Our commitment to a sustainable development reached a new peak as four young talents from the DOUGLAS Group presented their sustainable and innovative idea at the United Nations Leaders Summit in New York. This pitch marked the highlight of the SDG Innovator Accelerator Program, showcasing our sustainability efforts on a global stage.
The SDG Innovator Accelerator Program
The journey began at the begining of February, when 14 companies from all over Germany joined the SDG Innovator Accelerator Program, tasked with developing sustainable solutions. Among all DOUGLAS applicants, four talents were chosen based on their application: Niomie Antony Cruz, Matiena Marie Scheppe, Luca Sofia Kalenborn and Daniel Moorttola Schröder. Focused on advancing the 17 SDGs, the teams gained valuable insights into sustainable business practices while fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.
At the Local Showcase Event in Stuttgart at the beginning of September, the teams presented their project ideas and progress in 15-minute pitches. They outlined which SDG challenges they were tackling and offered innovative strategies for addressing them at their respective company. It was inspiring to see how initial ideas had evolved, driven by cross-industry collaboration and feedback.
New York: The Grand Finale
After this event, Team DOUGLAS was chosen to participate in the UN Leaders Summit, a global sustainability event in New York City, where they represented Germany and presented their pitch in front of the international community. “Participating in the UNGC Leaders Summit in New York was a unique experience!”says Niomie. ‘The day was filled with inspiring lectures and exciting panel discussions – a real highlight in every respect.’ In their session ‘Innovate for Impact: Transformative Solutions for the SDGs’ Team DOUGLAS had the opportunity to present their innovative project in just three minutes and with only two slides. Their pitch, focused on how DOUGLAS can contribute to achieving the SDGs, received feedback from an expert panel and opened the door to further global exchange of ideas. “Our pitch was definitely the most exciting moment, and although I was nervous, it was incredibly fun to be on stage and present our project. We were able to confidently answer the critical questions of the jury and received valuable input for further developing our idea. An additional highlight was that we achieved 3rd place in the People's Choice vote, in which the audience was allowed to vote for their favourite project. It was an amazing recognition that our idea and pitch were so well received on an international level,” explains Niomie.
The Sustainable Idea of Team DOUGLAS: We make Life more Beautiful – and beauty shopping more conscious!
As part of the SDG Innovation Accelerator Program, the team took a close look at where DOUGLAS has both a positive and a negative impact on sustainability. It quickly became clear that our greatest negative influence lies in the area of consumption. Balancing luxury goods with environmental awareness without compromising our core business is a challenge.
The four talents therefore focused on our superpower: Our strong brand and loyal customer base. With over 57 million members in our loyalty programme, we have an enormous reach to drive positive change.
"Our goal is to make beauty shopping more environmentally conscious. We want to reward our customers when they consciously choose environmentally friendly behaviour – for example, by foregoing a bag or a paper receipt in store or by saving emissions through in-store pick-up and returns. These ‘Green Points’ supplement the regular Beauty Points and motivate environmentally friendly behaviour. In the long term, we hope that this concept, similar to a payback system, will inspire people beyond DOUGLAS to be more environmentally conscious in their daily lives – perhaps even across industries,” explains Matiena.
“I am particularly proud of our team and what we have achieved together in the last nine months. Coming from different areas – Niomie from Supply Chain, Daniel as a Store Manager and Luca and I from Global Marketing – we have inspired and pushed each other forward through a variety of perspectives. Our regular exchanges, creative brainstorming sessions and strong team spirit have helped us to move forward even in moments when we were stuck. The support from across the company has also been fantastic. We are now full of energy to take the project to the next phase.”
Sarah Schlegel, Head of ESG at DOUGLAS Group, mentored the group and reflects on the initiative: ’The SDG Innovator Programme has been a true accelerator for sustainability at the DOUGLAS Group. Our team was able to dive into design thinning and agile methods, empowering them to think creatively and collaboratively. The experience of presenting the outcome in New York reinforces our belief that sustainability and innovation go hand in hand. It's inspiring to see the team's passion and dedication as a show case on such an important global stage. Programmes like this allow us to step outside our comfort zone, explore new ways of working, and integrate sustainability into the core of our business.
Lasting impact and lessons learned
During the SDG Innovator Accelerator Program, the DOUGLAS team gained crucial skills, from design thinking to agile work methodologies. Using tools like Miro, the team fostered a new way of working, collaborating across departments and creating valuable connections within the company that might not have formed otherwise. Beyond the technical skills, the programme also offered personal growth opportunities, particularly in areas like presentation and communication skills. The team learned how to tailor their message to diverse audiences and developed a deeper understanding of the DOUGLAS Group as a whole.
Luca sums up their experience: ‘The UN Global Compact Innovation Accelerator Program is definitely one of the highlights of my journey with DOUGLAS. International exchange across a wide range of industries, expert input, pitch training, design thinking methods and a strong interdisciplinary DOUGLAS team. At the end, we had a joint idea that we were able to present on the big stage in New York – what a journey!’
Looking Forward: A Bright Future for Sustainability at DOUGLAS
As Team DOUGLAS returns from New York, they bring with them not just the experience of pitching on a global stage, but also new insights. Their participation in the SDG Innovator Accelerator Program has laid the groundwork for further integrating sustainability into their daily worklife and thus leading the DOUGLAS Group one step further on our sustainability journey.
Find out more on our commitment to sustainability
