About Us
MOSS is a consultancy and financier that aims to maximize the societal impact of social entrepreneurs in developing and emerging countries by providing practical workshops, trainings, and mentoring services developed from cutting-edge scientific socio-ecological responsible business expertise through our affiliation with top business schools.
Too complicated? As academics we get that a lot, though we too prefer simpler explanations. In fact, we believe that the latest scientific knowledge should be made easier to understand and implement for businesses. That’s really what MOSS does: we make science practicable. Here, we’ll prove it using...er, moss.
We turn science into practice
Mosses are complex plant systems with useful medical, culinary, construction, biotech, and horticulture applications.
We foster strong connections with professors and research centers at top universities such as the Rotterdam School of Management and the Warwick Business School and tear down the so-called ‘ivory tower’. It’s an expression. It means that we use our access to cutting-edge scientific knowledge to make academic research on responsible business useful in the real world. Easy to say, difficult to do! We apply design thinking principles to create simple tools and frameworks from complex academic theory and then use our didactic and andragogic expertise to build practical workshops, trainings, and consulting services. We bring the science, you put it into practice.
We maximize positive societal impact
Mosses are an environmentally benign way to control erosion, sequester carbon, and identify air and water pollutants.
All socio-ecological problems are caused by dysfunctional systems behavior. Societal issues don’t just happen, they are the result of the interactions between many different variables. Social Enterprises (SEs) should therefore seek to understand the complex interdependencies of those variables, in order to allocate limited resources as effectively as possible to meet their impact objectives. This approach is called Systems Thinking. Still following? We infuse all our services with this perspective so that businesses tackle the root causes rather than the symptoms of socio-ecological problems. What’s more, systems are dynamic and change over time so as a bonus, SEs that tackle the causes rather than the symptoms are better placed than others to withstand shocks. That’s called building organizational resilience. We level up your resilience and positive societal impact.
We reduce negative societal impact
Mosses are never parasitic but can inhibit penetration of water to other plant roots unless drainage is applied.
Social Enterprises (SEs) and their stakeholders often intuitively feel - or design impact measurements showing - that they are solving a societal problem. This concerns us. We’re not saying that SEs aren’t creating positive impact, but they may not be aware of the negative impact they have. Without a holistic view of all their impact in the system including the values overlooked or destroyed, it is impossible to know whether the SE is doing more good than it is harm. Unfortunately, we see it happen all the time. In extreme cases this can mean that dysfunctional system behavior is validated by the existence of the SE and entrenched by the vested interests of their numerous stakeholders and support networks. Fear not. All is not lost. By first diagnosing these overlooked impacts it is then possible to apply corrective action. We nudge you into reducing your negative societal impact.
We build resilience in the societies that need us the most
Mosses are tolerant and thrive in areas that are under stress, neglected, or experience harsh conditions.
Where most consultancies focus on the visible minority, we opt for the overlooked majority. On a global scale, this means concentrating on developing and emerging countries with high-impact potential where socio-ecological challenges are underserved by existing institutions and infrastructures. South/Southeast Asia is a particularly suitable area where the conditions for fostering Social Enterprise (SE) are rapidly developing. Regionally, this means prioritizing SEs that are founded and run by locals, develop out of grassroots initiatives, and engage with systemically important socio-ecological challenges. This is borne out of our conviction that local communities understand best the complexities of local problems, and there is room for facilitation in empowering local solutions rather than imposing foreign ones. We empower you to serve the overlooked.
We facilitate growth in multiple ways
Mosses are growth stimulants as they repair damage to their DNA, provide nitrogen to the ecosystem, and reproduce through spores as well as insect pollination.
Having multiple intervention points in a system leverages more impact potential. Like mosses, we grow everywhere. Vigorously. Not only do we work directly with Social Enterprises (SEs) through consulting or indirectly with Social enterprises through workshops at local incubators and accelerators, we also recognize the value in promoting social entrepreneurship generally through collaborations with local educational institutions to educate the leaders of tomorrow on responsible business. We are teachers as well, after all. Finally, we provide SEs with access to capital through collaborations with local and international funding bodies as well as through our revolving MOSS fund that invests in high-impact opportunities. We’re a lean green growth machine.
Our Team
MOSS is powered by an enthusiastic team of intelligent, ideological, and humorous decision-makers motivated by the same drive to challenge the status quo.
Sander Fleuren
MOSS Consultants & Capital is my answer to the question: what is the most effective way to maximize the impact of social entrepreneurs (SEs)? It is the culmination of over 10 years of advising SEs in Africa, Asia, and Europe, and witnessing first-hand the transformative power of the fourth sector, while growing increasingly concerned with its tendencies to address symptoms rather than the root causes of societal issues.
Having spent more than 5 years in academia including as a researcher, senior lecturer, and learning & development manager at the Rotterdam School of Management, I recognized the value of making cutting-edge scientific knowledge practicable for entrepreneurs.
It all came together in the form of a charismatic professor who, besides introducing me to Systems Thinking, agreed to be my friend on the condition that I drop everything to pursue my dream of making a difference.
Dr. Steve Kennedy
I believe that social entrepreneurs can change the world. They can provide solutions to our grand sustainability challenges such as climate change and inequality, and positively disrupt our industries to new ways of working. Yet, I see that it is common for social entrepreneurs to not really understand the systems they are seeking to change. This leads to ineffective solutions, lost time and resources.
My work as Associate Professor at the Rotterdam School of Management uses systems thinking to understand how organizations may best make positive systems changes. I enjoy advising MOSS in my free time as it provides me with a vehicle to have practical impact and to offer this promising consultancy the support it needs to foster systems entrepreneurship across emerging markets.
Chayanat Supasongklod
Making change happen is not always an easy task and making the right change is possibly the hardest.
For the past 7 years, I have been working as a content creator and volunteer within different communities and organizations. In that time I have met many people and organizations working hard to bring change to their communities.
These experiences have led me to wonder what could be a better way for purpose-driven organizations to make the right and long-lasting change happen.
I believe that MOSS can help support those change initiatives bringing positive change to society.