PLACE accelerates and leverages the innovation newcomers bring to Europe
European societies need more and stronger voices with a recent history of migration to bring their perspectives and make their contributions to key economic sectors
We accelerate talent and match it with opportunities for new talent in 4 sectors. Find out what role you can play!
Business
Upskilling for meaningful employment
in a shifting economy
PLACE creates a pipeline that is win-win for both newcomers and the private sector: newcomers master new skills and opportunities to access meaningful work and companies get matched with the diverse talent they seek.
Entrepreneurship
From a choice by default to a self-defined life project, entrepreneurship can be a way to find a place in a new society.
PLACE offers a pathway to start and test entrepreneurial projects which takes newcomers further on their empowerment journey: successfully integrating a business incubator or starting their own business.
Public
Leadership
We need new voices of influence on the complex challenges our societies are facing. We need newcomer voices in the public sphere.
PLACE runs the first of its kind public leadership incubator, to create capacity and room for new voices on key topics and invent new leadership models. We create the conditions for eye-level interactions for emerging leaders, and provide new talent to established leadership networks for new conversations that need to happen.
Media &
the Arts
Our complex societies need new conversations and forms of dialogue that only new voices can catalyze.
PLACE develops bold proposals with diverse voices who speak for themselves, to challenge mainstream views of migration, leadership and other conversations wanting to be born.
By unlocking this new talent and matching it with organisations looking for new players in the areas of business, entrepreneurship, public leadership, and media & arts, we are shifting the perspective of migration from a burden to a unique asset for the development and growth of Europe.
PLACE champions migrant-led innovation: since 2016, we offer transformative and innovative learning experiences to newcomers and host societies, while also giving newcomers space for self-determination to find their version of power.
We do this through designing and running programs and events, from our flagship pop-up innovation labs in European capitals to 9-month fellowships online, from public events to retreats, hackathons, training of trainers, exhibitions and more. Our formats are migrant-led, apply next-generation learning methodologies and ed-tech, and involve groups from 10 to 100 people. They all share one aim: create the link in practice between migration and innovation in the sectors concerned.
Facilitation services
Knowing how to facilitate a group and lead collaboration online and offline, is a form of power. PLACE trains past learners of its programs to be Facilitators for online and offline learning, experiences and events. All PLACE events are migrant-led, and we also facilitate external events.
Interested in facilitation services?
Become a coach or an expert
PLACE monitors all learning outcomes through external experts, who assess the participants’ learning journey. We also provide a personal coach to all our participants, to help them to reach their goals.
Interested in being a PLACE expert or coach?
%
of PLACE program participants are refugees or asylum seekers
%
of learners have gained innovation skills exceeding industry standards for the future of work
learners in PLACE programs since 2017
%
of learners receive training-of-trainers and train on average 30 more people through PLACE
PLACE is working towards 5 Sustainable Development Goals
The place team
8 nationalities, 4 continents and 14 languages… we come from all walks of life, but here are a few points we have in common:
We care above all about people
We are perfectionists, self-motivated and relentless until we get results
We communicate openly and honestly
We need playfulness and challenges
We breathe through feedback
We put results and the team first
We excel at working across locations and cultures
The place team
8 nationalities, 4 continents and 14 languages… we come from all walks of life, but here are a few points we have in common:
We care above all about people
We are perfectionists, self-motivated and relentless until we get results
We communicate openly and honestly
We need playfulness and challenges
We breathe through feedback
We put results and the team first
We excel at working across locations and cultures
PARTNER WITH US
PLACE gets its strength and impact from the power of community. Our work is heightened by the collaborative efforts of our partners: forward-thinking actors from different sectors and countries, who push the boundaries so new embodiments of power can arise. Together, we’re changing the narrative of migration and transforming it into a vision of innovation. Join us today: work with us to change the game on a sector-level as a strategic partner.
Facebook feed
After travelling the world, Yann Arthus-Bertrand decided to take the road and roam across France to meet and photograph the real people who make up today's society.
Shot like a road movie, this documentary film tells the story of the women and men from all backgrounds, who are actively committed to advancing society through different professions and initiatives. It highlights ordinary people who shape society through care, creativity and action, mirroring PLACE's belief that every person has the power to contribute to collective transformation, as well as our commitment to representation and inclusion.
A true ode to solidarity, it reveals the beauty of human connection in an authentic and poetic way.
Produced by Hope Production and France 2 Cinéma.
Art is not just for art’s sake. It is how we connect, heal, and imagine new futures together.
In two weeks, What Lies Between Us, PLACE Network’s first artistic residency delivered by ce-ci, comes alive.
It is a living space where our Emerging Leaders Artivism Alliance cohorts of 2023 and 2024 will meet in person for the first time.
They are coming from all over the world to build bridges across continents, reweaving relationships, stories, and creative power.
Through care, presence, and shared imagination, the Alliance grows stronger and art becomes a collective force for change.
Follow PLACE’s channels and be part of this journey as we nurture the worlds that art dares to imagine.
