2005 | Dublin | Level 2
Paul O'Hara
The Hope Concept
With the Hope Concept, Paul aimed to create a for profit social enterprise with a sustainable business model which could contribute to poverty reduction. The idea was to expand and improve upon the business model of brands such as Paul Newman's Newman's Own which has transferred over €150 million to children's charities from the sale of pasta sauces and salad dressings.
The Hope Brand aimed to focus initially on the growing bottled water sector. All profits would be allocated to water development projects in developing countries through International Aid Agencies.
As Paul was developing his idea, a major bottled water company in Ireland launched a competing brand. Paul then decided to turn his efforts to other avenues of driving social change, becoming the Ireland Director for Ashoka, a global social entrepreneurship organisation.
