In today’s world of unprecedented change, creating space for understanding, collaboration, and social impact has become essential to a company’s survival. That’s why developing and fostering skills such as intrapreneurship, agility, teamwork, empathy, and collaborative leadership is increasingly important for the future of business.
At Ashoka, we believe that equipping your workforce with changemaker skills is key to building an enterprise that can thrive in the competing business landscape of the future. Meike Schulz, Office Service Manager at IKEA, experienced this journey herself and sparked her reflections on the power of intrapreneurship and what’s needed to turn ideas into social impact. Read on to hear Meike’s insights after participating in this learning experience.
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Since joining IKEA in 2019, I’ve always looked for ways to contribute beyond my formal responsibilities, driven by the same question: How can we make things better for people, together?
Whether it was becoming part of the first aid team or getting involved in the works council, I’ve always tried to support initiatives that improve the way we work and care for one another. That mindset led me to the Future of Business course last year, a program developed by Ashoka, co-creator of the Dela systems change programme, alongside IKEA Social Entrepreneurship. My manager Henrik introduced it to me, sharing how inspiring he had found it when he participated the year before. The moment I heard about it, I knew it was something for me as I’ve always been curious, asking questions like: “What if?” and “How can we do this better?”
The course put words into something I was already experiencing in my daily work: the role of a social intrapreneur, someone who creates positive change from within their own organization. It also helped me understand how systems can be changed from within. But most importantly, it showed me that I wasn’t alone. Meeting like-minded colleagues from different organizations was incredibly inspiring and gave me a strong sense of togetherness, showing me how I could create a positive impact with others and contribute to making the world around me a little better and brighter.
Turning an idea into action
At IKEA Delft, we had been exploring ways to collaborate more closely with social partners in our local community for a long time. We generate a lot of leftover materials, items that can no longer be sold but are still valuable. And that made me keep asking: What if these materials could be transformed into something meaningful?
That question then turned into a concrete idea: donate leftover materials to local social partners for them to transform those materials into new products, and then sell those products at our reception area. In this way, we could:
Give materials a second life
Support social initiatives in our communities
Share their stories with co-workers and visitors
Inspire others to think differently about waste and value
But good ideas don’t automatically become reality. While co-workers were enthusiastic from the start, turning the concept into an officially approved initiative was more challenging. I had to find a sponsor, navigate internal processes, and present the idea to our trademark forum to understand what was possible in terms of branding and product use.
Altogether, it took almost a year before the shop was finally up and running. There were moments when it felt frustrating and slow. But the belief that this initiative truly aligned with my — and IKEA’s value — together with the positive reactions from people around me, kept me going. Looking back, that persistence was just as important as the idea itself.
The reality of changing systems
This journey has taught me that meaningful change requires three things: empathy, persistence, and collaboration.
Professionally, it has given me more confidence to speak up, ask critical questions, and challenge existing ways of working, in a constructive way. These are skills I now also bring into my role as chairwoman of the works council.
On a personal level, the experience encouraged me to continue developing myself. I’m currently studying to become a coach, with the goal of specializing in supporting parents of children with ADHD. My own son has ADHD and dyslexia, and I know how overwhelming it can be to navigate that journey without guidance. I want to be that support for others that I once needed myself.
Here are my key takeaways for anyone at IKEA, and other organizations, who wants to create change from within:
Look for like-minded co-workers. You’ll be surprised by how many people share your values once you start the conversation.
Find a sponsor and involve management early on. Change needs allies.
Be patient and don’t give up. If one path doesn’t work, explore another. Meaningful change takes time.
Start from personal experience. The most powerful ideas often come from something that truly matters to you.
Lead by example. Systems change begins when someone shows what is possible through action.
And at the heart of it is this core belief: caring for people and the planet.
Togetherness is key
Social intrapreneurship is never a solo journey. It is deeply connected to togetherness, bringing people across roles and functions together around a shared purpose.
Since last October, I’ve been part of the equality, diversity & inclusion (ED&I) community at Inter IKEA, the group of companies that connects IKEA franchisees with range development and suppliers. I was invited to join a workgroup focused on workplace accessibility and inclusive standards. This work is closely connected to my role as Office Service Manager and to a pilot audit we are conducting in Delft. Together, we are raising awareness of what an inclusive workplace truly means and how we can design systems that work for everyone.
Being part of this group constantly reminds me that real change happens when people join forces.
Reflecting on everything since completing the Future of Business course, I can see how far I’ve come, personally and professionally. Most importantly, I’ve learned that anyone can be a changemaker when deciding to take the first step.
So, will you join me in this quest of becoming a social intrapreneur?
This piece is part of a miniseries documenting co-workers and social entrepreneurs exchanging knowledge and inspiring each other to contribute towards greater impact and systems change.
The Dela programme has recently completed its fifth edition and has brought together over 560 participants from across organizations and sectors. Since the first accelerator, 65% of the participating social entrepreneurs have changed their strategies to grow their impact beyond their organizations, and all of them felt more confident in pursuing systems change. As per the participating co-workers, all of them gained valuable insights, became more aware of their agency, and activated others for social impact.
Learn more about the programme and meet the previous cohorts here.