Partners

SVI would not be able to happen without the generous contributions of our partners, sponsors and supporters. Thank you!

Below are our 2012 Partners, Sponsors and Supporters.

Presenters

Renewal is a collection of organizations that use the powerful tools of business and philanthropy in support of long-term societal solutions. Renewal funds change by providing investments, grants and collaborations in British Columbia and beyond.

SVN inspires a community of business and social leaders to build a just economy and sustainable planet. SVN works to achieve this mission by: providing forums, information, and initiatives that enable leaders to work together to transform the way the world does business; sharing best practices and resources that help companies generate healthy profits and serve the common good; supporting a diverse community of leaders who can affect positive social change through business; creating a vibrant community that nourishes deep and lasting friendships; producing unique conferences that promote the exchange of ideas and encourage the development of relationships and partnerships; and offering programs that support the spiritual, professional, and personal development of our members.

Hollyhock, Canada's Lifelong Learning Centre, offers a vast array of programs, welcomes holiday guests and day visitors, and rents its facilities for conferences and private gatherings. From March through November, this unique West Coast ocean-side paradise attracts program and conference participants from around the world. Guests come to develop skills, further professional networks, enliven artistic expression, deepen personal practice, and relax and recharge in a setting of spectacular natural beauty. Hollyhock exists to inspire, nourish and support people who are making the world better. Organic garden inspired cuisine and cozy accommodations augment abundant opportunities for learning, exploration and discovery.

Institute Partners

Vancity Vancity Credit Union was established over 65 years ago, by a dozen individuals to provide financial services to themselves, when the banks considered the east side of Vancouver unbankable. Since then, our financial co-operative has grown to be the largest credit union in English-speaking Canada, with more than $16 billion in members’ assets. We serve 479,500 members through a branch system throughout Greater Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Squamish and Victoria. Vancity embraces financial, environmental, and social sustainability, and is proud to use the co-op business model. We are also proud to be a member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values, an independent network of the world's leading sustainable banks sharing the commitment to achieving triple bottom-line impact through responsible banking practices.

Sub Pop Records, Sub Pop Records, a world-renowned independent record label located in Seattle, Washington, was founded in 1988 by Jonathan Poneman and Bruce Pavitt. Sub Pop has released more than 700 recordings by artists including Nirvana, Soundgarden, the Postal Service, the Shins, Iron & Wine, Wolf Parade, Flight of the Conchords, Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes, The Head and the Heart, and Beach House. Sub Pop will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the label’s creation in 2013.

Sponsor

GaiaWorks is a Tokyo-based, Canadian-owned trading and marketing company focusing on environmentally friendly products and technologies. Formed in 1998, our vision is to leverage wholesome business practices to reallocate resources toward a more sustainable and compassionate future. In addition to our enthusiastic sponsorship of SVI Hollyhock, GaiaWorks supports environmental and spiritual activities at Clear Sky, a BC meditation center founded by our spiritual teacher Achariya Doug Duncan Sensei.

Parking Spot is an organization that promotes creative entrepreneurs by various means. Parking Spot owns two spaces at 6 & 8 East Cordova Street and has made these spaces available for free for one year to someone to develop their creative idea (commercial or not). In 2012, Parking Spot is working with the UBC school of architecture to do a design build for the recipient of the space for an opening in September 2012. www.parkingspot.ca

Junxion Strategy is an international consultancy that works to catalyse social and environmental progress to build a better world. We build TrustBrands™, fuel social movements, create sustainability strategies and ignite the trusted brands and organisations that embody positive leadership. Our services include sustainability strategies (as part of corporate strategic planning, and responsible startup incubation and acceleration), social purpose consulting (corporate social responsibility and social enterprise development), and outreach & engagement for companies and non-profits. From offices in Vancouver, Toronto, London and Delhi, we reach around the world to serve NGOs, businesses, and social enterprises. We have worked with a diverse range of clients including Aéropostale, Greenpeace, Groupe Aeroplan, Mountain Equipment Coop, Prince Harry’s charity Sentebale, and UN HABITAT World Urban Forum—and a long list of ambitious and disruptive startups. Junxion Strategy is proud to sponsor Hollyhock’s Social Innovation Series, including Social Change Institute, Social Venture Institute Hollyhock and SVI Vancouver.

