On Wednesday, April 21st during #StartupChats, we talked all about impact and change through business and Learned from Changemakers with Inniskillin Wine.
We were joined by this incredible trio of experts;
Mark Marsolais – Nahwegahbow, Founder of Birch Bark Coffee
Kara Morgan, Founder and COO, PlanIt! Efficiency Solutions
Kevin Holmes, Managing Director, Social Innovation Lab (SLiDE)
First, we talked about what change means for entrepreneurs;
A1 An entrepreneurial #changmenaker is someone who makes a difference no matter how small, through their innovative products and/or services, unique approach to doing business or unconventional work practices @InniskillinWine #StartupChats
— PlanIt! Efficiency Solutions (@planitefficienc) April 21, 2021
Building something that meets some need. We built @slidelab7 as a doorway at @algonquincolleg for the social sector in our community – Once you have that doorway almost anything is possible #StartupChats pic.twitter.com/4jeKEpoVEx
— Kevin Holmes (@adverbmc) April 21, 2021
We asked if impact was top of mind right from the start or if it became important later on;
A3 Absolutely! The ability to change preconceived ideas and notions is central to how I work. Even as a child I always wanted to be an entrepreneur rather than following the traditional ‘model’ and with it to try new ways of creating value.#StartupChats
— Matt Elton (@fintech_matt) April 21, 2021
Q3 – Change is the driving force for me, impact comes later. But I think in many ways, it is service that was the real calling for SLiDE = “Service” Learning in Design and Engineering @slidelab7 #StartupChats pic.twitter.com/ScMLKZhsrv
— Kevin Holmes (@adverbmc) April 21, 2021
#StartupChats Having a purpose is your road map to your business and you will encounter road blocks and awesome situations that may alter your action plan, but you stay focused on the end results of what you wish to achieve and why you started your business in the first place
— @birchbarkcoffeecompanyinc. (@MarkMarsolais) April 21, 2021
And, what pulled entrepreneurs to position themselves in a space and make a change;
A5. I don’t think you choose – I think it chooses you. Passion, experience and heartbreak can be powerful motivators, but I don’t think you have a choice as an entrepreneur #StartupChats
— LYNDON [THINK DIFFERENTLY] JOHNSON (@THINK_Lyndon) April 21, 2021
Q5 – While it is great to pick a single space to make an impact, the bigger opportunity is to make an impact in everything you do (buying, hiring, amplifying good voices) – that is #ChangeMaking at the master level – So #LevelUp #StartupChats
— Kevin Holmes (@adverbmc) April 21, 2021
All from passion, but created because of poor infrastructure in our communities
— @birchbarkcoffeecompanyinc. (@MarkMarsolais) April 21, 2021
A5 It’s different for ea business or person; it could be a gap in society, a personal or social issue that is being overlooked or ignored. Sometimes it’s just a better, more efficient way of doing something or making things easier or more convenient @InniskillinWine #StartupChats
— PlanIt! Efficiency Solutions (@planitefficienc) April 21, 2021
If you want to see all of the topics we covered during this chat, you can see the whole transcript here.