“TARGET” is the pilot program we are developing to promote entrepreneurs’ mental health and wellbeing in partnership with Fidelidade group. We have an initial investment of around 25,000 euros for the development of activities over the course of a year (you can find the program below).

TARGET is a new way of looking at Impact Entrepreneurship and at the people who make it happen, in this case, the entrepreneurs and humans who want to bring about change in Society and who take risks, win, and fail.

The world of entrepreneurship is complex and moves at a very fast pace. Creating, launching, maintaining, and succeeding in a business that also aims to solve social and environmental problems is part of everyday life at Casa do Impacto. The inevitability of instability leads to a need to constantly seek physical balance, but also mental balance, and that’s where TARGET comes in!

The starting point was the high predisposition of entrepreneurs to develop mental health problems, given the risks associated with running their businesses. Faced with this reality, we challenged our Entrepreneurial Community to answer a mental health diagnostic questionnaire in partnership with the Portuguese Catholic University (Catholic Research Center for Psychological, Family and Social Wellbeing, CRC-W/UCP). According to the survey, 74% recognize that their work influences their mental health and 61% believe that their physical health has worsened significantly since they became Impact Entrepreneurs. The signs of somatization in the context of Entrepreneurship are very significant, with 30% of people showing high or very high levels of somatization. In terms of somatology, 20% have clinically significant levels of insomnia, 7.7% have moderate or severe depression, and 27.7% have moderate or severe anxiety. These are worrying figures and do not represent the problem in its entirety.

From the outset, we considered it essential to have people speak openly about their experiences and be able to give their examples and demonstrate that we all go through situations related to mental health and often feel overwhelmed about it. We are not alone!

We also want to promote dynamism and appeal to the participation of our audience, always endeavoring to foster a positive atmosphere of open communication. One of our goals is to create a safe space where anyone can talk openly about subjects that usually have a lot of weight and negativity associated with them and demystify them so that prejudice is left at the door. Our doors are not open to it.

We know that creating awareness and normalizing the issue of Mental Health is a process that takes time because it must be systemic and define Society, just like Impact itself. Since it has yet to be, we have to start at the beginning with those we can reach: the Casa do Impacto Entrepreneurs whom we want to accompany closely and help in any way we can, as we have done throughout the Hub’s history. This is just one more dimension we want to respond to.

Over the next year, we will promote Mental Health actions every week.

The partnership with Fidelidade group also adds enormous value to the potential for awareness of Mental Health, not just in TARGET, but in the business Ecosystem as a whole. The concern for this issue on the part of a corporate company like Fidelidade should serve as an example to others who still need to prioritize the wellbeing of their employees. There is always room to look after those who are part of the House and, consequently, the others you provide services to. The more companies that join this cause, the easier it will be to normalize its existence.

The programme will have three objectives that we intend to meet, each to be promoted through specific actions and events aimed at Impact Entrepreneurs:

• > Awareness: Sensitizing entrepreneurs to the importance of wellbeing and demystifying the issue of mental health | Retreats, Wellbeing Shots and Teasers Advisory Board* and Communication and Information;

• > Empowerment: Promoting self-knowledge and the sharing of experiences between entrepreneurs | Workshops, Peer Groups, Buddies, Founder’s Circles;
• > Healing: Facilitating the wellbeing and personal and professional development of entrepreneurs | Wellbeing, Consultations, Coaching, Wellbeing Room.

*The Advisory Board is made up of various personalities from different backgrounds:

• > Carla Ventura | CASES;
• > Elena Durán | 55+;
• > Gustavo Jesus | Partners in Neuroscience;
• > Hugo Van Der Ding | Presenter;
• > Jaime Silva | Order of Psychologists and Dave Morgan Search;
• > João Duarte | Impulso;
• > Joana Moreira – MadPanda and Transformers;
• > Mariana Duarte Silva | Skoola;
• > Frederico Fezas Vital | Centre for Responsible Business UCP;
• > Paula Domingos | National Coordination of Mental Health Policies.

Below is a timetable for the TARGET program over the coming months:

You are our TARGET!
Sit down at the table and join the conversation!

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