Renewal News and Blog

Introducing Next Up's New BC Crew

Joel Solomon — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:58:53 -0800

Congratulations to Kevin Millsip, Seth Klein, your Next Up team and supporters for putting together such a successful emerging leadership training series for progressive minded change agents.

The New Next Upers from British Columbia:

Aliya Dossa
Anna McClean
Emma Pullman
Eugene Kung
Gala Milne
Graham Anderson
Jenni Mathers
Jess Van
Julia Pope
Liz Vossen
Marta Taylor
Rene-John Nicholas
Robyn Ashwell
Ryan Cho
Sally McBride
Whitney Morrison

Click through for a big dose of hope and to read about each of these amazing young leaders.

Next Up:
Next Up was created by a group of people who wanted to help emerging leaders develop new and better skills, smarts and ideas. The program is intense. Over 6 months, we dive into a number of topics and disciplines, combining theory, practice, deep thinking, and hard skills.

They look at some of the most pressing Canadian foreign and domestic policy issues, and where “progressive” thinking is at on how to solve them. They look at how change is made in society. And they meet some of the most innovative change-makers — from the non-profit, business and public sectors — who are working for a better world.

There is more to read. If your interest is sparked, please have a look through their site to find out more about the program and how to apply!

Web Wars

Pamela Chaloult — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:36:16 -0800

Renewal investee, Big Room Inc, were highlighted in the recent Vancouver Magazine.

Web Wars
Rivalry heats up in an unlikely place: at the green end of the Web

Vancouver Magazine
By Anna Killen
Published Dec 1, 2011

Jacob Malthouse, 34, and Trevor Bowden, 38, the founders of Big Room Inc., have a relaxed, confident air—big laughs, strong handshakes. The two met while working for the UN in Switzerland, and sitting now in a coffee shop in their adopted new neighbourhood of Chinatown, they talk about their end goal—the Internet’s new .eco designation—like it’s already theirs.

A regulating body called the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN, Malthouse’s former employer) oversees the infrastructure of the Internet, which for years has been organized by a handful of suffixes at the end of every URL you type: the generic .com, the heartwarming .org, various country designations (.ca, .jp), and the dreadful .biz. But starting in 2008, ICANN opened its thinking to a new breed of domain names, and after a few years of study, fussing, and delays, the Internet marketplace is now open.

New names—think .coke, .bmw—will make it easier to verify that the site we are typing is the site we want, and will stop imposters from stealing intellectual property. That’s worth a lot to brands, and the benefits will be measured not just in cash (astute marketers are urging their clients to be prepared for hefty fees—applications start at US$185,000) but in goodwill, too. It’s easy to foresee battles over who owns the rights to certain names; for example, who gets to run .amazon—the bookseller or a tour company in Brazil?

So we’re at the dawn of the dot-brand era, which experts say is going to change our Internet experience significantly. But this is also the advent of the dot-community. And this is what sets Big Room’s current project apart. When Malthouse and Bowden hatched their plan to bid for the newly conceived domain name .eco they decided not to go the commercial route in favour of the more difficult claim—proving they serve the ecological community. Gaining this community status has its perks: these domains are offered to the community in question before they’re auctioned to the highest corporate bidder. So the two (along with a partner in New Haven, Connecticut) started rallying the ecological troops, beginning with local triple-bottom-line investors like Renewal Partners and David Levi. ...

Click to read the full article.

Flack Block Awarded LEED Gold Certification

Martha A. Burton — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:59:03 -0800

We are pleased to announce The Flack Block, home of the Renewal group of Companies, has been awarded LEED Gold certification of 39 points from Canada Green Building Council.

The certification covers the 2nd – 5th floor tenant improvements in the office component of the building. These offices were designed to support co-location with Renewal’s collection of independent organizations and other change maker organizations - Tides Canada on the 4th floor; Junxion Strategy; Boldt Communications and others.
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System® “LEED” is a third-party certification program and an internationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health:

sustainable site development
water efficiency
energy efficiency
materials selection
indoor environmental quality

The Flack Block has achieved points in all five areas; the highest category, achieving 11 credits, was Indoor Environmental Quality “IAQ”. This was achieved by a combination of utilizing the historic operable windows, IAQ management plan during construction, product selection of low emitting adhesives, sealants, painting and coverings; carpet tiles; Greenguard IAQ certified furniture and seating; and non-PVC teleshades.

