Gathering Around Social Purpose
By Lauren Stanton-Nixdorf, Operations Coordinator, United Way BC Social Purpose Institute
July 11, 2023
On June 14th, the United Way BC Social Purpose Insitute (SPI) held its first in-person networking event at Gastown’s Steamworks Brew Pub, bringing together social purpose professionals and community members alike to meet, mingle, connect, and learn from each other!
Hosted alongside our incredible partners in purpose, Coast Capital, we were joined by local SPI cohort members and alum such as Hemlock Printers, Platinum Pro-Claim, Eclipse Awards, UpHouse, and Finest Beans, and friends and colleagues from Small Business BC, Circular Materials, Embedding Project, BDC, Spring Activator, and more.
The room buzzed with a fantastic mix of positivity and curiosity as people shared their ‘how’s’ and ‘why’s’ of their social purpose journey. We talked about the role that government, business, nonprofits, and civil society play in advancing the purpose economy, diving deeper into the innovation that occurs when people feel empowered to participate. Insights were exchanged, questions were posed, and some uncovered new ways to collaborate and integrate efforts towards a purpose-driven economy.
2023 marks the SPI’s fifth anniversary, and we are proud to share that over 50 companies have gone through our core programs. These companies represent close to 35 industries and have created champions of this movement that continues to grow by the day – a testament to a shared vision that business can truly be a force for good by putting the well-being of people and planet first.
We’ve always led with the perspective that collaboration is key to this type of work, and this event reminded us that there’s a thriving community of purpose-driven professionals eager to further the social purpose business movement and want nothing more than to see each other succeed.
To continue the momentum, we’re excited to share that we’re kicking off another Social Purpose Innovators and Implementers cohort this fall! If you, or a business you know, is interested in defining and implementing a social purpose, connect with us for all the details.
We know how important it is to meet in person as it allows us to exchange ideas, learn from one another, develop friendships, and even potential partnerships. Thank you to Coast Capital for their incredible support – we’re thrilled to be a part of a larger ecosystem that’s changing ‘business as usual’ and putting a deeper purpose at the center of our economy.
Interested in learning more? Head to our resources page for insights, industry news, implementation practices and much more. We also host virtual workshops and webinars throughout the year, so make sure to keep an eye out for event announcements! We’d love to see you there.
