Company builder of the week: Sofia Ström bridges the gap between capital and real change

Welcome to “Veckans Bolagsbyggare” (Company builder of the week), a series where we highlight the entrepreneurs, visionaries, and invaluable people who help build the companies of tomorrow. Our purpose? To show that behind every success story, there are the exact same doubts, the same mistakes, and the same late nights.

This week, we are delighted to talk to Sofia Ström, CEO of Inclusive Business Partners (IBP). Since Inclusive Business Partners is an international organisation operating globally, we are switching to English this time.

Inclusive Business Partners is a not-for-profit organisation supporting businesses, investors, and the public sector to tackle global challenges using business as a tool. Their mission goes beyond supporting individual companies – they want to transform entire markets so that people, communities, and our planet can thrive.

Sofia and her team serve as the bridge between investors and high-impact companies globally. They help companies create measurable positive impact, both socially and environmentally, while building profitable business models. In the same way, they assist investors in setting impact strategies, evaluating deal flow, and, above all, measuring impact. By calculating SROI (Social and Environmental Return on Investment), they make impact just as measurable and clear as traditional financial metrics. As they put it: What gets measured gets managed. That's true for finance. And that's true for impact.

Let's dive into our conversation with Sofia.

You’ve been in this space for a while now. What are the major shifts or emerging trends in impact investing that are grabbing your attention right now?

— What I see very clearly right now is that more and more investors are actively showing an interest in impact investing. It’s no longer just a niche; there is a genuine thirst to learn more about it. People are starting to ask themselves a very fundamental question: 'What do I, or what do we, want to achieve in society with our investments, beyond just the financial ROI?' Investors simply want to be able to track and prove what their money has actually contributed to in the real world. That shift in mindset is incredibly inspiring to witness.

When it comes to building Inclusive Business Partners, how do you handle the pressure of scaling, and what is the biggest organisational challenge you are managing today?

— For me and the team, the absolute most important thing right now is to build steadily and properly from the ground up. We have to resist the urge to run too fast, even when the opportunities are incredibly tempting. I often compare it to building a house – it must have a solid, stable foundation if it’s going to grow, stand strong, and flourish over a long period of time. The exact same principle applies to building an organisation. Taking the time to do it right is a challenge, but it's crucial.

As leaders, we often have to make tough calls. Can you share a recent decision where you had to prioritise your core values over a business opportunity, even if it was hard to do?

— Hmm... I would have to say it was a situation where we had to trust our gut feeling regarding a potential client. It’s never easy to walk away from a business opportunity, but we realised that if a collaboration doesn’t feel completely genuine, honest, and aligned with our core values, we shouldn't do it. We politely declined the partnership. It stung a bit to say no, but looking back, it was 100 per cent the right decision.

Maintaining focus while wearing many hats can be overwhelming. What is your go-to ritual or system for keeping your mind clear and your day organised?

— I have to admit, I'm a big fan of classic to-do lists! My best everyday hack is actually sending emails to myself so I don't forget important things that pop up during the day. Then, when I have a quiet moment, I can sit down and systematically work my way through my inbox in peace. One thing at a time. It clears my mind and helps me stay focused.

When the entrepreneurial journey gets chaotic or overwhelming, what is the core purpose or 'why' that grounds you and keeps you moving forward?

— I always go back to our 'Why'—both my personal why and the organisation's why. We are a strongly values-driven organisation. Whenever it gets tough, I remind myself of our core mission: Redirect the flow of capital, tackling global challenges using business as a tool, transforming markets. Our role is to make sure that profit and purpose go hand in hand. When you realise that the work you do actually matters for solving global challenges, it’s easy to find the motivation to keep pushing forward.

No one builds a lasting organisation alone. Is there a mentor or partner in your network who has been an essential sounding board and support for you?

— I definitely want to give a shout-out to Stefano Crozzoli. He has been a fantastic source of inspiration and has helped me so much with contacts and networking. Stefano always has an encouraging word to share, and he always takes the time to bounce ideas around and help find solutions when things are tricky. He is an invaluable sounding board.

Lived experience is the best teacher, and that often comes from mistakes. What is a specific leadership misstep you’ve made in the past, and how did it change how you trust your intuition?

— Yes, this is a tough one, but an important lesson. In a previous company, I hired a person even though my intuition strongly told me not to. My gut feeling said no, but the board wanted it, and the person’s CV looked fantastic on paper. It ended with me having to let the person go. The amount of time, energy, and emotional toll that goes into a wrong recruitment is massive. The lesson I took from that? I will never do that again. Always, always trust your intuition.

Want to continue the conversation?

Building a company that combines profitability with real, measurable benefits for society and the environment is the future. We want to extend a huge thank you to Sofia Ström for sharing her experiences, both regarding investment trends and the very human challenges of building a stable organisation.

Want to know more about how your company can measure its impact, or how you as an investor can set up strategies where capital makes a real difference? Connect with Sofia Ström on LinkedIn, and visit Inclusive Business Partners to learn more.

Do you have thoughts on the challenges Sofia highlights? Do you recognise the importance of building a solid foundation or daring to trust your gut? Get in touch with us at The Powerhouse – we love talking about the real journey of building companies, and we'd be happy to help you move forward.