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Sage Initiative: Supporting Indigenous Womxn Investors

Wealth has long been weaponized, creating divisions based on social class and excluding Indigenous Peoples from having a seat at the table. To shift the narrative and usher in true economic reconciliation, money needs to be used as medicine and matrilineal ways need to be restored. 

We spoke with Sage Lacerte, Founder & CEO of Sage Initiative, about how this collective is accelerating the rematriation of the Indigenous economy by supporting Indigenous womxn in the impact investment space.

What was the “spark” that first inspired you to start Sage Initiative?

As my mentor, Carol Anne Hilton, CEO and Founder of The Indigenomics Institute, says, “We are living in a time of Indigenous economic resurgence.” Sage Initiative was founded in 2019 and was an expression of love for all my relations, for Mother Earth, humans, and non-human beings. 

The “spark” that first inspired me to start Sage Initiative was when I learned more about how rich our Indigenous economy is and the realization that we are currently witnessing a generational shift in action and mindset toward a resurgence of Indigenous concepts of commerce. 

I asked, how can the impact investment sector contribute to the betterment of Indigenous communities in Canada? How can more Indigenous womxn take a seat at the economic table? How can impact investors participate in economic reconciliation and make values-aligned investments in Indigenous women and Two-Spirit–owned businesses?

Despite the growth in impact investing in Canada, Indigenous communities and businesses have stated that access to capital remains a significant impediment. Attracting patient capital for Indigenous-led businesses requires work on both sides: investors must familiarize themselves with potentially new business models, and entrepreneurs must be able to build their network, be willing to build partnerships, and showcase their work.

In our matrilineal societies, the matriarchs decide what the needs are of the community. So, by becoming investors, we are healing. That’s very central to the work of decolonizing, and it’s very central to the way that Indigenous commerce systems have worked for a very long time.

We want to shift the narrative because the systems of capitalism use wealth as a tool to divide people based on social class, and that system was not built with Indigenous people in mind. We are restoring our balance within ourselves and with the land. We are decolonizing wealth and restoring money as medicine.

This innovation brings an Indigenous approach to wealth. Circular in nature, our interwoven pedagogy introduces technical investing skills and practices with a balanced approach to investment that equally values social, environmental, and economic benefits. This is my chosen mechanism to promote intergenerational wealth and prosperity. 

What do you consider to be your biggest success? Can you share any stories of the impact your work has had that have surprised you?

Sage Initiative was chosen as one of the first selected projects of the highly innovative program, the Indigenous Innovation Initiative.

One of the largest impact-first investors in Canada, Grand Challenges Canada (GCC) has supported a pipeline of over 1,300 innovations in 106 countries. The Indigenous Innovation Initiative (I3) is the first GCC program delivered in Canada with a focus on innovations led by Indigenous womxn innovators. The 10 selected projects have created impact across diverse areas, such as pre- and post-natal health, sustainable beauty, human sex trafficking and sex exploitation, and food sovereignty and sustainability. 

As a result of this support, Sage Initiative has set the precedent for Indigenous womxn in impact investment globally.

This year, Sage Initiative will host our third cohort of 15 Indigenous womxn impact investors and begin our journey transitioning to scale across Canada.

Our great successes this year have been hosting our first Sage Initiative Harvest Ceremony in Victoria, British Columbia, where members of cohorts 1 and 2 gathered for a week of ceremony and reflection to provide meaningful evaluation for the Initiative.

We also hosted two pitch events featuring Indigenous womxn–owned businesses from across Canada, including Chelsee Pettit from ᐋᓃᓐ aaniin retail inc., ENB Artisan, and The Yukon Soaps Company.

We have graduated two cohorts of Indigenous womxn impact investors from Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Tofino, Squamish, Edmonton, Burns Lake, Nanaimo, Halifax, and many more.

In our evaluation, investors have reported: 

  • “Sage Initiative has allowed me to think much further into my future with more intention and critical thinking. I’ve adopted an intergenerational mindset when it comes to money, whether that ends up being my own children and grandchildren, or simply youth as a whole that deserve this knowledge and to be continuously uplifted.” – Sage Initiative participant 
  • “It’s transferred to other aspects of my life — when I stopped getting dopamine fixes from online shopping, I’ve traded it for kickboxing routines three times per day. I see my health as an investment now.” – Sage Initiative participant 
  • “As a result of Sage Initiative, I have given myself permission to spend without feeling guilty or anxious.” – Sage Initiative participant 
  • “My views have been completely altered since I myself have become an investor after being a part of Sage Initiative. I now see potential in everyone to be an investor especially the people and Indigenous people that will do good and be inclusive with their investments.”– Year 2 participant
  • “I feel worthy of money now. Money always felt unattainable. I never thought it would come into fruition for me.” – Year 1 participant 
  • “I met investors who had a good heart and were just everyday people, not necessarily working in a bank. Investors can be my aunties, my cousins, my family.”– Year 1 participant

We have also found that:

  • 100% of Sage Initiative participants feel ready to make an investment. 
  • 100% of Sage Initiative participants have made an investment since joining the collective. 
  • 80% feel they could now be a successful social impact investor. 
  • Not only did our program create the trauma-informed safety conditions to create belonging for participants, 95% of Sage participants said they felt belonging in the Indigenous Impact Investor community.

