Kaospilots & #HomelessEntrepreneur Collaborating to End Homelessness

Kaospilots (Chaospilots) is taking over the #HomelessEntrepreneur blog with some articles for the coming months!  

Meet the team

Kaospilots is a Danish business and design school specialized in leadership and entrepreneurship. It is a school for change makers, leaders and social entrepreneurs. For a few months during the three year program we move to a different location in the world to engage in local projects that play an important role in changing the world so it becomes a better place. Therefore, 38 second year Kaospilot students can currently be found in the streets of Barcelona. Four of us, Ana, Nina, Malthe and Bettina (see picture below) are spending most of our time collaborating with #HomelessEntrepreneur since we share the beliefs of opportunities and empowering people.

Ana, Bettina, Nina, and Malthe (from left to right)

Ana, Bettina, Nina, and Malthe (from left to right)

From our first year at the Kaospilots we bring with us a variety of skills, tools and abilities within areas such as social entrepreneurship, process design and facilitation, project management, experience design, team culture and more. These we hope will be of good use during our collaboration.

Bringing chaos to Homeless Entrepreneurs?!

For the coming two months we will work with Homeless Entrepreneur focusing on the organisation’s internal processes and how we can support them in their development.

Our first step will be to host conversations and interviews with Homeless Entrepreneur to understand and get a picture of what the organisation looks like now and how they want to shape their work and future.  

A good picture of how Kaospilots take on projects in a somewhat different way is Googling the word ‘preject’, which is how we usually start up a project:

“Preject is a concept that talks about the need for a small pre-project before the actual project. This to define ways of working, roles, expectations etc. This is often used by the Kaospilots.”
— Bettina


If you want a sneak peek into what Kaospilots dream of and how we work on projects, you can check out this video from our annual End of the Year event in Copenhagen.

The event showcases the work of Kaospilot students in the past year, with a special focus on the projects by the graduating team.

In the end of June 2018 thirty five humble, visionary and talented people graduated from the the Kaospilot. They all come from various of countries with different perspectives, backgrounds and personalities. What they all have in common is an eager and a desire to create and contribute to a meaningful life, community and world. Don’t hold back your curiosity and your desire to know more about these professionals. In the following link you can investigate every each of them and see what contributions they already hold. http://www.kaospilot.dk/graduates2018/ If you want to know more about the Kaospilot institution then go check www.Kaospilot.dk, and get a sense of what the school offers you as a student or as a current change maker.

We will write updates about the project and our process here, so stay tuned!

Also, if you have any input, suggestions, questions or interest please contact us (Bettina) via email! bettina@kaospilot.dk

 

Monthly ESITS Sleepout at Web Summit 2018

Are you in Lisbon during the Web Summit (November 5 - 8)? Have you ever helped a homeless person? Do you believe technology can augment human capacities?  Do you believe actions speak louder than words?

If you've answered "Yes" to all four questions you have officially qualified as someone who can participate in #HomelessEntrepreneur's 27th monthly sleepout between November 4-8 in front of the Web Summit entrance at Altice Arena in Lisbon.

Why is #HomelessEntrepreneur participating in Web Summit?

“We believe that the tech world can promote a symbiotic relationship between humans and technology to speed up the process of creating sustainable work and dignified housing for and with homeless people interested in telling their story and working to become active citizens again. ”
— #HomelessEntrepreneur

SLEEPING IN THE STREET IS NOT A JOKING MATTER

Sleeping in the street for one night isn't going to kill you, but sleeping there every night can and will especially in winter and during cold fronts. A #HomelessEntrepreneur named Tomas living in Tarragona, Spain, who has successfully gotten off the street, lost a close friend of his last year for this exact reason. Carol was only 45 years old.

What are #HomelessEntrepreneur’s goals at Web Summit?

  • Raise Awareness both online and offline: We will communicate with Web Summit guests online as well as at the entrance and around the city to build upon our 3 strategic pillars; knowledge, recognition and change. The goal is that these conversations with tech professional, influencers in the business world and journalists lead to real proposals that turn into real change.

    • Example: Having an amazing conversation with Mairin Murray about creating new opportunities for and with homeless people and the communities they live in via Tech4Good. This conversation started on Twitter through the #WebSummit hashtag and continued over coffee at the museu da cerveja right before it started raining.

