On Social Impact

This is a repost of a conversation which took place in July 2019

Imagine you work in Toronto, and need to move a package across the city - who are you going to call?  

Imagine if there was a business that had their social impact front and centre.  Which made a difference to people's lives and which was competitively priced.

Well, imagine no more!  

Check out this fabulous conversation with Ada from Good Foot Delivery to find out who you should be using to send your next package across the city!

Keep the conversation going:

This is a repost of a discussion that took place in June 2019.  

Does every piece of technology have its day? Perhaps - but it shouldn't have to!

Free Geek Toronto are part of an international coalition of Free Geeks, who are breathing new life into unwanted technology. Not only are they making a positive environmental impact by diverting this tech from landfill, but they're making a huge social impact as well.

How? Listen in to their story with Executive Director Ryan Fukunaga to find out!

This is a repost of an episode originally published in May 2019

Meet Hanna & Morva - fierce founders of CommuniHelp and leaders of a team who are on a mission to change the world of volunteering.

I'm really excited by what they're building. Not only because it's so scaleable, but because it's helping to meet a huge number of personal and social needs in one slickly designed package.

In a great conversation, we touch on:
- The founders' personal stories
- What makes CommuniHelp different - and why it's needed by a diverse range of audiences
- Why the business is structured in the way that it is
- The importance of the mission statement

Once you've listened, why not sign up to CommuniHelp to start revolutionizing the world, one volunteer relationship at a time?

This is a repost of an episode originally shared in December 2018

Elephant Thoughts is not an obvious name for an education company but, after hearing how it came about, I think you'll agree that it's absolutely perfect.

Elephant Thoughts describe themselves as 'Education for a changing world', and the projects that they are involved in are varied, vital, and very exciting. Listen in on this great conversation as Abby & I discuss Elephant Thoughts' history, the power of creating community capacity and what granters really look for in an application.

This is a repost of an episode originally released in October 2018

Imagine running an agency which specialises in helping social impact entrepreneurs achieve more.

Then imagine being a B Corp and holding yourself up to the highest exemplar standards in the social impact space.

This is Hypenotic and I was privileged to get founder Barry Martin on the podcast for a chat about the company, about the opportunities and challenges in today's social impact space in Ontario and the value of external certification.

Enjoy - and don't forget to keep the conversation flowing:

This is a repost of an episode originally published September 2018

Building Up is a fantastic social impact business which exists to help individuals with barriers to employment to get into apprenticeships and careers in the construction trades.

I've been fortunate to be connected to Marc Soberano (Founder & Executive Director) through social media for some time, so it was a real privilege to interview, discovering more about Building Up and the difference they're making throughout Toronto.

There's plenty to take away in this episode, as well as a really clear invitation from Marc to connect directly with him to find out more and spread the impact ever further!

This is a repost of an episode originally shared in August 2018

Lawrence Alvarez is one of the co-founders of Toronto Tool Library - a business whose name really doesn't cover half of the amazing stuff they offer.

In this podcast. Lawrence talks about the growth of the Tool Library, the very real change it has been set up to make in the world, and the reason why tool libraries need to exist in the first place.

We also ponder the question - "how many hammers does the world actually need?"

This is a repost of an episode originally shared in August 2018

Andre Vashist is the Director, Social Enterprise and Social Finance at VERGE Capital.

Iv VERGE Capital's own words, they catalyze "an ecosystem of impact investing that redirects wealth to help tackle our region’s most challenging social and environmental issues."

Andre describes VERGE Capital as a social finance intermediary, matching investors and capital with the social impact projects which need support.

In this wonderful discussion, we dig into social impact investing, talk about the power of storytelling, why we need to be human in business and talk a philosophical detour as well.

Have fun listening in - and don't forget to keep the conversation going:

This is a repost of an episode originally recorded in July 2018

Park People are a Canada-wide NGO which uses the power of parks to improve the quality of life in cities across Canada.

Jodi Lastman, Park People's Manager, Communications, Skypes into the podcast to talk about the organization's work, community mobilization and why parks are a "neat gateway drug" for all sorts of really, really good things.

On the way through, we namecheck Jane Jacobs, Shawn Micallef and Jutta Mason (links below!).

