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Impact Inspiration & Initiatives Make The World Better Magazine

Make The World Better Magazine Impact Update 2023

We have big dreams for our in-house publication, Make The World Better Magazine. Our biggest: to amplify stories of changemakers so their impact spreads far and wide and purpose becomes the mainstream.

Of course, big dreams take time and effort to become reality. Along the way, it’s encouraging for featured participants, our readers, and the Sparx team to see that our work is making a tangible difference and contributing to a better world.

Check out our 2023 impact update for insight into the progress we’ve made so far on our goals, starting from when we launched the magazine in September 2021 until our fifth issue, released in July 2023.

MTWB Magazine Statistics 

Impressions and Engagements 

The first five issues of Make The World Better Magazine have garnered the following amounts of impressions and readers since their respective publication dates:

Issue 1 – Better Together: 3,613 Impressions, 829 Readers (since September 2021)

Issue 2 – The Next Regeneration: 3,625 Impressions, 799 Readers (since April 2022) 

Issue 3 – The Circular Economy: 3,155 Impressions, 1,036 Readers (since September 2022)*

Issue 4 – Capital As A Force For Good: 664 Impressions, 419 Readers (since February 2023)

Issue 5 – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: 524 Impressions, 370 Readers (since July 2023)

*The last edition of the magazine that we published on Issuu. All links to editions on this platform expired in May 2023. From Issue 4 onwards, all issues were published exclusively on the Sparx website.

Meanwhile, our Make The World Better Magazine blog posts have cumulatively attracted 1,122 Impressions and 1,014 Readers.

This brings the grand total to 12,703 Impressions and 4,467 Readers!

Additionally, across our Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) social media accounts, Make The World Better Magazine content has garnered 15,860 total social impressions and 1,303 total social engagements.

Demographics 

Make The World Better Magazine has been read by users in 54 countries. The majority of our readers are located in Canada (54%), followed by the United States (26%), Ireland (3%), and the United Kingdom, India, and Sweden, all at roughly 2%.

With readership as far-reaching as Japan, Philippines, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, United Arab Emirates, Estonia, Jamaica, New Zealand, and Zimbabwe, our readership has truly hit global levels. We hope to see the number of readers in each of these countries increase and make an impact in even more locations.

Milestones

Exposure and Awareness

We’ve worked hard to increase awareness of Make The World Better Magazine through various methods such as outreach, sharing on social media, event attendance, and networking. With each new connection we make and issue we produce, awareness expands. 

Of course, we can’t thank our featured participants enough for the pivotal role they play in our publication. Each time they share MTWB Magazine content across their social media channels and their featured articles in blogs, newsletters, and social media blasts, it helps our publication achieve greater impact. 

As of Issue 5, we’ve had the honour of featuring 43 changemakers:

Issue 1 – Better Together:

Issue 2 – The Next Regeneration:

Issue 3 – The Circular Economy:

Issue 4 – Capital As A Force For Good:

Issue 5 – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

Our next issue, the Amplifiers edition (set for the end of 2023) will see 10 more changemakers added to our participant line-up. 

Print Copy Distribution 

Along with providing print copies to participants and on request, we’ve distributed the magazine at several purpose-driven events, including: 

We’re proud to report that the magazine has been well-received at these events and has opened the door for positive conversations and new partnerships. For example, all 50 copies of the Circular Economy issue that we brought to the Canadian Circular Economy Summit were gone by the end of day one. 

In addition to bringing physical copies to events, we also provide scannable QR codes so attendees can dive into each purpose-driven page digitally. 

Patreon

In 2023, we created a Patreon account for Make The World Better Magazine. Our goal is to build a community of values-driven individuals, gain wider support, share content, and spread impact on this new-to-us platform. You can sign up here. 

Featured Company Milestones

We really believe in the work every featured participant is doing. In light of this, we take great joy in keeping track of their achievements, collaborations, and other updates. After all, a rising tide lifts all boats in the purpose-driven space.

While all the changemakers we’ve featured have made their mark in some way or another, the following have had some noteworthy successes since being featured in Make The World Better Magazine:

Issue 1 Participants

Raising the Roof: Completed Reside project in Toronto (December 2021), facilitated Community Builders expansion in Greater Sudbury (February 2022), and received a $129,000 affordable housing initiative grant for Raising the Roof Orillia (July 2023).

ShareWares: Partnered with Body Energy Club to implement reusable cup program (May 2022), launched Tim Horton’s Borrow a Cup pilot program in Vancouver (June 2022), partnered with SkipTheDishes to provide reusable packaging option for Vancouver residents (December 2022), and was a recipient of CleanBC Plastics Action Fund: Phase 2 (April 2023).

QMUNITY: Partnered with Capilano University to deliver a Gender Diversity and Queer Inclusivity learning pilot program (December 2022) and started construction on a 2SLGBTIA+ social housing tower with two-level space for QMUNITY on September 2023, after receiving initial approval from Vancouver City Council back in July 2021. 

Issue 2 Participants 

Bluebird Grain Farms: Broke ground on new processing facility/expansion project (August 2021), received the SBA Seattle District Rural Small Business of the Year award (May 2022), and held a Grand Opening for their new granary (September 2022).

Cascadia Seaweed: Won BC Food & Beverage Awards – Innovation Award (2020), Sustainability Award (2021), and Social Impact Award (2022), as reported here; was awarded $1.8M in Grant Funding from the BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (2021), received $4.3 million from the federal government to establish a 100-hectare seaweed farm and agri-feed processing facility close to Prince Rupert (October 2022), awarded $73,771 by the Canadian Food Innovation Network (November 2022), secured $1.5 million funding from the British Columbia Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy (June 2023), and partnered with ReFeed Canada Partners to launch Cascadia’s first commercialized agricultural product (2023).

Ecosystem Services Market Consortium: Launched market program, Eco-Harvest (May 2022) and partnered with General Mills, who Invested $3 Million to scale Eco-Harvest (June 2022), as reported here; Eco-Harvest became the first market program to reach pilot certification under the Value Change Initiative in the US (2022) and partnered on seven USDA Climate Smart Commodity Grants (September — December 2022), according to their 2022 Annual Report; and announced the positive incomes being delivered with Eco-Harvest program (June 2023). 

Moment Energy: Established a supply agreement with Mercedes-Benz Energy (MBE) for second-life electric vehicle batteries (July 2022), announced the successful installation of its Flora system at the God’s Pocket Resort (March 2023), established a distribution agreement for battery energy storage systems with Saskatchewan Renewable Energy Solutions (July 2023), and became the first and only company in North America to achieve UL 1974 certification, the Standard for Evaluation for Repurposing Batteries (October 2023).

ReFeed Canada: Received the StrongerBC Accelerating Manufacturing Grant (October 2021); signed on as the exclusive Canadian distributor for four innovative Agtech companies: Cascadia Seaweed, Agrotek Industries, HYDRALOC, and Circular Harvest (2023); and signed on as a non-exclusive Canadian Distributor for GreenStreme® organic fish fertilizer for growing and soil health (2023).

Solaires: Named a Victoria Tech Community Awards finalist in two categories: Scale Company of the Year (11-29) and Innovative Excellence – Hardware (November 2022) and was named CB Innovation Awards 2023: Best green energy innovator (May 2023). 

Issue 3 Participants

Circular Rubber Technologies: Received $3.2 million in funding from the Government of Alberta through Emissions Reduction Alberta (February 2023) and was a finalist for the Foresight Canada 2023 BC Cleantech Awards – Startup of the Year award (March 2023).

Too Good To Go: Saved nearly 79 million meals in 2022, registered over 20 million new users and worked with over 80,000 new stores in 2022, welcomed 595 new colleagues to the team, continued their B Corp journey and were named “Best in the World” in Governance for the second year in a row (2022); and acquired tech start-up CodaBene in November 2022 and rolled out FoodMemo in France with expansion plans slated for 2023, according to their 2022 Impact Report.

Issue 4 Participants

Foresight Canada: Celebrated a decade of impact in September 2023 and released their Impact Report. Highlights include: over 8,000 jobs created, $474 million in revenue generated, over 1,000 companies supported, and $1.68 billion in ventured raised capital (2023).

Spring Activator: As mentioned in MTWB Magazine, Spring partnered with TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good to launch their first Women-led Impact Investor Challenge (September — December 2022). Across this investor challenge and two others (Food Impact Challenge and Kootaney Investment Challenge), Spring gave out investments totalling $170,000 as of November 30, 2022.

Issue 5 Participants 

Benevity: Joined CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion, the largest CEO-driven business commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion within the workplace, and pledged to support a coalition representing more than 21 million employees globally toward positive change (September 2023).

Meaningful Access Consulting: Selected as the Open Door Group’s Untapped 2023 BC Workplace Inclusion Champion for Small Business (Under 100 Employees) (2023).

Raven Indigenous Capital Partners: Released their 2022 Impact Report after our interview with them for Issue 5, which included impact stories and headline metrics across portfolio companies, including 71% Indigenous ownership, $25 million Fund 1 and $100 million Fund II assets under management, and 25 investments in 11 companies.

MTWB Events

The Summit on Responsible Investment

The Summit on Responsible Investment brought together participants from previous issues of Make The World Better Magazine to discuss mission-aligned topics during the Make The World Better panel. 

Following a company presentation from Susgrainable (Issue 3), the following participants appeared together on stage, both virtually and in-person, to talk all things regenerative business:

  • Mike Williamson, Founding Partner and CEO at Cascadia Seaweed (Issue 2)
  • Bram van den Berg, COO and CFO at Circular Rubber Technologies (Issue 3)
  • Tracy Lydiatt, Mining Innovation Project Manager at Foresight Canada (Issue 4)
  • Sage Lacerte, Founder & CEO at Sage Initiative (Upcoming — Issue 6)

Key discussion points included: providing an overview of their companies and purpose-driven work, the benefits of regenerative businesses, bridging the gap between innovators and investors, partnerships with Indigenous Peoples, and making a profit while doing good.