How do you feel having a platform and community help to make the world better?

Sage focuses on Indigenous-owned sustainable energy projects, underscoring the urgent need to address environmental concerns alongside social impact.

Financial capital alone is insufficient. We emphasize the importance of social capital, community connections, gift economy, and entrepreneurial mindset. We facilitate access to financial resources, networks, and mentorship. The Initiative aims to empower Indigenous women and non-binary individuals to feel a sense of belonging in the impact investment landscape. We work to transcend the current investment paradigm which privileges androcentric and extractivist worldviews.

Creating a seat at the economic table for Indigenous women, two-spirit, non-binary folks is deeply important to me. The purchasing power of the queer community is significant. The entire venture capital industry is led by white cisgender males, and because of that there is an implicit bias. 2SLGBTQIA+ founders are routinely overlooked and undervalued. Many members of the queer community relate to each other with feelings of longing to belong and feeling out of place in heteronormative environments. Not only are we looking to support Indigenous founders, but building on this demographic, it is important to define a 2SLGBTQIA+ lens in our impact investment thesis.

Roughly 2 million people in Canada identify as 2SLGBTQIA+, collectively spending $90 billion per year. I want to role model what it looks like for a queer Indigenous woman to stand at the forefront of innovation in the Indigenous impact investment landscape.

What are some of the challenges you typically face in building out your audience?

My personal journey and academic background in gender policy shaped the design of Sage Initiative. Instead of perpetuating the Western-centric approach prevalent in mainstream finance education, I recognized the importance of honouring Indigenous epistemology and creating a curriculum rooted in Indigenous concepts of commerce.

I did not want anyone in the industry to assume that Indigenous womxn’s success is due to our gender but rather our skills and competence.

I have also faced racism. Economic reconciliation will look like white people being comfortable with Indigenous people’s wealth.

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

Sage Initiative is planning to launch our third impact investment cohort of 15 Indigenous womxn impact investors in September 2024. We plan to transition to scale in 2024 as well, with cohorts across Canada widely available to Indigenous and non-Indigenous folks!

How can people help support your mission?

We invite Indigenous womxn to apply to Sage Initiative.

If you would like to lend your expertise and lived experience, join Sage Initiative`s national network as a mentor.

We also encourage you to buy Indigiqueer-owned products and services, educate yourself on colonization and how to engage in reconciliation, and create space at the economic table for equity-deserving communities.

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RIPPLE of CHANGE: Sharing Stories to Create Waves of Impact

Every one of us has the power to make a positive change in the world and inspire others to do the same. Sharing the work changemakers are doing with like-minded audiences creates a powerful ripple effect that can spread across the world.

We spoke with Whitney Larson, Creative Director of RIPPLE of CHANGE, about how this purpose-driven magazine uplifts changemakers by amplifying their inspiring stories.

Pictured here are the five original co-founders of ROC. (Clockwise from top: Christy Schmid, Mel Sutjiadi, Cicely Belle Blain, Whitney Larson, and Kate Bouchard)

What was the “spark” that inspired you to start producing RIPPLE of CHANGE?

In 2018, I travelled to India with Christy Schmid, another founding partner of the RIPPLE of CHANGE (ROC) team, to work with the Milaan Foundation. We were there to document stories of girls who are fighting to change the education system — quite literally the embodiment of “ripple of change.” These girls are given resources from the Milaan Foundation to go out into their communities and form a group of 20–25 other girls who also want a continued education past the age that their society typically allows. We saw the confidence and strength of these girls and started talking about how we could share their stories and similar stories of changemakers with a larger audience. 

As a creative duo — a designer and a photographer — we often found ourselves asking the question, “How can we take our talents and use them to make the world better?” We realized that we could use our creativity and influence to share stories like that of Kushboo and Rajkumari, two girls from rural Uttar Pradesh who transformed their own community through education and empowerment. RIPPLE of CHANGE was born to highlight this story, and hundreds of others, in a way that will inspire and engage a global audience of volunteers, activists, and changemakers. And ultimately, encourage them to join in.

What do you consider to be your biggest success?

The story of our launch. In 2020, when everything felt dark and overwhelming, Christy and I, along with three other founders, were committed to telling stories of hope and change. As the struggle, pain, and inequity of our collective experience surfaced, we came together, built the brand, and produced and launched the first issue of ROC in under six months.

We chose grounded optimism to offer clear, tangible suggestions for how to take action. I’m proud that our perspective on how to mobilize change was able to connect others in ways we never had before.

Can you share any stories of the impact your work has had that have surprised you?

Before ROC was born, while Christy and I were in India, we spent our first full day with an incredible girl named Rajkumari. She showed us around her village and told us stories about the challenges she overcame to pursue an education. She opened her heart to us and told us about the people who lifted her up and those who tried to stand in her way. At the end of the day, we stood on the roof of her house, taking her picture as the sun went down. She turned to us and said, “Thank you — you made me feel like Superman today.”

It was such a beautiful moment and has become a kind of internal bar, amplifying people and stories like hers to create that positive ripple effect of goodwill, support, and encouragement.

