ARNO at Impact Week 2025: Trends, Connections, and Future Directions

ARNO attended Impact Week 2025 in Malmö, Sweden, joining European foundations, investors, social enterprises, policymakers, and ecosystem-builders exploring the evolving landscape of impact capital. The following reflections highlight the sessions and experiences selected by Irina Janevska — ARNO’s founder and president — offering one perspective from the event.

Day 1: The conference began with the Impact Crash Course, introducing concepts such as catalytic and patient capital through interactive exercises designed to deepen understanding of impact investing. Intro to Investing for Impact – core principles (intentionality, additionality, measurability, and impact management) — was contextualized by European market trends and data insights. On day 1, time was also dedicated to our Invest for Change project, where national teams shared updates and strategic considerations. The day concluded with a reception at Malmö’s Town Hall, bringing together Impact Europe members and partners for informal exchange.
Word of the day: catalytic capital

Day 2: On the main conference day, the plenary “When Europe Got Darker, We Got Brighter – Lessons from Jean Monnet’s Playbook” featured Åsa Skogström Feldt (IKEA Social Entrepreneurship BV & Impact Europe), Leslie Johnston (Laudes Foundation & Impact Europe), Peter Surek (Erste Social Finance Holding), Markus Freiburg (FASE), Stefana Hoti (City of Malmö), and Angela Wiebeck (Impact Europe). Speakers explored how impact actors respond to social, democratic, and economic uncertainty through collaboration, adaptability, and long-term thinking.
Among the sessions attended, “Strategic Catalytic Constellations: Strategic Capital in an Era of Uncertainty” highlighted how volatility — from inflation to geopolitical disruption — is reshaping investment strategies and how capital can be deployed to support institutional resilience and societal stability.
Education-focused discussions included “Where Capital Meets Community: Bold Partnerships Transforming Education”. Themes such as scaling proven models, supporting leaders closest to challenges, and forging cross-sector partnerships resonated strongly with ARNO’s focus on community-rooted initiatives.

The plenary “Creative Capital: Reimagining How to Fund Impact” showcased blended finance models with representatives from Relevant Ventures, UI Ventures, Impact Europe, Alfanar Venture Philanthropy, and Smart Kolektiv. For ARNO, the session offered both global perspectives and local resonance through long-term regional partnerships. It was great to hear our colleague Neven sharing Western Balkan perspectives and potential.
A standout experience was the immersive installation “Northern Lights – Visions from 2045” by SALLY, the futures lab at EY Doberman. Participants entered a speculative world shaped by climate and economic collapse.

“This was a very unique way of storydoing. We watched a video of a woman calling herself from 2045 — a world with climate and economic collapse, a world where she cannot obtain insulin shots for her son. The experience also included group discussions about the new economy. It was an amazing way to approach the topic,” noted Irina.

Word of the day: New economies

Day 3: The day began with a side event with EIT Culture & Creativity, featuring presentations from DOEN, OPES, and MDIF on investment strategies in cultural and creative industries. On the last day, Irina also attended the plenary “The Youth Alliance: Collective Action and Innovation for Youth Employment and Future-Ready Young People”. Discussions focused on youth opportunity, workforce preparedness, and the impact of technological and demographic change. Irina presented the work of ARNO in the educational system, the parcours, the need for gamification, work with teachers, and embedding social entrepreneurship in school curricula. She shared these proposals in the working group, which were later included as recommendations in the plenary.

Impact Week concluded with reflections from Leslie Johnston and Angela Wiebeck, synthesizing recurring themes around collaboration, long-term capital, and systemic impact. As a farewell, participants saw on the big screen the message “As long as there’s light, we’ve got a chance” accompanied by a Star Wars theme, creating a memorable and uplifting atmosphere.

It is important to highlight that the venue featured an extensive exhibition. There were circular and sustainable business solutions, including pasta made from surplus bread, chickpea-based egg substitutes, Nordic seaweed farming, and initiatives connected to Blue Economy funds. Visual displays emphasized the social and economic contributions of these enterprises, providing concrete inspiration for those exploring innovation and impact.
Word of the day: Light

Impact Week offered a unique opportunity to observe diverse approaches to social innovation, finance, and community-driven initiatives. Irina shared that she is returning from this journey with valuable observations, insights into emerging trends, and inspiration from creative formats, as well as potential areas for future engagement. The connections made and conversations held during the event have motivated ARNO to explore new collaborations and continue advancing its work in the months ahead. The album with photos can be found here.

The event visit took place under the Invest for Change project (2025–2030), a pioneering initiative funded by the European Union. The project aims to develop a more favorable social entrepreneurship ecosystem in the Western Balkans by improving access to finance, engaging stakeholders and investors, and advancing policy frameworks.  The project is coordinated by Impact Europe and implemented in partnership with ARNO (North Macedonia), Partners Albania (Albania), Smart Kolektiv (Serbia), Foundation 787 (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and ICK(Kosovo).