Sam Ross: Social Impact...Sustainably Funded
Eighteen years ago, The Melting Pot opened as a bold experiment: a co-working hub in the heart of Edinburgh, dedicated to helping purpose-driven founders find community and momentum. In 2007, co-working itself was radical. Today, the organisation is proof that innovation means constant reinvention.
On this episode of Six Degrees of Innovation, I spoke with Sam Ross, who joined The Melting Pot in early 2024 and now helps steer its next chapter as Scotland’s Centre for Social Innovation. Our conversation explored how the organisation has expanded from a single shared workspace to a nationwide force for social impact—while staying true to its founding principles.
From Single Space to Three Pillars
The Melting Pot is no longer just a co-working venue; it’s a three-part engine for change:
Collaborative Hub
A light-filled space on Edinburgh’s Calton Road, minutes from Waverley Station. Here, freelancers, hybrid teams, and boards gather for meetings, events, and daily work—knowing their booking fees reinvest in social innovation across Scotland.Good Ideas Incubator
A 15-year programme that supports anyone with an idea for social or environmental impact—often people with lived experience of the issue they want to solve. More than 180 projects and 400 innovators have launched through this pipeline, from the Edinburgh Tool Library to The Remakery.Consultancy for People, Place & Productivity
Rebranded in 2025, this service helps organisations of all sizes navigate strategy, culture change, and complex problem-solving. Profits feed directly back into the Incubator and into “places with purpose” across Scotland, from rural towns to coastal communities.
Balancing History and Future
When Sam arrived, the team faced big questions: What is The Melting Pot’s true expertise? How do we diversify income without losing mission?
Their answer was to double down on two timeless values: sector-agnostic partnership and social innovation. That meant broadening consultancy beyond the third sector, welcoming private businesses, universities, and public services—while keeping community connection at the core.
“We realised we didn’t need to present as a charity,” Sam explained. “We are a business. What matters is delivering authentically and reinvesting profit for impact.”
Consultancy with Social Impact
The consultancy isn’t about swooping in with ready-made solutions. Instead, The Melting Pot facilitates the messy, early stages of problem-solving: helping leadership teams surface challenges, test ideas, and co-create next steps.
A recent example: guiding the Law Society of Scotland through hybrid-work transitions after years of remote operations. The approach blends strategy and adaptability—a plan and the willingness to rewrite it as new insights emerge.
Lessons in Connection
For Sam, success still comes down to meaningful connection. Whether someone visits for a hot desk, a board meeting, or a six-month incubator programme, they should leave feeling more focused and energised than when they arrived.
“I guarantee anyone engaging with The Melting Pot will meet at least three people they’ve never met before,” Sam said. “And you’ll leave with a sense of purpose and a plan.”
Innovation Spotlight: Invisible Cities
Sam highlighted Invisible Cities, a social enterprise born in the Good Ideas Incubator, as a model of impact and sustainability. The organisation trains people with lived experience of homelessness to lead city tours, expanding across the UK as a “social franchise.”
It’s a powerful example of the principle Sam champions: those closest to a problem are best placed to solve it.
Closing Thoughts
The Melting Pot shows how a mission-driven organisation can evolve without losing its soul. By pairing financial sustainability with deep community roots, it continues to help Scotland’s changemakers—whether they’re launching a grassroots project, scaling a start-up, or reimagining corporate culture.
Profit isn’t a dirty word. In fact, purpose and profit can—and must—grow together. The Melting Pot is living proof.