Urban
opportunity
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arium
expression
understanding
participation
discourse
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arium
responsibility
utility
opinion
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retreat
arium
exposure
process
insight
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improvement
intelligence
platform
critique
evaluation
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example
health
design
landscape
ideas
arium
Jul 28
06:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Organized by: Groundswell
This event is: Public
Admission Fee: Free (RSVP)

About the event

Groundswell Grassroots Economic Alternatives, a non-profit society providing alternative education for social entrepreneurs, is hosting a panel discussion on the transformative power of social entrepreneurship for the economy, the community, and the entrepreneur.

Join us as we discover the much needed role of ‘EduAction’ - or alternative education, in igniting a new economy.  Here we explore these core topics:

Creating Business from an Aboriginal Way of Life

Curtis Rattray, Founder, Edziza Trails - Aboriginal Adventure Tours

“All youth today have even more pressure to conform to the images of the super athlete, super model and super star by pop culture standards. Experiences on the land allow youth to get away from these pressures and gain the space to discover their own true essence. The land has the potential to teach those who respect it and who pay attention to what it has to offer.”

Curtis is a member of the Crow clan and Nalokoteen (end of the ridge nation) of the Tahltan Nation and his Tahltan name is ‘Ninth glun adz.’  He leads the program on Wholistic Indigenous Leadership Development ™ and capacity building services for First Nations and aboriginal organizations.   An experienced backcountry hiker and camper, he also has extensive experience working in the aboriginal rights and title sector.  

In this panel, Curtis shares about creating a lifestyle business based on aboriginal economic values.

Alternative & Progressive Education

Gilad Babchuk, Groundswell Co-founder & Mentor

“The education system serves the existing social order. If we really want to change the socio - economic order, we will have to start changing our existing educational systems.”

Gilad is a luminary of social innovation who will put your ideas "through the washing machine" and wow you with creative metaphors to explain complex theories around learning (alternative education) and doing (entrepreneurship).   Both an educator and social entrepreneur, he was named one of the 50 most influential people in the field of education in Israel (Ha’aretz, 2009). He consults several international companies in the fields of E-Learning and progressive education (in India, Germany, Singapore, Argentina and Israel).  

The need for and the Role of Social Enterprise

David LePage, Groundswell Senior Mentor & Facilitator | Principal, Accelerating Social Impact

“How will we build truly healthy and inclusive communities without social enterprise as the primary model for business? Social enterprise is important as it develops community strength and capacity building.”

David is the founder of Accelerating Social Impact CCC, Ltd., one of Canada’s first incorporated social purpose corporations.  To promote the demand side of the social enterprise market place David is a co-founder and director of Buy Social Canada. He is a Principal in the Social Enterprise Institute and a Program Adjunct and Professional Advisory Committee, Sandermoen School of Business MBA in Social Enterprise Leadership.  

He has shared his knowledge and experience across private, public and community sectors, in rural and urban communities and across multiple cultures. Groundswell is another step in his incessant learning crusade - he's looking forward to discovering together how we build a community economy, creating businesses that blend trade with social values, create opportunities, and contribute to a healthy and sustainable community.

Personal transformation through entrepreneurship

Maia Gibb, Groundswell Youth Program Manager | Founder, Dusting Divas    

“The power of social enterprise lies in its individuality. It is not a system or an institution,  but an expression of purpose, personal values and accompanying beliefs. In many ways, a social enterprise is a direct reflection of the person or people who create it.  When done with intention and consciousness, its creation and operations can be a powerful tool for personal transformation as well.”

Maia started one the first social enterprise businesses in Victoria, BC in 2000.  In 8 years Dusting Divas employed over 200 women and created one of the first line of natural, aromatherapy cleaning product lines - which sold in stores across Canada and the US.

In 2006, Maia took Dusting Divas to Cape Breton, where she had a hand in creating a women's worker co-op. This is where she got comfortable learning through failure and the thrill of taking risks. She sold the business's IP in 2008.

After 5 years of trying to work a "normal" job, she is excited to again take some risks and build something beautiful at Groundswell.

Location: Groundswell Cafe & Learning Space

49.282945, -123.091876

Groundswell Cafe & Learning Space

566 Powell Street
Vancouver, BC
Canada