ABORIGINAL SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

"Aboriginal social enterprise is all about meaningful local employment, while helping our neighbours and communities along the way."

- Paul Lacerte, former Executive Director - The BC Aboriginal Friendship Centres

Over the past year, we've been working toward formulating a business plan and for the Aboriginal Social Entreprise Program (ASE). It's all about supporting the entrepreneurial spark in Aboriginal communities throughout British Columbia.

ASE will be an in-reach program run for Aboriginal peoples, by Aboriginal people. Our Executive Director and their staff of five (is this you? apply today) will travel to various communities throughout the province to bring on-location, one-on-one coaching and support to budding (possibly as yet unearthed) entrepreneurs. 

We're also excited to be involved in the First Nations Renewable Lab involving dozens of First Nations communities working on energy empowerment. Urban Matters, W Dusk Energy Group, the Social Planning and Research Council of BC, and CoCreative Consulting are collaborating to imagine and support sustainable energy futures. 

COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE ACCELERATOR

"Enterprise based solutions to many of the tough issues we're facing are increasingly going to be the pathway toward for communities."

- Andrew Greer, Founder - Purposeful People

purppl is testing the assumption that sustainable business models can add predictable revenue into community driven social enterprises.

We believe this will help organizations implement long term solutions to our communities’ toughest challenges. It’s a test. But it’s starting to work. We are already seeing positive social and business outcomes,

Some clear patterns have emerged...listen, all the time, so you know what to build. Commit to your purpose and know your purpose because building a business is hard. Have customers, who pay, to help grow your business while providing inputs that continuously improve your product or service. And partners, both internal and external will help you survive as well as scale your impact.

Our work, right now, is a humbling journey of patient urgency.  

COMMUNITY DRIVEN PROJECTS

"Creating the conditions for success begins with a right-sized dialogue. Being cognizant of the broader issues doesn't preclude us from selecting one spot along the housing spectrum to make a start."

- Ken Gauthier, Community Catalyst (President) Urban Matters CCC

Food. Water. Shelter. Livelihood.

We know that inclusion and public policy work benefits from resource, support and time. And we’re interested in conversations toward a sustainable paradigm of agriculture, clean drinking water as a human right, access to secure, appropriate and affordable housing and gainful employment.

So, we partner with organizations and individuals that are ready, credible and able to affect social change. Through collective impact initiatives, change labs and our consulting work we aim to develop unique approaches and solutions for populations that are not being served by the market economy (in Canada).

For instance, affordable and social housing is an awkward and challenging multi-jurisdictional issue in most communities. We think the real solution is working together across sectors to affect positive change. Full stop. It’s been proven to us through our work in pre-market or the social side of housing and homeless (Aboriginal and Metis Social Housing organizations in Saskatchewan) and exploring the affordability gap (Mayors Task Force on Affordable Housing in Penticton).

We know creating, collaborating and problem-solving (amidst fluctuating dynamics) is challenging. So, talk to us, it's why we're here, to develop the faculty your community-driven project needs and support the conversations that matter.