MTWB Day 

Our in-house event is centred around putting aside our usual workflows to dedicate the day to making as much impact together as we can, including attending purpose-driven film screenings, shoreline clean-ups, hackathons, and webinars. 

As part of Make The World Better Day 2021, we launched the inaugural edition of the magazine. Check out our Make The World Better Day 2023 Event Recap for what we did and accomplished this year.

Future Event Planning

We hope to host and moderate more Make The World Better–themed panels and events in the future. The Sparx team has been brainstorming possibilities that we’re excited to turn into action. Meanwhile, we’ll continue to participate in various purpose-driven events to share copies of the magazine and make an impact.

Testimonials

We’re excited to share what our participants have said about Make The World Better Magazine. Their positive feedback is a great encouragement to us going forward, sparking high hopes for the continued and future success of our publication. 

“[T]he layout looks absolutely gorgeous and the content is absolutely incredible. Congratulations on your first publication.” — Plan International Canada

“Great to see that the magazine is published! I read our article, it is great.” — Raising the Roof

“You all did a great job. What a wonderful publication! […] Thanks again for highlighting our farm, we really appreciate the PR!” — Brooke Lucy, Co-Owner & Founder of Bluebird Grain Farms 

“Pleased to be in such great company 🙌 Thank you!” — Cascadia Seaweed

“[I]t looks great. […] We really appreciate you all providing us this opportunity to share our work.” — Thayer Tomlinson, Director Of Communications at Ecosystem Services Market Consortium

“Thank you for the feature.” — EMKAO Foods

“Make The World Better Magazine, published by Sparx Publishing Group, is on Journey to collaborate with innovative companies, whose mission is to make the world a better place by what they do. I am honored to have been interviewed in the second edition (see Pg. 44-45), where we discussed how Insurance can be utilized to help commercialize for innovative businesses. […] Special thank you to Hamish Khamisa [President & Founder of Sparx PG] & Alexandra Nikitina [Head of Growth at Sparx PG] for leading the charge on this mission, along with all of the Innovative Companies and their visionaries who have been featured in this edition. They see the world as it could be and pursue the vision through their incredible work.” — James K. Asaad, President and Vice Chairman- Toronto at Ferrari & Associates Insurance and Financial Services

“Thanks so much for passing this on and again for the feature. […] It’s a really great read!” — Nada Grocery

“Feeling so thankful to have Moment featured by Sparx after being ranked as one of Canada’s Top Impact companies!” — Edward Chiang, Co-Founder & CEO at Moment Energy 

“Thanks, Sparx Publishing Group for featuring Moment Energy! If you are interested in hearing about Moment Energy’s founding story, mission, challenges and successes, as well as goals and upcoming projects, then read the magazine from pages 38 to 41.” — Miguel Adolfo Reséndiz Jiménez, Marketing Manager at Moment Energy 

“Check out our exclusive interview on the newest issue of Make The World Better Magazine that highlights organizations accelerating us towards a more #sustainable future. Thank you for the feature, Sparx Publishing Group and a big thanks to Alexandra Nikitina [Head of Growth at Sparx PG] for coordinating with us!” — Solaires

“Thank you for the opportunity to share our story, and shed light on this important issue 🙏.” — FoodMesh

“Thanks for sharing the link — it’s great to see this come together!” – Andrea Davis, Media and Communications Manager at Benevity

“Thank you so much for including us, this is awesome!” — Cicely Belle Blaine, Founder & CEO of Bakau Consulting

“Thanks so much […] [I] can’t wait to share! Also excited to receive the hard copies in the mail :)” — Rita Steele, Founder of the BIPOC Sustainability Collective

“[W]e really appreciate being included in the magazine and contributing to the thoughtful discourse around DEI and accessibility.” — Karin Pasqua, Co-Founder and Accessibility & Universal Design Consultant at Meaningful Access Consulting

“It looks great! I love the typography choices and layout. It has a very fresh and minimalist look with an element of sophistication (aesthetics nerd here).” — Spring Activator

“I showed my son the article and he was very proud. So I’m a happy mom and that’s the best I can hope for in this world.” — Sxwpilemaát Siyám / Chief Leanne Joe

“The story turned out great and I’ll make sure to share it on all of our platforms.” — Randal Wyatt, Founder & Executive Director of Taking Ownership PDX

Cascadia Seaweed also emailed us to share positive feedback, including that they found our Why and How Circular Economy Companies in Canada Should Use Storytelling blog post useful and that they were so inspired by our reimagined Secret Santa, which they saw in our newsletter, that they decided to do it at their company as well.

And, it was wonderful to see ReFeed Canada share a link to their featured article in their communications flow.

Together, We Can Make the World Better

Enjoy stories of impact? Subscribe to Make The World Better Magazine to dive into purpose as soon as new issues are released.

And if you’re a changemaker working hard to make the world better, contact us for a free marketing consultation. We’d love to join forces and help tell your story.

Categories
Events Impact Inspiration & Initiatives

Key Takeaways from the Summit on Responsible Investment

Sparx has been a trusted partner of the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) since 2014, so we’re no stranger to providing our market services and offering event support to this rapidly growing exchange. That’s why when the CSE envisioned hosting a socially responsible investing (SRI) and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) event, we were all in to collaborate and contribute our sustainability expertise.

Back in June, the CSE’s vision became reality. Companies listed on the CSE, investors, purpose-driven organizations, and sustainability experts travelled to Kelowna for the Summit on Responsible Investment. The result? An eye-opening day packed with insights, discussions, and professionals excited about positive change.

Looking back on this event fills us with hope that more companies will get on board with ESG, more investors will engage with impact investing, and more people will take action and use capital as a force for good. To help spread our hope and raise awareness, we’re recapping the event and sharing our takeaways.

Keep scrolling for our event highlights, including attendees we connected with and insights we gained, takeaways from Dr. Victoria Hurth’s keynote and the Make The World Better Panel, and the action attendees took to make a tangible impact on the community.

Connecting With an Enthusiastic Crowd

To reduce our carbon footprint, Sparx team members carpooled to the Kelowna Innovation Centre for this groundbreaking socially responsible investing and ESG investing event. The venue was modern and spacious, with an atrium for the purpose-driven exhibitors and a space for mingling and coffee breaks. Sessions were held in the theatre room from 9:00 AM–5:00 PM and live-streamed in the atrium. We also had the pleasure of enjoying a beautiful view of Okanagan Lake over networking and cocktails on the roof. Plus, there were some great sustainable touches, including seed paper bracelets for attendees and efforts to minimize waste, which we hope to expand on in future iterations of the event.

We were excited to meet with a variety of folks, including investors, representatives from purpose-driven companies, speakers and leaders in the responsible investment space, and other individuals interested in impact investing and positive change. In total, we welcomed around 100 attendees, consisting of both locals and guests from outside of the Okanagan region.

The attendees displayed an impressive amount of enthusiasm, with a real energy and eagerness to learn which held strong from start to finish. We felt this in the conversations we had, including our chat with Angela Nagy, President & CEO of GreenStep Solutions, about the growing demand for corporate accountability and responsible services and solutions in the past few years. Everyone was constantly torn between wanting to talk in the lobby and getting to the next panel to hear what the presenters had to say.

And there certainly was a lot to learn. The schedule was packed with insightful panels, company spotlights, and presentations. During the Placing Capital Responsibly panel, for example, we learned from Sandeep Gupta, Co-Founder & CTO of Pyfera Growth Capital that “a hundred companies account for 70% of the world’s emissions.” This significant figure stuck with us and was referred to by other panelists throughout the day.

The day’s events were brightened by some extra sparks as well. Our President and Founder, Hamish Khamisa, joined Anna Serin, the CSE’s Director of Listings Development for Western Canada and US and Vancouver Branch Lead, on stage to give the opening remarks, and we had a few other chances to play an active part in the day’s events.

Moving Toward the Purpose-Led Economy

Sparx was exceptionally proud to invite and learn from Dr. Victoria Hurth, global expert; thought leader in sustainability, ESG, and purpose governance; and Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership Fellow, who kicked off the event with her compelling keynote presentation “The Purpose Led Economy.”

Dr. Hurth discussed the dangerous trajectory we are hurtling toward — that of a command and control system, which would replace our market economy. We must act quickly and in the right way to prevent this and to transform our economy into one focused on wellbeing for all, which is the definition of sustainability. 

To move toward a purpose-led economy that would result in wellbeing for all, there are some important considerations, according to Dr. Hurth. “If we want to bring about a purpose-driven wellbeing economy serviced by purpose-driven organizations and unleashing meaningful work and meaningful lives, then we need to govern it.”

Within finance organizations and purpose-driven companies, governance sets the frame, direction, and parameters for decision-making. The PAS 808:2022, a framework and guide for purpose-driven organizations in which Dr. Hurth served as an expert facilitator and technical author, is an extremely helpful tool for ensuring good governance.

Along with governance, Dr. Hurth sees marketing as a key factor in building toward a purpose-led economy and presented a modified Daly Triangle to demonstrate her points. Her presentation got the room thinking and set the tone for the day.

Doing Good and Being Profitable

In the afternoon, following a company presentation from Susgrainable, we had the honour of hosting and moderating our Make The World Better panel. Changemakers from different editions of Make The World Better Magazine, Mike Williamson, Founding Partner and CEO at Cascadia Seaweed; Bram van den Berg, COO and CFO at Circular Rubber Technologies; Tracy Lydiatt, Mining Innovation Project Manager at Foresight Canada; and Sage Lacerte, Founder & CEO at Sage Initiative, joined us as panelists to provide insights into regenerative business.