Since then, we feel it when hearing people talk about what they learned from our articles or seeing the excitement on someone’s face when we discuss how we can tell their story to inspire others. We have that excitement on our internal team, but it’s so encouraging to have it reinforced by the responses and actions of others.

How do you feel having a platform and community help to make the world better?

Hopeful. And proud of all the people who have opened their hearts, arms, and minds to the ideas.

We often talk about the power of small conversations. We encourage people to speak up and ask questions, even if they’re talking to an audience of one, because you never know how far that conversation will travel. There’s no telling how your ideas and perspective might open the mind of someone who was closed off to change in the past. 

One of ROC’s favourite steps in the production process is hanging the pages on the wall and reviewing the book from a bird’s eye lens. Here, their Chicago mascot Hass, is giving it a final review.

What are some of the challenges you typically face in creating content or building out your audience?

Fear and anger can be conversation stoppers. We’ve worked hard to build a platform that encourages inclusivity. That is why the foundation of each of our stories is a personal or lived experience.

Even if you don’t understand the entire experience, you can usually relate to a person on some level and that starts to open hearts and minds. We hope readers approach our stories and content with a sense of curiosity and willingness to engage with a perspective other than their own.

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

We have a few projects in the idea-building phase and will be sharing more in our newsletter soon. We’re looking at how we can engage individuals but also offer opportunities for companies to inspire their staff and act on their goals for social change. We’re thrilled to have three new partners on the team, Bob Roth, Jimmy Watkins, and Kara McPherson, and are working on a mix of digital and in-person events and community-builders, including an Issue 04 launch party!

How can people help support your mission?

Join our email newsletter and jump into conversations on our social platforms. We believe change happens when people with different experiences and viewpoints are willing to share and speak honestly with each other. Small, constructive conversations lead to empathy and positive movement all across the world.

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Love Food Hate Waste Canada: Helping Everyone Prevent Waste

When it comes to our individual fight against climate change, where should we start?  We all know the importance of reducing our individual environmental impact, and food waste is one area we can all work on right away, with the right tools, right from the comfort of our own kitchens.

We spoke with Joanne Gauci, Campaign Manager at Love Food Hate Waste Canada, about how this initiative is helping to end food waste by educating Canadians on prevention at home.

Love Food Hate Waste Canada’s “Labour of Love” campaign, which showcased real farmers across Canada.

What was the “spark” behind the Love Food Hate Waste Canada campaign?

Metro Vancouver first launched Love Food Hate Waste (LFHW) in the region in 2015. Then, building on the success of the regional campaign, we launched the initiative across Canada through the National Zero Waste Council in 2018. The motivation behind launching the campaign was to take a “prevention-first” approach to tackling food waste. Food waste is an urgent but solvable local and global challenge, and through LFHW Canada we are able to work with many partners across the country to inspire and empower people to make their food go further and waste less. Today, LFHW Canada represents a unique national collaboration, uniting a variety of business, government, and community champions all working together to tackle food waste in the home.

What do you consider to be your biggest success? Can you share any stories of the impact your work has had that have surprised you?

Everybody has a role to play in tackling food waste, and I think our biggest success has been engaging a variety of partners across the country so that everyone hears the same consistent messaging, whether they are at the grocery store or their community market, for example.  LFHW Canada has grown to become Canada’s leading resource for preventing household food waste due to the efforts of our partners and champions across the country.

By working together, we are able to have a much bigger impact than we can on our own, and Food Waste Action Week, which has taken place in March for the past two years in a row, is a great example of the power of aligning messaging locally and globally. This is an event that we run in collaboration with the international network of LFHW Canada partners, and for that one week, different organizations come together to raise awareness about the issue and opportunities for change. Food Waste Action Week 2023, which ran from March 6–12, was the most engaged campaign we have run since we launched in 2018, garnering over three million impressions across Canada for a week of coordinated activity.

How do you feel having a platform and community help to make the world better?

We hear first-hand that the Love Food Hate Waste Canada website and resources have helped families and individuals make their food last longer, save money, and ultimately prevent food waste. Our campaign partners are extremely active as well, sharing food waste prevention tips and messaging in their local communities, and you will see many of them at your summer farmers market. Food waste is one area where citizens can have a huge impact on climate change, and we feel proud to be working with others across the country to tackle this important issue. 

What are some of the challenges you typically face in creating content or building out your audience? 

We are lucky — there haven’t been a lot of challenges in our content creation to date; people generally love to talk about food and share their own tips and strategies for preventing food waste. However, we do a lot of myth-busting! For example, people often think that if they put their food in the green bin, then there isn’t an environmental impact. The green bin is absolutely the best way to manage unavoidable food waste, like banana peels and egg shells, but the truth is Canadians are wasting much more food than they realize. Our research suggests that approximately 63% of the food we throw out could have been eaten. That leaves a lot of room for improvement!

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

This year we have a big focus on tackling fresh produce waste, which is the most commonly wasted food type in Canadian homes. We completed research that brings to life the journey of five different foods: blueberries, potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, and apples. This research can be found on our website and underpins our current “Labour of Love” campaign, which aims to connect Canadians to the farmers who grow our food and emphasizes the important role of storage in keeping produce fresher for longer. 

Ultimately, this campaign is about getting people to think about the story behind their food, and all of the resources, labour, and care that went into making it. This is a multi-phased project that has been partly funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada, and we look forward to reporting on our key findings.  