Enjoy - and don't forget to keep the conversation going!

This is a repost of an episode originally shared in June 2018

Peter Deitz has been drawn to startups and involved in internet culture since the age of 13. For the last 10 years, he has worked almost exclusively on entrepreneurial projects that he founded or co-founded—all of which have had a social purpose.

Peter joins ON Social Impact to talk about his life's work, as well as the growth of GrantBook and UnWrapIt. There's some fantastic advice to help entrepreneurs focus, be successful and consider how trust is a vital currency in social impact business.

Once you've listened in, don't forget to continue the conversation with Peter:

This is a repost of an episode originally published in June 2018 

The demands placed on homeless shelters is steadily increasing in the Niagara, Ontario region. Southridge Jam Company are taking an entrepreneurial approach to tackling an evidenced social need, and transforming lives at the same time. Brendon and Scott from Southridge Jam Company join the podcast to share their stories and share some key insights into the reality of running a social impact business in Ontario. 

Don't forget to keep the conversation going after you've finished listening: 

This is a repost of an episode originally recorded in May 2018

Can you imagine being homeless - or faced with the very real threat of having nowhere to lay your head tonight? This is something which affects 235,000 Canadians every year.
Now imagine if you're a young person trying to stay on top of school as well. Can you put yourself in their shoes?

Raising The Roof are an inspirational social impact business tackling homelessness from a huge number of angles - simultaneously.

From testing innovative concepts to help people stay off the streets, to researching best practice around the world, while selling toques, restoring properties and more - they're a truly multi-faceted approach to ending homelessness in Canada.

Listen in as CEO Michael Braithwaite shares the story - and find out how you can get involved too.

This is a repost of an episode originally recorded in May 2018

Pioneering a no-waste food production system in Toronto, Ripple Farms are doing something a little 'out of the ordinary' get to food to your plate.

I jumped on a Hangout with CEO and co-founder Steven Bourne to find out more, and get his take on what it's like being a social impact business in Ontario right now.

This is a repost of an episode from April 2018

How do you make a change in your habits or your purchasing decisions? The first step has to be to know what's out there, what the options are, right?

In this episode, I chat to Rafik Riad, founder of Buy Good Feel Good - an amazing expo and platform which is helping social impact businesses across the world find new customers and discover new scale.

If you'd like the money in your wallet to do some good in the world - and buy the stuff you really want at the same time - you're going to love this conversation!

This is a repost of an episode originally recorded in April 2018.

Can you make a profit AND invest your money in a sustainable, socially impactful way?

"Giant Nerd" Tim Nash thinks that you can - and is on a mission to help one million Canadians use their investments to change the world for the better.

Listen in to this great conversation for more about Tim's mission, why he believes that we need to shake ourselves out of status quo bias and how to avoid putting a cricket in your vegan investment portfolio.

This is a repost of an episode originally shared in April 2018

Where do you stand on 'fast fashion'? We are ever more used to our clothes becoming disposable commodities - but as prices get pushed downwards, someone, somewhere loses out, right?

Nurjahan Begum is on a mission - using her social impact business, Progoti, to dramatically change the lives of the Bangladeshi workers who craft clothes for brands the world over.

This is a repost of an episode that was originally shared in March 2018

Kyle Shantz is the Marketing Manager for the Centre for Social Innovation in Toronto.

In this episode, I learn more about CSI and what it offers to Ontario's Social Impact sector; find out about moving from symptoms to systems thinking; and talk about what social impact leaders can do to get ahead over the next year or more.

This is a repost of an episode originally released in March 2018 Based in London, Ontario, Urban Roots London are a start-up social enterprise tackling food insecurity, food deserts and the way that we produce our food. Co-founder Richie Bloomfield jumped onto the podcast to share the journey so far, what the team have learned and what you can do to get in on the food revolution... 

Don't forget to carry on the conversation: 

This is a repost of an episode from January 2018

Hire Up Youth is a Toronto-based social impact business tackling youth homelessness through employment.

CEO Preston Aitken joined the podcast to introduce his company, talk about where AI might take them and share some of the lessons learned on the journey to today.