Determining your impact
How to make the process easier Social entrepreneurs are in the business of creating positive impact. Whether in the initial planning phase or several years into operations, they work tirelessly to make our world a little bit better. But how can they be sure of...
Fair Trade: Fare Thee Well?
While on assignment in Costa Rica recently, I toured a fair trade-certified coffee cooperative. After witnessing the rigorous work that went into producing each aromatic cup of my beloved beverage, I met with workers on the ground, hearing firsthand their...
Using derivatives to inspire alternatives for charity funding
Why, in this age of sophisticated capital markets, do charities not have the same avenues as for-profit businesses do to raise capital? A recent case study examines alternative funding structures for not-for-profits, modelled off of vanilla derivatives products. In...
North American impact investors are keeping their money close to home
Most of the world’s poor live in developing markets. And, according to some experts, so do ventures with the most long-term growth potential. But relatively few North American impact investments leave Canada and the United States. Are impact investors missing out?...
Impact Investing: As-Seen-On-TV
Arlene Dickinson, Canada’s newest impact investor, helps get Camino back on track. But it takes a leap of faith and some hard decisions to get there. The search for impact investment is no easy feat. Fraught with innumerable challenges, social entrepreneurs...
Value for Money: Changing the way we measure results
Measuring social and economic impacts is vital to the growth of innovative community solutions Every day, Shaun Loney sees positive change in the lives of his co-workers as a result of their participation at Building Urban Industries for Local Development...
Food for thought: When it comes to food, scarcity is the new normal
On or around October 31, the global population exceeded seven billion people. That’s significant for many reasons, including the fact that that’s a lot of mouths to feed. However, there are many layers of complexity behind the sheer magnitude of this figure, and...
SVI: a refreshing twist on social change
It’s 1am on a Friday and I’m on a makeshift dance floor at the home of Joel and Dana Solomon on Cortes Island, British Columbia, 100 miles north of Vancouver. A lovely house that caresses both forest and ocean, it’s a perfect spot for a party. The guy to my left is...
Self-leadership for social entrepreneurs
After eight years of planning, development, hoping and dreaming, this month the W2 Community Media Arts Centre finally opened its doors. This ambitious project aims to serve the working class community of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside—Canada’s poorest postal code,...
In the Business of Change written by SEE Change publisher & editor Elisa Birnbaum highlights social entrepreneurs around the world. Get your print or audiobook where you normally buy or download books Learn More
Our recent 3-part podcast series is sponsored by Junxion Strategy
