What happened to Build Together?
In the autumn of 2021, we launched Build Together AB (svb) with the aim of contributing to positive societal development focused on inclusion, equality, and tolerance. Through the company, we sought to offer services that would provide businesses and other stakeholders with increased knowledge of social sustainability. At the time of its founding, Månstråle Dahlström—now Sustainability Manager at Hammarviken—was recruited to drive Build Together forward.
Successful initiatives and collaborations
Through Build Together, we initiated several projects, including supporting female entrepreneurship through mentorship via the Hoppet association. We also provided early-stage support to Help Ukraine Gothenburg (HUG) by offering organizational assistance, facilities, and coordination in collaboration with other stakeholders in Gothenburg. These initiatives were concrete examples of how we turned our vision into action.
Two photos from our initiatives with Hoppet and Help Ukraine Gothenburg.
Challenges and why we put the company on pause
Despite our good intentions, we encountered challenges that made it difficult to continue driving Build Together. One of the main obstacles was achieving impact, both externally and within the group. Strengthening social sustainability efforts across the companies proved particularly challenging. As a small entity within the Hammarviken group, we lacked the critical mass needed to generate the response we had hoped for. Additionally, the timing wasn’t ideal. This was before issues like CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) became central. For many small and medium-sized enterprises, social sustainability was not yet a prioritized topic, which made it hard to gain traction. These factors ultimately led us to put Build Together on pause.
The vision lives on through Hammarviken’s sustainability work
Although the company is no longer active, our vision lives on. Today, Månstråle is Sustainability Manager at Hammarviken, leading our efforts to strengthen sustainability initiatives within both the parent company and our subsidiaries.
Her work includes developing a sustainability vision, driving change initiatives, and ensuring compliance with reporting requirements under CSRD. The ideas and goals of Build Together are now an integrated part of our operations, giving them a new momentum.
GIS – a step forward
A key component of our continued sustainability work is our involvement as a founding partner of GIS—Göteborgs Institut för Samhällsansvar (Gothenburg Institute for Social Responsibility). Månstråle serves on the board, bringing her extensive experience in human rights, humanitarian issues, and development work from organizations such as Sida, Läkare Utan Gränser, and RFSU.
GIS was established in 2022 by Klas Friberg (former Chief of Police and Director-General of the Swedish Security Service), Henrik Saxborn (former CEO of Castellum), and Tove Greve (former Secretary-General of Majblomman). The foundation works to improve the living conditions of children and young people in Gothenburg through long-term investments and research-based solutions. A central focus is creating change in collaboration with the target groups and those who work closely with them.
While Build Together’s operations remain dormant, its foundational ideas have become a clear part of Hammarviken’s sustainability initiatives and our involvement in GIS. Through these efforts, we continue working toward a more inclusive and sustainable societal development.