We would not have been able to achieve this success without Shelley Penner and her team at Penner & Associates Interior Design, Inc., with their 100% dedication to sourcing rapidly renewable, FSC-certified wood and regional materials. Whenever possible recycled materials utilizing post-consumer content were selected: some examples: IceStone (Renewal investee) concrete countertops/backsplashes; Shaw carpet tiles; stainless steel countertops and backsplashes; Dinoflex Sport mat rubber flooring; DIRTT wall system and doors. Credit was achieved by Penner & Associates sourcing over 61% of materials used in the building from regional manufacturers (within 500 km).

The Flack Block also achieved 5 credits in the Innovation and Design category. Credits were given for the Transportation Management Plan that is supported by a significant quantity of bike storage, change rooms with showers available; the many modes of public transportation serving the neighborhood. The end result is that 80% of we occupants in the building are using “alternative transportation” – mainly bicycles!

Developer Robert Fung and his team at The Salient Group worked in cooperation with us to install HVAC&R systems free of HCFC’s. We applaud his decisions to provide maximum preservation of this heritage structure instead of a quicker, less expensive method and his several additional decisions that also led to LEED credits. The most noticeable of these is the re-created beautifully carved stone arch at the Hastings Street entry.

The full report from CaGBC’s LEED review will be available shortly.

Renewal2 Announces its First Exit from Portfolio Company Horizon Distributors

Heidi Hartman — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:10:58 -0800

PRESS RELEASE
December 6, 2011
CSRWIRE

Renewal2 Investment Fund is pleased to announce the fund’s first exit with the sale of its stake in portfolio company, Horizon Distributors.

Horizon Distributors is one of Canada's leading organic, natural and gourmet foods distributors, serving retailers and providing the best natural, organic, gourmet and eco-products. Renewal2’s shares in Horizon were successfully sold to the company’s majority owner, Ron Francisco and a gain was realized on the disposition of the investment.

Horizon was one of two portfolio companies that Renewal Partners contributed as part of their investment into Renewal2. The company was chosen as a portfolio contribution given its relative strength, size and long history of value creation for their shareholders.

In 1995, Renewal Partners provided a loan to Horizon’s predecessor and in 1998 became an equity investor when Horizon restructured from a co-op. Today, Horizon distributes across six provinces—supplying major grocery stores including Capers, Whole Foods Markets and the Overwaitea Food Group. Over the past years Horizon has continued to provide distribution opportunities for countless organic companies including other Renewal2 portfolio companies such as Alter Eco Americas and Seventh Generation.

“It is exciting to see our fund’s first exit but it is also comes with mixed emotions,” said Paul Richardson, President of Renewal2. “Renewal has been involved with the company for over 16 years and the management team and staff have been wonderful to work with over the years. We are extremely pleased with how far the company has come since our first investment and believe that this was the time is right for us to accept the purchase offer.”

For more information about Horizon Distributors, visit their website at www.horizondistributors.com

About Renewal2 Investment Fund
Based in Vancouver, BC, Renewal2 is a social venture fund that builds upon almost two decades of experience in successful high-impact investing. Renewal2 is dedicated to delivering financial returns by investing in leading environmental and social mission businesses in Canada and the U.S. www.renewal2.ca

Find the full press release on csrwire.com.

Social Impact Investing for Women Entrepreneurs

Pamela Chaloult — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:41:11 -0800

The ripple effects of Renewal's investing continues to grow. Suzanne Siemens, co-founder of Lunapads, shares her recent experience in helping to create space to encouarge dialogue amongst women entrepreneurs about social impact investing.

Social Impact Investing for Women Entrepreneurs
Written by Suzanne Siemens

Social Venture Network conference organizers have always been mindful of ensuring emerging issues from it’s members get a voice during the conference. After meeting Jackie Vanderbrug of Criterion Ventures at the Social Venture Institute at Hollyhock (a Canadian based offshoot of SVN) and briefly learning about Criterion’s work towards “Bringing a Gender Lens to Investing” I felt the SVN community would benefit from a deeper conversation on the topic. So, I helped organize a Call to Action Roundtable with Joy Anderson of Criterion Ventures titled: “Investing in Women: how to increase women’s access to capital and invest in social entrepreneurs focused on improving the condition of women”. Much to our delight, over two dozen participants gathered over lunch to join in the lively conversation. With several other Roundtable conversations going on concurrently in the same room, we often had to raise our voices out of necessity (and perhaps passion!)