A key point was that sustainability is the bare minimum we should aim for and that regenerative business should be the end goal. Regenerative businesses examine existing problems and come up with better solutions, including the implementation of circular economy strategies. However, getting investors, regulatory bodies, users, and consumers in the loop requires an education process. We can successfully bridge this gap by speaking with them in terms they understand and relating regenerative solutions back to an existing solution, which will show them the value of the regenerative solution and prove why it’s better.

Partnerships with Indigenous Peoples was another important discussion point. Mike Williamson pointed out that we need to avoid pan-Indigenizing since all the Nations are sovereign communities with their own values, interests, and ways of doing business. Trying to one-size-fits-all or coming to the table with your own solutions in mind will lead to a disconnect with the Indigenous community you’re seeking a partnership with and set you up for failure. Let the Indigenous communities guide you, have conversations, listen, and focus on learning so that you build toward business alignment and values alignment. Keep in mind that growing in understanding and establishing these relationships can take a very long time, even many years, and can’t be achieved without mutual respect and dialogue.

When approaching partnerships with Indigenous Peoples, as Sage Lacerte pointed out, it’s important to be aware that many have money trauma. The Indian Act and Western concepts of commerce have caused a lot of harm since they work to disenfranchise Indigenous people from existing economic systems. Anyone in the corporate sector needs to be trauma-informed and aware of the historical and contemporary contexts that Indigenous entrepreneurs face daily. Lacerte offers advice on how to make Indigenous people safe when entering into conversation, including: 

  • being gentle when entering relationships;
  • setting and following an agenda;
  • offering content warnings;
  • ensuring they have their people in the room with them; and
  • having circle-based conversations where everyone gets the chance to speak, be represented, and have their boundaries respected.

The panelists then discussed what investors are looking for when dealing with regenerative businesses and innovators, along with the importance of having a good team and competitive advantage, knowing the market size, being profitable, conducting business in a way that is responsible on social, environmental, and governance levels, having traction, and sincerely believing in the social and environmental benefits you bring. 

Lastly, all the panelists weighed in on the thunder question: can you do good and make money? The response was a resounding yes. Tracy Lydiatt supported this by providing examples of companies that are living this reality (Patagonia, Bureo, and FLOR), and Sage Lacerte taught us that, “money can be restoried as medicine, as time and energy, and the way that we breathe life into things that we love.”

The Intersection of Capital and ESG

Everyone at the event was geared up about using finance as a force for good and demonstrated that energy, time, and love exist at the intersection of capital and ESG. With all that enthusiasm in the room and the incredible synergies between attendees and speakers, it was clear they found it valuable to be at the Summit on Responsible Investment.

During the Make The World Better panel, Sage Lacerte drew attention to the value of purpose-driven events like this one when she emphasized the importance of having conversations and creating new ways to support equity-deserving communities, building frameworks and models, and sharing the resources we have so that impact spreads far and wide.

We could really see and feel everyone’s excitement over having these types of conversations and opportunities to learn about and from each other. Connections were made easily and it felt like everyone showed up in good faith to talk about ways companies can make money and truly make the world better at the same time. We even saw collaborations forming on the spot, mid-conversation, and received many introduction requests post-event, which shows us that we brought the right crowd together.

And, to further prove how money can be restoried as medicine and a catalyst for good, event attendees raised over $6,000 for the Central Okanagan Food Bank. Since the suggested donation amount for entry was $10 and the minimum amount to be eligible for a tax receipt was $20, this staggering amount shows how invested these professionals are in using capital as a force for good and voting with their dollar.

Let’s Keep the Impact Growing

Immediately following the event, attendees, speakers, and other individuals showed a lot of interest in having a Summit on Responsible Investment 2024. It’s official — the event is coming back next year! We look forward to connecting and collaborating with this inspiring group once again.

If you’re part of an organization that’s contributing to a better world, we’d love to collaborate with you too. Reach out to us for a free consultation. Together, let’s work together to amplify your impact.

Categories
Events Impact Inspiration & Initiatives

Key Takeaways from the Canadian Circular Economy Summit

With the Zero Waste Conference in the rearview mirror, the Sparx team is reflecting on another event we attended this year:  the Canadian Circular Economy Summit 2023, hosted by Circular Economy Leadership Canada and Circular Innovation Council.

Back in June, we went on a purpose-driven event circuit, and the Canadian Circular Economy Summit was an important stop. We learned a lot from expert speakers and connected with so many people from a variety of backgrounds, all of whom are passionate about protecting the planet. 

Keep scrolling for our impressions and takeaways, including what the event space was like, circular economy insights and models that could help drive action, and the critical need to increase awareness through the right messaging.

Connecting With Sustainability Champions

Located  in bustling downtown Toronto, close to the waterfront, the Toronto Board of Trade Offices provided a beautiful setting for the Canadian Circularity Summit. With opening and closing notes held in the main auditorium, the use of multiple rooms for different sessions, and an open-air rooftop reception surrounded by the lights of the city, the organizers made the most of the space. Having snacks available at all times was another nice bonus. And, naturally, there was a real emphasis on walking the circular economy talk, with reusable dishes, utensils, and name tags; no physical swag; and minimal magazine distribution.

What was really encouraging was just how full the event space was. At least 500 folks from different backgrounds but with similar goals gathered together to learn, synergize, and track down opportunities to collaborate. We got to meet many people in the B2B, B2C, government, and education spaces, and we were delighted to see that both the speakers and attendees were diverse.

Something else that excited us was having the chance to share Make The World Better Magazine with such a wide range of like-minded people. Along with a stand with a QR code that could be scanned for a digital version of the magazine, we brought print copies along. By the end of day one, all 50 copies were gone! 

Fresh Perspectives and Models for Action

We learned a lot from the enlightening sessions we attended and meaningful conversations we had throughout the two-day event. It was exciting to hear from such insightful speakers, including Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and to catch success stories and innovative company presentations, like Collaskins.

Something that really struck us was the focus on using the event as a way to move the needle on circularity by having everyone contribute toward the development of a National Circular Economy Action Plan for Canada. Leading up to the event, a 10-point framework was created, which was used to guide event flow by keeping discussions action-oriented.

The 10 points in the framework are:

  1. Develop a shared roadmap and collaboration platform for a net-zero, climate-smart, circular future.
  2. Align and link CE and climate/biodiversity research, knowledge dissemination, and awareness.
  3. Better understand and integrate performance indicators, reporting tools, and standards.
  4. Transition markets and promote circular culture in support of climate-smart, circular businesses.
  5. Inspire and invest in place-based innovation to create regenerative local economies and resilient, inclusive communities.
  6. Design programs, policy, regulation, and procurement as innovative transition enablers.
  7. Create low-carbon, circular, waste-to-value opportunities across key sectors and supply chains.
  8. Mobilize and deploy climate-smart, circular funding and financing.
  9. Centre Indigenous leadership, engagement, and traditional knowledge.
  10. Strengthen the connection between CE and social benefits, including applying an equity lens.

During workshops and presentations, the Action Plan was a central topic, and delegates were given the opportunity to share their thoughts on what steps should be taken to bring it to fruition.

Another session that stood out was “Circular Design Principles: From Concept to Practice,” where Rosemary Cooper, Project Director of Share Reuse Repair Initiative, presented the Stuff in Flux 2 Playbook, which offers four global opportunities with mass market potential: Useful Stuff, Joyful Stuff, Stuff Connected to Nature, and Flowing Stuff (stuff moving in a flow in efficient ways). The Useful Stuff category was highlighted as an emerging market of customers who want products that are useful, have longer lifespans, and are made from quality products that can be repaired more easily. In general, as perspectives on “stuff” shift globally, new opportunities for circular innovations are arising.

On day two, Ken Webster’s keynote also provided an interesting perspective — one that takes on a systems-level view of the circular economy — along with different ideas that could facilitate a path to circular economy uptake. He discussed ascribing value to the natural resources we extract, such as gold and oil, and creating a CO2 fee and “climate dividend” in order to build a fair, effective, and sustainable climate policy. He also pitched a “Material-as-a-Service” model that would incentivize reuse, with a complete supply chain that generates a continuous revenue stream for a region where a material is mined. 

The Critical Need for Circular Economy Communications

Throughout the Summit, it became clear that lack of awareness is a real obstacle to circular economy adoption. To solve this, it’s critically important that we educate people on the circular economy and how zero-waste initiatives can fit into their lives.

The “Mainstreaming Circular Culture: The Need and the Opportunity” breakout session spoke to this issue and the need to align the right message to the right audience, which is what marketers already inherently do. 

An important challenge was brought forth: going beyond the people who are considered “eco-niche” and already interested in being more sustainable. To address this, Rosemary Cooper presented the SHIFT model (Social Influence; Habit Formation; Individual Self; Feelings and Cognition; Tangibility). The purpose of this model is to turn intention into action by going beyond guesswork through understanding your audience’s behaviour drivers and designing tailored messaging, and going beyond the eco-niche through appealing to a broader audience. 

During this session, OneEarth Living‘s Dr. Vanessa Timmer, Executive Director, and Dagmar Timmer, Managing Director of Strategic Initiatives, discussed the “throw away” model and the origins of this culture: 1950s marketing. If marketing was powerful enough to create this culture, it has the power to rewrite the narrative and cultivate a sustainability-centred culture.

Additionally, if we look through a motivation lens, by designing communications that appeal to everyone, we can raise awareness and attract a wider audience based on shared motivations. Creating messaging and stories around specific issues can help build toward this.

With the right messaging, we can inspire demand for change and increase demand for zerowaste goods and services, which is the first step toward large-scale innovations and policy developments that advance sustainability. The goal is to enable the circular economy to be the “default” — by making it the easiest and most convenient option.

