UBS and partners empower 20 changemakers to advance sustainable social innovation

The second GBA Impact Founders Lab Initiative, funded by UBS and launched by the Guangdong Harmony Community Foundation and Impact Hub Shenzhen, recently held its Impact Showcase Day in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), marking the successful conclusion of the four-month sustainable innovation empowerment program.

Guest judges and participants of this year’s Impact Founders Lab Initiative pose for a group photo.

The four-month program supported 20 social innovation entrepreneurs across areas including sustainable consumption, community service, educational equity, circular economy, and accessibility. Through systematic courses, mentorship, community engagement, and diverse resource networks, the program provided changemakers with comprehensive support spanning knowledge acquisition, capacity building, and practical validation. It helped them explore innovative solutions to address social needs while contributing to the development of the social innovation ecosystem in the GBA.

Marina Lui, Head of Wealth Management China, UBS Global Wealth Management, said in her welcome remarks at the Impact Showcase Day: “Every innovative idea that seeks to address a social challenge and respond to a real-world need has the potential to become a force for positive change. Turning these ideas into meaningful and lasting impact requires the commitment, capabilities and collaboration of many people and organizations. Through this initiative, we hope to help changemakers strengthen their capabilities, access the resources they need and turn promising ideas into practical solutions that can create sustainable and scalable social value. This reflects UBS’s long-term commitment to bringing our expertise and resources together with the strengths of our partners and the community to create positive impact.”

Marina Lui, Head of Wealth Management China, UBS Global Wealth Management, delivers the welcome remarks at the Impact Showcase Day of this year’s Impact Founders Lab Initiative.

Miaoting Li, Secretary General of the Guangdong Harmony Community Foundation, commented: “The vitality of the Greater Bay Area lies not only in its economic development but also in the collective pursuit of better communities and a happy life. This initiative has shown us that when business wisdom meets the spirit of philanthropy in the fertile ground of the Greater Bay Area, it can nurture innovative forces that are truly rooted in the community and responsive to social needs. In the future, we look forward to continuing to work with UBS and various partners to empower changemakers, planting the seeds of innovation deep within communities, and allowing business for good and social value to grow together in this vibrant land.”

Yuheng Zhao, Co-founder of Impact Hub Shenzhen, added: “After four months of learning and practice, the changemakers have gained a clearer understanding of their mission, target customers, and development path, while continuously refining their solutions through user feedback, team co-creation, mentor guidance, and peer exchange. More importantly, they have brought what they learned back to real entrepreneurial scenarios, transforming learning during the program into sustained action. I believe the value of this project lies not only in the iteration of solutions, but also in the changemakers’ clearer sense of direction, stronger capacity for action, and firm confidence in creating long-term social value through innovation and business practice.”

Feedback from changemakers: Let innovation grow through practice

Despite their differing focus areas and approaches, the changemakers all stem from real social needs and are actively exploring innovative solutions that combine social value, feasibility, and potential for sustainable development. For these changemakers, the accelerator journey is not only a period of systematic learning, but also a practical process of continuously listening to needs, validating solutions, and refining their action plans.

A changemaker focused on innovative community education in Shenzhen said: “Before joining this program, we were constantly exploring how to balance social value with financial sustainability. Through the courses, mentorship, and user feedback, we further clarified our target customers and core products, enabling us to advance our mission and vision while ensuring self-sufficiency.”

Another changemaker dedicated to promoting sustainable consumption in Hong Kong remarked: “What the initiative brought us was not just methods and tools, but also the opportunity to meet many peers, mentors, and partners who care about social innovation. These exchanges helped us examine our project from different perspectives and opened up more possibilities for future collaboration.”

Rob Stewart, Head APAC Communications and co-head GWM Communications, presents awards to the winning projects of this year’s Impact Founders Lab Initiative.

Empowering social innovation with professional expertise

In addition to providing project funding, UBS employee volunteers are actively involved in several key stages of the program, including initial project screening and interviews, mid-term innovation empowerment bootcamps, pre-roadshow coaching, and judging at the final Impact Showcase Day.

Through employee engagement, UBS connects professional expertise and talent with the needs of social innovators. While helping changemakers refine their project proposals, the initiative also provides employees with opportunities to contribute their expertise and take practical action in support of community development and social innovation.

With UBS’s support for two consecutive years, the initiative has gradually brought together diverse social resources — including changemakers, non-profit organizations, impact investors, and corporate volunteers — to promote the development of the social innovation ecosystem in the GBA. It will continue to accompany more changemakers in their exploration and growth, supporting the implementation of innovative solutions and the creation of long-term social value for the community.

About UBS

UBS is a leading and truly global wealth manager and the leading universal bank in Switzerland. We also provide diversified asset management solutions and focused investment banking capabilities. As of the second quarter of 2026, UBS manages US$7.3 trillion in invested assets. UBS helps clients achieve their financial goals through personalized advice, solutions and products. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, UBS operates in more than 50 markets around the world. UBS Group shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

Social impact and philanthropy

UBS believes that community initiatives play an important role in addressing societal challenges and engaging employees in corporate social responsibility. In China, UBS places strong emphasis on the health and prosperity of local communities, providing targeted financial support and encouraging employee volunteering to generate positive impact. Key community initiatives focus on financial literacy education, rural revitalization, children’s development and mental health, sustainable entrepreneurship, and arts empowerment. In 2025, more than 800 UBS employees in China contributed over 2,300 hours of volunteer service.

The UBS Optimus Foundation (Switzerland) Beijing Representative Office officially commenced operations in 2018 and is dedicated to promoting the health, education and development of disadvantaged children in China. As of the end of 2025, the UBS Optimus Foundation has supported more than 70 projects in China through its Beijing Representative Office, with total funding exceeding 987 million yuan and benefiting more than 2.09 million people.