Partnership with Unicus to represent Specialisterne in Norway

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It is with great pride that we can announce a partnership between Unicus and Specialist People Foundation whereby the parties will share knowledge and collaborate around customer engagements. Unicus will also join the growing network of Specialisterne operations worldwide as it will represent Specialisterne in Norway.

Unicus and Specialisterne employ high functioning individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) as consultants providing valuable services to leading companies in technology, IT, telecommunications, healthcare and software.

“Specialisterne Denmark was our inspiration to start Unicus in 2009. We are very happy to become part of the international Specialisterne family. We have been successful and profitable as a startup company, and we are now entering the scaling phase where the know-how, proven concept and methodologies from Specialisterne will become very valuable. We are confident that Specialisternes’ eight years of operational experience and its growing international presence combined with the local success of Unicus can bring in new dimensions and impact to the Norwegian society as we will provide opportunities through the creation of meaningful and productive jobs for high functioning people with ASD,” says Lars Johansson-Kjellerød, Founder and General Manager of Unicus.

Thorkil Sonne, Founder of Specialisterne and Chairman of Specialist People Foundation, says “We are very excited of the opportunity to partner with Unicus and their team. This is another important step on our journey toward the goal of enabling one million jobs for people with autism and similar challenges. This collaboration which will bring Specialisterne into Norway will become an important source of inspiration for all stakeholders in the Nordics. Together we will improve perceptions in the Nordic societies towards the employment opportunities of people with invisible disabilities such as Autism Spectrum Disorders.”

Specialisterne are now present in Denmark, Norway and Iceland with the expectation to establish operations in Sweden and Finland.

Lars Johansson-Kjellerød and Thorkil Sonne will present the partnership at the Partnership for Change conference in Oslo on March 20, 2012.

For more information please contact:

Unicus – Specialisterne Norway
Lars Johansson-Kjellerød, Founder & General Manager
Email: lars@unicus.no
Tel: +47 957 74 198

Specialist People Foundation
Thorkil Sonne, Founder & Chairman
Email: thso@specialistpeople.com
Phone: +45 2020 0008

Specialisterne in Denmark receives Growth Capital

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Specialisterne Denmark have received an injection of growth capital from the newly established The Social Capital Fund (“Den Sociale Kapitalfond”), Denmark’s first social venture fund, which is focusing on investing capital and competencies in promising social entrepreneurs to scale their social impact and economic performance.

The Chairman of The Social Capital Fund, Ms. Gurli Martinussen, calls Specialisterne a prime example of social entrepreneurship: “Specialisterne have spotted a unique potential in people who often is seen as a vulnerable group in society, and used this potential to create exciting and meaningful jobs. It is a sustainable social solution that also helps to further develop the understanding of how we create more opportunities for everyone in society. It is exactly the type of businesses we want to help spread and develop,” she says.

For Specialisterne Denmark the new financial platform will make an important difference in its endeavours to create more jobs for people with autism spectrum disorders. CEO Henrik Thomsen says: “We have lacked growth capital to exploit our potential in the market to a greater extent and expand our team of consultants with autism spectrum disorders. Where Specialisterne might have been too “social” for some commercial investors, but too “commercial” for some social funders, we have in the Social Capital Fund encountered an investor with the social aspect as a priority as well as knowledge and resources to help us in our business mission to create further sustainable jobs. We will now be able to take major step forward and get much more ‘specialist people’ in work”.

Links:
www.specialisterne.dk
http://www.densocialekapitalfond.dk/english/ (english)
http://www.densocialekapitalfond.dk/ (danish)

European Commission Supports Specialisterne in Europe

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European Commission

With the support of the European Commission, Specialist People Foundation aims to improve opportunities for people with autism, to include – rather than exclude – them in society in Poland, the UK, Spain and Germany. The project will conduct feasibility studies covering job opportunities, and the business need for competencies that people with autism can provide. The project will also help with the business planning and start-up phase of Specialisterne in Berlin. As a result of the studies, SPF will provide recommendations that will make it possible for politicians in the selected member, states and within the European commission, to develop policies to support people with autism within the labour market.

