Ordinary heroes are people who act for the good of others, but don't brag about it. These are the people who do what they feel they have to do, what they think is right, without expecting publicity or even remuneration. We don't see them, we don't hear them. Fortunately, there are more of them than we think. They're not the ones who give interviews or are invited to conferences. 

These are the people who inspire me on a daily basis in my journey as an agent of change. I don't consider myself one yet, but it's a goal I'm working towards. I try to contribute to the common good. For me, that already means being a good person every day, in every aspect of my life. A good companion, a good friend, a good employee, a good colleague... When I say “good”, I mean someone you can count on, in times of joy and sorrow.   

I'm someone who sincerely loves my fellow human beings, but also my environment, nature. In short, I love the world around me. I love traveling and discovering new cultures, and I'm lucky enough to be able to do that in my job.   

I'm leading the impact finance work at a large company, but I've also recently set up my own consultancy business, which is very exciting. On the personal side, I'm involved in various small initiatives that support the most vulnerable people like refugees, the elderly, the lonely. I often say to myself: “Well, that's all very well, but I could do more”. You see so much injustice and you wonder what you can do, how you can get involved? 

In my job, I'm already trying to create a positive impact by using my financial skills to help improve access to healthcare through impact finance. More specifically, a few years ago I engaged in the creation of an impact fund within the company. This fund finances impact projects in several African countries. At first, my initiative wasn't necessarily understood. It was something new and unprecedented. I put a lot of energy and new skills into convincing my colleagues and internal stakeholders. Today, by dint of perseverance, things are well established. I'm convinced that if you're passionate about what you do, you'll do it well, and you'll take other people with you. Passion is a real driving force. Bringing your energy and faith into a corporate world can really make a difference and enable employees to go further in their experience as agents of change.   

For my part, I'm constantly asking myself “how can I make a difference?” The answer isn't obvious when you're dealing with impact finance in a large company. When, for example, a hospital in France needs financing to renew its MRI equipment, facilitating financing typically isn't a challenge, so that's not where I make the difference. On the other hand, for the same project in a less developed country, financing can be crucial. No financing, no hospital. That's when I say to myself, “You're making a difference”.

That gives me a lot of energy and satisfaction. I tell myself that this fund project, which opened my way into the impact finance word, wasn’t a coincidence, or the work of serendipity; I had so much in mind, so much desire to make contribute more, to give meaning that it happened. 

When I started working with social entrepreneurs, I discovered a world that was so much more open and inclusive than the business I was used to. I realized that I'd been evolving in a very egotistical environment, where people don't share their best practices. In social entrepreneurship, it's the opposite: we share everything to create a positive impact. We can all work together for the common good. It's comforting and energizing to see and experience this.   

I've already had a comprehensive and positive experience in some African countries, including the creation of a financing fund from start to finish. It's a great source of pride when the fund is established and makes its first investment. That's when it starts to have an impact. 

On a more personal level, I decided to reduce my working hours at the company to set up my own impact finance consulting firm. I simply felt that it was the right thing to do, that it was where I wanted to be—helping other organizations establish impactful activities. I bring them my expertise, advice, knowledge, and above all, my passion. I am proud to have taken this step. Now, I feel like an entrepreneur. 

I faced several challenges, particularly from a technical standpoint, as impact finance does not have the same characteristics as traditional finance. It’s sometimes difficult to convince shareholders to invest for a social benefit with a low financial return. However, if you present the right arguments and your passion, with the certainty that it is the right thing to do, it helps tremendously. Passion alone is not enough, of course, but it makes things easier. In addition, reducing my working hours at the company to invest in this personal project was also a significant challenge. I had many questions: is this the right time, is this the right thing to do? In the end, I let go, I did it, and I am very proud and very happy. 

As I mentioned, intuition and passion are not enough. You need to come with a sensible business model and be able to explain that the return on investment is lower than the market average (but creating social return). The first time, I even wondered, "How am I going to present this to the CFO? This is impossible!" In the end, it went very well because everything else—the storytelling—was well crafted.

The idea that you cannot measure positive social impact the same way you measure a traditional return on investment was well understood and accepted. It's about broadening everyone's perspective, making them understand that it's not just about finance with good financial returns but also about corporate image and the role a company should play in social impact. 

As with any project, you need to build a team and bring them along with you. When we started the fund, we were just a small group of passionate individuals convinced by the project. We had to persuade the shareholders, explain the purpose of our actions, and show that this was not just a typical business venture.

In my company, we have a talent program that encourages employees to join our social impact initiatives. On one hand, we create social impact; on the other, by showcasing these actions, we recruit new people who become ambassadors for the project. It's a virtuous circle. It's the same in my firm: we create positive impact and use it to attract new talent who feel they are using their energy and creativity to the fullest. 

In the company, we've also develop short-term projects of 3, 6, and 9 months, giving employees the opportunity to work in a different sector on an impactful initiative for a predefined period. This reassures them and allows them to experience this type of investment. They are generally very proud and enthusiastic about the project, which leads them to talk about it with others and often commit to it long-term. 

It's very rewarding to engage in projects that align with my values. I am personally very sensitive to injustice and inequalities. I feel that I can truly contribute to creating a better world through both my work and personal life. I feel like I'm in the right place, participating to the best of my abilities and human qualities. 

Empathy, in my opinion, is the quality we should all develop. It's about avoiding putting labels on everything and everyone. For instance, I am German and Protestant, you are French and Catholic, etc. We tend to “label" and judge instead of considering each person as a human being. 

I believe the main challenge today is engaging younger generations in social and environmental impact. How can we find a message that inspires them to get involved? How can we appropriately discuss topics that resonate with them? This is a vast and fascinating subject. They need to understand that life doesn't always go upward. There are highs and lows. We are generally fortunate, but everyone has moments when they feel, "I'm not worth anything." Understanding life in its entirety is crucial.

Unfortunately, this isn't something taught in school or on social media. Life itself, with its successes and failures, teaches us this.