social impact is structural here
Profit with a purpose, written into the statute.
Rinfresca is incorporated as a Società Benefit — the Italian equivalent of the American Benefit Corporation (BCorp). Social purpose is a legal obligation, not a marketing line.
A problem worth solving
Caregivers work contribute to social cohesion
Italy has around 7 million caregivers of elderly people or people with disabilities. Their unpaid work generates between 2.5% and 3% of national GDP. Yet a personalised respite service that meets the needs of the whole family — caregivers, dependants and siblings — barely exists.
Despite the right emphasis on the care of the elderly or people with disability, the underlying problem is the scarcity of respite care services aimed at the whole family, both in everyday life and on holiday.
The structure
Three thematic areas, audited annually.
The Società Benefit form was established by the 2016 Italian government budget. In addition to pursuing profit, the company must produce positive impact in three areas: local territory, community, and people.
Every year we file an Impact Report alongside the financial statements — and publish it on the company website. Non-compliance has teeth: the Competition and Market Guarantor Authority can strip the title, which is treated as equivalent to changing the company's corporate purpose, giving investors the right to liquidate at market value.
How we measure
Five indicators, each with a quantitative and a qualitative metric.
Our preliminary measurement framework, which will be formalised using B Impact Assessment as we scale.
Increased family connection
Meeting the real needs of families with special needs — caregivers, dependants, and the siblings whose well-being is too often overlooked.
Caregiver psychophysical health
Healthier caregivers care more effectively and cost the community less in reduced healthcare load.
Self-esteem & confidence growth
People with special needs and their siblings gain access to programs developing skills, creativity and independence.
Self-advocacy for inclusion
Increasing self-advocacy platforms and pathways for the rights of people with disability through art — in an open and supported way.
Generation of best practice
Developing and openly sharing good practices to evolve the respite care sector together with other actors.
Our advantages
Seven things competitors don't do — together.
Regenerating caregivers and building dependant capacity in parallel
Our unique value proposition — wellness for the caregiver, skill-building for those receiving care, in the same time window.
Time-optimised continuous health
We meet caregivers where they are — gym, allied health centre, holiday — so logistical and waiting time becomes wellness time.
Co-design for optimal service delivery
Packages co-designed with the families that use them. Best practices then shared back to the sector.
Self-advocacy advancing social inclusion
Self-Advocacy Art and the Our Right to Respite exhibition contribute measurably to disability rights movements.
Broad geographic and demographic target
Caregivers 25–70 and care recipients 5–45, across six initial markets. Wider net than typical sector competitors.
Scalable through affiliation
Vertically (across the six services) and horizontally (Italy, English-speaking countries, Europe, Asia, rest of world).
Resilient and modular
B2C + B2B in parallel. If tourism contracts, we lean on B2B Micro-respite and Self-Advocacy Art workshops globally.