Gaby Arenas de Meneses, a social innovator and business leader, emphasised the importance of community-level sustainable solutions to achieve the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UN General Assembly introduced 17 SDGs in 2015 to tackle poverty, inequality, and climate change by 2030. However, progress is lagging, with less than 20% of the goals on track.

During the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, a group of global social innovators, including those from India, established a Social Innovation House under Catalyst Now. This initiative aims to promote social innovation. Gaby, a co-chief facilitator of the group, stated, “One of the things we have found working all these years and collaborating with members around the world is that the only way we can advance the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs is by all of us collaborating for the same purpose. All of us working with the local communities to raise their own solutions.”

Focus on Community-Driven Solutions

Meneses highlighted the need for a shift in approach towards community-specific solutions. She advocated for bottom-up strategies rather than top-down ones. According to her, sustainable solutions must originate from within communities. “For a solution to be sustainable it needs to be created by the community. Because if it is top to down, it is not something that the community will adopt. To see the changes, you have to allow the community to do it,” Meneses explained.

She provided examples from Nigeria and Punjab, India, where garbage management solutions were tailored to local needs. In agricultural areas like Punjab, composting and material reuse were effective due to their relevance to farming practices. Meneses stressed that imposing industrial solutions in such regions would not work as they don’t align with local realities.

India’s Role in Social Innovation

India has been a significant focus for Meneses over the past decade due to its wealth of social innovators. She expressed enthusiasm about collaborating with Indian members and showcasing their initiatives at Davos. “India has incredible social innovators. It was one of the first country that I decided to work with 10 years ago. We are looking forward to collaborating with Indian members and see how they are going to bring it to Davos, talking about incredible initiatives they developed in India,” she added.

Catalyst Now comprises NGOs, social enterprises, intermediaries, funders, and other innovators aiming for SDGs. With over 5,500 members and more than 100 cross-sector collaborations across 146 countries, this network fosters connections among innovators, government officials, business leaders, and social leaders.

Global Collaboration for Change

The Social Innovation House hosted discussions on pressing issues like mental health, refugee integration, climate solutions, funding models, AI for business, and food futures during the World Economic Forum. Jeroo Billimoria, Co-founder of Catalyst Now said: “The Social Innovation House created an essential bridge between grassroots wisdom and global leadership. Here, community-driven solutions met the resources they need to scale – where purpose meets power, where vision meets action, and where innovation finds its moment.”

Fredrik Galtung, another co-chief facilitator of Catalyst Now noted that Davos 2025 marks a critical juncture for global challenges unmet by top-down approaches. He called for integrating bottom-up perspectives and new financing methods alongside technology-driven social change.

The Schwab Foundation highlights social innovation as a burgeoning field globally. It serves as a research and development lab for future business models. Over 10 million social enterprises worldwide create 200 million jobs and generate USD 2 trillion annually.