 

Specialisterne Launches in Switzerland

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Specialisterne Opens for Business in Switzerland

Specialisterne launched in Switzerland today October 20 2011, following Denmark, Scotland and Iceland to become the third licensee of the Specialisterne model. Specialisterne Switzerland, led by CEO Thomas van der Stad, celebrated the launch today at a reception held at their offices in Zollikofen near Bern. Guests at the event included Thorkil Sonne, Founder and Chairman of Specialist People Foundation (SPF), the Board of Specialisterne Switzerland, as well as a number of prominent local guests. Specialisterne Switzerland will focus on helping people with autism spectrum disorder and similar challenges secure employment in the Swiss labor market. Continue reading →

Specialisterne Now in Austria

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The Specialisterne model continues to spread to more locations around the world, and we are delighted to announce that Specialisterne Austria is now an officially registered association. Local Coordinator Stephan Dorfmeister is leading the operation and is already in full swing with fundraising activities and the Feasibility Study.

“We are progressing well and have already secured part of the funding needed to conduct the Feasibility Study thanks to contribution from the Essl Foundation,” says Stephan Dorfmeister. “If things continue to progress well, then we hope to launch Specialisterne Austria in the spring of 2012 with assessment and training beginning in the early summer.”

Stephan Dorfmeister MBA is an accomplished independent management consultant with a background in business development in Europe, the Middle East, the US and Asia, and has always had a strong focus on social responsibility and sustainability.

Ashoka Austria was instrumental in connecting Stephan with SPF Founder and Ashoka Globalizer Thorkil Sonne, through the Ashoka Localizer program. This program helps Ashoka Fellows, such as Thorkil, to scale their business ideas in other countries by creating networking opportunities and by providing important support to accelerate market entry and the growth of the venture.

“It is really great to see the Ashoka Localizer program helping to facilitate connections and establish new socially innovative businesses such as Specialisterne here in Austria, “says Marie Ringler, Director for Ashoka Austria. “We’re looking forward to working with Specialisterne Austria as it is a great example of a company striving for social change.”

It was also through Ashoka Globalizer, that Specialisterne came to the attention of the Essl Foundation.  “The Essl Social Prize 2010 was given to Bill Drayton, Ashoka Globalizer and Founder of Ashoka,” says Dr Michael Fembek, Program Director, Essl Foundation. “Since Thorkil Sonne is an Ashoka Globalizer, and the Essl Foundation is especially supporting innovative projects in the field of persons with disabilities, we decided to support this great project and its high potential.”

The Specialist People Foundation is also thrilled at the establishment of Specialisterne Austria. “This is an important addition to the Specialisterne global community, and a natural step for us in our mission to enable one million jobs for people with autism and similar challenges,” says Thorkil Sonne, Chairman of the SPF Board. “Specialisterne Austria are well on their way to providing excellent assessment, training and meaningful job opportunities for people with autism in Austria.”

For more information on Specialisterne Austria, please use this link.

Specialisterne Now in the USA!

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It is with great pride that we can reveal that Specialisterne Foundation, Inc. has now formed in the USA. Incorporated in Wilmington, Delaware. The foundation will drive and support the adoption of the Specialisterne model across the United States, and carry out fundraising to facilitate the global drive to enable one million jobs for people with autism and similar challenges.

Furthermore, Specialisterne Minnesota has also become an official entity, which will bring the Specialisterne model into the state of Minnesota. Specialisterne Minnesota is headquartered in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, with Local Coordinator Tim Hanson already working hard on fund-raising and business planning activities.

“Our plan is to model Specialisterne Minnesota as a consulting practice with a compelling portfolio of capabilities similar to that of Specialisterne Denmark,” says Hanson, a successful local businessman and the father of a child with ASD.  “Like Denmark, we will assess and train people with autism and similar challenges, and then employ them as consultants providing valuable services to corporate clients in sectors including technology, IT, telecommunications and software.”

The US market is ripe for Specialisterne (The Specialists in Danish).  According to the US Census Bureau, the population of the USA is 310 million. Research suggests that approximately 1% (3.1 million people) have ASD, 90% of whom are unemployed.

“There is so much opportunity for us in the US to create meaningful and productive lives for the growing number of people diagnosed with ASD,” says Thorkil Sonne. “We are confident that our seven years plus of operational experience in Specialisterne, combined with local partners adoption of the Specialisterne model will bring about a change in the US. And with Tim at the helm, we are confident that Specialisterne Minnesota will be a shining example of how the Specialisterne model can be adapted successfully throughout the US. This is a major step in our efforts to reach our goal of enabling one million jobs globally for people with autism and similar challenges, and we are thrilled about partnering with Tim and his team.”

