Join Buy Social Canada at Marketplace Impact: Social Enterprise Forward on September 10, 2024, to share stories and progress from the social enterprise sector in Canada as we celebrate how far we’ve come and look ahead at what’s next as we continue to build a marketplace that centres social enterprise as the business model of the future.

This year we are celebrating 10 years of Buy Social Canada. We will launch a new free resource, the Guide to Social Enterprise. This Guide builds on the first two editions of the Canadian Social Enterprise Guide, and our decade of work to certify, champion and build capacity for social enterprises in Canada. We can’t wait to share it with you at the Marketplace Impact event. 

Don’t miss this engaging, two-hour virtual event on September 10 from 10am-12pm PST / 1pm-3pm EST.

Get your free tickets now.

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Event agenda

Throughout the event, we’ll share short videos from Certified Social Enterprises that share stories of impact and success.

Opening remarks

The event opens with a land acknowledgement and welcome to share an Indigenous perspective on social enterprise. The opening session also features a high-level discussion about social enterprise and social innovation progress in the marketplace, policy and community over the past decade, and what opportunities there are for social enterprise growth in the next decade.

Speakers:

• Julia Anderson, Manager of Health Services – First Light
• Michael Toye, Executive Director – Canadian CED Network (CCEDNet)
• Elizabeth Chick-Blount, CEO – Buy Social Canada

Community discussion – see more info on what this is below

Resource launch: Guide to Social Enterprise

We’re excited to launch a new free resource during this event. The “Guide to Social Enterprise: Plan, sustain and grow your impact with a social enterprise business plan” is an important update from the earlier editions of the Canadian Guide to Social Enterprise, and builds off our decade of experience certifying, supporting, and advocating with social enterprises across Canada. The Guide shares best practices, emerging approaches, case studies, and tangible questions to prompt reflection and action.

Speaker:

• Niamh O’Sullivan, Manager of Social Enterprise and Networks – Buy Social Canada

Panel: The next 10 years of social enterprise in Canada

During this panel discussion, speakers will share their expertise and experience with social enterprise leadership, capacity building, and procurement opportunities as they share their visions for the next decade of social enterprise in Canada.

Speakers:

• Marc Soberano, Founder and Executive Director – Building Up
• Tracy F. Barry, Founder and CEO – GROW Women Leaders
• Jessica Mulder, Board member and Chair – FoodShare Toronto’s Social Enterprise Committee
• Charlotte Lewthwaite, Manager of Community Benefits and Partnerships – Buy Social Canada

Community discussion – see more info on what this is below

Closing remarks

Speaker:

• Tori Williamson, COO – Buy Social Canada

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Community discussions on Airmeet

For this event, we’re gathering on the virtual platform Airmeet. Learn more about joining an event on Airmeet here. Between sessions, there will be time for community discussion and networking at Airmeet’s interactive “Tables.” Tables are like breakout rooms on Zoom, but a bit more personal, and easier to move between.

Tables will be open at 9:30am PT/ 12:30pm ET, and close at 1pm PT / 4pm ET on September 10.  Join a table at the start of the event, and move between tables throughout the sessions to connect with new people. This is also a good time to update your profile in Airmeet to make it easier to connect with others during and after the event.

You can see who is in each table easily, invite people to join your table, chat privately and share your screen. Most of all, tables are a great space to connect and feel like you’re at an in-person event around an actual table. We hope you’ll enjoy and take advantage of this feature when we meet!

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Thank you to Buy Social Leader Chandos Construction for sponsoring Marketplace Impact: Social Enterprise Forward.