MEET THE UP COLLECTIVE
Over the last 5 years and counting, refugee and other newcomer entrepreneurs have used UP Collective as a springboard to develop and promote their business ideas.
Meet our members and read, watch and listen to their stories - highlighting their experience with UP Collective and their journeys after graduating.
VOLUNTEER WITH UP COLLECTIVE
Use your hard-won business skills to make a tangible impact in the life of an aspiring entrepreneur.
JOIN UP COLLECTIVE
Do you want to be an entrepreneur? Do you have a business idea? Do you want to build business skills?
Have you already had a successful business and want to start something fresh?
Apply to join UP Collective in your city to bring your ideas to life! In the programme, you join an awesome community and together, you get to explore entrepreneurship, develop your product or service idea, and test it with potential customers!
After you graduate from the UP Collective programme, you’ll join our wonderful collective of hundreds of alumni. Check out stories from UP Collective alumni members here.
WHERE IS UP COLLECTIVE ACTIVE?
UP Collective runs in 3 countries and 4 cities. In each city, UP Collective is run by a local partner organisation. Check out our map to find out about the UP Collective in each city, the local partner organisations and the entrepreneurs they work with.
UP Collective will grow and get started in more cities and countries soon. We want to reach refugee and migrant entrepreneurs in places where entrepreneurship support is still limited! Maybe you could get involved to kickstart UP Collective for entrepreneurial newcomers in your city!
Get our quarterly newsletter about upcoming UP Collective programmes, volunteering opportunities, and community events delivered straight to your inbox.
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Up Collective is an
entrepreneurial community and
programme that helps refugee
and other newcomer entrepreneurs
take the first steps to turn their
awesome ideas into real
businesses and non-profits.
MEET THE UP COLLECTIVE
Over the last 5 years and counting, refugee and other newcomer entrepreneurs have used UP Collective as a springboard to develop and promote their business ideas.
Meet our members and read, watch and listen to their stories - highlighting their experience with UP Collective and their journeys after graduating.
UP COLLECTIVE
IN NUMBERS
5
CITIES
362
USERS
95
COUNTRIES
Even though she had to “start from scratch,” Alexandra – a trained architect – was eager and proactive in continuing her entrepreneurial journey. In previous years, she had an international career, working as an architect in places like Berlin and Tokyo. She then moved back to Ukraine, where she founded her own architecture and interior design studio Nikitenkoteam and worked as a tutor at the Kharkiv School of Architecture, Ukraine’s first and only private architecture school.
"If you want to be an entrepreneur, this is the place."
Ashen, UP Collective 2022 graduate
Even though she had to “start from scratch,” Alexandra – a trained architect – was eager and proactive in continuing her entrepreneurial journey. In previous years, she had an international career, working as an architect in places like Berlin and Tokyo. She then moved back to Ukraine, where she founded her own architecture and interior design studio Nikitenkoteam and worked as a tutor at the Kharkiv School of Architecture, Ukraine’s first and only private architecture school.
Even though she had to “start from scratch,” Alexandra – a trained architect – was eager and proactive in continuing her entrepreneurial journey. In previous years, she had an international career, working as an architect in places like Berlin and Tokyo. She then moved back to Ukraine, where she founded her own architecture and interior design studio Nikitenkoteam and worked as a tutor at the Kharkiv School of Architecture, Ukraine’s first and only private architecture school.
"This has been the greatest experience of my career and it couldn't have come at a better time."
Tahany, UP Collective 2022 graduate
Even though she had to “start from scratch,” Alexandra – a trained architect – was eager and proactive in continuing her entrepreneurial journey. In previous years, she had an international career, working as an architect in places like Berlin and Tokyo. She then moved back to Ukraine, where she founded her own architecture and interior design studio Nikitenkoteam and worked as a tutor at the Kharkiv School of Architecture, Ukraine’s first and only private architecture school.
"I really can’t understate
the huge impact joining has had on me."
Ruvi, UP Collective 2022 graduate
Even though she had to “start from scratch,” Alexandra – a trained architect – was eager and proactive in continuing her entrepreneurial journey. In previous years, she had an international career, working as an architect in places like Berlin and Tokyo. She then moved back to Ukraine, where she founded her own architecture and interior design studio Nikitenkoteam and worked as a tutor at the Kharkiv School of Architecture, Ukraine’s first and only private architecture school.
Ben & Jerry's
Founding Partner
International
Ben & Jerry’s were the founding partners of the UP Collective in 2017. The programme is a key part of the social justice mission in Europe, providing funding & placements to enable newcomers to shape their own futures.
TERN
Founding partner
United Kingdom
TERN founded UP Collective in 2017 alongside Ben & Jerry's. TERN delivers UP Collective in London. TERN also manages the international collaboration around UP Collective with close collaborators Delitelabs, PLACE and Caritas. TERN also co-leads on international fundraising and innovation projects for UP Collective.
Ben & Jerry's and TERN are proud to have founded UP Collective in 2017, but even prouder of the wonderful partners who have since joined us in the UP Collective family. Today, UP Collective is more inviting than ever and welcomes other businesses and organisations to join the UP Collective partner group to make the programme better than ever for the next generation & alumni newcomer entrepreneurs.