My own interest in the topic stems from my passion for advancing issues which affect women and entrepreneurship. It was over a decade ago when Lunapads learned that a progressive investment fund, Renewal Partners, was looking to invest in socially responsible businesses that were led by women and focused on women’s issues. I wanted to share with the SVN group my positive experience obtaining capital and dealing with our investors (Joel Solomon and Carol Newell, both long time members of SVN) and working with Vancity Capital for debt financing.

After Joy introduced her framework for the conversation, the group engaged in an enthusiastic conversation that centered around three common themes:

Make it easier for women to access capital: While all of the women entrepreneurs who attended the session had successfully attracted capital to finance their business, their experience and degree of ease in obtaining that capital varied. It was positive to learn that the social capital market is growing rapidly, but very few funds are targeted to women, and fewer still target women within community development. “Providing women equal access to capital is both a question of equity and an untapped/under invested opportunity” emphasized Joy. Others expressed frustration with the archaic legal regulations that hamper the ability for the average person or groups of people to make small investments in women run businesses.

Increase the number of women represented on corporate boards: Despite research that shows having women on boards will improve a company’s performance, the number of women represented on boards has not improved in the past decade. Putting more women on boards makes sense on so many levels (beyond equity and demographics). We need to emphasize that putting more women on boards is not a “women’s issue” but can actually have a measurable impact on the bottom line. We also need to encourage and nominate more women for board leadership positions. And they don’t have to be CEO’s of big companies! The WomenCorporateDirectors website has a ten point Call to Action on how to build more diverse (ie: multi-gender, race, generational) boards that is worth checking out.

Mentor and celebrate other women: It was obvious to the group that despite the inequities women and girls face, investing in women is a powerful strategy for addressing many local and global challenges. One male participant pointed out that while women make better farmers, his organization has no women in it. The group also agreed that we need to actively and intentionally mentors girls and women, including helping them learn to pitch and speak the language of deals, and helping them scale their businesses. We also talked about the importance of regularly celebrating the achievements of girls and women. “We need to tell more positive stories about women and create a narrative that reveals their powerful voice” said Lynne Twist, author of the Soul of Money.

A Call to Action: While we agreed there was still much work to be done, the session ended on a positive note as we discussed ways we could more effectively invest in and support women. Many pledged to be active mentors to other women to help them start or scale their business. Joy offered to send us more information about the multitude of resources already available, and keep us current with the ongoing work Criterion is doing. To learn more, send your email to info@criterionventures.com.

The SVN community is an ideal place to hold the conversation. If there was one resounding consensus from the group, it was this: given the level of engagement and interest in the topic, “Investing in Women” should become a larger, more in depth session at the next conference. Let’s raise our powerful voices to SVN and I hope to see you there!

2011 Social Venture Network Fall Conference Call-to-Action Roundtable October 29, 2011 “Investing in Women” led by Joy Anderson and Jackie Vanderbrug, Criterion Ventures, and Suzanne Siemens, Lunapads International.

Written by Suzanne Siemens

The Changing Face of Giving: Why Donors Choose Anonymity

Pamela Chaloult — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:55:05 -0700

Renewal's Carol Newell was featured in today's Globe and Mail. Check out the article below or on the Globe and Mail website.

The Changing Face of Giving: Why Donors Choose Anonymity
By Adriana Barton
Globe and Mail
Thursday, Nov. 03, 2011
Photo Credit: Jaime Kowal

This is part of The Globe and Mail’s in-depth look at the evolution of philanthropy. Read more from the series here.

Carol Newell, 55, spent a decade as a secret philanthropist.

From her offices in Vancouver, she has infused more than $60-million into non-profit organizations and businesses committed to environmental causes and social change. But you won’t find any public gardens, protected watersheds or wind farms emblazoned with her name.

Anonymity was her strategy for leading a normal life, Ms. Newell says.

Born in New York State, she inherited the bulk of her Newell Rubbermaid fortune at age 34. After moving to Canada, she quietly set up the Endswell Foundation in Vancouver in 1991 and worked through a business partner to get help with decision-making and administrative details.

Only a small circle of friends knew the extent of her wealth and philanthropic work, Ms. Newell says, adding that secrecy made her “extremely shy” at social events.