How can people help support your mission? 

Share the message that #EveryBiteCounts and encourage fellow Canadians to visit lovefoodhatewaste.ca to get easy tips and tricks to prevent food waste at home.

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Intersectional Environmentalist: Growing the Movement

In the face of global crises, historically-excluded communities are disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change. Luckily, there is a growing movement that looks at this issue through an intersectional lens, and the individuals behind it are working hard to educate others and spread awareness to take action. 

We spoke with Sabs Katz, Co-Founder and Partnerships Lead at Intersectional Environmentalist, about how this collective is amplifying the intersectional environmentalism movement through content creation, activations, education, and community-building.

IE team and community at the inaugural Earth Sessions Show in Brooklyn in April 2022.

What was the “spark” that inspired you to start creating Intersectional Environmentalist content?

Intersectional Environmentalist (IE) was founded during the resurgence of the civil rights movement back in 2020. After the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, there was little vocal support from the environmental community. Leah Thomas (@greengirlleah) created an Instagram post that would end up going viral, calling on climate advocates to stand in solidarity with Black lives and defining intersectional environmentalism. 

With the momentum and support from the climate justice community online, Leah connected with fellow environmentalists like Diandra Marizet (@diandramarizet), Phil Aiken (@philthefixer), myself (@sustainablesabs), and our larger community to develop a resource hub and Instagram page for learning more about the intersections between climate and social justice.

What do you consider to be your biggest success? Can you share any stories of the impact your work has had that have surprised you?

There are so many things we’ve been proud of, but if I have to choose one I’d say it’s the community we’ve built. Being in community with and having support from 500K individuals across the world has been so affirming. Seeing folks engage with and use our resources, as well as start clubs and groups dedicated to intersectional environmentalism, seeing students change their school curriculum, and even hearing the White House speak to the importance of intersectionality in the climate space shows just how prolific this movement is and how much it’s needed!

How do you feel having a platform and community help to make the world better?

It’s been incredible to have a pulse on our reach and to see how people are taking the message of intersectional environmentalism and really embodying it. By leading with climate optimism, storytelling, and solutions, our community has taken these environmental justice learnings and empowered themselves to start community groups, join local gardens, and participate in wealth distribution for grassroots organizations.

IE Team and community at a hike in Southern California in 2021.

What are some of the challenges you typically face in creating content or building out your audience?

Challenges like the ever-changing algorithm, emerging trends, and digital burnout have encouraged us to get creative and reimagine how we disseminate and share our resources with people. Content creation and education/awareness will always be a part of our offerings, so we’re excited to continue navigating the digital landscape and using social media as a tool for building this movement.

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

We’re currently re-imagining the next chapter for IE, and through that process are focusing on continuing to support our online community with educational assets and fostering more in-person activations that bridge communities with their local environmental justice (EJ) leaders through offerings like Earth Sessions (@earthsessions.ie), workshops, campus visits, and book giveaway meet-ups.

How can people help support your mission?

Following and engaging with our content, joining local environmental justice initiatives, taking action toward the things you’re passionate about (e.g. joining a community garden, supporting frontline communities, voting, etc.), amplifying climate optimism and solutions, and supporting grassroots climate justice organizations are all ways we, as individuals, can support a more equitable and inclusive future.

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David Suzuki Foundation: Catalyzing Climate Activism

Successful climate activism has the power to drive positive change at all levels, from personal to governmental. In order to achieve this, though, we need educational tools to utilize, movements to engage with, and climate solutions to implement. 

We spoke with Craig David Long, Content Manager, about how the David Suzuki Foundation is educating and empowering Canadians to build healthier environments and sustainable communities with its over 30 years of experience.

David Suzuki participated in workshops and breakout sessions at the “Building Power: a Future Ground Network convergence” Vancouver event to help participants dive deeper into how to build and coordinate power collectively and strategically against forces driving the climate crisis.

What was the “spark” that inspired your founders to start creating educational content at the David Suzuki Foundation?

The David Suzuki Foundation got its start in 1990 after a CBC Radio series David Suzuki hosted called “It’s a Matter of Survival.” So many listeners were alarmed by the discussion of environmental problems, including climate change, that about 17,000 people sent in letters asking what they could do. The Foundation’s goal was to provide education and, above all, solutions. 

To complement its activism and on-the-ground public engagement work, the Foundation has worked with the David Suzuki Institute and Greystone Books to publish more than 60 books, many of which have won national and international awards. The Foundation has also published the weekly syndicated Science Matters column under David Suzuki’s name for the past 25 years. 

What do you consider to be the Foundation’s biggest success? Can you share any stories of the impact your work has had that have surprised you?

Over its 34-year history, the Foundation has had many successes. The “Declaration of Interdependence,” written for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, formed the Foundation’s guiding principles in its early years, and portions of it were woven into the Earth Charter, which continues to gain adherents today. 

Additionally, working with Indigenous Peoples and communities and supporting community activism through the Future Ground Network and Réseau Demain le Québec have informed and helped amplify the Foundation and its allies’ critical environmental work. 

As well, our scientific research and reports have helped reform fisheries practices, offer ways for Canada to reach zero-emissions electricity by 2035, and hold governments to account for habitat protection. 

