“All people need to feel some kind of meaning in what they are doing,” explains head mistress Anja Grage. “It’s important that they see they have a role in society, that society needs the work they can do.” Sophiagård Elmehøjen is one such place—a home and working community for persons with intellectual disabilities in the village of Ølsted in Funen. “We have a series of workshops for our residents and they can also work on the farm, enhancing their confidence and helping to create a sense of purpose and identity."

Anja is flanked by 40 co-workers, pedagogues, administrative and technical staff who make the organisation tick on a daily basis, supporting its residents 24/7: “We always focus on what they are able - not unable - to do. Sometimes they need guidance, or pedagogical support, or maybe we might have to adapt the machinery for them. But with a bit of patience, we can help them evolve and develop. It makes all the difference.”

“The point is to inspire people to expand their perspectives, to think differently foodwise—not in a didactic, educational way, but really through inspiration,” says Paula Taina, Manager of Fuglekvarterets Faelleskafe, a café in Nordvest, Copenhagen founded in 2019 as an association of 15 local individuals with a vision to make a difference.

“We wanted to create a place where all people could get together to enjoy a good coffee, in a sustainable environment. There’s very few other eatery or coffee places in this neighbourhood, so we saw ourselves as a cultural meeting point too. We do a lot more than just serve coffee, from knitting café to lectures, choir practice or events for kids – all for free.” now manages the café in conjunction with being a mum, and particularly enjoys being creative in the kitchen: “We’re very anti-food waste, so we have a rule that all ingredients need to go into at least two items.”

“Historically, art has been largely reserved for a small elite. We want to change that and democratise art,” says Anders Cederholm, co-founder of Artboost, an online platform that connects buyers directly to artists, boasting 8000 artists and users in 130 countries. By-passing galleries and auction-houses, Anders wants to make art more affordable and accessible to everyone.

Anders grew up surrounded by art – his uncle a collector “with art from the floor to the ceiling of his house. Whenever I paid a visit, I was always fascinated.” This passion stayed with him, resulting in Artboost. “It’s not just a marketplace, it’s an ecosystem to get more art into the world. The platform uses AI to generate more traffic for artists’ pages, matching users with artwork they might.” Since launching in 2014, the company have sharpened their B2B offering. “The art-for-offices business is thriving. Scientifically, it’s a proven way to raise employees’ productivity. It makes them more creative and less stressed.”