Media & Technology Partners

Engaging Networks is a global leader in digital integrated solutions for the nonprofit sector. It offers organizations state of the art advocacy, fundraising, social integration, and comprehensive data management and reporting tools. Its platform supports the important online strategies of some of the world’s most recognized campaigning organizations. Its data management tools will help the customer deliver personalized content, ensuring effective cultivation of supporters. Online engagement with supporters also depends on creating content with structure and branding that are critical to the donor journey. Engaging Networks gives the customer unparalleled tools to customize as well as distribute content for maximum potential.

Supporter

Established in 1976, Horizon Distributors is a privately-owned Canadian company providing Canada’s largest selection of organic and natural products in the dry, chill, frozen and household cleaning categories. During its history, Horizon has emerged as an established industry leader, becoming the preferred distributor to both independent retailers and major natural and mass market grocery chains, including Whole Foods Market®, Choices Markets, the Overwaitea Food Group and an array of natural foods stores, buying clubs, wholesalers, restaurants, bakeries, cafés and commissaries. Horizon is the cornerstone of the Horizon Group, a privately held, national network of Canadian businesses concerned with the distribution, private labelling, import and brand management of organic, natural and gourmet foods, health and beauty aids and nutritional supplements.

Institute B is a Vancouver, BC-based incubator and accelerator of unreasonable businesses: those enterprises equally committed to adding societal value and delivering profits to shareholders. Founded upon the premise that being unreasonable delivers better financial results than old school business, institute B's mission is to be the best developer of entrepreneurs in the world, period. We are committed to developing high impact people as well as socially minded corporations.

Last year, Canada’s leading outdoor retailer, Mountain Equipment Co-op, celebrated 40 years of helping people enjoy the benefits of self-propelled outdoor recreation. Established in 1971, MEC currently operates 14 destination stores in central locations across Canada. MEC has more than 3 million members throughout Canada and around the world. Anyone can join MEC and become part-owner in the Co-op, by purchasing a $5 lifetime individual membership. Members are entitled to buy gear and to vote on how MEC is governed. More information about MEC is available at www.mec.ca.

Renewal2 is a social venture fund dedicated to delivering financial returns by investing in leading environmental and social mission businesses in Canada and the USA. Building upon our experience investing in successful high-impact businesses since 1994, Renewal2 focuses on underfunded sectors that are critical to a sustainable economy, early stage companies requiring investment capital and scalable businesses that can generate meaningful shifts in consumer behaviour.

Tides Canada is the country’s largest public foundation dedicated to the environment and social justice. Every year we support, convene, or directly fund hundreds of initiatives, from neighbourhood social programs to national conservation efforts. Cumulatively, with your support, we have granted more than $100 million from hundreds of donor advised funds. We are also home to over 30 of Canada’s leading social change projects, with an innovative shared administration platform that supports initiatives that advance our mission. By pooling the best ideas, strategies, people and capital, we are working to build uncommon solutions for the common good.

Scholarship Supporter

Briteweb is a boutique interactive design & communications agency. We work with social ventures, culture creators & non-profits that help make the world a better place. We have two key offerings: (1) #BW Communications helps organizations identify their audience, value proposition and goals. We then create compelling collateral, campaigns and video which build community around your business or purpose. (2) #BW Interactive builds powerful Wordpress websites and apps for web, tablet & mobile. We design & develop complex solutions including membership tools, interactive contests, multi-site deployments, e-commerce, learning tools and API integrations with the web’s largest platforms like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

GeoSim Systems introduces Intelligent Virtual Cities - a revolutionary way of visualising urban environments, online. 3D models of real cities are created using hundreds of thousands of photographs and billions of laser data points, uniquely processed to render
a precise, interactive online city model. Users everywhere can freely walk or fly through the entire city. And GeoSim’s Virtual Cities can be further enriched when seamlessly integrated with underground infrastructure, indoor spaces and real-time environmental sensors. GeoSim’s work is recognised by the CSC* (Center for Sustainable Cities) as an important new sustainability tool. Virtual Vancouver is GeoSim’s flagship city. Coming in 2013. *CSC, the first institution of its kind in North America, is based at the University of Kentucky.