The Break Fellowship

https://the-break.eu/

The program aims to attract entrepreneurial projects managed by women from the EU to Spain, so that they can establish business relationships with each other and with Spanish entities, while also contributing to the resolution of sectoral challenges in local communities.
After an online training phase to accelerate their projects, the entrepreneurs (called Breakers) spend one month in Spain, where entrepreneurship organizations (Host Communities or HCs), mostly located in rural areas or small cities, connect them with the regional ecosystem and continue to support their acceleration. These organizations have previously identified a sectoral challenge that the participants must help solve, by getting involved in the community that hosts them. The sectoral challenges revolve around 12 areas: industry, tourism, mobility, health, materials, energy, finance, telecom, agriculture, biotech, social entrepreneurship, and rural development. The Break is therefore a two-way process: the entrepreneur receives support but also contributes to the community.
This program supports the internationalization of entrepreneurial projects led by women while capitalizing on their talent for local development projects. Therefore, it addresses two gaps simultaneously: the gender gap in the European entrepreneurial ecosystem and the territorial gap.

Problem addressed

Gender gap within the EU entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Territorial gap. Fostering talent capitalsation in medium and small towns as well as in rural areas

Innovative solution

The Break is not a standard internationalization/softlanding program. It aims to create systemic changes. The values of the Breakers are the foundation of everything: B (Brave), R (Regenerative), E (Empathetic), A (Aligned), K (Kind), E (Enthusiastic), R (Rebellious), S (Self-Compassionate). Based on these values, a community of collaboration, sisterhood, and mutual support is formed. The relationships they build among themselves are likely to last for years, and most of them feel empowered to continue advancing in closing the gender gap.

These values and tools for systemic change and regenerative economy are transmitted to the HCs in a previous Training of Trainers, using the U Theory as a basis.

The talent of the Breakers is capitalized to solve specific challenges in the communities that host them through open innovation sessions. Stakeholders from the community are involved in these sessions (depending on the challenge: municipalities, regional governments, NGOs, local associations, and residents themselves). This promotes the integration of the Breakers through Service Learning. The proposed solutions have mostly been absorbed by local institutions to ensure their sustainability.

The Break aims to be CO2-neutral in 2023 and is replicable in any country.

Key results and benefits

• Internationalization: 40% of the Breakers have generated leads with local actors in Spain, and 35% have formed alliances. 52.3% have created business alliances with other participants from The Break in the EU.

• Local impact: HCs have strengthened their strategy with a rating of 4 out of 5, opening the door to new projects. Most HCs have expanded their workforce thanks to the program.

• Breakers' acceleration: 68% rate their project's maturity as 4 out of 5, thanks to The Break. Those who only had an MVP were able to formally establish their company. 92.3% of the 2022 projects are still alive six months later.

• Job creation in the EU: The average number of people in The Break's entrepreneurial projects is 2. According to a survey conducted after six months (since November 2022), it is inferred that the personnel growth in the Breakers' companies was at least 50%.

• Community of 1,000 entrepreneurs: After the program's completion in 2023, the virtual community will continue to be energized for mutual support and the promotion of systemic changes.

• Community of 30 Spanish HCs: HCs have created a network to develop projects beyond The Break.

To learn about the project's impact, please visit LinkedIn (#TheBreakFellowship), Instagram (TheBreakFellowship).