Vanessa Richards

Vanessa Richards, born in Vancouver, director of Creative Together, works as an artist and facilitator. Her practices encourage the personal and civic imagination towards positive social change and sustainability.

Since the 1990’s she has been devising and delivering arts-based engagement, education and programming through collaboration with community programmes, universities, unions, cultural organizations, health care providers, and projects that serve the imaginations of young people and elders.

As a community choir leader she also brings collective singing to conferences and gatherings to connect ideas, emotions and people. Her poetry and critical works are anthologized in the UK, Holland, United States and Canada. As a performer she has been nominated for a Jesse Richardson Theatre Award.

She is on the advisory committee for the RADIUS Fellowship at Beedie School of Business SFU and a producer/facilitator for the Social Venture Institute with Hollyhock Leadership Institute. For many years Richards served as a volunteer on the City of Vancouver Black History Month Advisory Committee as well as the Hogan’s Alley Working Group and Society. She is currently a volunteer mentor for two youth co-operatives, Ethọ́s Lab and Solid State. For her work in community engagement Richards was the recipient of the 2018 City of Vancouver’s Mayor’s Achievement Award.

Events with Vanessa Richards

Social Venture Institute – Virtual 2025
February 6 - 7, 2025

Get ready to feel replenished and energized; supported and seen; and above all, connected to yourself and other business leaders that know we need global transformation. Come create community in the potent, highly curated, and brave space of Social Venture Institute (SVI) Virtual. Share your real time business struggles, problem…

Social Venture Institute 2025 - Hollyhock
September 17 - 21, 2025

Together, we’ll continue to create positive change and make a difference. See you in 2025 for the 30th anniversary of SVI!