World Economic Forum

Fairphone’s Bas van Abel: How to design a company fit for the future

01.25.2023 - By World Economic ForumPlay

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What if the next time your smartphone broke, you could fix it yourself? The repairable, sustainable smartphone maker Fairphone does just that all while helping to wean consumers off the quest for the thinnest, latest gadget -- a cycle that simply adds tons of valuable materials to landfill annually. Founder Bas van Abel joins Meet the Leader for a frank talk about what’s really involved in making a smartphone, his journey from designer to device CEO, and the tough moments he faced in the startup’s early days to stay on track with the startup's sustainable mission. He’ll also share why he founded two startups tackling circularity (Fairphone and food waste startup De Clique) and what’s needed for true system change. He’ll also explain what excites him about social enterprise and how entrepreneurs with big ideas for sustainability can tackle multiple challenges at once, from working conditions to resource protection, helping to reshaping entire sectors and practices in the process.

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