Newest Batch of Social Entrepreneurs Celebrated in Sydney

Social entrepreneur, Jac Torres Gomez’s work on a global campaign to tackle the inequalities women and girls face worldwide due to menstruation has seen her receive the accolade of Sydney Social Entrepreneur of the Year.

At the Sydney School for Social Entrepreneur’s 5th graduation ceremony earlier this week, Torres Gomez was praised for the significant breakthroughs she has made with the development of Crimson Campaign.

SSE said that Torres Gomez represents “a new breed of entrepreneur” who is motivated by a community need rather than a desire to make money.

Torres Gomez said she developed the Crimson Campaign to address the inequalities women and girls face throughout the world due to menstruation and to contribute to the international advancement of women and girls as a whole.

“The barriers to equality women face due to a deep rooted sense of shame and taboo about their bodies and what menstruation biologically means for women range from a lack of access to appropriate sanitary products to missing out on school and work while menstruating,” Torres Gomez said.
 

Jac Torres Gomez was named as Sydney Social Entrepreneur of the Year this week.

“When I started at SSE I was at the ideas stage and now Crimson Campaign has a clear vision and detailed plan of how it will work to empower women and girls.”

“My experience at the School not only helped accelerate and extend the Campaign and its potential but also created the ideal environment for me to develop as a leader and learner.”

16 other students graduated with Torres Gomez upon completion of the SSE’s nine-month Incubator Program which SSE says aims to help grow their social ventures to address unmet needs in their communities.

SSE said the 17 graduating students are working on a range of social initiatives including: an early intervention children’s literacy project, an online community to share stories around mental health, and a fair trade handicrafts enterprise to preserve Indigenous culture in Mexico.

The Project Achievement Award was jointly received by Mickey Kovari for his project Flashpoint Labs and Lizza Gebilagin for Corker Magazine.

The Action Learning Award was won by Libby Ellis for her project InCharge which empowers individuals and families to source their own disability support services.

SSE Deputy chief executive Jessie Williams said that the students of the 5th Sydney program have benefited both personally and professionally from the highly supportive and non-academic approach of the School.

“We have seen amazing results from our students to-date with many developing the confidence, networks and skills to make their social ventures more effective and sustainable,” Williams said.

“Our students have not only secured funding but also developed strong partnerships and delivered significant social impact in their communities.

“We are delighted to be welcoming them as fellows of our growing network of social entrepreneurs in Australia.”