Last but certainly not least, the Foundation’s Blue Dot Tour and movement provided a major push for Canada’s decision to enshrine the right to a healthy environment in law.

How do you feel having a platform and community help to make the world better?

Our many supporters and followers give us hope. We believe that the Foundation’s adherence to evidence-based information and its collaborative approach are making a difference in Canada and beyond. With the climate and biodiversity crises the world faces, it’s up to us all to do our part to educate and bring about positive change. The David Suzuki Foundation is proud to be part of this growing movement.

Performance stage at a Healing Forest at Riverside School’s Knowledge Path in Albert Bridge, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, on unceded Mi’Kmaq territory.

What are some of the challenges you typically face in creating content or building out your audience?

Like most environmental organizations, the David Suzuki Foundation must find ways to reach a larger audience and not just talk to those who are already on the same side as us. With limited resources, we also have to focus our work and temper expectations from the public about the amount of work we can take on and the issues we can help with. Working with other organizations, community groups, and networks to mutually support each other’s work helps. 

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

The Foundation will continue its critical climate and clean energy work, campaigning for renewable power for all, following up on our research that shows how Canada can have 100% emissions-free electricity by 2035. We will also work at the municipal level to empower citizens and councils to enact sound climate and sustainability practices and regulations, and boost ambition and implementation. And we’ll continue our work in biodiversity and habitat protection, including the Butterflyway Project, pollinator program, and orca and salmon conservation.

Working to build healthier environments and sustainable communities on this land we call Canada requires a diversity of voices and a wide range of knowledge and ideas, especially the knowledge of Indigenous Peoples who have known these lands and waters for millennia. The Foundation’s collaborative work on reports and a series of videos explaining “Land Back” and treaties shows how land governance must change to recognize and uphold Indigenous rights and responsibilities and to restore nature’s once abundant ecosystems.

The Foundation is also working with the National Healing Forests Initiative to encourage reconciliation by dedicating space in forests, gardens, or green spaces as places for healing, learning, sharing, and reflecting on Canada’s history and the legacy of Indian Residential Schools.

As always, we at the Foundation know that environmental and social justice go hand in hand, and we strive to be an inclusive and powerful amplifier for the many diverse voices calling for better ways of living on this land and with each other.

As always, you can learn about the above and other good work, at davidsuzuki.org. 

How can people help support your mission?

People can get involved in many ways, including volunteering, getting involved in campaigns, signing petitions and joining actions, and donating. We offer opportunities for volunteers in everything from pollinator work and the Butterflyway Project to the Suzuki Elders. It’s also important for people to talk to friends, family, coworkers, and others about the climate and biodiversity crises and their solutions. Greater awareness leads to growing potential for change.

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Brown Girl Green: Building Community to Fight Climate Change

Online communities can lead to powerful real-world connections. With the right content, tools, and a dash of radical vulnerability, creating a platform to share stories has helped close gaps and bring more people into the fight against climate change, especially those often left in the fray.

We spoke with Kristy Drutman, Founder of Brown Girl Green, about how her platform is empowering conversations, community, and careers in the climate change space.

Kristy Drutman.

What was the “spark” that inspired you to start advocating for and creating content about environmental rights?

When Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines, I felt devastated about the impacts the climate crisis was having and would have on the country where my family members live. I realized I had a responsibility and privilege to use my voice to raise awareness about these issues, especially in the US.

What do you consider to be your biggest success? Can you share any stories of the impact your work has had that have surprised you?

My biggest success was building an online community where people started learning about each other’s work and actually meeting each other in real life after discovering one another through the Brown Girl Green platform. 

Further, creating the Green Jobs Board, a company now helping thousands of people find and secure jobs to work on the climate crisis, feels like a true, tangible impact I’ve created through digital media tools. I identified a major pain point and storytelling gap when it comes to mobilizing and bringing more people into the movement: finding spaces and opportunities for them to build long-term, lifetime careers. Multiple young people of colour are on my team, working to address accessibility gaps in the world of climate work and to begin building the standard for a sustainable and equitable future.

How do you feel having a platform and community help to make the world better?

Having a platform creates a space for conversations that otherwise wouldn’t be prioritized or heard. It increases the surface area of opportunity for communities and campaigns that otherwise get left off the radar by the mainstream media. It provides me with the agency and autonomy to put out good work in the world without having too many strings attached to me in the process. In that way, my radical vulnerability creates a space of permission for others to strive and speak their own truth as well. 

Kristy speaking to a group and doing resume review for green job seekers at the Earth Day festival in New York City.

What are some of the challenges you typically face in creating content or building out your audience?

Algorithmic suppression of BIPOC creators, internet trolls/haters, and keeping the work funded through partnerships, collaborations, and my management team. All of this requires a lot of energy and brainpower to ensure the moving puzzle pieces create a sustainable platform and workflow. Also having to vet who I work with — based on ethics, sustainability of my work, etc. — takes it to the next level. 

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

Yes! The new release of greenjobsboard.us. For any companies and organizations looking for a platform to hire amazing, diverse talent, please consider using Green Jobs Board! Also, the Brown Girl Green podcast is up and on fire these days with weekly episodes all about climate education and environmental justice. If you’re looking for an environmental podcast curated with fascinating topics and full of melanin, subscribe to wherever you listen to shows and the Brown Girl Green YouTube channel.

