A company with an impact in digital technology!

I think I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur. At the age of 32, I thought, it’s time to start!

In 2013, I decided to learn how to code and realised that there was a real need to train women in this field.

What motivates me the most: using digital technology to innovate and create a positive impact for thousands of people, especially women.

The WIDE-adventure is quite unusual as I initially began working as a volunteer. From the launch in 2013, we realised that there was real potential to be developed and I finally became a salaried director three years later. The journey was already very entrepreneurial, as we always had to source our own income and develop new projects. In 2021, we decided to evolve by transforming our non-profit organisation into a social impact company (SIS – Société d’Impact Sociétal). We received approval from the Ministère du Travail, de l'Emploi et de l'Économie sociale et solidaire in early 2022. I was delighted to finally become a “social entrepreneur”.

Networking is very important in our activities. We place value on collaboration in our projects, whether in Luxembourg or in Europe. But it’s not just about being seen – you must demonstrate your seriousness and credibility. We are fortunate to have the support of partners who trust us.

With the transformation into a SIS, our model has become hybrid. We still apply for grants for some of our programmes, but we now also sell services to customers. It’s a very different marketing and sales approach. In any case, the key to success lies in building quality relationships, as well as demonstrating patience and perseverance, because the pay-off for all this is long term.

The main challenge of a social enterprise is to ensure the continuity of its model while remaining aligned with its values and its approach to creating impact for society.
We continue to carry out projects serving the public interest, with a focus on education and awareness of digital and STEM skills among a variety of audiences, particularly women and young people.
Thanks to our partners and funders, we offer a large part of these activities free of charge, a model close to our hearts, but for sure not the easiest. 

Nevertheless, we want to develop new activities based on a different model by offering our services to new customers to whom we can bring real added value. Our intention is to involve women who are undergoing a reconversion process in the implementation of new projects, particularly by using no-code tools.

The most difficult thing to manage is uncertainty, especially as we operate on a project-by-project basis. Our costs are mainly staff related: it is very satisfying to have a growing team, but having to pay everyone at the end of the month can be stressful sometimes.

I am aware more than ever of the importance of controlling fixed costs and keeping track of cash flow. We need to be constantly looking for development opportunities. I think that if we do this seriously, it pays off at some point. My greatest pride is to lead a social enterprise that has a positive impact while being economically viable. And, finally, having a very good, stable, and committed team is clearly a driving force for an adventure like ours...

We are a Spuerkeess customer, currently only using simple services, and I use web banking a lot. The company’s account was set up quite quickly.

If we have projects that require bank financing in the future, I will turn to Spuerkeess before anyone else!