“I avoided many conversations with people because I didn’t want them to ask me what I did for a living,” she says. “I didn’t want to be labelled and treated differently because of my wealth. I still feel that way.”

Anonymous giving isn’t the norm, philanthropy experts say. Far more common are the boldface names that brand everything from hockey-rink seats to hospital wings, often at fundraisers’ insistence. Nevertheless, a small percentage of philanthropists choose to remain nameless for business, personal or spiritual reasons, says Leslie Lenkowsky, a professor at The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. The exact number is difficult to determine since anonymous gifts don’t get much publicity, he adds: “You just don’t know.”

But Jo-Anne Ryan, executive director of TD Waterhouse’s Private Giving Foundation, suggests that increased scrutiny in the Internet age has prompted more donors to give in a hush-hush way.

Financial documents for charities and non-profits are readily available online, making it easier for fundraisers of all repute to track down individuals who have donated publicly – and hit them up for other causes.

At the Private Giving Foundation, which manages charitable donations for 550 individuals, the percentage of anonymous donors has risen from about 5 per cent to 10 per cent in the past five years, Ms. Ryan says.

Donors are “not going to be bugged as much” if their gifts are made without a name attached, she points out.

Allen and Violet Large of Lower Truro, N.S., serve as a cautionary tale. After winning $11.25-million in a 2010 lottery, they gave all but 2 per cent of their new fortune to family members and charities. Before long, they were hounded by solicitors and scammers, even after Ms. Large died of cancer this summer. As Mr. Large said to a Globe and Mail reporter in October, “How can you deal with it without getting bitter?”

Although it was an extreme case, their experience underscores why philanthropists have advisers to help them maintain a low profile and deflect unwanted advances.

Ms. Newell says the discreet setup at her foundation helped to further her goals at a time when traditional advisers and investment-management companies might have pressured a young woman to keep her capital growing.

“I gave myself radical permission to break the cultural norms about how much money was ‘appropriate’ to give away versus reinvesting in order to ‘have more to give later,’” she writes in an e-mail.

Dale Boniface, president of Give Canada, a Vancouver-based fundraising corporation, estimates that about half of the individuals he works with start out as anonymous donors. But over time, he says, “the majority of them move from anonymity to a leadership role.”

Despite the size of their gifts, which typically start at $10-million, donors to Give Canada tend to be humble people, Mr. Boniface says. Their intent is to provide charities or not-for-profits with a benefit, he adds. “It’s not to promote themselves or their family.”

Individuals who give with fanfare tend to do so at the urging of development officers who maintain that named gifts encourage others to give, says Molly Stranahan, a psychologist based in Tucson, Ariz., and heiress to the Champion Spark Plug fortune.

She adds that donors who insist on anonymity may be hiding in the “green closet” out of fear they’ll be perceived as “that ugly rich person.” Others act from the belief system that “you take away the good you’re doing by taking credit for it,” she says.

For some, anonymity is a spiritual practice.

Dr. Lenkowsky notes that all major religious traditions emphasize the value of anonymous giving. The Koran, the Jewish tradition and the teachings of Jesus describe anonymity as a means of assuring the donor’s motivations are pure. “You don’t want the recipient to feel beholden.”

In other cases, donors have business reasons for keeping their gifts under wraps. Charles Feeney, co-founder of Duty Free Shoppers, secretly transferred his personal ownership interest in the company to a Bermuda trust. The reclusive businessman funnelled more than $620-million (U.S.) to various charities until he was “outed” in 1997 by a business reporter at The New York Times.

“He did not want potential competitors to know how profitable Duty Free Shoppers had become,” Dr. Lenkowsky says, adding that Mr. Feeney also feared his family might be targeted by kidnappers if his riches were known.

All are valid reasons for lying low. But eventually, experts say, closeted donors tend to feel a responsibility to become role models.

Ms. Newell of Vancouver says she gave up a decade of “devoted anonymity” to encourage others to push the boundaries of wealth redistribution.

“I also thought it was important that people understood that there was a woman behind the very serious amount of money that was being activated,” says Ms. Newell, who was appointed a member of the Order of Canada for her philanthropic work.

Ms. Newell says she felt a sense of urgency as she watched the effects of the world’s problems accelerating at a faster rate than capital wealth was growing.

