May 2016
Board of Trade hosts Minister Stilwell and business owners for Social Innovation Month
| ANNA TAN AND ASHLEY GIRN
With changing consumer preferences, businesses today need to know more than ever how their customers see them and view the world around them. Thriving in tomorrow's markets is not guaranteed and businesses are aware of the need to plan for uncertainty and overcome macro risks in order to grow at disruptive speeds.
With that said, social innovation is accelerating as a popular business strategy amidst constantly evolving consumer demands. Global business leaders are coming together and leveraging their expertise to develop innovative solutions to solve B.C.'s tough social challenges.
There is no single definition for "social innovation," but the main idea focuses on finding better and more sustainable solutions to social problems affecting several people at large. The definitions for social innovation are always changing, growing and expanding, which mirrors the sector itself.
B.C. is one of the world's leading jurisdictions when it comes to social innovation. This is due largely to BC Partners for Social Impact, a partnership that brings together leaders from across non-profits, businesses, universities, community groups, and the government. Their united goal is to solve social challenges and create large impacts for organizations, the community, and each other.
You may be wondering how businesses — including yours — can help create sustainable movements. On May 25, the Women's Leadership Circle will host an event on the Business Case for Values-Based Practices. By joining us, you will engage in dialogues aimed at solving complex social issues present today.
This event is in support of Social Enterprise Month in B.C. and will educate you on how organizations here in B.C. are transforming conventional business models, increasing transparency, and gaining followers through value-based practices.
Leaders with an eye for forward thinking will talk about how they've adopted social innovation and how it's spreading among local businesses. Lotte Davis, CEO of AG Hair, aims at delivering products that are innovative, naturally derived and only locally produced — fit for both the street and runway.
Arjan Stephens, Executive Vice President of Nature's Path Foods, represents a sustainablydriven, del iciously healthy organic food company that believes in "leaving the earth better than we found it."
From a political perspective, attendees will also hear from the Honourable Michelle Stilwell, B.C.'s Minister of Social Development and Social Innovation. Their goal is to be provide residents with support systems to achieve their full social and economic potentials. The event will be moderated by Brand Consultant Jane Cox of Vancouver-based Cause+Affect, a company with a mandate for creating brands, initiatives and events that represent the city at large — creating a leadership role within the cultural community.
Anna Tan and Ashley Girn are participants in the Leaders of Tomorrow mentorship program and volunteer with the Women's Leadership Circle. Anna is graduating this June with a BCom in Finance from Sauder School of Business and plans to work in banking. Ashley graduated from Sauder School of Business and currently works as a staff accountant at a public practice accounting firm and is the co-founder of a digital platform called Winning Interactions.