WINNIPEG, Manitoba – Nov. 26, 2020 – In a Canada-wide search for initiatives that are helping neighbourhoods, families, industries, and regions build back better, the Social Entrepreneurship Enclave (SEE) was the only one in Manitoba selected. SEE, which is short for “Social Innovation through Entrepreneurship by an Enclave of Invested People”, is the first incubator/accelerator of its kind, focusing on entrepreneurs who face increased barriers because of who they are or what they believe – including youth, Indigenous, women, people of colour, LGBTQ2+, and social entrepreneurs.    

“‘Leave no one behind’ by 2030, the rallying cry of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by 193 UN Member States including Canada, is more crucial than ever, as communities embark on recovering from the pandemic and its shocks,” explained Thi Dao, of Future of Good. “We received hundreds of inspiring nominations across Canada. Projects that tackled hunger, the climate emergency, the digital divide, gender equality, sustainable cities, and more.”

The selection committee, made up of 11 esteemed executives from across the country, included Anjum Sultana, National Director, YWCA, Thomas Chanzy, Head of Communications Global Corporate Citizenship, TD Bank Group, and Allison Felker, Executive Director, Vancity Community Foundation, spent the last 5 weeks narrowing down the competition to the top 100. In total, the prairies were represented by just 6% of initiatives, 4 from Alberta, and 1 from each Saskatchewan and Manitoba. 

“It’s a great honour to be recognized as an impactful initiative alongside so many other amazing projects,” said Joanna Nickerson, co-founder of SEE alongside Richard Tuck, who is the CEO of Wakopa Financial. “The Social Entrepreneurship Enclave is all about a holistic approach to supporting entrepreneurs in their journey.  We’re being intentional about creating an inclusive space with wraparound community supports to help grow impactful ventures and ultimately the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Manitoba.” 

The Future of Good, a digital content creator covering Canada’s social impact, has spent much of 2020 covering the coronavirus pandemic focused on how communities and social impact organizations have navigated the crisis. Disproportionately, marginalized people have been affected adversely by COVID, and (social) entrepreneurship can provide opportunities for these populations to have better futures. Future of Good is now asking Canadians to vote for their favourite initiatives by asking: what do you want the world to look like in 2030?  

“What we want our world to look like by 2030 is for marginalized youth to have more agency in their futures through the possibility of entrepreneurship and thereby creating intergenerational and community wealth,” declared Tuck. “Not only do we want more entrepreneurs who currently face barriers to become successful and scale their ventures, but we want their children and their communities to be inspired to become entrepreneurs too!”

———–

For more information about SEE, please contact Joanna Nickerson, Director, at [email protected]

To see all 100 projects, please visit https://100recoveryprojects.futureofgood.co/