“I believed then, and still do, that we wouldn’t be able to make as great a difference in the future as we could if we tackled the issues now.”

Click here to read the full article online.

Reflections: SVI Hollyhock 2011

Heidi Hartman — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 16:36:30 -0700

In mid September, 140 business leaders and social entrepreneurs gathered on Cortes Island to share challenges, successes, and experiences with peers during the 16th Annual Social Venture Institute (SVI) at Hollyhock.

The unique mix of participants, industries and sectors made this a dynamic gathering. We were thrilled to welcome 82 first time participants and welcome back seasoned faculty and attendees. Once again, Hollyhock provided the perfect space for us to conspire, create and collaborate!

Here is what this year's participants had to say about it:

“I came out of SVI with an incredible network of collaborators and friends and a renewed inspiration to advance meaningful work in the name of social change and environmental stewardship.

“I have never encountered such an incredible group that blends hard -osed business acumen with a desire to change the world in a positive way.”

"SVI operates on several levels - the deep conversations, the business strategies, and the joy of sharing a unique and fun experience."

“As a first year SVI participant, I embarked on this conference not entirely sure what to expect or what I could offer... I came out of it with an incredible network of collaborators and friends and a renewed inspiration to advance meaningful work in the name of social change and environmental stewardship. I hope to return year after year.”

“If you care about people and business, this will be the best conference you will ever attend.”

“We feel so fortunate to have discovered SVI and more so to have had the opportunity to learn from such incredible people. The experience gave us new-found energy, focused direction & an amazing network of supporters.” – Case Study Presenter

“I got back way more than I gave.” – True Confession Speaker

People are talking! Check out the recent coverage of SVI:

Vancouver is Awesome's Bob Kronbauer recapped his SVI experience in a three part series.

(1) The Social Venture Institute at Hollyhock (1 of 3): Getthing There

(2) The Social Venture Institute at Hollyhock (2 of 3): The Place

(3) The Social Venture Insitute at Hollyhock (3 of 3): The People

SEE Change Magazine's co-founder, Elisa Birnbaum wrote this witty blog post about her first SVI Hollyhock and another about SVI co-presenter, Joel Solomon.

SVI: a refreshing twist on social change

In Conversation with Joel Solomon

Axiom News' President, Fraser Wilson commissioned the Axiom team to interview and share stories of a few SVI participants he met during his first SVI Hollyhock.

(1) Air Miles for Social Change Director Aims to Harness Power of Business to Make Better World
Broad-appeal product, partnerships critical to scaling social business: Owen Ward

(2) SVI: An Unconventional, Necessary Approach to Enterprise Building
Sustainival executive producer Joey Hundert credits 4-day forum as advancing social business

(3) Social Entrepreneur Finds Tribe in Social Venture Forum
Support for leaders in movement, who face unprecedented challenges, is noteworthy: Mike Rowlands

(4) Nicole Bridger Creates Socially Conscious Clothing
Company shows designer labels can be conscious

(5) Building Lasting Relationships: SVI Nourishes Social Entrepreneurs
Co-ordinator Heidi Hartman says developing space for participants to be vulnerable is rewarding career

(6) SVI Attracts Talent to Change the World through Business
Co-founder of Give Something Back Office Supplies inspired by event convening social purpose entrepreneurs

(7) Junxion Strategy in the Exciting Playing Field of Social Venture
Canadian consulting firm finds India ripe for social business

(8) Building a Better World through Investing in Women
Passion, awareness and programs moving women entrepreneurship forward

(9) Social Venture Institute Creates Transformative Experiences
Event convenes socially-conscious entrepreneurs, investors and leaders

Check out some amazing photos from SVI Hollyhock 2011 on the SVI Hollyhock Flickr Group.

Stay Connected:

Are you interested in staying up to date in the plans for the next SVI Hollyhock? Email svi@renewalpartners.com and request to have your name added to the SVI enews list.

Also, join us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/SVIHollyhock.

SAVE THE DATES FOR SVI HOLLYHOCK 2012 - SEPTEMBER 12TH - 16TH!

SVI Storytelling through Axiom News

Heidi Hartman — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:33:00 -0700

After SVI Hollyhock 2011, first time attendee Fraser Wilson, President of Axiom News, commissioned the Axiom team to follow-up with a handful of SVI participants to interview them and share their story.

