Interview with SIA alumni Fairpicture

Fairpicture is an impact company, that promotes a fair and ethical perception of the global south. It produces fair and ethically sourced photographs, videos, short documentaries and visual consulting service and it has been one of the last year’s participants of the Social Impact Accelerator. This Interview was conducted with Co-Founder Jörg Arnold.

Why is Fairpicture committed to the perception of the global south?

I worked for a long time as the fundraising manager of a large international aid organisation. On project trips, I was able to produce stories for fundraising together with great Swiss photographers. The question of whom these stories belong to and whether they reflect the reality of the life of the people on the ground became more and more urgent to me over time.

This and the recognition that images create « reality » in our heads and that these images have never been decolonised and thus perpetuate our perception of the global south, has been the driver of Fairpicture from the beginning. Even if it sometimes looks hopelessly different in times of populist scurrility: The challenges of our time require everyone to cooperate on an equal footing. This means that we have to look very closely at how people are portrayed in images and whether they are disadvantaged in terms of discrimination, devaluation or stereotyping. Together with local image makers, Fairpicture wants to contribute to a different, fairer view of the Global South and marginalised groups. This is our mission and this is where we want to make a difference.   

How did you come up with your business idea and how did Fairpicture subsequently develop?

The first concepts of Fairpicture were initiated by a foundation in 2019. At that time, we defined ourselves as an NPO that would finance itself with its activities in the medium term but would finance the development with grants. But the fundraising did not work. For some foundations we were too little development cooperation, for others we were too business-driven. With a good idea that made sense to everyone, we got caught between the chair and the bank in terms of funding. Thanks to the support of our first business angel and start-up coaching from be-advanced (funded by the Foundation for Technological Innovation STI), we were able to make the transition to a « normal » start-up in the first half of 2021. In July 2021, we then founded Fairpicture AG in Bern.

How would you describe the development you have experienced with your social enterprise?

I would speak less of a « social enterprise » and more of an « impact enterprise ». I think that is the more appropriate term. Fairpicture is not a « social project with a business model », but a company that wants nothing less than to change the communication industry with a clear idea of impact. The transformation from an NGO to a « company » meant a change of perspective for us that was not easy to cope with. It is a completely different mindset whether one works with foundations as a project financier or whether they are « exceptional » investors who want to achieve both a financial return and a social impact return with their money. The fact that there are foundations that are breaking new ground in this area, such as the Leopold Bachmann Foundation, which has made a significant contribution to Fairpicture’s transformation from a project to a company, should not only be mentioned here only in passing.

So, Finding the balance between for-profit and non-profit was challenging in the beginning. Where and how did you get the necessary resources to establish your start-up?

Yes, positioning ourselves as an impact company was and is a challenge. Oscillating between business and impact is a skill that needs to be developed and nurtured. It can be compared to a bridge that needs self-confidence and steadfastness on both sides of the river to create the tension of sustainable construction. The Social Impact Accelerator has given us essential inputs in this respect. Our funding mix of equal parts equity (i.e. shares and participation certificates), grants and loans have helped us think from different perspectives and drive a business development that considers multiple interests. In the first round of financing, we were able to attract great angel investors, we have a whole range of stakeholders that support our mission, foundations that are committed out of conviction, and the Canton of Bern, which is exceptionally strong for start-ups. We also relied on this breadth in the second round of financing.

When you look back on the SIA, what from the program has helped you the most and what did you miss?

What catapulted us was the input on the Theory of Change, which loosened the button on impact. Also important for us was the discussion on the topic of high workload and how to deal with stress. And finally: the still good exchange with colleagues from other start-ups.

Would you have done something differently when looking back?

For us, direct contact with impact investors would have been important at the time; in our opinion, that came up a bit short.

What are your two recommendations for this year’s participants in the SIA?

Get involved in adventures and ride through the prairie with joy and without fear.

If you had one wish, where would Fairpicture be in ten years?

Fairpicture will shape the standards in fair communication in ten years. That is what we are working on.

And what does your utopian society look like?

Given the global challenges, we do not have time to design utopias. We are challenged to work on the implementation of concrete solutions. These are based on values such as equality, justice and peace. A society built on these values is no longer a utopian design, at the latest since the Enlightenment, but a question of decency and survival on the only planet we have.

Many thanks, Jörg Arnold, for this Interview!

Find out more about this year’s programme and the participating start-ups at: www.socialimpactaccelerator.ch

The Social Impact Accelerator program is initiated, developed and executed by SENS and SEIF.