How can people help support your mission? 

I am always looking for organizations and values-aligned businesses to collaborate with, whether it be speaking engagements, workshops, content, or getting green jobs up on our site! If you’re someone who feels aligned with my work and mission to bring more diversity, equity, and inclusion to the climate space via storytelling and education, please hit me up! 

Social Media:

browngirlgreen.com/ 
browngirlgreen.com/greenjobs 
facebook.com/browngirlgreen/ 
twitter.com/browngirl_green (@BrownGirl_Green)
linkedin.com/company/brown-girl-green/ 
instagram.com/browngirl_green/ (@browngirl_green)
youtube.com/@BrownGirlGreen/ 
patreon.com/browngirlgreen 
communities.kajabi.com/browngirlgreen/challenges

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Asparagus Magazine: Amplifying Sustainable Living

Sustainable living helps fight climate change and build a better world, but the journey can often feel overwhelming and discouraging. To keep people motivated, it’s important to apply a creative, intersectional lens, providing encouragement, expertise, and a touch of levity, so everyone can make big and small changes in their lives.

We spoke with Jessie Johnston, Founder, Publisher, and Editrix-in-Chief of Asparagus Magazine, about how this publication is using storytelling to inspire and support a community of readers determined to live sustainably.

Left to Right: Asparagus Vancouver-area team members Aniana Dominguez, Christine Fwu, Jessie Johnston (holding dearly departed Feline-In-Chief Millicent), Zohra Shahabuddin, Daina Lawrence, and Sun Woo Baik at a rare in-person gathering in 2022. Photo credit: Sun Woo Baik.

What was the “spark” that inspired you to start creating Asparagus Magazine content?

I founded Asparagus in 2018 because it was the magazine I wanted to read but just couldn’t find. Despite my passion for the environment and social justice, I mostly read magazines focused on other subjects. My favourite was Wired, a publication that brings together in-depth reporting, excellent writing, practical tips, and big-picture thinking, all woven through with a refreshing thread of irreverence.

When I first dreamed up Asparagus, there seemed to be two major trends in storytelling about sustainability: articles were either focused on small consumer choices, with guidance that was easy to digest but often not backed up by reliable evidence, or they were evidence-based examinations of big issues that were heavy and depressing to read.

Sometimes people want to understand a complex systemic issue, and sometimes they just need help picking toilet paper. My goal was to create a place where skilled writers could tell both the large and small stories of how we can live sustainably and tell them in a way that took the issues seriously without taking ourselves too seriously. The “Wired of green,” as it were.

Readers can care about the environment and social justice, and also want a break from the dread of 21st century living. So, from the very beginning, Asparagus has been a publication that values humour and creativity as highly as we value rigorous fact-checking and an intersectional worldview.

What do you consider to be your biggest success?

Our biggest success was winning the award for British Columbia Magazine of the Year at the 2022 Alberta Magazine Awards. For a publication as small as ours, receiving that recognition from our peers was meaningful and inspiring. We’re also thrilled that an initiative we’re a collaborator on — the Climate Disaster Project — has been nominated in the Engagement category of the 2023 Covering Climate Now Journalism Awards. It’s pretty incredible to be part of a finalists list with international heavy hitters like The Guardian and Al Jazeera.

Since publishing the Winter 2021 cover story on bats, the Asparagus team has learned something surprising: Everybody loves bats, but nobody knows that everybody else loves bats! This issue is by far the most popular choice when they give copies away at farmers markets. Photo credit: Erin Flegg.

How do you feel having a platform and community help to make the world better?

The cover story of our most recent issue was called “We’re All in This Together,” and that’s as true of the climate crisis as it was of the COVID-19 pandemic. So many of the world’s problems arise from people’s failure to recognize our deep interconnectedness with each other and the rest of life on Earth.

Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools humans have to bridge those divides. By publishing stories that connect our readers to their neighbours, to people continents away, and to the ecosystems we’re all part of, Asparagus can strengthen those readers’ resolve — and capacity — to take action in their own lives that can impact the planet as a whole.

Stories not only help people better understand each other and the world around us, but they also bring people together. Our journalism has enabled us to create a community of readers who gather around issues they care about and want to understand better. 

Since 2018, we’ve presented virtual and in-person documentary screenings and discussions, and in August 2022, we held our first in-person event in over two years. That sold-out gathering — co-hosted with EartHand Gleaners Society — was a joyful opportunity for us to share the sustainable textile expertise of EartHand’s artists with some of our longtime readers and welcome EartHand fans to our community. These kinds of opportunities to learn and connect are critical to building the informed coalitions we need to make things better for all life on Earth.

What are some of the challenges you typically face in creating content or building out your audience?

We are a tiny organization with an even tinier budget. It’s important to us to always pay contributors, even if we can’t pay them as much as we think they deserve. As such, we’re only able to publish as many stories as we can afford to pay for, which, these days, is not very many. But without new content, it’s hard to grow our audience to the size that could support us. It’s a vicious circle we’re trying hard to break out of so we can create award-winning, thought-provoking journalism for years to come.