Axiom News is a stakeholder news agency that writes mostly untold stories of people and initiatives throughout organizations or movements that share a wealth of knowledge, inspire others by example and influence a culture of possibility.

Axiom creates the stories and articles through the provision of Generative Journalism, founded on the principles of Appreciative Inquiry, a strengths-based, capacity-building approach for propelling organizations towards their highest potential.

Through this appreciative inquiry, Axiom staff captured great insight and experience from recent SVI Hollyhock participants. Check out short excerpts from the articles below.

Adjusting Capitalism Back to its Essence
New social venture incubator, accelerator intended to revolutionize field
Friday October 14, 2011 -- Michelle Strutzenberger
Growing up in the tiny fishing town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, a subsistence-based economy familiar with boom or bust, Kirby Brown experienced firsthand the power of community. “The sense of reliance on your neighbours is a very real one,” Kirby recalls. “It's not even necessarily a conscious decision, it's just part of how you live.”

Air Miles for Social Change Director Aims to Harness Power of Business to Make Better World
Broad-appeal product, partnerships critical to scaling social business: Owen Ward
Friday October 7, 2011 -- Michelle Strutzenberger
When he was 21, Owen Ward took a year off and travelled the world, mainly through developing countries, where he was struck by the grinding poverty, and prevalence of things that “just aren’t right.” “That trip pierced through the armour of my existence and really reached into my heart and changed me,” Owen recalls. “I realized that not only did I feel compelled from a moral perspective but it meant a lot to me to help in any I could.” Having attended business school and launched several start-ups, Owen had already discovered one of his core strengths to be in business development. Click to read the full article.

SVI: An Unconventional, Necessary Approach to Enterprise Building
Sustainival executive producer Joey Hundert credits 4-day forum as advancing social business
Tuesday October 4, 2011 -- Camille Jensen
Friday afternoon at the Social Venture Institute (SVI) on Cortes Island: an impromptu group of 60 people start intimate one-on-one conversations about how they can do business together or support each other’s work. The self-organized session saw people jump from table to table engaging with others, and for participant Joey Hundert, is resulting in new business propositions and meaningful personal connections. “I saw several times the volume of business getting done than at a traditional business conference in a way more relaxed and amiable environment, which was unique,” recalls the first-time participant of the four-day event at Hollyhock dedicated to supporting and connecting social entrepreneurs. Click to read the full article.

Social Entrepreneur Finds Tribe in Social Venture Forum
Support for leaders in movement, who face unprecedented challenges, is noteworthy: Mike Rowlands
Monday October 3, 2011 -- Michelle Strutzenberger
In 2009 brand consultant Mike Rowlands was working hard to move his company Octopus Strategies to a client portfolio that was entirely mission-based. While many of his clients were already driven by an environmental or social focus, Mike says 100 per cent was his goal -- and he was struggling to realize that. Then he had the opportunity to attend Social Venture Institute, an annual, multi-day forum dedicated to connecting and supporting those running socially conscious businesses. Click to read the full article.

Nicole Bridger Creates Socially Conscious Clothing
Company shows designer labels can be conscious
Friday September 30, 2011 -- Jennifer Neutel
Nicole Bridger is sewing something different into the fabric of her clothing design company — a philosophy to do what is right for the Earth, its people and spirit. Nicole Bridger Design, which has a boutique in Vancouver, features a women’s line of socially conscious clothing that is “effortless, luxurious and makes people feel sexy and special in their every day.” Nicole says taking care of the Earth through using sustainable fabrics from natural and renewable resources with low impact dyes is what she believes is the right thing to do. She grew up living a conscious lifestyle, and the values are ingrained. Click to read the full article.

Building Lasting Relationships: SVI Nourishes Social Entrepreneurs
Coordinator Heidi Hartman says developing space for participants to be vulnerable is rewarding career
Wednesday September 28, 2011 -- Camille Jensen

When Social Venture Institute (SVI) co-ordinator Heidi Hartman decided to stand in front of participants and share how she’d recently moved to Vancouver and was looking for friends, she didn’t know how fortunate her appeal would be. Four years later, from the six women who approached her immediately after her talk, three are among Hartman’s most cherished friends. Establishing a space for meaningful connection is a driving force behind Hartman’s work planning SVI, a four-day intensive, interactive inquiry into the day-to-day challenges of running a socially-conscious enterprise. Click to read the full article.