Outside of this session, the conversations we had with attendees supported the sentiment that there’s not enough circular economy awareness in Canada and the world, with many people unaware of its existence. This tells us that marketing efforts in this space should be focused on educational content and storytelling more than traditional techniques. By educating, presenting data, and landing on the right messaging, advocacy and marketing can help change consumer and business behaviour.

In light of this critical need for communications and attendee interest, we hosted an Open Space Marketplace session during the Summit on the importance of marketing in creating demand for circular economy solutions. We were able to help many professionals in the field figure out the path forward for advancing their mission.

Create Demand for Circular Economy Solutions With Sparx

While the room was full of like-minded and passionate individuals, it’s apparent that most of the population is not aware of the circular economy. There’s a real opportunity for us to work together to move the needle by educating consumers and businesses to create demand.
Are you looking to reach Canadians with your circular economy story? We can help you find the right path for advancing your mission. Contact us for a free marketing consultation.

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Impact Inspiration & Initiatives Make The World Better Magazine

From Content Marketing to Content to Make The World Better: Our Purpose-Driven Journey

Making the world better is a lifelong commitment. Every day, individuals and organizations are igniting positive change and improving the world in ways both big and small. 

Through concerted efforts to continually create moments, take steps, and make changes, we advance on our collective journey toward making life better — not just for ourselves but for our family, friends, communities, and eventually, everyone. 

There’s no denying that the journey is fraught with challenges. We may take a wrong turn, encounter delays and setbacks, or even wonder if we’re really making an impact. But the destination is worthwhile, and there’s only one way to reach it: by pressing onward. 

The changemakers in the Amplifiers edition of Make The World Better Magazine are taking steps to make the world better and demonstrating what’s possible. They inspire us to keep going. It’s an honour to share their stories, to amplify each other’s impact, and to walk together on this purpose-driven journey.

At Sparx Publishing Group, we started our journey by venturing into uncertainty, but we saw an opportunity that we could not ignore. Driven to help amplify impact-focused organizations and individuals so their efforts to help people and planet can thrive, we took a risk and changed course. And, as we progress on our purpose-driven journey, we continue to grow and change to do better.

Sparx’s Journey to Choosing Purpose

Our journey began over 10 years ago, and it’s certainly been a long and winding one. We embarked with the spark of an idea to make the world of  self-directed investing more accessible for Canadians through a free online resource called Sparx Trading. Creating content for Sparx Trading laid the foundation for Sparx Publishing Group’s growth and was our first content marketing success story. 

Carried by our values of integrity and responsiveness, we soon branched off on a new path, one that takes us deeper into purpose every day. 

“We were founded on a premise that we could use content to make a positive impact and that has become even more true today than it was when we started,” says Hamish Khamisa, Sparx’s Founder and President.

While Sparx was increasingly focusing on impact, 2020 was a significant turning point. Hamish Khamisa honoured his daughter, Anahera, who was stillborn at 35 weeks, with the creation of our in-house event devoted to doing good, Make The World Better Day. We’ve always believed that a single spark can ignite a world of change, and the love and hope that Anahera embodied were the sparks that set our mission in motion.

After that, our journey began in earnest. “Sparx has put in a lot of effort over the years to determine what it means to ‘make the world better’ and how our mission fits into that statement,” says Sonia Lau, Junior Frontend Developer. “We’ve gone from a generic marketing company to one that takes on projects that focus on our environmental and social responsibility, as well as uplifting other companies that do the same.” 

We began dedicating our time to intentional practices, like turning Make The World Better Day into an annual event, launching Make The World Better Magazine, donating to various causes, and offering pro bono work for mission-aligned organizations. 

However, it took us time and effort to get to the point where we had clarity from a market perspective on who we could ideally serve and work with. “We now prioritize working with clients who share our core values and are actively contributing to making a positive impact on the world,” says Aretta Yeung, Marketing Analyst. “The partnerships and collaborations that we have sought out have led to opportunities to work on projects that align with our mission and reinforce our commitment to purpose-driven initiatives.”

Striving to be stronger members of the purpose-driven community through networking and event participation has also contributed greatly to our journey. “Attending a variety of mission-aligned events on DEI, sustainability, and other topics allowed me to learn best practices and get inspired by leading individuals and organizations in the purpose-driven space,” says Alexandra Nikitina, Head of Growth. Through this undertaking, we’ve been able to grow in our purpose and meet many mission-aligned contacts.

“While the desire to make the world better has always been at the forefront, Sparx has gone from dreaming to doing,” says Libby Shabada, Copywriter.

Growing Purpose With a Diverse Team

Moving from dreaming to doing wouldn’t be possible without the right team. Our team comes from diverse backgrounds, earning us a CAMSC certification, and what unites us is a desire to work hard to drive positive change. 

“I feel constantly inspired through the work that we do and the contagious energy our team generates as we create a platform for change,” says Brandon Ashcraft, Marketing Coordinator.

Sparx operates by following a set of clearly defined values, which are communicated throughout the hiring process. Because of this, we were able to build an enthusiastic and values-aligned team.

“Curiosity and the drive for self-improvement are personal values that I see constantly reflected in our work,” says Nicole Yeh, Graphic Designer. “We are curious about the innovators making a positive change in the world, and we are dedicated to connecting those ideas with an audience.”

While challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic partially rewrote the composition of the Sparx team, the switch to working remotely opened the door to even broader perspectives and hires from outside of the Vancouver area. But the impact went even deeper. “Partially due to going through COVID-19 and remote work, I’ve learned more about people’s struggles with mental health and isolation,” says Ken Yeung, VP of Operations. “I think [being transparent and honest] helps build rapport and respect with team members.” 

This has made a positive difference in our workplace culture. As a result, everyone feels encouraged to share their unique perspectives on how to make the world better and to share their input across all areas of our work, from the content we produce to how we conduct our business.

Our perspectives and ideas are diverse, which enhances our problem-solving abilities, yet there’s a common thread uniting us: we see our work as meaningful. That inspires us to give it our all. 

“The fact that I get to be a part of the work that amplifies valuable stories makes me want to deliver the best work I can so that our work in sharing these stories may be accessible and impactful to more people,” Elisabeth Choi, Communications Designer, says.

Our diversity is a real strength for the work and space we’re in. Any organization that acts with intentionality can build that space too.

Inspiration Beyond Our Desks

The diversity of our personal experiences has led to a flow of purpose-driven ideas, which travel with us into our work. But we also find ways to integrate what we’ve learned at Sparx into our everyday lives.

“I always say that it’s important to walk our talk since it’s important for me to try to embody what I share or preach to those around me. So, I’m glad that as a team, we always try to learn and live out the purpose-driven values we share to our audience,” says Pauline Macapagal, Communications Specialist.

Together, our team is always learning: from the stories we amplify and changemakers we work with, from the causes we champion and initiatives we engage with, from our mistakes, and from each other. 

“Working at Sparx challenges me to think more about the ways I can create a more positive social impact in my personal life,” says Nicole.

Creating a positive impact in our personal lives takes on a different meaning for everyone. For some, we’ve discovered ways we can make progress on various causes through our everyday actions.

“I’m following more activists on social media, learning and sharing content, buying more locally-made and Indigenous brands — many of which we’ve featured in our gift-giving guides! — and finding everyday ways to reduce my environmental footprint,” says Libby.

For others, our experiences have caused us to look inward and be mindful of our personal accountability.

“This experience has inspired me to dig deep within myself, prompting me to be more intentional when it comes to aligning my personal choices and decisions with the values that truly resonate with me,” says Aretta. 

“I’ve personally learned and grown as an individual to be kinder, to care more about the world and learn ways to preserve it, and especially to be more active in the activities that help make the world better,” Elisabeth adds.

Ultimately, our work inspires us to take initiative and engage with amplifying impact both at work and at home. As Pauline’s learned, “no matter how big or small, an impact can effect great positive changes that travel far and wide to places and people you wouldn’t expect.”

Amplifying Stories of Impact With Make The World Better Magazine

Amplifying impact so it travels far and wide is exactly what we seek to do with Make The World Better Magazine, a core Sparx initiative our team was eager to rally behind and learn from.

For Sonia, the Circular Economy issue was a real stand out. “It features a lot of the companies where their missions feel familiar and can be easily supported. For example, I could see myself using EcoMeter to find an eco-friendly restaurant, or getting food from Too Good To Go, or using one of Susgrainable‘s baking mixes. A lot of these companies provide an approachable way to support their mission that fits pretty seamlessly into your lifestyle.” 

As for Hamish, the feature on Sxwpilemaát Siyám/Chief Leanne Joe was profoundly impactful. “As a parent, I felt that centring her perspectives around the implications of her work to future generations resonated deeply and speaks to the ethos of the magazine — to inspire others to leave the world better than how they found it.”

Every participant has been truly inspiring, and we want to see their impact thrive. All of their stories have inspired us to come up with fresh ideas about how we can grow Make The World Better Magazine.

Team members, like Pedram Milani, Web Developer, have been thinking up some new ways to engage audiences around the magazine. “I think a 10–15 second YouTube short/TikTok segment covering companies could be a nice way to highlight companies and bring attention to brands and the magazine,” he says. 

And Pauline imagines another type of digital platform: “It would be really cool to see the magazine available on e-readers. That way, we’re making it more accessible […] and being more environmentally friendly,” she says.

Other team members are dreaming of collaborations, special editions, follow-ups with past participants, partnerships with institutions, spin-offs centred around different topics, and going global.

“I envision stories and initiatives from around the world featured in the magazine, fostering a sense of interconnectedness and inspiring collaborative efforts to address global challenges,” says Thuan Nguyen, Sparx’s former Financial Analyst.

Team members are also excited about the potential to cover more initiatives and causes. “I would really love to see more stories about organizations and individuals working to help the homeless and children and families,” says Michelle Baleka, Copywriter. “Making the magazine is a learning experience for me too, and it would be great to know about more organizations and initiatives that are helping [them].” 