And, as of this August, we’ve been hit with a new challenge to growing our audience: having all our posts and links to our website blocked in Canada on both Facebook and Instagram as a result of Meta’s punitive response to recent federal legislation.

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

We are working on building partnerships that will help us get back to publishing online and in print with the frequency of past years. If you work with or know of an organization looking to collaborate on high-quality journalism about how we can live sustainably, we’d love to connect. Our next exciting initiative could be a partnership with you!

How can people help support your mission? 

Having the COVID-19 pandemic start just as we celebrated publishing our second issue meant we weren’t able to build our audience the way we had planned at a time when our young organization really needed to grow. As a result, we don’t have the number of readers or financial supporters that we need to sustainably support the work we created Asparagus to do.

People who believe in our mission can best support us by subscribing to the print magazine and/or by making a financial donation. Those who can’t contribute financially can still help by spreading the word about our work to their communities, whether by posting on social media, requesting that their local library or newsstand stock the magazine, or, most impactful of all, making individual recommendations to family, friends, and co-workers who want to build a just society on a healthy planet.

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

Categories
Events Impact Inspiration & Initiatives

20+ Purpose-Driven Events to Attend in January – March, 2024

Is making the world better one of your New Year’s resolutions? Look no further! There are purpose-driven conferences for every cause that matters to you, including advancing the circular economy, supporting underrepresented communities, championing DEI, advocating for accessibility, and more. 

We’ve tracked down over 20 learning, collaboration, and networking opportunities taking place both online and in-person, in Canada and globally, in the first three months of 2024, so you can start planning an impactful year.

Keep scrolling to learn all about purpose-driven events taking place this January, February, and March.

January

Having Difficult Conversations

Date: January 11, 2024, from 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM PST

Location: Online

Description: This workshop helps individuals with disabilities and their families learn how to navigate conflict and difficult conversations.

Masterclass: Creating Accessible Spaces with Debbie Patterson

Date: January 13, 2024, from 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM PST

Location: Online

Description: At this masterclass, participants will join Winnipeg playwright Debbie Patterson as she explores how to create accessible spaces for artists and audiences with disabilities. 

Connect and Caffeinate: Writing the CFRE

Date: January 18, 2024, from 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM EST

Location: Williams Fresh Cafe, Niagara Falls, Ontario

Description: Join the Niagara Fundraisers Network (NFN) for discussions about fundraising and pursuing Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) certification over cups of coffee.

JEDDI Seminar: The Geography of Inequality

Date: January 19, 2024, from 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM PST

Location: Online

Description: Learn how geographic place, labour markets, and public policy influence households’ economic lives and inequality at this JEDDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Decolonization, and Inclusion) seminar.

Tasting Climate Change / Goûter aux Changements Climatiques 2024

Date: January 23 – 24, 2024

Location: Marché Bonsecours, Montréal, Québec

Description: This conference gathers together international experts to explore sustainability and sustainable production solutions in the wine industry through panel discussions, networking, and wine-tasting sessions.

Indigenous Child and Family Well-Being Conference 2024

Date: January 23 – 25, 2024

Location: Shaw Centre, Ottawa, Ontario

Description: Discover ways to contribute to improving the lives of Indigenous children and families at this conference. Connect with professionals, community leaders, and individuals passionate about supporting Indigenous communities; explore culturally responsive practices, holistic approaches to well-being, and community engagement strategies; and participate in interactive workshops, networking, and knowledge sharing.

Understanding Disability: Community Resources

Date: January 25, 2024, from 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM PST

Location: Online

Description: This workshop will help caregivers and professionals supporting individuals with disabilities prepare for adulthood and seniorhood and access what they need to live a good life.

CrossRoads 2024 — Alberta’s Crop Conference

Date: January 29 – 31, 2024

Location: The Westin Calgary Airport, Calgary, Alberta 

Description: Convened by the FarmTech Foundation of Alberta, this agriculture event explores the theme “New ideas and directions – examining big picture innovation in agriculture” at the intersection of people and ideas. Join discussions around agricultural sustainability, policy, markets, innovations, and farm management while enjoying a daily full breakfast and fun networking socials.

February

JEDDI Seminar: Non-Standard Work

Date: February 2, 2024, from 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM PST

Location: Online and In-Person at UBC Sauder School of Business, Vancouver, British Columbia

Description: Discover how individuals adapt to contingent work arrangements and the true organizational costs of hiring different types of contingent workers at this JEDDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Decolonization, and Inclusion) seminar.

15th Annual Black History Month Gala

Date: February 3, 2024

Location: SteelWorkers’ Union Hall & Conference Centre, Sudbury, Ontario

Description: Join the Afro-Heritage Association of Sudbury (AHA) for a Black History Month celebration centred around the theme, “Empowering Change Through Dedicated Service.” Enjoy a special keynote, business showcases, exhibitions, and performances while celebrating  Afro-Caribbean culture and building a deeper sense of community.

CityAge Vancouver: Urban Zero Challenge

Date: February 6, 2024, from 8:30 AM – 1:30 PM PST

Location: Fairmont Waterfront, Vancouver, British Columbia

Description: Rise to CityAge Vancouver’s Urban Zero Challenge at this event, which will explore key themes around reducing environmental impacts, including decarbonizing cities, zero-emission transportation, zero-emission buildings, a new approach to urban development, and connecting Cascadia, along with the technologies and tools needed to meet this challenge head-on.

