Martin Essl is an entrepreneur, coming from an entrepreneurial family in Austria that is also well-known for its dedication to social responsibility and modern arts. Martin and Gerda Essl, together with their children, established the Essl Foundation in 2007. The Essl Foundation supports social entrepreneurs and implements social innovation, with a focus on education, employment and accessibility for persons with disabilities. The main project of the foundation is the Zero Project. The Essl Foundation co-initiated the Sinnstifter, a joint initiative that co-finance social innovations and is a member of the Disability Thematic Network Group within the European Foundation Centre (EFC). Furthermore, Martin Essl supports Ashoka and has co-initiated the “House of Philanthropy”, a co-working space for charitable foundations in Vienna.