  • Build Partnerships: We are looking to partner up with corporations and individuals who would like to help transform our business processes with the ultimate goal of creating more job and housing opportunities for and with homeless people in our program. An current example: We are building an app with SAP’s Belgian and Dutch sales department in Barcelona in order to collect clean data in real-time so we can make better decisions and more importantly create a tool that many other organizations can use to do the same.

    • Example: As soon as we create a new partnership, we will share it in this article. Contact us if you’re interested!

  • Raise Funds: On a small scale, we’d like to raise between 5,000-15,000€ to end homelessness for 2 #HomelessEntrepreneurs in our program by funding their projects. On a large scale, we’d like to raise 1,5 million euros to provide economic stability and growth for #HomelessEntrepreneurs on a European level.

    • Example: As soon as we raise funds, we will share it in this article. Thanks to Invoice Ninja, we were able to raise funds for the travel expenses and half of a program for 1 #HomelessEntrepreneur! Please contact us if you’re interested in donating!

How is #HomelessEntrepreneur participating in Web Summit?

  • We will be sleeping out in front of the Web Summit from Nov. 4-8 as well as communication a clear positive message for every person who passes by to see, while smiling and wishing everyone an amazing day and successful event.

    • Example of commitment: Even though it’s raining, I’m still sleeping out. Homeless people can’t choose not to be homeless when the weather’s bad and I’m not going to act any differently.

  • We will be starting and continuing conversation with those attending the event in a formal and informal way, which will depend on each person/organization.

    • Example of a continued conversation: I met Carl Rodrigues at the speaker’s dinner at CogX in London and we’ll be catching up here in Lisbon at Web Summit!

  • We will be creating customized proposals and closing deals with all interested parties.

    • Example: We reached out to Boss AC, a well respected Portuguese rapper, via Twitter and will be sending him a proposal to participate in the event shortly.

  • And most importantly, we will start working with the new partners who decide to help speed up the process of creating sustainable work and dignified housing for and with our organization.

    • Example: As soon as we start working with a new partner, we will share it in this article. Contact us if you’re interested!

WHAT SHOULD YOU BRING IF YOU WANT TO SLEEP OUT WITH US?

1) A sleeping bag

2) An open mind

3) A few good jokes (optional)

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IF YOU CAN'T SLEEP OUT WITH US?

Share this post with people you know how may be interested in joining us. It's free and you can do it on your phone from wherever you are!

You can also participate as a sponsor like Invoice Ninja, who sponsored our travel costs for Web Summit, in future events!

CAN WE CREATE A BETTER FUTURE FOR & WITH HOMELESS PEOPLE?

Yes, and we should because active citizen participation is the only solution!

IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE A DONATION TO HELP US SPEED UP THE PROCESS OF CREATING WORK AND HOUSING FOR AND WITH HOMELESS PEOPLE IN OUR PROGRAM, PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINK: DONATE.

“For further information, please email us at funk@homelessentrepreneur.org
or call us at +34 697 877 089.”
— Andrew Funk, President of #HomelessEntrepreneur


"Homeless Holidays" Summary of 24th monthly #TDELC sleepout

Institutionalization is said to take place after 2 years of being in a specific situation. In #HomelessEntrepreneur's case, we have just celebrated our 2 year anniversary of sleeping out in the street between 1-4 days every month around the world. This commitment goes beyond the visibility we receive thanks to the press and the awareness created amongst each and every person who interacts with us during our monthly sleepout: It is building a community that's bringing homeless people and active citizens together to create a strong network of professionals who are opening up job opportunities for homeless people who are willing to tell their story and work to become active citizens again.

“For our first institutionalized event, we decided to celebrate the 2 year monthly sleepout anniversary by giving 7 #HomelessEntrepreneurs 24 hours of vacation in Barcelona.”
— Andrew Funk, President of #HomelessEntrepreneur

What better way to celebrate than inviting a homeless person from another city who has been supporting us via Twitter for the last two years?!?

Amparo ha sido una fiel seguidora de #HomelessEntrepreneur durante mucho tiempo en las redes sociales desde Valencia y nos gustaría invitarle a participar en #HomelessHolidays para celebrar nuestro 2º aniversario de #TodosDurmiendoEnLaCalle en Barcelona. Explica un poco de su historia y mucho de sus ganas de participar en el evento y conocernos en persona.

Amparo Barcenas is a homeless woman from Valencia who is struggling with homelessness. We asked her to share a little bit of her story and invite our community to donate so we could pay for her transportation so she could participate in our monthly #TDELC sleepout, which she was more than happy to do. Within 24 hours of sharing her video, we were able to raise the money, buy her tickets and give her a huge smile!