These hopes are encouraged by the positive responses we’ve received from everyone who’s been featured in the magazine, shown interest, or taken a dive into its purpose-driven pages. Their support has ignited our expansion goals, and we’re taking active steps to reach them with our Make The World Better Magazine Patreon and exciting new partnerships. 

Most of all, as Alexandra says, we have hope that the magazine can help “make being better a norm as opposed to a niche.”

Looking Forward to a Brighter Future

Speaking of hopes, we have some pretty high ones for Sparx as a whole. 

“I’m excited to see how Sparx continues to allow our culture and values [to] blossom through our work and exponentially scale that level of growth through future projects,” Brandon says.

Individually, we all have different ideas of what this growth would look like and specific areas of impact we want to reach more deeply.

“I would love to see Sparx expand their client base and help a few start-ups become viral,” Pedram says, while Ken hopes we can “continue expanding our clientele and ideally create a SaaS-like project that we can scale,” and Michelle wants to “work with more circular economy organizations and clients that assist with things like ending homelessness and breaking the cycle of poverty.”

With hopes to grow in Canada’s purpose-driven space through collaborations, sustainable partnerships, raising awareness around and contributing to the adoption of more regenerative solutions, and building up a community of like-minded organizations that help each other out, we’re determined to amplify more voices catalyzing positive change.

“My hope is that through our marketing and communications efforts, we will be able to meaningfully inspire demand for products, services, and business practices that contribute to the long-term well-being for all,” Hamish says.

A Spark of Inspiration Can Change the World

The path to a better world is long and challenging, but we’re excited to travel alongside so many amazing changemakers on our journey. As Hamish says, “The biggest thing that I get excited about is now being fully confident that we’re not alone in the work we want to do.” 

Our hope is that through our work, readers like you feel inspired to start your own impact journey or to feel more energized to continue along your purpose-driven path. 

Whatever stage you’re at, if you have a spark of hope to make the world a better place, it will not only serve as a guide for yourself, but a beacon to others to join in your journey.

If you’d like to help Sparx with our mission, you can join us by reading and supporting Make The World Better Magazine on Patreon, meeting up with us at purpose-driven events, and following us on social media. 
You can also reach out to us via our contact page. We’d love to hear your purpose-driven story and include you in an issue of Make The World Better Magazine. Or, if you’re looking for a marketing partner, we’d love to help amplify the work you’re doing to create more good in the world.

Categories
Make The World Better Magazine Purpose-Driven Marketing Tips

25+ Resources That Will Amplify Your Efforts to Make the World Better

Everyone has a part to play in making the world better. Whether you’re looking to influence positive change through social media, make a difference at your workplace, and/or support or advocate for a cause, or you’re looking for ways to make meaningful changes in your everyday life, these resources will help amplify your own efforts or those of others doing good.

Resources From Organizations Featured in Make the World Better Magazine

Check out these resources and supplementary content from individuals and organizations featured in this issue of Make The World Better Magazine.

Asparagus Magazine – Submission Guidelines: Apply to share your purpose-driven stories about individuals and organizations working to make the world better, sustainable living tips, and environmental and social justice. Underrepresented voices are a priority and both aspiring and established writers are encouraged to apply.

Brown Girl Green – Green Jobs Board: Looking for a job where you can actively help make the world better? Or perhaps you’re an employer looking to find someone with a real passion for purpose? Check out Brown Girl Green’s Green Jobs Board to find and submit jobs in policy, tourism, education, media, and more.

David Suzuki Foundation – Building Bridges for Climate Action: Engagement Strategies for Millennials: Amplify your environmental advocacy efforts with this guide, designed to help increase your understanding of how millennials engage with climate change so you can create effective engagement strategies.

David Suzuki Foundation – Community Engagement Toolkit: Grow your environmental initiatives and personal impact with this dual-language toolkit, filled with ideas for collective and individual action, steps for getting started, and networks, resources, and tools for every step of your journey.

Intersectional Environmentalist’s Leah Thomas – The Intersectional Environmentalist: How To Dismantle Systems of Oppression To Protect People and Planet: Dive into this novel by Leah Thomas, Founder and Values Officer of Intersectional Environmentalist, to learn more about the link between environmental justice and civil rights, and discover actionable strategies for protecting people and planet.

Intersectional Environmentalist – Reimagining Food Justice and Food Sovereignty Toolkit: With this digital toolkit, increase your understanding of food justice and food sovereignty, and discover steps for taking action, including ways to amplify community-based initiatives.

Love Food Hate Waste Canada – Tips Board: Promote efforts to eliminate food waste by sharing food-saving tips and stories, or visit the board for actionable recipes and advice to make positive changes in your kitchen.

Not My Problem – Sustainable Brand Database: Naman Bajaj provides paid Not My Problem subscribers with a Sustainable Brand Database they can use to find brands across the globe and across a range of industries, from cleaning products to apparel and more, that have verifiable sustainable practices. A seven-day trial is available.

RIPPLE of CHANGE – Contribution Form: Share your impact story or help amplify organizations and initiatives with RIPPLE of CHANGE’s (ROC) nomination form. On this page, you can also answer ROC’s call for writers.

RIPPLE of CHANGE – Start a Ripple: Learn how you can start your own ripple of positive change with actionable lists across multiple categories, including activism, education, health, identity, and land, as well as recommended books that will help you take your purpose-driven journey to the next level.

Sage Initiative – Application Form: Apply to join the third Sage Initiative as a participant, sponsor, or mentor to learn more about impact investing, fund some good, and support Indigenous womxn.

Squirrel News – Podcast: Tune in to the Squirrel News podcast, hosted by Founder Jonathan Widder and Ed Crasnick, an Emmy-winning writer and comic from Los Angeles, to discover solutions for positive change and get inspired by guests who are making the world better.

Sustainability Advantage – 7 Ways Companies Can Contribute to the SDGs: Learn how your company can help advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and amplify collective efforts toward the goals.

Sustainability Advantage – Master Slide Decks: Bob Willard, Founder of Sustainability Advantage, has over 900 slides for subscribers to use and tailor for their purposes, saving them time and resources. Enjoy in-depth content on sustainability in the business community, including frameworks, business cases, and more. 

Resources From Other Changemakers

ACE Hot Talks – Climate Influencers at COP26 With Kristy Drutman aka Brown Girl Green: Kristy Drutman, Founder of Brown Girl Green, joined Action for Climate Emergency’s Indy Howeth to share insights into how young people can use their creativity to help progress the climate movement on social media.

Amplify Good Podcast: Hosted by Aria Camaione-Lind, this inspiring podcast series shares stories of changemakers who are bringing their values to their work and driving positive change in their communities.

Arielle V. King’s – Environmental/Climate Justice and Liberation-Related Resource Recommendations: Arielle V. King, host of season one of Intersectional Environmentalist’s the Joy Report Podcast and Director of Programming for Black Girl Environmentalist, shares an extensive list of resources to help amplify environmental justice efforts.

Eco Ally – The Ultimate Guide to Killing It as a Sustainability Influencer: This comprehensive, eight-step guide provides sustainability influencers and aspiring influencers with detailed tips on how to make a real impact. 

Good Good Good – 37 Ways To Make a Difference in the World: Good Good Good’s guide offers 37 actionable ways individuals can help make the world better, from protecting the environment to using the internet to amplify good.

Giving Tuesday – Social Media Toolkit: Giving Tuesday happens every November. Learn how you can join this movement through your social media channels and spread some good.

Greater Good Charities – Get Involved: Amplify your mission to help people and planet with this resource from Greater Good Charities, which you can use to start a fundraiser, build a fundraising page, and launch a Facebook fundraiser. 

Influencer Intelligence – How to Work With Influencers for Purpose-Driven Marketing Report: Discover best practices for teaming up with an influencer to amplify your purpose-driven business with this downloadable report from Influencer Intelligence. 

National Screen Institute’s TikTok Accelerator for Indigenous Creators: Indigenous influencers and Indigenous-owned small businesses can join this free accelerator to grow their community on TikTok, learn how to collaborate with brands, and learn skills and tools to make content creation a career.

Sparx PG’s Resources 

3 TED Talks to Inspire You to Make the World Better: Spark your inspiration with three talks that provide tips for remarkable storytelling, expanding your mission, and spreading good in the community.

How Companies Can Harness the Power of Technology and Social Media to do Good: Discover actionable ways your purpose-driven organization can amplify impact online.

How to Avoid “Rainbow-Washing” During Pride Month: Learn how to genuinely amplify 2SLGBTQIA+ voices and support the community during Pride Month and beyond.

Amplify Your Purpose-Driven Story with Sparx
We would love to increase support and awareness around the good your purpose-driven organization is doing. Want to team up? Give us a shout for a free consultation. Together, we can amplify your impact.

Categories
Make The World Better Magazine

Make The World Better Magazine is on Patreon!

Sparx’s publication, Make The World Better (MTWB) Magazine amplifies good by sharing the incredible stories of individuals and organizations driving positive impact in their communities. 

With purpose embedded in everything we do, our small and dedicated team of experts wants to continue spreading good to an ever-growing audience. To help achieve this, Sparx has created a new way for readers to digitally access and support the magazine: our Make The World Better Magazine Patreon page.

Keep scrolling to find out all the details, including why we chose Patreon, how it benefits MTWB Magazine, and our goal of building a purpose-driven community.

Why We Chose Patreon for Our Growth Efforts

When we decided to expand our reach, we began by researching possibilities for growing Make The World Better Magazine, including different print and digital distribution channels. Reviewing our findings, we landed on providing a fresh digital access point for readers, with the benefit of improving online discoverability. 

