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

Sedera Ranaivoarinosy

Communications Manager

Selma Rassoul

Program Manager

Sophie Gholami

Community Animator & Social Media Manager

Karla Tijero

Program Manager

Shawgi Ahmed

Director

Jeannet Mopendza

Admin and Finance Manager

Catherine Raad

Designer & Producer

Michele Caleffi

Co-founder & Head of Design

Ismail Alkhateeb

Operations Manager

Charlotte Hochman

Co-founder & Head of Innovation

Jocelyn Maskrey

Program Manager

Yazen Waked

Co-founder & Talent Expert

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.

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PLACE2 days ago
This Wednesday, September 4th, our amazing participants from Lyon, Clermont-Ferrand, and Grenoble came together online to gear up for the Resilient Cities Policy Labs! 🌍✨ The first Policy Lab kicks off in Lyon on September 17th and will run until January 2025.

During this preparatory session, participants voted on the topics they would like to address in the upcoming Policy Labs. A Policy Lab brings together various stakeholders (for us, newcomers and local decision-makers) to better understand the present situation, imagine a better future, and design ways to recommend new policies.

The Resilient Cities participants want to focus on issues that have a significant impact on their daily lives and are relevant to the challenges their cities face, such as:
Access To Employment
Language Learning
Participation to political life
Council of Foreigners

Together, they aim to co-collaborative solutions to these problems through active participation.💡🤝

We are honored to host these Policy Labs with such inspiring individuals from around the world who are committed to making real changes. We look forward to seeing them again in person and staying connected as we continue to explore resilient city solutions in the coming months!🔜🏙️

#PLACENetwork #ResilientCities #PolicyMaking #PolicyLab #NewcomerVoices #ActiveParticipation #MigrantInclusion
PLACE
PLACE3 days ago
Want to know what it's like to be a #Facilitator at PLACE Network? Ask Hanane!

After #graduating from PLACE in 2019, Hanane trained with us as a facilitator in order to support our future cohorts. She recently helped our Fast Forward 2023 group to develop and refine their #pitching skills, boosting an ambitious group of entrepreneurially-minded women in #Paris! 👏

Here she answers 3 fundamental questions: 🔎
1) What is the role of a facilitator, in your opinion?
2) What is your facilitation style?
3) What has facilitation brought to your life?

Facilitators are the #heart of our programs - maximising on their own experiences as PLACE Catalysts to provide essential learning support for our current Catalysts (participants). ✍️

#PLACENetwork #Facilitation #NewcomerTalent #LearningSupport #Welcoming
PLACE
PLACE
PLACE4 days ago
📣 D-9 until Kumi Naidoo joins us at PLACE - register for free now!

Don’t miss this chance to get inspired and learn from Kumi Naidoo, South African human rights & environmental justice activist and former Secretary General of Amnesty International. He will be talking all things #Advocacy and #CommunityMobilisation. 💪

As a Senior Advisor for CAN, he will be exploring how #art serves as a powerful #tool for #politicalengagement and driving #socialchange across the globe. 🌐🎨

Join us next week at 14h30 CEST for an insightful online session! Register for free here 🔗 https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUlc-CgrDotEtX7dDC_jKdlobjHDgATQIxC

#PLACENetwork #CAN #KumiNaidoo #Artivism #ELAA #ArtsForChange #AmnestyInternational #GreenpeaceInternational
PLACE
PLACE1 week ago
Res-Move Project (Resources on the Move) Update! 🎉

The Research stage of our project has well and truly begun with ZRC SAZU. As part of the initial desk research, ZRC-SAZU conducted 2 focus groups to gain a deeper understanding of migrant integration in coworking spaces. These two sessions focused on:

1️⃣ Migrant Newcomers & Coworking in EU Rural Areas
2️⃣ Gender (In)equality and Migrant Women in the Coworking Movement

Continuing on from this, each partner will be conducting field research in the 10 countries concerned, which will set the foundation for experimental initiatives of collaboration with local coworking spaces.

🗺️ We are also pleased to share the successful completion of the interactive map of coworking spaces that are already sensitive to the inclusion of people with migration backgrounds!
Have a look at the map here 👉 https://resmove.org/

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ℹ️ What is RES-MOVE? We're breaking down barriers by promoting access to coworking spaces for people with migration backgrounds, exposing them to new opportunities, networks, and resources for their business endeavors!

💼 Our goal? To transform collaborative spaces into inclusive integration hubs, fostering diversity, innovation, and social cohesion across the EU labor market.

#RESMOVE #AMIF #EUFunded #EUProject #PLACENetwork #CollaborativeSpaces #Coworking #NewcomerTalent #MigrantInclusion
PLACE
PLACE2 weeks ago
PLACE
PLACE
PLACE2 weeks ago
Save the Date 📅 13th of September at 14h30 CEST!

Join us online for an insightful session with Kumi Naidooexploring key themes in #advocacy and community #mobilisation. Discover how #art can serve as a powerful #tool for #politicalengagement and driving #socialchange. Kumi will share actionable examples from his extensive experience and offer inspiration on fostering meaningful social transformation. 🍃 💪

Register for free here 👉 https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUlc-CgrDotEtX7dDC_jKdlobjHDgATQIxC

Who is Kumi Naidoo? A South African human rights and environmental justice activist, he is the former Secretary-General of Amnesty International and the first Global South leader of Greenpeace International. Currently, he serves as a senior advisor for the Community Arts Network and is active in his local community through the Yeoville Bellevue Residents’ Association.

#PLACENetwork #CAN #Artivism #ELAA #ClimateJustice #KumiNaidoo

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