August 20th, 2018: Day 1 of our monthly #TDELC sleepout

Rise & Shine with a Little Bit of Yoga

Yoga has benefits beyond the mat and many of these can help homeless people because believe it or not, homeless people are people too. According to Yoga Journal, not only does it enhance your health, it also helps you focus, gives you peace of mind and makes you happier. Thanks to Leila, we were able to enjoy all of these benefits on the beautiful beach of Sant Sebastià in Barcelona in front of the Mediterranean sea.

Down Time after Yoga Creates Moments to Bond

Believe it or not, we relaxed even more after the yoga class and that gave everyone the opportunity to get to know each other a little bit better. One of the most important aspects of our monthly #TDELC sleepout is how we grow as a team. Spend 24 hours with anyone and you'll see how a natural bond takes places, which allows you to have a better relationship with those around you due to a better understanding of who they truly are.

Checking in, Showering & Fresh Clothes

The final touch of a good few hours at the beach is a nice cold shower, which is why we headed to the 3 hostels (Sweet BCN, Casa Kessler & Hostal Grau) that participated in the event as sponsors by providing room and board for the #HomelessEntrepreneurs participating in the event. All of our bellies were protesting a bit by then because they knew where we were headed: Parc Ciudatella for a picnic thanks to Valerie, a volunteer who first connected with us via LinkedIn!

Sharing a Summer Breeze, Good Healthy Food & Dreams

A picnic in Parc Ciutadella (Barcelona, Spain) to share the summer breeze, some good, healthy food and dreams of a brighter future during our 24th monthly sleepout #HomelessEntrepreneur #TodosDurmiendoEnLaCalle #ParcCiutadella #picnic #Barcelona

2 Likes, 1 Comments - Andrew Funk (@andrewfunkspain) on Instagram: "A picnic in Parc Ciutadella (Barcelona, Spain) to share the summer breeze, some good, healthy food..."

It may be a little ironic to invite homeless people to a park for a picnic because there are so many homeless people who actually live there, but we thought it was a good idea and we weren't wrong. Luckily, we were able to find some shade under a tree next to the botanic gardens, so everyone was able to enjoy the conversation and food out of the uncomfortable heat. Guillem, a #HomelessEntrepreneur who was able to get work thanks to our monthly #TDELC sleepout in front of the Mobile World Congress, was finally able to join us and he came with a friend, Antonio. Arriving late isn't acceptable at #HomelessEntrepreneur, but being late because of work is always a good excuse in our book. Time passed quickly and before we knew it, it was already 4pm, which meant we only had an hour to get to Gracia for a previously booked block tour during Festes de Gracia. Thanks to Alba, an actress and one of the lastest #HomelessEntrepreneurs, we were able to take advantage of this special opportunity. 

Getting a special look into what's behind Festes de Gràcia

Welcome to a special block tour and music during #FestesDeGracia #HomelessEntrepreneur #TodosDurmiendoEnLaCalle #Gracia

57 Likes, 1 Comments - Andrew Funk (@andrewfunkspain) on Instagram: "Welcome to a special block tour and music during #FestesDeGracia #HomelessEntrepreneur..."

After spending more than 8 hours together, the event started to seem more like a family outing and everyone truly felt like they were on vacation even if it was getting to know their own city. The definition of vacation started to sink in.

“A vacation or holiday is a leave of absence from a regular occupation, or a specific trip or journey, usually for the purpose of recreation or tourism... Vacations are often spent with friends or family.”
— Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacation

We all wandered around the tiny streets full of tourists and Spanish citizens until we got hungry and ordered Kebab next to an appropriate plaza called plaça de la revoluciò and then entered a fruit store to get some juice. Yes, we got pear and guayaba juice, not beer. #HomelessEntrepreneurs are healthy like that ;-) While we ate, we waiting for music but it never came, which wasn't really a problem because it gave us time to get to know each other even more. As the night got darker and we neared midnight, the #HomelessEntrepreneurs drifted off to their hostels and the volunteers who planned on sleeping in front of Barcelona Turisme's corporate office headed towards a gently inclined sidewalk lit brightly by a street light.

