At My Social Impact, we believe credible social impact is built through practice, not theory alone.
Alongside our consulting work with organisations in the UK and internationally, we actively develop and test ideas on the ground — learning first-hand what it takes to build purpose-led, financially sustainable ventures in real contexts.
The Wild Ones is one such project. The Wild Ones was started by Marcus Warry, co-founder of My Social Impact, as a practical, on-the-ground initiative in Kampala, Uganda. The project was designed to explore how space, culture, creativity and community can combine to generate both social and economic value in an East African context.
Crucially, building and operating The Wild Ones has given us deep empathy and understanding for the challenges our clients face. Combining profit and purpose is very hard. It requires constant trade-offs, disciplined decision-making, and the ability to hold tension between impact goals and commercial realities, especially in emerging markets.
By navigating governance, partnerships, revenue models, cashflow pressure, cultural nuance and operational complexity ourselves, we experience the same constraints and dilemmas our clients do. That lived experience directly informs our work, allowing us to support organisations with practical, grounded advice rather than theory alone.
The experience of developing and operating The Wild Ones continues to shape how we support clients on purpose, leadership, systems, delivery and credible impact across emerging and international markets.
What follows is a reflection on why we created The Wild Ones, written from inside the project itself.
Why We Created The Wild Ones
By Marcus Warry, co-founder of The Wild Ones & MySocialImpact.org
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
– Pablo Picasso,
What if a bar could be more than just a place to drink?
What if a DJ night could be even more than a party?
What if a creative studio, bar, event space, and sound system could combine to spark something bigger?
That’s the idea behind The Wild Ones – a new creative ecosystem we’re building in Kampala, Uganda. A bar, a studio, a creative movement. Somewhere between a playground and a platform. Somewhere talent can grow, and energy can flow. We also plan to sell mighty fine cocktails too – watch this space!
A Space with Purpose
“unleashing creativity, inspiring change”
I’ve always been drawn to spaces with creative potential. I’m a painter and artist myself — with a background in interactive and installation-based work, with training at Slade School of Fine Art and Kensington & Chelsea College in London.
I’ve also served as a trustee of Interim Spaces, for many years, a UK charity that transforms empty buildings into creative hubs for artists, and innovators. That experience taught me that when you give creatives space and trust, extraordinary things happen, culturally and economically too.
Together with Chris Arnold, former Creative Director at Saatchi & Saatchi, we launched MySocialImpact.org to support purpose-led innovation. And with The Wild Ones, we wanted to create something of our own, to show that we also practice what we preach!
Inspired by Global Movements
We’re also taking inspiration from global creative institutions like Soho House, a private members’ club that manages to blend a cool, creative atmosphere with real networking and professional connections, especially across the media, fashion, music and tech industries.
Places like this are more than social spaces — they are engines for creative economies.
And the UK creative sector is a perfect case in point.
In 2023, the UK creative industries contributed over £124 billion to the economy — making it the second largest sector after financial services. It’s a major employer, exporter, and force for global influence. And it all starts with the right spaces, the right events, and the right level of support too.
“The role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible.”
– Toni Cade Bambara, African American author, filmmaker and activist
Uganda’s Creative Opportunity
Uganda is bursting with creativity – from music and fashion to design, visual art, and storytelling. But the infrastructure to turn talent into sustainable careers and scalable businesses is still emerging.
We believe The Wild Ones can help shift that.
By creating a space where ideas become events, and events inspire more ideas, we’re building a new kind of creative playground — one that’s human, collaborative, and full of possibility.
And as AI rapidly transforms the world around us, we see creativity not as threatened — but pushed to evolve. Pushed to go deeper, get weirder, be more human. We also want to embrace technology to connect Uganda to the world via online, live stream AR and VR experiences too.
“Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it.”
– Bertolt Brecht, German playwright, poet, and theatrical reformer
Because what AI can’t do – is replace the energy of a shared creative moment.
It can’t mimic the thrill of collaboration.
It can’t host a jam night.
It can’t feel the drop.
That’s why real spaces, real people, and real moments still matter.
A Movement in Motion
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
– Albert Einstein, theoretical physicist and father of modern science
We’re building The Wild Ones as a creative ecosystem. A space where someone can rehearse on Tuesday and headline on Saturday. Where DJs, painters, dancers, designers, and dreamers all feed off each other. Where collaboration is natural, and support is shared.
And we’re inviting people to join from day one — to bring their ideas, their energy, and their belief in something bigger.
We’re not claiming to have it all figured out. But we do have a space, a sound system, and a vision. We’re ready to build. Are you?
Ready to Get Involved?
We’re now looking for creators with ideas, performers with a crowd, or just dreamers with a vision — people who want to use The Wild Ones to bring something to life.
Got a performance, art show, DJ night, or fashion drop idea?
Want to collaborate, rehearse, or exhibit something bold?
Got a vibe and need a venue?
Then click the link below and make your case. Tell us why we must collaborate. Let’s build this together, and shape what The Wild Ones becomes.
If your idea is selected, you’ll become a founding Wild One — and in collaborations with you, we’ll design a one-of-a-kind Wild Ones T-shirt just for you, inspired by your creative passions and dreams.
To send an idea to The Wild Ones:
Email: marcus@mysocialimpact.org
Subject line: The Wild Ones – bring this idea to life
Tell us who you are, what you do, and the ideas you’d like develop and bring to life at The Wild Ones
Let’s get wild.
Follow us on Instagram: @thewildones.club