SVI Attracts Talent to Change the World through Business
Co-founder of Give Something Back Office Supplies inspired by event convening social purpose entrepreneurs
Tuesday September 27, 2011 -- Camille Jensen
There was night kayaking to view marine life that glowed, nourishing vegetarian fare, and lively evening festivities, but Mike Hannigan says the Social Venture Institute’s (SVI) real attraction was the many talented people using business for social good. The president of Give Something Back Office Supplies was a first-time participant to the 16th annual SVI retreat at Hollyhock on Cortes Island. The event brings together 140 business leaders and social entrepreneurs for an intensive, interactive inquiry into how to face the day-to-day challenges of running a socially-conscious enterprise. Click to read the full article.

Junxion Strategy in the Exciting Playing Field of Social Venture
Canadian consulting firm finds India ripe for social business
Monday September 26, 2011 -- Michelle Strutzenberger
From the abundance of opportunities with small to medium business in India to eager interest from extraction companies in West Africa, Michael Rowlands of the recently restructured Canadian consulting firm, Junxion Strategy, sees an exciting playing field before him in the social venture sector. Rowlands, owner of Octopus Strategies, merged his company with a former and “most respected competitor” Junxion Strategy last month, a move both he and his new partner Peter ter Weeme see as a decided catapult forward in their mutual drive to “move the needle on social responsibility.” Click to read the full article.

Building a Better World through Investing in Women
Passion, awareness and programs moving women entrepreneurship forward
Friday September 23, 2011 -- Jennifer Neutel
Women passionate about the power of women entrepreneurs to build a better world are working to remove barriers and empower more women to be successful in their business ventures. Donna Morton recently spoke with Axiom News about her time as an Unreasonable Institute fellow this summer. Donna says people were commenting that having nine women out of 26 fellows was a notable number, making women entrepreneurship a common conversation. Donna, First Power co-founder and CEO, is exploring how to change the way investors see women to promote more investing in their enterprises, and how to change the way women see themselves when pitching. Click to read the full article.

Social Venture Institute Creates Transformative Experiences
Event convenes socially-conscious entrepreneurs, investors and leaders
Friday September 9, 2011 -- Jennifer Neutel
Socially-conscious CEOs, entrepreneurs and investors will be sharing their experiences in a rejuvenating environment at Social Venture Institute (SVI) Sept. 14-18. The 16th annual SVI Hollyhock takes place at the Hollyhock Centre on Cortes Island in British Columbia, an internationally renowned centre for learning and well-being. Presented by Renewal and Social Venture Network, SVI was founded by Gary Hirshberg, president and CEO of Stonyfield Farm. Click to read the full article.

Read more inspirational stories about Social Business on the Axiom News site.

Insights: Joel Solomon, RSF's Entrepreneur in Residence

Pamela Chaloult — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:58:53 -0700

Renewal's Joel Solomon shares his personal story of changing the way the world works with money in the recent RSF Social Finance newsletter.

Joel Solomon, RSF Social Finance Entrepreneur-in Residence
Interview with Marta Abel, Communications Program Assistant

Joel Solomon, RSF’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence, was born in Tennessee and as a young adult inherited “a significant but modest sum of money” from family wealth in the shopping mall industry. As a young man, he studied biodynamic gardening at the Farallones Institute in Northern California. These biodynamic principles affected him deeply and influenced his work with money.

Marta: How did you come to know and be involved with RSF?

Joel: I first knew of RSF because of my connection with Rudolf Steiner and biodynamics. As I got involved in the emerging movements around what’s now known as impact investing and strategic philanthropy, RSF increasingly became visible. Mark Finser and others kept showing up in the same networks with people who were open to these broader ideas about money and finance. As the field developed, RSF held its deep core values as the root of its work. That gained my attention because there’s a side of impact investing which says, “Okay, this is a new way to make money,” and unfortunately the values can become almost secondary.

Marta: What was your path from working in the field to working in finance?