Along with offering a different user experience for engaging with Make The World Better content, we wanted to provide a concrete way for people to support our magazine production. And we determined that using an established platform would enable us to focus on making content rather than on technical infrastructure.

With its simple and easy-to-navigate interface, sleek design, and focus on creativity and community, Patreon immediately caught our attention. We were excited to start exploring the support resources and to engage with the vibrant community of creators who call Patreon home. 

Our Patreon has opened up new realms of versatility for us. We can now start crafting and sharing mission-aligned, dynamic content that goes beyond the pages of Make The World Better Magazine. Plus, we can curate content to the interests of the MTWB community, depending on their level of interest in the magazine and mission.

How Readers Can Support Make The World Better Magazine

Thanks to our Patreon page, there are plenty of new ways to support Make The World Better Magazine. By offering monthly monetary support, users can help pay for print and distribution costs so we can share our magazine in more places and at more events, cover internal labour costs, and make progress toward our goal of hosting mission-aligned events. 

Most importantly, supporting the magazine means contributing toward our mission of amplifying good. User support will help raise awareness around and spread the word about featured changemakers and the work they’re doing to advance important causes.

To allow flexibility when it comes to support amounts, we plan to offer support tiers with varying rewards. Right now, we’re starting from a general tier, but we envision having additional opportunities for more active and passionate members to shape and contribute to the direction of our content. 

Of course, there are plenty of other ways the community can support MTWB Magazine. Word of mouth is a powerful way to gain awareness and readership. And sharing links to our Patreon page on social media is a great way to help us grow and gain support.

What Building a Purpose-Driven Community Means to Us

Our main goal is to form a purpose-driven community around Make The World Better Magazine on Patreon. A community of folks who want to leave the world better than how they found it. Who really believe in our mission and want to spark meaningful conversations, see impact flourish, and ignite positive change in their communities and around the world. 

We’re excited to use this space to grow and connect with this like-minded community, share extended resources, and make a larger impact.

Let’s Work Together to Make The World Better

Join us in our mission! Check out our Patreon page here to become part of the Make The World Better community. 

And, if you’re a purpose-driven organization with an impact story to share, contact us for a free consultation. Together, we can help amplify your efforts and build a brighter future for all.

Categories
Events Impact Inspiration & Initiatives

Key Takeaways from the Social Finance Forum 2023

Sparx has always believed that capital can be used as a force for good. Because of our origins in the financial industry and the expertise of Hamish Khamisa, our President and Founder, we have a real appetite for all things finance — especially when it comes to purpose.

In June 2023, we ventured to Toronto to attend the Social Finance Forum 2023, a hybrid event presented by Future of Good and SVX, which featured sessions on the state of social finance in Canada, climate finance, and the need for diversity and representation at the decision-making level.

Keep scrolling for our takeaways and key learnings, including changemakers who were present, challenges associated with the rising need for social finance, and re-imagining power in the social finance space. 

Connecting with Social Finance Changemakers

Sparx was excited to travel to the Social Finance Forum at the George Brown College Waterfront Campus in Toronto to connect with and learn from professionals in the impact finance space while enjoying a stunning view of Lake Ontario. 

Combining the use of a large auditorium for the main stage and multiple lecture halls, the event organizers made it possible for different sessions to happen simultaneously. It was pleasant to stroll through the venue and catch different presentations and discussions, all of which were live-streamed for anyone dropping in virtually. 

We were excited to catch insights from changemakers and experts in the impact finance space, including Diane Bérard, journalist and Social Finance Fellow at Future of Good; Chelsey MacNeil, President of Common Good Solutions; Christine Bergeron, former CEO of Vancity; Jillisa Brown, Executive Director of Table of Impact Investment Practitioners (TIIP); Jory Cohen, Director of Finance and Impact Investment at Inspirit Foundation; Ryan Turnbull, Member of Parliament in Whitby and Founder and President of Eco-Ethonomics; and Sage Lacerte, Founder & CEO of Sage Initiative.

We had an incredible time learning how these professionals are using capital to benefit communities across Canada And snack breaks between sessions gave us plenty of time to mingle with the attendees, who were all open to networking. It was an awesome opportunity to make new mission-aligned connections.

The Rising Need for Social Finance 

One key point that emerged during the event was that social finance has gone from a “nice to do” to a “must do.” 

The crises we have faced over the past few years, such as housing insecurity and predatory debt, have exposed an ever-increasing need for social finance in Canada and around the world. In light of this, Canada’s new Social Finance Fund, a $755 million initiative that seeks to accelerate the growth of Canada’s social finance market, became a major talking point during the two-day forum.

Many innovative solutions were also spotlighted during the event. Two that stood out included refinancing for predatory debt (aka payday loans) through the DUCA Impact Lab and community bonds that protect social and economic diversity in neighbourhoods and preserve housing affordability, such as the  Kensington Land Trust. These innovations are examples of how private businesses and civil society groups can use social finance as a force for positive change.

Encouragingly, the injection of cash into the social finance sector and the positive track record of initial social finance projects strongly support the belief in the need for social finance and recognition of its tremendous value. Factors like these will also help the space grow.

However, there are some challenges that need to be addressed in order to maximize impact. For example, engaging with everyone across this land we call Canada comes with certain difficulties. Typically, urban centres have more infrastructure and greater concentrations of diverse communities, while remote and rural communities have different demographics and geographical constraints. Finding ways to be inclusive and make an impact across all these settings will require time and thoughtful consideration of the contexts in which the outreach efforts take place. 

As explained by Sage Lacerte, there is an increase in business values that are aligned with Indigenous worldviews and Indigenous equity seekers. Yet, there are not as many opportunities from Indigenous equity providers, which poses another challenge to the reach and impact of the space.

The threat of the growing anti-ESG narrative in the US was another hotly-discussed topic, as it could slow down impact investing and direct cash flow away from much-needed investments toward solving today’s biggest social crises.

These challenges highlight the importance of cultivating the demand for social finance so that we can properly address the needs facing our communities.

Representation and Re-Imagining 

Despite the aforementioned obstacles and challenges, social finance continues to act as a catalyst for possibility. However, a major power shift is needed in order to achieve true impact investing. 

Often, BIPOC entrepreneurs are challenged with being the only diverse people in the room and having to advocate for the whole community. In order to bridge this gap and give everyone a seat at the table, diversity and representation need to be implemented at the decision-making level, not just the investment-seeking level. 

We also need to focus on decolonizing the finance space and re-imagining access. Giving fair access and helping historically-excluded communities get access to capital is how we start to broaden the impact of social finance and make a real difference.

It’s also critical that we re-imagine how we view finance, beginning with changing how we think about returns. After all, the goal should not be to maximize returns but to maximize impact. The focus needs to be on collaboration, rather than competition. “Winning” in this space is not the point.

While there is movement toward equity-deserving groups and steps are being taken to be more inclusive, there’s still work to be done. The Re-Imagine Power Session was about shifting power from stereotypical demographics in finance to groups who need to be given a voice in the space. Unfortunately, three men on the panel frequently interrupted the female speakers, proving their point that diverse voices need to be heard in an ignorant and ironic way. This led to a wave of backlash, with viewers asking to hear more from the women.

Make a Difference with the Right Messaging

Perhaps our biggest takeaway from the Social Finance Forum was that the more we educate and create awareness about social finance, the higher the demand will be for it. This event and the kind of communications work that we do is a step in the right direction.

Want awareness around your purpose-driven work to grow? The experts at Sparx can make your impact story shine. Contact us for a free marketing consultation.

Categories
Events Impact Inspiration & Initiatives

20+ Purpose-Driven Events to Attend in October – December, 2023

Looking to find new ways to embrace the circular economy, support Indigenous communities, advocate for mental health, and more? Sparx has compiled a list of purpose-driven events happening this fall, both online and in-person, within Canada and globally, so you can deepen your education, uncover unique perspectives, connect and collaborate with values-aligned professionals, explore innovative strategies, and further your impact. 

Keep scrolling to learn all about purpose-driven conferences and events taking place this October, November, and December. 

October 

Retail Sustainability Conference

Date: October 3

Location: The International Centre, 6900 Airport Rd, Mississauga, Ontario

Description: Hosted by Retail Council Canada, this full-day event seeks to unite and empower retailers and value chain partners by sharing best practices and sector-specific strategies that will help them advance ESG solutions, build resiliency, and increase sustainability.

BC Social Enterprise Summit

Date: October 12

Location: Simon Fraser University (SFU) Harbour Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia

Description: Supported by the Department of Community Economic Development Programs at SFU, this event will dive deeper into subjects identified at last year’s event, including financing and sustainability, procurement and market opportunities, and more. 

Untapped Workplace Inclusion Awards 2023 – 10th Anniversary Celebration

Date: October 13, from 8:00 AM – 2:30 PM PDT

Location: PARQ Vancouver, Vancouver, British Columbia

Description: Celebrate BC’s most diverse and inclusive workplaces at this half-day conference, featuring speakers, panels, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities, culminating with the awards luncheon at noon.

Ocean Global Canada Summit 2023

Date: October 16–19

Location: The Algonquin Resort, St. Andrews by-the-Sea, New Brunswick

Description: Convened by the Ocean Global Canada Lab, this event brings together global leaders and experts at the forefront of the sustainable blue economy to discuss best practices around environmentally responsible, commercially profitable, and socially acceptable outcomes in the ocean economy.

Responsible Investor Canada 2023

Date: October 17–18

Location: Chelsea Hotel, Toronto, Ontario

Description: Join leading banks, pension funds, insurers, and financial regulators to explore what strides are being taken by Canadian institutions on a range of emerging ESG innovations, investment opportunities, and best-in-class strategies.

