This episode of the podcast is a recording from our Friday Fireside way back in November last year.

We were joined by our good friend Ole Kassow, an inspiration to us ever since we started The Happy Startup School back in 2012.

He’s the founder of Cycling Without Age, a movement on a mission to create a world where the elderly remain an active part of society and the local community.

Since 2012 it’s grown from a single cargo bike in Copenhagen to 2000 chapters in 50 countries, serving over 1.5 million people worldwide.

But when Ole first started it wasn’t meant to turn into a movement. It was just an experiment to see if he could put a smile on the face of an elderly gentleman by getting him on a bike.

Retrofitting a cargo bike with a seat he took the man out for a spin which not only put a smile on the old man’s face, but also on Ole’s.

The rest is now history.

Listen to this episode to learn what it really takes to be a changemaker.

You don’t always need big plans to create systemic change. Think big, but start small. In Ole’s experience most stories of systemic change have started with an individual trying to solve a very specific problem with a simple solution.

Also, it isn’t just about creating impact for others but also about finding joy in the work. You’re then more likely to keep doing it and also recruit others easily.

Find a solution that inspires people.

Ole encourages budding change makers to connect their personal story to their story of change. This makes the work feel more meaningful and it also makes it easier to connect with others.

You can find out more about Ole and his work here - https://cyclingwithoutage.org/