Joel: One of the biggest lessons from biodynamics was whole systems thinking: that complexity, diversity, and lifelong attention to the soil as well as to larger energetic elements are essential for a healthy ecosystem. Initially, I inherited $50,000 and I learned, through a friend, about a couple of guys who had a rural farm institute in New Hampshire. They were attempting to prove that small family farms still mattered, and they had a test product for a nonprofit to start making yogurt in a super-healthy way, selling in their local community. Their names were Gary Hirshberg and Samuel Kaymen, the founders of Stonyfield Farm Yogurt. I thought it was a great idea, and with $25,000 I made my first investment. They decided that the non-profit sector was not going to be the place they could have the biggest impact with their yogurt business, and they asked me to consider converting the loan into an equity investment in their company. The rest is history as they say. I learned a lot from them and that small investment.

Marta: And you invested the other half of your inheritance in what is now known as Hollyhock. By investing all of your initial inheritance in ways that aligned with your values and vision, you were essentially pioneering whole portfolio activation. Can you say more about this?

Joel: The intention of whole portfolio activation is to look at your entire resource base, not just at your charitable money, not just at a little piece of risk money you’re going to call impact investing. Every check you write, every investment, can be looked at as an expression of your values.

Marta: What are you currently working on as RSF’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence?

Joel: More people are looking to ground their money in a natural systems approach, so this is an opportunity to introduce RSF, to let people know about the products that RSF offers, and the hightouch involvement and engagement they can have with their investments. Also, as RSF looks at developing its next era of products to reach a larger audience, and to move larger amounts of capital towards this very sophisticated and deeply meaningful long-term social impact, I can work with the team in the creation, design, and implementation of a robust set of products. The whole concept is to attract hundreds of millions of more dollars towards this very important set of principles about how money is used in the world, what its real meaning is, and what its relationship is to the holder of wealth and to the people that it impacts. It’s really about realigning with natural systems in a healthy way. And if we just use that principle, and we look to people like Rudolf Steiner and others to learn how to build out the human infrastructure part of that, then future generations have a chance to enjoy what we’re enjoying on the planet.

Click here to read the RSF newsletter with the original interview.

FSC Certified Classrooms

Heidi Hartman — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:46:26 -0700

SVI Alum, Bridgitte Alomes, Founder of Natural Pod announces FSC certified classrooms. Check out the press release below.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 30, 2011

NATURAL POD CELEBRATES FSC® FRIDAY WITH ANNOUNCEMENT OF FSC CERTIFIED CLASSROOMS

Natural Pod Commits to FSC Certification to Improve Early Childhood Education

Vancouver, BC – September 30 marks FSC Friday 2011, a day dedicated to the celebration of forests and the promotion of responsible forest management. To mark this significant occasion, Natural Pod is pleased to announce their commitment to the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) and the incorporation of FSC certified products into the classrooms and environments they are involved in. In the past 12 months, working within the FSC’s certification process, Natural Pod has made major impacts to numerous BC public kindergartens, schools and early childcare environments. For example, the simple transition from old-style school desks to Natural Pod’s communal classroom tables means that kindergartners in Vancouver, Coquitlam, on the Sunshine Coast and in Maple Ridge are no longer learning “face-forward, in-a-row” but are now engaged in conversation, and in working and playing together.

“By working with the FSC to ensure the inner furnishings of daycares and classrooms that we work on throughout BC are FSC certified, Natural Pod is providing students with less toxic, more environmentally-friendly and creative learning environments,” said Natural Pod Founder, Bridgitte Alomes.

The wood, manufacturing process, and retailing of Natural Pod’s entire line of classroom furnishings and manipulatives, are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. This allows for traceability from the day the tree is responsibly harvested to the day your child sits with his or her friends at the large community-sized classroom table.

One example of a learning environment that Natural Pod transformed is Kinder Kampus. Kinder Kampus has five daycare locations throughout the Lower Mainland. In May 2011, Natural Pod was approached to fully outfit two Kinder Kampus locations with its extensive line of locally made FSC certified classroom tables, benches, shelves, playstands, play lofts, rocking boats, kitchens and more. A further three centres were equipped with various pieces of furniture, and all five received Natural Pod’s array of open-ended toys and manipulatives.

Natural Pod is a Canadian, locally-owned and operated business with a singular commitment to the design and manufacturing of toys and play environments that support creative and imaginative open-ended play. In the past two years, Natural Pod served over 10,000 children in over 300 schools and daycare settings. Natural Pod is certified under Ecotrust Canada’s FSC® Chain of Custody Group (FSC® C012237).

Media Inquiries:
Bridgitte Alomes
Phone: 604.630.1619
Email: bridgitte@naturalpod.com