Hanson has already assembled a team of business professionals and autism experts with the goal of establishing Specialisterne Minnesota as the gold standard for in the US.

“I believe that Minnesota is the perfect entry point for Specialisterne in the US. The business climate here is healthy and we are home to a large number of Fortune 500 companies,” says Hanson. “The social climate here is also encouraging, as Minnesota is the national leader in providing opportunities and services to individuals with special needs. Last but not least, the employment climate is ripe with a significant need for skilled technical employees.”

Although Specialisterne Minnesota plan to replicate the Danish model as much as possible, some modifications are necessary. The ongoing work to complete a comprehensive feasibility study will identify the specific conditions needed to make Specialisterne Minnesota a successful, self-sustaining consulting practice providing high-quality IT professionals to the market while employing people with autism.

As Thorkil Sonne is an Ashoka Globalizer, Specialisterne Minnesota will also benefit from the support of the  Ashoka Localizer Program.

“”The mission of our Localizer program is to ensure our community has access to the best social innovations from the world’s leading social entrepreneurs. By connecting Thorkil Sonne with local community leaders, we showcase the Twin City’s long-standing commitment to hosting and nurturing innovative solutions that have the potential for ground-breaking positive change,” Said Jennifer Aspengren, Director, AshokaTwin Cities

Specialisterne Minnesota plan to launch business operations in early 2012 with the first round of candidate assessment starting soon after.  For more information, follow this link.  

April is World Autism Awareness Month – a message from SPF with focus on employment of people with ASD and similar challenges

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April is World Autism Awareness Month and a relevant period to reflect on the situation and actions needed to be taken to improve the lives of people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). SPF will during this month put spotlight on what we are doing to create better opportunities for employment, careers and quality of life for people with ASD.

Everyone who lives and works within the autism field knows that we are witnessing a tsunami of young people with a diagnosis on the autism spectrum coming up through the school system, and soon transitioning into the labor market. The US Centre of Decease Control (CDC) estimated recently that the number of autistic kids in the US has skyrocketed by 78% since 2000. Nowadays, one in 88 American kids has autism, according to the new figures, and one in 54 among boys. Those are facts we cannot ignore, and calls for decisive action.

Much is being done, but there is a lot to do and a long way to go – beyond early intervention and adequate & timely care, we need in particular to provide real solutions for better employment opportunities. This is what the Specialist People Foundation (SPF) are doing every day, and have set the ambitious goal of enabling one million jobs for people with autism and similar challenges. With the new CDC numbers and growth rate experienced in recent years it will not be long before 100 million or more people in the world may be in scope of the mission of SPF.

SPFs vision is a world where people are given equal opportunities in the labor market. We are deeply motivated to help tackle the enormous challenge of ensuring that people with autism and similar challenges indeed are brought into a position where they can realize their unique potential. To fulfill this aim, SPF have defined its mission to provide training, education and employment for people with autism and similar challenges through global collaboration and knowledge share based on the Specialisterne model.

Continue reading →

Thorkil Sonne giving keynote speech in Ireland at Ashoka’s Change Nation summit. Specialisterne coming to Ireland.

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Thorkil Sonne has been invited to attend and give a keynote speech at the Ashoka Change Nation Summit in Ireland’s Dublin Castle this week, where Irish change leaders, including Mary Robinson, Dermot Desmond and Enda Kenny, are participating and meeting with 50 of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs to start working on some of Ireland’s greatest challenges.

Thorkil will share the experiences from Specialisterne in creating meaningful and productive jobs for people with a business profile who typically do not fit into the traditional labor market – like high functioning people with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

The Change Nation Event is taking place in Dublin between March 22nd and 24th and is hosted by Ashoka Ireland, in partnership with businesses, the Government and the media. Thorkil is an Ashoka Fellow and participates in the Globalizer program.

Continue reading →

Specialisterne Iceland Receives Award

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Specialisterne Iceland have recently been presented with the Pioneers Award by Iceland’s National Association for People with Disabilities. The award, which is presented annually, to individuals or organizations that help break down walls for people with disabilities and thus help them to live fuller lives, was presented by Iceland’s Minister for Education, Science and Culture Katrin Jakobsdottir. Specialisterne Iceland were one of three recipients for this year’s award.

“We’re delighted,” says Specialisterne Iceland General Manager Bjarni Torfi. “This award will help increase focus nationally on what we are trying to achieve in Specialisterne. It shines a light on our profile and will help us establish new contacts so we can continue to grow our business.”