Women of Influence Nanaimo (WIN) Awards

Date: February 7, 2024, from 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM PST

Location: Vancouver Island Conference Centre, Nanaimo, British Columbia

Description: Celebrate the accomplishments of women, non-binary, two-spirit, and gender-diverse role models in the Nanaimo community at this purpose-driven awards ceremony.

1st Global Conference on Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestries & Food (GCAFFF)

Date: February 9 – 11, 2024

Location: The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia

Description: Meet with professionals, policymakers, sector leaders, and relevant participants in the agriculture, fisheries, forestries, and food industries for an interdisciplinary conference focused on sustainable methodologies, economically feasible and environmentally responsible strategies, societal considerations, and the effects of climate variability, all with the purpose of stimulating transformative change.

1st Global Conference on Renewable Energy and Environmental Sustainability

Date: February 9 – 11, 2024

Location: The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia

Description: Get ready for a deep dive into renewable energy technologies and environmental conservation at this conference, which aims to bring together global leaders, experts, and policymakers to address global issues such as climate change, energy security, and equitable access to resources, and to collaborate toward actionable solutions.

Protecting Human Rights in AI: Integration in Risk-Based Governance

Date: February 14, 2024

Location: Mila – Institut québécois d’intelligence artificielle, Montréal, Québec

Description: This conference seeks to advance the critical efforts needed to incorporate human rights into AI governance. Experts will speak on several relevant topics, including human rights impact assessments, tools for risk measurement, and how to ensure accountability. 

Starting Courageous Conversations

Date: February 16, 2024, from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM AST

Location: IGNITE Atlantic Auditorium, New Glasgow, Nova Scotia

Description: At this workshop, folks in Pictou County will learn about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; unconscious bias and language changes; and how to build and foster inclusive and welcoming communities.

Networking Brunch / Déjeuner-causerie – “Celebrating Black Excellence”

Date: February 17, 2024, from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM EST

Location: Plaza Centre-Ville, Montréal, Québec

Description: Celebrate Black History Month at this networking event, which seeks to inspire entrepreneurs and provide them with valuable insights to help them succeed. Plus, enjoy a recognition ceremony that will highlight the achievements of successful members of the Montréal Black community.

International Conference On Women Startups

Date: February 27 – 29, 2024

Location: 91 Granton Drive, Richmond Hill, Ontario

Description: This conference demonstrates why women are needed to develop the economy, discusses the benefits of women innovators and diverse entrepreneurship, and seeks to support women’s economic empowerment.

March

JEDDI Seminar: Consumer & Societal Wellbeing

Date: March 1, 2024, from 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM PST

Location: Online

Description: Learn how to help improve consumer’s financial, health, and food decisions, particularly among vulnerable populations at this JEDDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Decolonization, and Inclusion) seminar.

Wilderness, Wildlife & Human Interaction

Date: March 2, 2024, from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM MST

Location: Bragg Creek Community Centre, Bragg Creek, Alberta 

Description: At this “Wilderness, Wildlife and Human Interaction”-themed symposium, explore new perspectives surrounding wildlife preservation, domestic and wild landscape management, conservation past and present, alternative energy, new technology, and more, and uncover creative methods toward achieving a healthier and more sustainable planet. 

Women Inspire-2024 (Celebrating Women in Business & Leadership)

Date: March 6, 2024, from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM EST

Location: East Water Front- Ball Room, Toronto, Ontario

Description: In honour of International Women’s Day, this forum provides a platform to showcase lessons from Canada’s inspiring business women, including lessons learned and best practices. The event will include networking and debates to help cultivate new partners, relationships, and markets for business growth.

Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) 101

Date: March 13, 2024, from 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM PDT

Location: Online

Description: This workshop provides an introduction and overview of Alberta’s Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) government service. Caregivers will gain an understanding of the program and service provision options.

Champions Retreat 2024: Restore

Date: March 18 – 22, 2024

Location: Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia

Description: Join members of the B Corp movement at this inspirational event, designed to connect and mobilize values-aligned people from Canada and the US who are using business as a force for good. This year’s theme, “Restore,” will engage attendees on a journey toward collective and personal restoration while examining the power of healing in community.

Global Conference on Girl Child Empowerment (GCGCE 2024)

Date: March 23 – 25, 2024

Location: Woodbine Banquet and Convention Hall, Toronto, Ontario

Description: Convened by The Amara Girls Initiative (TAGI), this conference will unite over 400 delegates from around the world and all walks of life to inspire women and girls and promote general equality. This year’s theme will focus on how empowering girls and investing in their education and health will lead to a better future for everyone.

Source to Stream 2024

Date: March 26 – 27, 2024

Location: Pearson Convention Centre, East Brampton, Ontario

Description: This event, organized by Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) in association with Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) and Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority (LSRCA), through the Sustainable Technologies Evaluation Program (STEP), will showcase the work of leading industry experts, influencers, and researchers who are shaping a low-impact future for stormwater management, erosion and sediment control, and stream restoration.

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On a mission to make the world better? Our marketing experts can help make your impact story shine. Let’s talk purpose.

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
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.