The 2016 Social Venture Challenge (SVC) built upon the success of our 2015 program to encourage, support and grow new social ventures in the Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton and Lillooet region through capacity building, mentorship, and raising awareness. The SVC supports entrepreneurs with the development of their social ventures business idea/concept.

• Visit the 2017 Social Venture Challenge Program page.
• Meet the 2016 program participants, learn about their ventures and watch their practise pitch videos.
• View the launch event, “Doing Good Through Business” page.
• View the Dragons’ Den style pitch event page.

Program Goals

• To raise awareness of social ventures (what they are + the benefits to the community and region)
• To encourage, support and inspire social venture development
• To create a stronger culture of social ventures that can generate greater social impact in the region

The SVC program includes:

Learning – Four cohort-based topic-focused learning sessions on components of business development and the Business Model Canvas. 

Participants will learn:

• Value proposition and customer segments
• Marketing
• Key resources
• Partners and key stakeholders
• Making the pitch

Mentorship – One-on-one support developing business concepts.

Videos – Short video to promote social ventures Dragons’ Den style Pitch Event – Each applicant has an opportunity to revise and fine-tune their pitch to present at a community event. The ‘winning’ social venture business concept will receive $5000 in seed funding in cash/term deposit.

Feedback from our 2015 SVC participants

“I really feel like the whole [Social Venture Challenge] process transformed my big idea and helped lay the foundation for the next step of my social venture. It was not only the incredible coaching, but the incredible networking done though the whole process.” [2015 participant]

“I thought the program was very well done. I really feel like the whole process transformed my big idea and helped lay the foundation for the next step of my social venture.” [2015 participant]

“The lessons learned apply not just to the venture we developed under the SVC but are already being integrated into evaluating future concepts.” [2015 participant]

For more information please contact Cheeying Ho at 604-388-8421.

Visit the 2017 Social Venture Challenge Program page.

Social Venture Challenge in the News

• • Centre for Sustainability kicks off 2016 Social Venture Challenge: Business mentorship course launches with March 18 event at the SLCC – The Pique Newsmagazine
  • Food: Innovation’s natural cousin: The Social Venture Challenge grows some great concepts – The Pique Newsmagazine
  • Social Venture Challenge kicks off second installment: Event aims to inspire social entrepreneurs at the SLCC on Friday (March 18) – The Whistler Question

The 2016 Social Venture Challenge (SVC) program is generously supported by Squamish Savings,  Community Futures Howe Sound, the Province of British Columbia, the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Ziptrek Ecotours and Whistler Shuttle.

The SVC program is part of the Centre’s LEAN (Local Economy Action Network) initiative, which aims to create a stronger shared-value based local economy through collaboration and collective action.