Enterprising for Impact – Unlocking the Secrets of Success

Thursday, February 23, 2023
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Bayview Yards, 7 Bayview Station Road, Ottawa

See what attendees had to say…

About UNLEASHED

Unleashed is Ottawa and Eastern Ontario’s premier annual social enterprise and social purpose business event where practitioners, purchasers and other ecosystem participants come together to network, learn and be inspired. The theme of Unleashed 2023 is Enterprising for Impact – Unlocking the Secrets of Success.

A competitive business strategy and solid operational execution are at the core of every successful social enterprise and social impact business.

This year’s theme addresses the critical factors that must come together to ensure that your business activity thrives and generates lasting social, cultural or environmental impact.

Join us for a pragmatic and inspiring exploration of how to create the conditions for lasting success.

Who Attended

• Veteran and emerging social enterprise practitioners and social entrepreneurs looking to expand their impact through strategic growth
• Leaders from charities and nonprofit organizations operating, developing or exploring social enterprising activities to diversify revenue streams and increase impact
• Purchasers from the public and private sectors interested in building social value into their supply chain
• Representatives from funders and organizations who support the capacity building activities of the sector
• Other agencies and stakeholders who support Ottawa’s rich social enterprising and social entrepreneurship eco-system.

Program & Speakers

Please check back regularly for program updates.

12:30 PM	Conference room opens / networking begins!
1:00 PM	Welcome & Opening Remarks Michael Murr, Executive Director, Centre for Social Enterprise Development Ian Bingeman, Manager, Social Innovation, Ottawa Community Foundation
1:15 PM	Fireside Chat Keynote Corey Ellis, Co-Founder & CEO, Growcer in conversation with Doug Michaelides, President, Platform Marketing, and CSED Vice Chair
2:00 PM	Panel Discussion 1: Navigating Start-Up and Setting the Stage for Success Start-up and early stage enterprises face many challenges and the consequences of failure are high. Hear how leading social entrepreneurs are positioning their fast growing organizations for success through competitive business strategy, solid execution and a keen focus on impact. featuring Virginie Cobigo, Founding Director, Open Collaboration for Cognitive Accessibility Nathan Hall, Founder & CEO, Culture Check Susan Ingram, Executive Director, Big Brothers Big Sisters Ottawa in conversation with LoriAnn Girvan, Principal, LoriAnn Girvan Advisors, and past CSED Board member
2:45 PM	Networking Break
3:05 PM	Panel Discussion 2 Building on Success to Generate Lasting Social Impact Hear how successful social enterprise leaders are delivering value and growing the impact of their organizations in a competitive and constantly changing market environment. Together, our panelists bring many years of experience and will share what they’re doing to position their organizations for the future and the advice they have for others. featuring Simon Durand, Directeur Général, Groupe Convex Jamie Kwong, Executive Director, Ottawa Safety Council Dave Rideout, President and CEO, MetroWorks Employment Association in conversation with Shelley Robinson, Executive Director, National Capital FreeNet
3:50 PM	Networking Break
4:10 PM	Panel Discussion 3: Social Procurement AMA (Ask Me Anything!) This is a unique opportunity for conference attendees to hear from local procurement experts whose organizations purchase more than $300M annually. Our panelist will share their perspectives on what purchasers expect to see from social value suppliers as well as advice they have for other purchasers which seek to bring social value into their supply chain. featuring Tracey Dennis, Executive Director, Supply Chain & Chief Procurement Officer, The Ottawa Hospital Andrea Norris, Senior Manager, Strategic Sourcing and Corporate Services, Ottawa Community Housing in conversation with Len Fardella, Social Procurement Coordinator, CSED
4:45 PM	Program Announcements
4:50 PM	Closing Remarks
5:00 PM	Conclusion of event / Continued networking

Event Recap:

On Thursday, February 23, we hosted Ottawa’s highly anticipated annual social enterprise conference – Unleashed 2023 – with 120+ social entrepreneurs and key industry players attending. From a keynote and panels to interactive Q&As and networking sessions, it was a jam-packed afternoon spent well. Here’s a short recap:

• We started the day off with some opening remarks from Michael Murr, CSED’s Executive Director, and Ian Bingeman, from the Ottawa Community Foundation, our conference partner. 

• A keynote followed, moderated by Doug Michaelides, President of Platform Marketing, where we heard Corey Ellis’ story as a young social entrepreneur who co-founded his thriving social enterprise, Growcer, fresh out of University. We learned about leadership, innovation, and what it took for Growcer to become a leader in the community.

• In Panel 1, moderated by our very own, Michael Murr, we heard from leading social entrepreneurs, Virginie Cobigo, Open Collaboration for Cognitive Accessibility, Nathan J.D. Hall, Culture Check, and Susan Ingram, Big Brothers Big Sisters Ottawa, who shared their experiences, achievements, and challenges along the way as their fast growing organizations navigate the market. They described manageable risks that may arise in early stages like financing and exposure, and proposed tactics to generate success like developing a well thought out plan, having good advisors and a support system and to just do it; keep trying and keep pushing doors until you get the answer you need.

• After a short networking break, in Panel 2, we heard from leaders in the industry who are excelling in their social enterprise journeys! Simon Durand, Groupe Convex, Jamie Kwong, Ottawa Safety Council, and Dave Rideout, MetroWorks Employment Association in conversation with Shelley Robinson, National Capital FreeNet discussed how their organizations are successfully delivering value and growing their impact under changing circumstances. They shared insights and advice gained over years of experience and discussed the tension between the “social” part and the “enterprise” part of their social enterprises, how they pivoted their business model over time and especially after COVID. From Panel 2 we learned secrets of success like: to think big, establish valuable partnerships (like with a private company), to not be afraid and to just jump off the cliff; know what you are doing really well and advocate for that.

• After another networking break, Tracey Dennis, The Ottawa Hospital and Andrea Norris, Ottawa Community Housing Corporation answered the audience’s burning questions about procurement in an in-depth AMA (Ask Me Anything!) session with CSED’s own, Len Fardella! Coming from two very different backgrounds, our speakers offered valuable perspectives and insightful advice for both social value suppliers and purchasers alike. We learned that the purchaser is not always right; they only know their outcomes but sellers are experts in helping them reach the outcomes. We also learned that the best value for the purchaser has traditionally been about price and quality; now, it has to do with the value, price AND impact. Finally, our speakers encouraged the audience to check MERX and other platforms for current and previous purchaser opportunities.

• We wrapped up the afternoon with some program announcements, upcoming events and final remarks. Unleashed 2023 came to a conclusion with some continued networking after the event. Attendees had the opportunity to mingle and connect with other participants and explore new opportunities for growth.

A big thank you to our conference partner the Ottawa Community Foundation, our sponsors Alterna Savings and United Way East Ontario, and all the supporters, speakers, and crew who made this all come together. And of course, thank you to the attendees who came out, enthusiastic about learning, networking, and getting inspired.