Leading into the Future: Inspiring and Activating Community Social Innovation

A series of three independent discovery workshops designed to inspire social innovation, activate local talent and increase resilience, with a particular focus on women is being organized by SEE,- NORDIK Institute’s Social Enterprise and Entrepreneurship initiative.

“The series will engage participants in the fundamentals of place-based social innovation in the COVID-19 context”, states Jude Ortiz, NORDIK’s Research Coordinator. “It focuses on what has changed, what people can do about it and the social pressure points that drive action. It reveals how regions similar to Northern Ontario have developed thriving successful enterprises, and features a variety of successful northern ones.”

The presentation, guest speakers and registrant discussion format is designed to encourage, support and strengthen social enterprises, i.e. businesses with a social, cultural or environmental concern. It provides space to raise questions, connect those interested in community change and/or who are doing this work with resources to continue dialoguing.

Everyone interested in shaping community change is welcome, from aspiring and existing social entrepreneurs, community leaders and champions, business development organizations, economic development officers, tourism and funding agencies, and the broader public.

The three online workshops are offered as a series, but can be taken separately. They run March 2, 3, and 4, from 12 noon - 1 pm ET.

March 2: Social Innovation and Community Development. Ledby Sean Meades, Director of NORDIK Institute, provides the current context for social innovation, the shift to value, principle-based development, and the role of women in an inclusive economy, with examples of community-wide social innovation and non-traditional ventures.

March 3: Inspiration for Social Innovation. Moderated by Allston Pele, Manager of the Northwest Business Centre, this workshop focuses on organizational structures of social enterprises, including hybrids, cooperatives, and sole proprietorships, with founders highlighting the pros and cons and their choice of structure as well as their ‘next steps.’

March 4: Activating Ideas: Laura Fylyshtan, Green Building Research Coordinator, reThink Green’s session focuses on community champions and social impact, featuring northern social enterprises from different sectors and points in their entrepreneurial journey.

Register now for Leading into the Future: Inspiring and Activating Community Social Innovation. The three workshops can be taken as a series, or as individual workshops. Each online event runs from 12 noon – 1 pm ET. March 2, 3, and 4, 2021.

Theworkshop series is part of the Women of Ontario Social Enterprise Network (WOSEN) project that supports women and gender non-binary people, typically underrepresented in business, to create and grow enterprises that embed social values into their business model, such as through cooperative, non-profit, as well as both for-profit and not-for-profit social enterprises.

WOSEN is a collaborative led by Pillar Nonprofit Network in partnership with NORDIK Institute, the Centre for Social Innovation and Social Venture Connexion (SVX). NORDIK’s SEE is the lead for the Northern Ontario region. Pillar Nonprofit Network is supported through the Government of Canada’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Strategy Ecosystem Fund, delivered by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).

NORDIK (Northern Ontario Research, Development, Ideas and Knowledge) Institute is an innovative community-based research hub that has evolved from the Community, Economic, and Social Development (CESD) program and research at Algoma University. It is committed to the practice of holistic community development and has established strong links with other research institutes, universities, and colleges. NORDIK is committed to the practice of holistic community development and building local research capacity by working closely with its community partners and providing mentorship to new researchers and community development practitioners. For more information, please visit www.nordikinstitute.com.

Social Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (SEE) is an initiative led by NORDIK Institute to support the development of the social economy through the building capacity of social entrepreneurship by strengthening the ecosystem. For more information please visit www.seethechange.ca.

Pillar Nonprofit Network supports over 610 nonprofits, social enterprises and innovators by sharing resources, knowledge and connections across the three pillars of nonprofit, business and government.

Centre for Social Innovation Torontois home to 1,000 nonprofits, charities and social ventures and provides these members with the spaces, knowledge, tools, resources and connections they need to grow their impact. For 15 years, CSI has been female-led.

Social Venture Connexion (SVX) is a non-profit financial services firm that designs strategies, manages funds, and mobilizes capital for social purpose organizations and investors. We work across sectors that deliver meaningful social impact to society, including cleantech, health, education, food, and social inclusion. SVX has operations across Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

FedDev Ontario works to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation and growth in Canada’s most populous region. The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving their productivity, growing their revenues, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region. Learn more about the impacts the Agency is having in southern Ontario by exploring our pivotal projects.