CCAB Indigenous Women in Leadership (IWIL) Business Forum

Date: October 18

Location: The Westin Bayshore, Vancouver, British Columbia 

Description: This event will honour First Nations, Inuit, and Métis business, political and nationally engaged women whose work has changed the lives of people in their communities and beyond. Enjoy an evening reception featuring entertainment, Indigenous food, networking, and more.

Sustainable Production Forum

Date: October 18

Location: The VIFF Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia

Description: This hybrid purpose-driven event unites sustainability-minded film and television professionals from around the world to collaborate toward accelerating sustainability in the motion picture industry.

2023 Recycling Council of Alberta Circular Economy Conference “There and Back Again: the Journey to Circularity”

Date: October 18–20

Location: The Fairmont Château Lake Louise, Lake Louise, Alberta

Description: At this Lord of the Rings-themed sustainability event, enjoy educational sessions, a keynote from Jenn Harper (Founder of Cheekbone Beauty), exhibits, lightning talks, workshops, environmental tours and nature walks, and more.

SOCAP23

Date: October 23–25

Location: Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA), San Francisco, California

Description: This event convenes the ecosystem of impact to strategize ways to drive urgent change for people and planet, as encompassed within the theme of “Facing Urgency: Impact at the Speed of Trust.”

CAMSC Supplier Knowledge Xchange

Date: October 25, from 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EDT

Location: Online

Description: More details to be released on CAMSC’s website.

Accommodating Mental Health in Remote Work

Date: October 26, from 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM PDT

Location: Online

Description: In this webinar, learn ways to support, prioritize and accommodate your mental health, and the mental health of your employees, while working from home.

November 

2023 Zero Waste Conference

Date: November 1–2

Location: Vancouver Convention Centre East, Vancouver, British Columbia

Description: The annual Zero Waste Conference is back with a jam-packed agenda to inspire a new generation of changemakers ready to shape the future of sustainability. This year’s theme is “Climate Action Through Circularity” and will include keynotes, engaging interactive workshops, and illuminating innovator spotlights. 

Scaling Up 2023 – The Future is Now – Canada’s BioEconomy Conference

Date: November 6–8

Location: Fairmont Château Laurier, Ottawa, Ontario

Description: Learn about the latest innovations and trends in bio-based industries and connect with experts and peers in the space at this conference, now in its eighth year.

Purpose Conference

Date: November 8–9

Location: Carriageworks, located on Gadigal Land in Sydney, Australia

Description: Join the responsible business revolution in Sydney, Australia this November with over 1,000 delegates driving cutting-edge impact innovation.

Uplift Women’s Business Summit

Date: November 14–15

Location: Victoria Conference Centre, Victoria, British Columbia

Description: This two-day summit aims to empower women in business by providing valuable resources related to financial literacy, investment guidance, and more. Learn from top female leaders, connect with like-minded women, and gain tools to make a positive impact in your career, business, and life.

National Philanthropy Day 2023

Date: November 15, from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM MST

Location: Edmonton Convention Centre, Edmonton, Alberta

Description: To recognize National Philanthropy Day, this annual, non-competitive awards reception and celebration acknowledges and honours the achievements of individuals, foundations, corporations, fundraising volunteers, and nonprofit organizations who contribute their time, talents, financial support, and other resources to the community and beyond.

Indigenomics on BAY STREET

Date: November 21–23

Location: Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto, Ontario

Description: Hosted by the Indigenomics Institute, this event invites Indigenous Nations, economic development corporations, businesses, organizations, educational institutions, governments, and investment and pension firms to gather and activate the financial architecture of the $100 billion Indigenous economies, with a variety of sessions covering topics like Indigenous leadership spaces in ESGI and the Indigenous clean energy revolution. 

December 

Virtual Speed Networking for Purpose Driven Businesses

Date: December 4, from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM GMT

Location: Online

Description: Connect with like-minded business owners who care about their social and environmental impact and help your businesses grow and create positive systemic change during this hour-long session, where you’ll be placed in one-to-one breakout sessions to meet five new business contacts.

Technology and Indigenous Development Summit

Date: December 5–6

Location: Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Ontario

Description: This first-of-its-kind gathering invites Canada’s innovative tech sector to meet Indigenous leadership from coast-to-coast with a goal to address the unique challenges that remote First Nations face and innovative solutions currently being developed to address them.

Surrey Guildford – Resilient Women In Business Networking

Date: December 7, from 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM PST

Location: Ricky’s All Day Grill, Surrey, British Columbia

Description: Recurring on the first Thursday of every month, this networking event is all about supporting women with their business, regardless of level. After an educational session, attendees will participate in a group session to assist each other personally and professionally.

16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence

Date: December 8, from 5:00 PM – 9:30 PM EST

Location: Metro Hall, Toronto, Ontario

Description: In recognition of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, held between November 25 and December 10, this event combines networking, inspirational speeches, and interactive activities to support Immigrant Women In Business’s mission to unite women to be change agents in the world.

10C December Member Meet-Up

Date: December 14, from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM EST

Location: 10C Shared Space, Guelph, Ontario

Description: At this monthly event hosted by 10C Shared Space (10C), a hub for community activators and changemakers in Guelph, members will have the opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals, expand their network, and learn new skills.

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BIPOC Sustainability Collective: Supporting BIPOC Climate Leaders

Climate change impacts everyone. Coming up with innovative solutions requires a diverse range of input, but most environmentalist spaces lack proper diversity, equity, and inclusion to reckon with the intersectionality of its effects. The BIPOC Sustainability Collective was launched in order to unite and support BIPOC folks who have experienced discrimination in the environmental sector.

We spoke with Rita Steele, Founder of the BIPOC Sustainability Collective, about how this initiative is not only growing but making a real impact both when it comes to DEI and rescuing the planet. 

At the BIPOC Sustainability Collective’s November 2022 event, Towards a Just Transition: Building an Inclusive & Climate-just Workforce, in partnership with VEC.

Tell us about the BIPOC Sustainability Collective’s mission.

Climate change and environmental degradation disproportionately impact people of colour, yet we are underrepresented in the organizations tackling these issues. On the West Coast, many BIPOC sustainability professionals and activists find themselves as the only person of colour in their organizations.

The BIPOC Sustainability Collective is an initiative that aims to foster a capacity-building community for BIPOC professionals and activists to connect and seek peer support while navigating largely White environmentalist spaces on the West Coast. With 170 members and growing, we aim to build a support system, resources, and sense of community among BIPOC working in sustainability, climate action, and environmental conservation. We know that one of the most effective ways to move up in organizations and make meaningful change is to have strong, reciprocal, and supportive networks, especially when it’s not always possible to find allies within the organizations we work in.

What inspired you to start the BIPOC Sustainability Collective?

In 2021, I launched the BIPOC Sustainability Collective in response to my own experiences in a toxic and discriminatory work environment. I created a Facebook group to support other BIPOC sustainability and climate change professionals and activists around Metro Vancouver and invited individuals in my network. Initially, the intention of the collective was to help BIPOC folks to make meaningful and lasting connections with peers and mentors working in the sustainability sector. My hope was that those who were going through experiences of oppression and discrimination while working in climate action and environmental protection could reach out and seek help from a network of supporters.

In 2022, I started forming a relationship with the Vancouver Economic Commission (VEC) because our teams shared similar goals to diversify the sector and support the BIPOC leaders who face barriers within it. Through a budding partnership, VEC offered official support to help scale up the potential of the BIPOC Sustainability Collective in their Zero Emissions Economic Transition Action Plan (ZEETAP).

In November 2022, VEC worked with the Collective to plan our first in-person kick-off panel and dialogue event where we invited 40+ BIPOC sustainability professionals to convene about their experiences in the sector -– bringing the Collective from social media into real life. That event really kicked off the momentum of the Collective and got the network on the map. 

Overnight, the BIPOC Sustainability Collective went from a Facebook group managed by one moderator to a 15-person volunteer-led organization with strong partnerships with multiple organizations, funding opportunities oncoming, and ambitions far beyond what I had initially thought was possible. VEC is now our foremost partnership, and we are building more by the month.

What were some of the challenges you encountered?

The growth of this organization has been very organic and has largely grown through word of mouth. We’ve been fortunate that we’ve mostly been met with overwhelming support. We have had so much volunteer interest that we haven’t had to promote or formally recruit volunteers to join our cause at all.

We are experiencing organizations requesting to partner with us, potential funders asking more about us, and all of our volunteers are here with both a personal stake in and a deep passion for the work. I think this shows that there is such a dire need for a space like this one in Vancouver. I feel very fortunate that the group is able to grow so organically. 

What do you consider the BIPOC Sustainability Collective’s biggest success?

Bringing the BIPOC community together. This network gives us a community, support system, voice, and a platform to achieve our goals, move up through our careers, and forward a collective mission toward justice-centred and people-first climate action. Through our ongoing events, we are fostering opportunities for like-minded BIPOC folks to build relationships amongst each other and seek meaningful support from peers with relatable experiences to forward climate and environmental action.

Through a partnership with VEC, we ran an event in November 2022 called Towards a Just Transition: Building an Inclusive & Climate-just Workforce, which explored the experiences of BIPOC climate professionals in Vancouver and how we can envision a climate-just workforce together.

Additionally, in our first collaboration with Connecting Environmental Professionals, we held the BIPOC Sustainability Collective x CEP Networking & Learning Collaboration Event in February 2023, an event for BIPOC professionals and allies to explore justice, equity, decolonization, diversity, and inclusion (JEDDI) challenges within our sector and how we can collectively contribute to addressing them.

What makes the BIPOC Sustainability Collective unique?

We are the only BIPOC community in the sustainability space within the Metro Vancouver region and throughout British Columbia. Everything we do is about inclusivity and that may also lead to working with allies and partners outside BIPOC communities to forward diversifying the sector.