#ArtIsNotALuxury #WhatLiesBetweenUs #PLACENetwork #Artivism #CollectiveCreation #ArtsForChange #EmergingLeaders #GlobalAlliance #CommunityThroughArt #ArtForTransformation
See PLACE’s LineUp to discover what’s happening across our different sectors.
Media & the Arts
“What Lies Between Us” - The Emerging Leaders Artivism Alliance Residency 2025
For the first time, artivists from the Emerging Leaders Artivism Alliance will gather in person, coming from across continents to take part in a residency that nurtures connection, reflection, and creative collaboration.
This residency is a living space where artivists reweave their relationships, stories, and creative power. Through care, presence, and shared imagination, the Alliance becomes stronger and with it, our collective capacity to transform the world.
We will be sharing stories and reflections from this gathering. Stay tuned.
Public Leadership
The Resilient Cities Policy Labs
This month, the Resilient Cities Policy Labs are moving forward in Besançon and Rennes, where people with a migration background and public officials continue to co-design inclusive policies and share decision-making power.
👉 Follow the journey as the program grows across France.
ParticipAction
The ParticipAction journey continues after the first training in October, where young people from across Europe began strengthening their voices, confidence, and civic engagement.
👉 Stay tuned as the program grows and new sessions unfold.
Bussines & Entrepreneurship
RES-MOVE
The RES-MOVE Transnational Network is launching as a digital community on LinkedIn, connecting co-working professionals, organizations, and people with a migration background to share knowledge, spark collaboration, and shape inclusive policies across Europe.
Wodigi: Launching of the program
This month, we’re launching WODIGI, a new European program empowering migrant women entrepreneurs through digital marketing. From podcasts to training and networking, WODIGI helps women unlock their potential and lead in the digital era.
🌍 L’aventure Resilient Cities se poursuit à Rennes !
✨ La semaine dernière, nous avons lancé les premières sessions de formation et les Policy Lab aux côtés de Rennes Métropole, marquant une nouvelle étape dans la collaboration avec le Conseil de l’Hospitalité, un conseil composé de personnes issues de parcours migratoires, qui œuvrent depuis l’an dernier à formuler des recommandations pour des politiques d’hospitalité plus inclusives.
Pendant deux journées inspirantes, les membres du Conseil et les acteurs locaux ont exploré les thématiques de l’accès aux droits, de l’emploi et de l’apprentissage du français, en s’appuyant sur les propositions développées en 2024.
🗣️ Avec le soutien de l’équipe d’ANVITA, de Rennes Métropole et de nos interprètes dévoué·es, les participant·es ont partagé leurs perspectives, co-construit des idées et renforcé la démocratie locale inclusive à Rennes.
🔭 Restez à l’écoute : nous vous tiendrons informé·es des prochaines étapes de cette collaboration au sein du programme Resilient Cities !
🌍 The Resilient Cities adventure continues in Rennes!
✨ Last week, we kicked off the first training and Policy Lab sessions alongside Rennes Métropole, marking a new chapter in the collaboration with the Conseil de l’Hospitalité, a council made up of people with migration backgrounds who have been shaping hospitality policies since last year.
Over two inspiring days, members of the Council and local actors explored themes of access to rights, employment, and language learning, building on the recommendations they developed in 2024.
🗣️ With support from ANVITA, Rennes Métropole, and dedicated interpreters, participants shared perspectives, co-created ideas, and continued to strengthen inclusive local democracy in Rennes.
🔭 Stay tuned: We’ll keep you updated on how this collaboration evolves within the Resilient Cities framework!
#Participation #Inclusion #ResilientCities
From 200,000+ supported to €136M in investment raised, the global refugee entrepreneurship movement is thriving. Let’s invest in its future.
#EntrepreneurshipForAll
Source: Refugee Entrepreneurship Network (REN)
With new confidence gained from the PLACE's Fast Forward program, she's now focused on global policy and research, aspiring to ensure that the green and digital transitions drive inclusive, positive change.
🗣️ Dive into Merve's story to discover how she leveraged her cross-cultural experience to gain crucial confidence and why she believes migration is a powerful catalyst for innovation.
1. Can you tell us a bit about your journey so far, what led you to where you are today?
As a senior economics student at Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Türkiye, I set my sights on gaining experience at an international organization. Through Erasmus, I moved to France, learned French, and was later accepted to the Sorbonne with a TEV scholarship. I recently completed my Master’s degree, with an internship at the OECD.
2. How did your experience with PLACE and the Fast Forward program shape your goals or mindset?
Being part of the Fast Forward program equipped me with the skills and, more importantly, the confidence to turn ideas into reality. The highlight for me was the Entrepreneurship Fest, where I met inspiring entrepreneurs whose migration journeys became the driving force behind their innovations. It revealed that a migration background can serve as a powerful catalyst for innovation rather than a constraint.
3. What kind of impact do you hope to make through your work in global policy and research?
Through my work in global policy and research, I aim to ensure that the green and digital transitions drive positive, inclusive change. I aspire to help lead this transformative era toward sustainable development, by contributing to policies and initiatives that equip communities to thrive, while leaving no one behind.
Discover the innovative projects developed by the Fast Forward cohort from PLACE: https://place-network.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Posters-Brochure-FF-2024.pdf
