Economy Archive

Shaun Loney is a serial social entrepreneur and the author of two books: An Army of Problem Solvers and A Beautiful Bailout. He’s senior partner at Encompass Co-op through which he advocates for a revolution in the relationship between enterprising non-profits, foundations, and governments of all levels. Outcomes Purchasing is a transformative financial tool that values the outcomes non-profits deliver, saves governments money, and directly addresses social problems and possibilities.

At Fill My Jar, visitors can find owner Annette Pardun’s homemade toffees, caramels, and barks in special flavours. “We wanted to make it a place where everyone from kids to adults could come in and enjoy,” she says.

When indoor dining temporarily ended in Oak Park last fall during the Chicago, Illinois suburb’s second wave of COVID-19, some residents took to social media to share their opinions on the balance between public health and small business survival.

David LePage, managing partner of Buy Social Canada, has just written and released a new book, Marketplace Revolution — from Concentrated Wealth to Community Capital. In this well-timed and pioneering work, David makes it very clear that the pathway to a more egalitarian and healthy society is in plain view. In straightforward and practical terms he shows how the purchasing power community anchor institutions like cities, hospitals, universities, and businesses could create an entirely different kind of economy, one he calls a Social Value Marketplace.

Chandos Construction is a 100 per cent employee owned, 40-year-old construction firm operating in cities across Canada. It is also a Certified B Corporation and a leader in social hiring and social procurement. Tim Coldwell is president of the company. His story is a compelling one. He is Mohawk and self-identifies as having been a youth at risk.

Martin Loosemore is professor of construction management at the University of Technology Sydney, Australia.

All of government, business, institutions, and non-profit organizations are purchasers. Every purchase they make has economic, environmental, and social value-creation power. What if that purchasing power was redirected to support the creation of community capital? There is a tremendous opportunity to supply revenue into what David LePage of Buy Social Canada calls a Social Value Marketplace.

For over three decades Nancy Neamtan has been on the frontlines of the social economy movement in Quebec. Nancy served as CEO of Chantier de l’économie sociale from 1996 to 2015. She contributed to the creation of international networks in which she is recognized for her expertise.

Shaun Loney, author of A Beautiful Bailout, has been deeply engaged in more than 12 successful social enterprises. He has also been a senior civil servant. He has been walking the walk with social entrepreneurs for decades and offers cutting edge insights into an emerging social innovation revolution. Social enterprise and civil society organizations could find themselves in a newly powerful position to change our culture for the better and by far. Could they be at the centre of What’s Next?

David LePage has spent a lifetime building community. Almost 20 years ago he and a small group realized social procurement was an untapped motherlode of potential. Since then, he and his colleagues have been making steady progress in bringing the practice to life.