Transforming the Community Impact of Campus Space: Bow Valley College and WINS Open a Social Enterprise Thrift Store

Bow Valley College and Women In Need Society (WINS) have partnered to launch a new on-campus thrift store that combines affordability, sustainability, and hands-on learning. The initiative gives students access to low-cost essentials while creating real-world learning opportunities in social enterprise and community impact.

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What is social entrepreneurship?

We define social entrepreneurship as using business models (selling a good or service) to enhance social impact. This reflects most Canadian definitions.

Beyond balance

Many see the social and the entrepreneurial as being in opposition, like two sides of a scale that needs to be balanced. Instead, we see the social and the entrepreneurial as partners in progress.  

Aspirational

We support a social entrepreneurship movement that dares to ask, “How far could we go in solving the world’s problems, and even fulfilling our potential as human beings, if we fully harnessed the power of business models to enhance social impact?”

Working collaboratively with thought leaders and pioneers in the space and Ashoka's network of 3,000 Fellows, Ashoka SFS seeks to articulate a new Social Finance Framework that offers social entrepreneurs, investors and colleagues insights, new opportunities and new trends based on a in-depth review of Ashoka's Fellows using market forces to create social change.

Trico Foundation Charitable Foundation has made a three-year commitment totaling $15,000, to help Calgary’s social enterprises while spotlighting the talents and resources of Mount Royal University. Each year for the next three years the foundation will hire one Mount Royal student to provide services to a variety of social enterprises in Calgary. The student will be selected in consultation with Mount Royal and will have skills identified as needed by a number of social enterprises in Calgary.

New Market Funds Society (NMFS) is a new foundation-sponsored registered charity established to develop impact investment opportunities for foundations and other investors and to provide strong community based non-profits and blended value businesses with access to investment capital. This is an exceptional opportunity to be part of a new impact investment management firm.

Lysol Wipes

Our first stop was our Community Center. We asked, "what is needed?" Lysol wipes. Also, food for volunteers on New Street. Load baby in car, head to store. Done. That was within the realm of how we could help right then.

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