May 14, 2012 – LoftYCSEI – Starting Up Social Innovation
“What action would make the biggest impact in supporting social ventures in Canada?
This was the main question explored last night at Starting up Social Innovation, a Startup Canada tour event held at the Centre for Social Innovation. Four key social enterprise leaders in Toronto presented their solution.
Anne Jamieson from Toronto Enterprise Fund discussed community benefit contracts; they create opportunity, are flexible, have no cost, and have potential for systemic change.
CSI’s Tonya Surman Centre promoted the creation of the jobs of the future with a ‘peace corp modeled’ employment program for social entrepreneurs.
Tim Draimin of Social Innovation Generation spoke about quality mentorship connecting social entrepreneurs with boomer encore career coaches to ensure more successful ventures. There are two trends occurring throughout Canada: the rising tide of social entrepreneurs and the huge number of boomers that have succeeded in business, and want to start anew and achieve success again. This is low cost.
Assaf Weisz from Venture Deli promoted technology and digital media as an essential tool for change. We are the biggest lever for change; we shouldn’t rely on people to do things for us. More social innovators need to embrace and leverage technology.
After these leaders spoke, attendees worked in small groups to create and present their own solution. Here are the great ideas that they came up with:
• Label/certification with a mentorship component and anti-oppression training
• Social impact label that lists what the venture offers – the makeup of their suppliers
• Large-scale cultural shift showcasing leaders by using Youtube
• Job sharing/learning
• Social enterprise and innovation literacy in schools (K-12)
• Combine public, private and social sectors so resources can flow more easily
• Tax credit for social enterprise based on labelling
• Educational reality TV show where contestants compete for funding
• Cancel student debt, create social impact bond
• Invest in failure – invest in people, not projects
• Organizations launch together in a new city
• Social innovation digital certificate
• Leasing space from organizations in exchange for tax credit
Now that we have heard these great ideas, it is time to put them in action and present them to the right people so we can gain support for our ventures and Canada can become a world player in social enterprise and innovation.”
