transparent as possible. We don’t want any hidden doors.

After all, if you’re supporting us financially, we believe you should be able to see where that support goes. I think this is a problem with the non-profit organization (NPO) sector in Switzerland.

 

6. What first attracted you to social entrepreneurship?

When I first started, I wasn’t really aware of the concept of “social entrepreneurship”. But I was so busy that I didn’t have time to look left or right, let alone label what I was doing.

Before Wir Lernen Weiter, I gained experience in a few different sectors. For example: I worked as an insurance operator for an oil company, and then for a big e-commerce provider.

In those roles, I was an administrator. With Wir Lernen Weiter, I spotted the opportunity to build and deliver something for the greater good. I’ve always been excited by the opportunity to serve others – not only serve them, but enable them to do more with their own lives.

I always go back to something my mother told me: “you can’t take money with you when you die, so what you do in life really matters”. That’s really stuck with me.

 

7. What advice would you give someone who is considering a career in social entrepreneurship?

Prepare to be frustrated! Change happens slowly, and you’ll need lots of patience to stick with it. And don’t expect gratitude for what you’re doing.

Lots of people in Switzerland don’t really want to think about poverty. To some extent, that’s understandable: we’re all in our own bubbles, after all. But it’s part of our role to press on, and to believe we can really change things.

I’d also say you should always look to learn from the hardships. Every struggle I’ve had over the last four years has ultimately made me stronger. Of course it’s not just about me as the founder—I’ve always been supported by a team, who have grown and adapted as I have.

That’s what I love about this work: that there are so many changes to learn and improve, if you’re willing to take those chances.

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