Like always we searched for cardboard boxes to use as bedding and we set up our homeless hotel and create our signs to create awareness about conscious tourism. A homeless man from Extremadura named Jose was looking for cardboard in the trash can and I invited him to join us, which he happily accepted. Not only did he show interest in what we were doing, but he also made it a point to teach me about the Lincoln Battalion and how the group of American volunteers participated in the Spanish Civil War. After Jose got comfortable and fell asleep with a sleeping bag or blanket, the bouncer from Barcelona's sophistication magnet and restaurant, Boca Grande, came over to ask us about what we were doing.

Finally able to "sleep"

A sleepout is a bit ironic because you never really sleep well... at least people who aren't sleeping rough. You can normally tell who is used to it because they are the first ones to go to sleep and the first ones to wake up. If you ever sleep out with us, you'll find out the sleeping in isn't an option. We always have the most efficient alarm clock on the world: the sun.

We cleaned up our area like always and headed towards Casa Kessler for breakfast as Jose kept sleeping next to a sign that said "Tourists 'please help homeless' go home." While I had coffee and waited for everyone to join us I ran across an online article called Sick posters encouraging tourists to jump off balconies emerge on the streets of Barcelona after spate of British deaths in Spain this summer, which was sad to read. While we promote healthier habits between locals and tourists, others are inviting them to jump off building to their death.

Breakfast is a luxury for homeless people

Preparing breakfast at Casa Kessler during day 2 of our 24th monthly #TDELC sleepout. #HomelessHolidays #HomelessEntrepreneur

3 Likes, 1 Comments - Andrew Funk (@andrewfunkspain) on Instagram: "Preparing breakfast at Casa Kessler during day 2 of our 24th monthly #TDELC sleepout...."

I'll never get the image of receiving cold chicken and cold french fries for breakfast at a social lunchroom in Palma de Mallorca. Waking up to and going to a beautiful terrace where fruit, juice, sandwiches and yogurt awaits you is next to heavenly in comparison to what you can receive as donations for breakfast. Thanks to Hanne, the owner of Casa Kessler, we were able to enjoy this moment during amicable conversations before we headed off to our final destination: the National Museum of Catalan Art (MNAC).

Judit, a #HomelessEntrepreneur, guides us through the MNAC

Un gran lujo tener Judit, una #HomelessEntrepreneur, como guía en el MNAC durante nuestra 24a edición de #TodosDurmiendoEnLaCalle #MNAC "Las personas sin hogar deberían ser guías de su propio camino."

74 Likes, 3 Comments - Andrew Funk (@andrewfunkspain) on Instagram: "Un gran lujo tener Judit, una #HomelessEntrepreneur, como guía en el MNAC durante nuestra 24a..."

While Beto, #HomelessEntrepreneur's official photographer got lost taking pictures of all the art, Judit took us on a 3 hours adventure within the MNAC explaining details that only an expert guide would know. Ramon, a #HomelessEntrepreneur, gave her a 12 out of 10 when I asked him about his experience during the private tour. Unlike the stigmatized image of many homeless people, most citizens would be surprised at how knowledge many homeless people are and how conscious they are of cultural issues.

Group Picture at the End of the Event

Group picture at the end of #HomelessHolidays on top of the #MNAC #HomelessEntrepreneur #TDELC

5 Likes, 1 Comments - Andrew Funk (@andrewfunkspain) on Instagram: "Group picture at the end of #HomelessHolidays on top of the #MNAC #HomelessEntrepreneur #TDELC"

Definition of success during a monthly #TDELC sleepout

We met a homeless person from Italy named Andrea at the beginning of the event and he decided to participate the entire 24 hours and even sleep with us in front of Barcelona Turisme. Little did he know, he would have his first job interview 72 hours later in Sant Cugat at a pastry shop called Dolç par Yan Duytsche. Andrea got the job and will be starting on September 15th =)

A special thanks to each and every person who participated in the 24th #TDELC monthly sleepout! If you want to join us in the next #TDELC for La Diada on September 10th-11th at Monument a Rafael Casanovas, just click on the button below to sign up!

If you'd like to support our monthly #TDELC event and make sure they speed up the process of creating work and housing for homeless people in our program, please click on the button below and make a donation

Donate & support sleepout

See everyone at the next #TDELC on September 10th-11th!

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS OF CREATING JOB & HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES TO END HOMELESSNESS FOR PEOPLE IN OUR PROGRAM?

  • Make a donation and support #HomelessEntrepreneurs around the world by providing them with the tools, resources and opportunities they need.

  • Share our progress via LinkedIn, Facebook and/or Twitter.

  • Discover other ways to collaborate within your means.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact us and let us know!