Social Venture Institute (SVI)

Big, bold challenges teach us all. At SVI we will feature enterprises that have identified a specific strategic challenge to a panel of experts. The format of SVI is highly interactive and experiential. Participants present their business problems to a panel of experienced business leaders and fellow participants. In return, they receive advice, tools, and resources to strengthen and grow their enterprise in a socially conscious way.

Case Studies:

• Rory Richards — CEO of NUQO Modular, a female-led, proudly Indigenous construction company recognized for its sustainable and culturally grounded approach. A proud Coast Salish woman of Sechelt (shíshálh) descent, Rory is also an advocate for Indigenous housing and affordable childcare.

• Kyle Empringham — Co-founder of The Starfish Canada and professor at the University of Victoria’s Gustavson School of Business. His work uplifts youth changemakers in climate action, centering equity and justice.

• Carla Leon — Innovator and leader behind Canada’s first social acquisition by charities. As part of Just Like Family Home Care, Carla has transformed the organization into a certified social enterprise reinvesting profits into aging-in-place support.

Business Problem Solving Sessions:

• Chloe Goodison — Founder and Executive Director of NaloxHome Society, a youth-led charity providing province-wide drug education and naloxone training. Recognized with BC’s Medal of Good Citizenship for her leadership, Chloe is committed to creating healthier, safer communities for young people.

• Eden Fineday — CEO and Publisher of tâpwêwin media/IndigiNews and co-founder of the Indigenous Media Association of Canada. A nêhiyaw iswêw (Cree woman) from Sweetgrass First Nation, Eden leads with trauma-informed, decolonized journalism that amplifies Indigenous stories and voices.

Learn practical tools and tactics in SVI workshops. Workshop topics cover sales, marketing, finance, strategy, and leadership. Stay tuned for the full workshop list!

This year’s sessions are designed to give you actionable tools you can bring straight back into your venture, whether you’re navigating growth, deepening your impact, or building long-term resilience.

Workshops include:

• Mike Rowlands, Junxion
  Agile Strategy for the Social Venture
  Effective strategy today integrates culture and brand, embraces change, and empowers leaders through growth and organizational development. Mike shares Junxion’s Turning Point™ approach—an agile, participatory model that’s already been put into practice by many SVI alumni and other visionary social purpose organizations.

• Courtney Henry, GrowthMinded Strategy
  Stop Guessing, Start Growing: Learn the Strategic Marketing Framework That Drives More Results with Less Effort
  A practical, values-aligned marketing framework for impact entrepreneurs who want to stop wasting time and money on tactics that don’t work. Walk away with a clear, strategic foundation for your business, plus real-time feedback on how to apply it right away.

• Siri Amrit Khalsa, Aligned Impact
  Signal Over Noise: The Precision Principle That Transforms Decision-Making
  Too many metrics, not enough clarity? Learn how to cut through data overwhelm using Aligned Impact’s Precision Principle, a simple system that pinpoints which numbers truly drive growth. Ideal for founders in the “messy middle” who want to make smarter, more confident business decisions.

• Rachel Dick, Coast Capital
  Defining and Measuring Your Social Purpose
  From vision to measurement, this workshop draws on Coast Capital’s experience building a social purpose strategy to help you identify, articulate, and integrate purpose across your business. Explore practical steps and tools to ensure your purpose is authentic, measurable, and core to your success.

  Read the full Workshop descriptions in our SVI Program Agenda.