Well, here we are again at the close of another summer. I always feel like these months slip right through my hands – which is probably why I’m writing this blog about time management. Over the past few months, I’ve found myself learning my way into innovation and entrepreneurship in a way that is sufficiently self-directed.
As part of the completion of my minor in Indigenous Studies at Mount Royal University, I had the opportunity to study on the island of Hawai’i for three weeks with over 20 other students. We were there to study aloha àina and activism – as it pertains to the Kanaka Maoli communities. In the same vein, I was also there to start building relationships for my business. I had just started my time as a Trico Foundation summer student, and felt that this opportunity would be a great way to delve into some of the specifics around my venture, Sarjesa Inc., and its future growth.
Three years ago, social innovator Caleb Grove was inspired to start his first entrepreneurship project before he left for Bambalang, a small rural community in the North-West region of Cameroon. Caleb recently completed a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (BSc Mechanical) at the University of New Brunswick (UNB).
Green Cup is a new project started by post-secondary student Austin (Ozzy) Lang and co-founded by his colleague Emily Bartlett. This for-profit endeavour aims to make a positive impact on the environment by creating compostable coffee cups. Calgary does not currently have a compost system, so these cups are thrown out in bins labelled with the Green Cup logo and instructions for disposal.
Social entrepreneur and community organizer Mauricio Buschinelli is the co-founder of Cycle AlimenTerre (CAT), a Montreal-based start-up that uses urban agriculture and micro-greens to address issues of local food security. The idea of micro-greens is to grow as much produce as possible within a small space, generally in urban areas.
Rhea Higginson’s story is another example of how the post-secondary education system is able to inspire, nurture, and support an incredibly diverse range of personal social enterprise journeys.
Open Market is the impressive brainchild of Saadan Sulehri, a business and engineering student who is expected to graduate from The University of British Columbia (UBC) in December 2016. Sulehri was first inspired during his time in Pakistan to make a difference, and it was at the University of British Columbia (UBC) where he received the help he needed to figure out how to make his aspirations a reality.
Jennifer Fischer is an example of a student who won’t let barriers stop her from pursuing a project that will improve Toronto’s green space. She is the sole proprietor of Soul Roots, an endeavour that began as part of the SocialVentures Zone community at Ryerson University.
Trico Foundation and Futurpreneur have collaborated in the creation of Debt Financing for Non-Profit Social Enterprises: Workbook for Boards and Senior Staff. This workbook is intended to be a resource to help non-profit directors and managers become more aware of the resources they may need to be ready for debt financing and how to use them.
While attending to his full-time graduate studies in policy studies focusing on immigration, settlement, and the diaspora at Ryerson University, Peter Haastrup dedicates much of his time working with the Kenya Village Project. With this project, Peter has worked for the last three years to bring a better and more sustainable means of cooking to the villagers.