Our growth strategy is organic and, at its core, we’re really focused on our new organizers’ different capacities and interests in all ways which matter to them. We will be balancing needs we hear from our community with capacities we hear from our team. This is so that the work that goes behind our collective is also sincere and grounded in rest and resilience and accounts for the different needs of our volunteers with various commitments. Our goal will not necessarily be to grow the fastest or the largest but to grow in a strong, stable, and sustainable way.

How do you feel the BIPOC Sustainability Collective makes the world better?

There’s no denying that the link between our BIPOC communities and the climate crisis exists. Marginalized groups and communities have been hit harder, particularly those from lower economic countries, women, people of colour, LGTBQIA2S+, people with disabilities, and immigrants. This coupled with discrimination at work makes for a compelling case to create safe and empowering spaces such as the BIPOC Sustainability Collective to exist and support diversifying the sector and leading our region toward more inclusive, just, and equitable climate action.

At the BIPOC Sustainability Collective’s November 2022 event, Towards a Just Transition: Building an Inclusive & Climate-just Workforce, in partnership with VEC.

How would the climate sector, and the world in general, be better off if it were more diverse, equitable, and inclusive?

In our conversations with BIPOC professionals working in the sustainability sector, we’ve learned about additional barriers faced in forwarding their climate action work including, but not limited to:

  • High barriers to entry into the sector (including costs for higher education, internships, restrictive hiring practices, and years of work experience which often require privilege, parental and financial support, and an expectation of Western cultural and work experiences).
  • Accessing inclusive networking spaces (with diverse participants, without pressure to code-switch or perform in ways that conform to accepted Western cultural norms).
  • Lacking opportunities for advancement/career growth, leadership, and professional development within their organizations, or being pigeonholed/tokenized into DEI roles rather than being permitted to grow into roles they seek.
  • Experiencing discrimination, microaggressions, and racism in the workplace (and outside of the workplace) while trying to focus on championing climate action

An organization called Diversity in Sustainability published findings from their survey, “The State of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Sustainability” in 2021. They found that due to many of these barriers, “of all groups [working in the sustainability sector], White or Caucasian practitioners have the longest tenure in sustainability as a profession. Worldviews of dominant groups tend to persist over time.” Meaning, for these folks who do remain in the sector, mainly White and Caucasian practitioners, their worldviews, leadership expertise, and influence also tend to dominate climate change narratives and solution pathways within the sector.

In order to effectively tackle the great challenges of the climate crisis, we must tackle solutions using different approaches, lived experiences, worldviews, and areas of expertise. If our sustainability sector is being limited by a lack of diversity and, therefore, is also lacking diversity in perspectives on climate solutions, we will additionally face the challenge of limited solutions for the future. In this way, diversifying the sustainability sector is critical to solving the climate crisis.

Tell us about the BIPOC Sustainability Collective’s goals.

The BIPOC Sustainability Collective is on its way to forming its first strategic plan. For now, it is guided by its passion to support and connect BIPOC activists and professionals in their work on sustainability, climate action, and environmental conservation.

Overall, we are passionate about diversity in the sector as a whole, safe and inclusive networking spaces, professional development support, advocacy and sector research, resources and career support for BIPOC professionals, getting BIPOC on boards and in leadership positions, mentorship/peer support, and deep collaborations with other networks.

Our short-term goal is to attract talented individuals to join our mission. Our long-term goal is to be a community BIPOC individuals go to in order to feel supported and successful in their sustainability endeavours.

Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you’d like to share?

We are currently working on building out our email list. If you identify as BIPOC and are working in the sustainability sector in Metro Vancouver, please add yourself to our email list or join the BIPOC Sustainability Collective’s Facebook group to stay updated on future events. At this time, we only have communication/email channels available for those who identify as BIPOC. For allies, partners, and those who are interested in learning more, please contact our founder directly through LinkedIn.

What do you most want people to know about the BIPOC Sustainability Collective?

We’re here and ready to serve and support the BIPOC sustainability community. We’re also committed to diversifying the sustainability sector and making it a safer and more inclusive space for BIPOC folks to champion their climate action, sustainability, and environmental work within.

How can people help or contribute to the BIPOC Sustainability Collective’s mission?

Increase awareness of our events and initiatives in order to reach more BIPOC folks! If you are BIPOC, join our collective! If you are an ally, send our group and work to people in your network, talk about us with colleagues in your workplace, and share the BIPOC Sustainability Collective’s Facebook group link online! Additionally, join our email newsletter.

This story was featured in the Make The World Better Magazine:

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Meaningful Access Consulting: Equitable Inclusion for All

When spaces are inaccessible and, therefore, exclusionary, it has a deep and profound impact on those affected. Yet rather than truly understanding its widespread effects, accessibility is often not given the level of consideration and implementation needed to make the places where we live, play, and work truly inclusive for everyone.

Meaningful Access Consulting Co-Founders, Marco & Karin Pasqua.

We spoke with Karin Pasqua, Co-Founder and Accessibility & Universal Design Consultant at Meaningful Access Consulting, about how Meaningful Access Consulting is shifting perspectives, transforming inaccessible spaces, and empowering everyone to have equitable access and participation. 

Tell us about Meaningful Access Consulting’s mission.

Meaningful Access Consulting is an accessibility and universal design consulting firm that believes everyone should have the opportunity to participate in every aspect of community life regardless of their ability or disability. We work with developers, cities, businesses, and not-for-profits to help ensure that their locations are not only accessible but functional and beautiful.

What inspired you to start Meaningful Access Consulting?

Marco, my husband and Co-Founder of Meaningful Access Consulting, is a wheelchair user and is directly impacted by inaccessible spaces, and my mind works like a cross between an occupational therapist and an engineer. Together, we love solving complex accessibility problems and turning barriers into thoughtful solutions. Being accessibility consultants helps us create a lasting impact not just for those with disabilities, but for our communities as a whole, including seniors, children, people with temporary disabilities, and those of us who just need a bit of extra assistance for one reason or another.

What were some of the challenges you encountered?

Marco never wanted to be seen as a person with a disability who stood on a soap box and advocated for access. He started out as a game developer but was laid off in 2008 when the recession hit, so he turned his attention to inspirational speaking. It took him a long time to reconcile his lived experience with his professional experience and accept the professional designation of accessibility consultant. Once the company launched and I joined him, the next challenge was to navigate moving from a team of one to a team of two and take into consideration the needs of our “Junior Associate,” our two-year-old daughter, Stella.  

Marco emceeing the 8th Inclusive Employer Awards.

What do you consider Meaningful Access Consulting’s biggest success?

Our biggest success is seeing how our work has changed people’s attitudes. We know that the biggest barrier for most people with disabilities is attitudinal barriers, and shifting mindsets allows people to join us in improving the understanding of what better accessibility means for everyone. 

We have really seen a shift over the last few years in the perception of accessibility and inclusion. It’s no longer “the right thing to do” but rather becoming part of people’s active consideration because of how accessibility impacts people directly — not just for the person who identifies as having a disability but also the senior awaiting knee replacement surgery, the person who’s a new parent and only has one hand free, the avid athlete who was injured last week, or the person needing support with their mental wellness. Accessibility impacts all of us, and we are starting to see that change in attitudes.  

What makes Meaningful Access Consulting unique?

We are a family firm. We are a married couple, one with a visible disability and one without, and we bring our toddler along on many of our assessments and to job sites. We work together extremely well, and our combined experience really lends itself to the work that we do. We firmly believe that you should meet someone where they are at but then not leave them there. We focus on the positive and always provide a roadmap on where a business, organization, or government can take next steps to do even better.  

How do you feel Meaningful Access Consulting makes the world better?

We help change people’s minds and perspectives and really help people understand that accessibility is not only “the right thing to do,” but really impacts all people of all ages, now and in the future. We help our clients understand that everybody needs to belong and participate in their communities. It’s not good enough just to add a ramp to the front of the building or use a service elevator. It’s about equitable access and participation. It’s more than just getting in the door but actually participating in every aspect that we wish to participate in.

Marco demonstrates that universal design benefits everyone by playing with his daughter at the accessible playground at Unwin Park in Surrey, BC.

How would the world be better off if it were more diverse, equitable, and inclusive?

The world is a better place when we are all able to be seen, heard, and participate fully in all aspects of our communities, be it live, work, play, or learn. When we create spaces where we are all welcome, our diverse perspectives can be shared, appreciated, and respected. Every person’s story matters, and every person deserves the opportunity to not only share their story but continue to write new and exciting chapters for themselves. 

Tell us about Meaningful Access Consulting goals.

Our goal is to help shift mindsets by helping businesses, not-for-profits, and government organizations make changes to their employment strategies, built environment, and attitudes to work toward creating a more inclusive and accessible province, country, and planet. 

Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you’d like to share?

We are currently working with the Province of British Columbia, sitting on a technical subcommittee to help advance accessible employment strategies, as well as on the technical subcommittee for the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) program. As such, we are helping to inform the Province of Alberta’s Accessibility Legislation engagement project as well as various cities’ Accessibility Strategic Plans, including the Cities of Surrey, Richmond, and Regina. 

We are also very excited to be helping to shape communities around British Columbia, including the new Coronation Park planned community in Port Moody. At any given time, you’ll find us on a construction site, behind a computer reviewing plans, or, in Marco’s case, on stage providing disability awareness training events.  

What do you most want people to know about Meaningful Access Consulting?

We are here to work with you, your design, and your budget. We’re not here to tell you everything you’ve done wrong, rather we enjoy pointing out all of the things you’ve done well – oftentimes, it’s not even things you’ve thought about through the lens of accessibility. 

How can people help or contribute to Meaningful Access Consulting’s mission?

Give us a call or an email! We’d love to help you become more accessible and inclusive to people with disabilities. Be an advocate within your organization and see where there might be barriers or accessibility gaps for your staff and your clients.

This story was featured in the Make The World Better Magazine: