By Michelle Strutzenberger, Axiom News
The Social Enterprise World Forum delegates convening in Calgary this week bring a rich blend of social enterprise questions and issues they’re keen to explore with peers in the field.
Meghan Dear‘s question centres on modelling social mission. “It’s one thing to talk about mandate and social purpose, but it’s another to get into the nitty gritty of how you model it,” says the Alberta founder of a two-year-old social-mission business, Localize.
The growth and scale of social enterprise is a pressing topic for Heather O’Hara these days — figuring out the sweet spot in terms of self-sufficiency and at what point a social enterprise is too big or growing for growth’s sake.
“It’s not that I’m looking for what’s right or wrong but more of a different perspective on growth and scale generally,” says the director for a B.C. Social enterprise, Potluck Cafe and Catering.
This story originally appeared on ENP Canada’s website.
ENP Canada has partnered with Axiom News to explore the Canadian social enterprise movement one story at a time. Each story will provide snapshots and profiles of local social enterprises and the emerging, supportive environment. This story is one of hundreds we will be publishing. Check in every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for the latest news.
Axiom News is also a SEWF 2013 media partner.
More About SEWF
The Trico Charitable Foundation was honoured to host SEWF 2013. It made history in a number of ways – it was a first for Canada and attracted a record number of speakers and attendees (1,000 individuals from more than 30 countries and over 100 speakers from 20 countries) – but we are most proud of the quality of the discussions on Skills Building, Social Finance, Indigenous Social Enterprise, Collaboration, Policy and Research, and Social Innovation.
We would like to thank the following partners for making SEWF 2013 possible:
Organizing Partners:
- Social Enterprise Council of Canada
- MaRS Centre for Impact Investing
- Social Innovation Generation (SiG)
- The Canadian Community Economic Development Network
Lead Sponsors:
- Suncor
- Vancity
- Government of Canada
- Canadian Youth Business Foundation (now Futurepreneur)
- Social Change Rewards
Presenting Partners:
Supporting Partners:
Friends of SEWF:
Media Partners:
Each year SEWF gives a different host country an incredible opportunity to celebrate and nurture its own social enterprise movement. The inaugural SEWF met in Edinburgh, Scotland. Since then it has been to Melbourne, Australia; San Francisco, U.S.A; Johannesburg, Africa; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Learn more about SEWF’s history here.
SEWF 2014 will be held in Seoul, Korea from October 12-16. Hosted by the Work Together Foundation, this significant international gathering has an ambitious agenda: “Social Change through Social Enterprise”. Learn more here.
