SCALE INSTITUTE
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION FOR THE SOCIAL CHANGE SECTOR
SCALE INSTITUTE
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION FOR THE SOCIAL CHANGE SECTOR
Providing research, development, and educational programming in the areas of social innovation, social enterprise, social procurement, and social finance.
Scale Institute supports the sector through a variety of different means: resources and toolkits, case studies, webinars and workshops, and programs.
Scale Institute is funded through a combination of grants, government funding, contracts, and sponsorships. We work on a project-to-project basis, identifying areas of innovation and developing new approaches grounded in research and tested for impact.
CURRENT PROJECTS
Non-profits are increasingly operating social enterprises. If you are a non-profit thinking about starting a social enterprise, why not buy one of the many businesses that are for sale?
Community wealth building redirects wealth back into the local economy, and places ownership, control and benefits into the hands of local people and organizations.
Local governments invest billions of dollars annually with few options for investments in positive local impact. If they can invest in other countries’ communities, why not in their own?
LEGACY PROJECTS
seCatalyst was a series of events to learn about, showcase and inspire social enterprise. seCatalyst hosted learning events, conferences, pitch galas, incubation bootcamps, and networking events.
Vancouver Island Social Innovation Zone (VISIZ) was a research, mapping, planning and innovation initiative to strengthen the local social enterprise ecosystem.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
As a public speaker, facilitator, and lecturer, Joanna focuses on the intersection of entrepreneurship, impact, youth, and future of work. She was the founding Managing Director of the Centre for Social Innovation & Impact Investing, co-creator of the award-winning Coast Capital Savings Innovation Hub, and previously steered the ship at The Next Big Thing, Canada’s only full inclusive youth entrepreneurial program.
Find her lecturing about entrepreneurship and innovation at Simon Fraser Beedie School of Business and at Emily Carr University; mentoring youth led start-ups such as SmartSweets, Blume, WizeMonkey, GrantMe; and driving conversation around social impact and innovation as the chair of the Scale Institute. Joanna’s work focuses on building changemaking ideas from concept to reality, to big impact.
Her career began in the community economic development arena as a Chamber of Commerce Manager/EDO actively pursuing economic development opportunities. Motivated by the grassroots development approach and the business development aspect of Western Diversification Canada’s Community Futures Program mandate, Jolynn joined a Community Futures team in 1994 where she worked for ten years.
Seeking new opportunities, Jolynn became a Human Resource Manager of a five-star golf and casino resort. Jolynn’s work experience gave her the desire to continue to expand her knowledge base and as a result graduated with a Master of Leadership and Training, Organizational Leadership and Change Management from Royal Roads University of Victoria, BC.
She currently works on freshwater issues, as VP Program Development with AquaAction, a national charity that engages young Canadians and propels their sustainability-motivated tech-ingenuity to develop innovative solutions.
Kariann is happy to now be living with her family on the traditional, unceded territory of the Lekwungen-speaking people, and thoroughly enjoys cold water ocean-dipping.
She is inspired by the work of Scale Institute and is a proud member of the board since 2018.
PARTNERS & FUNDERS
Scale Institute appreciates the generous support of these partners and funders:
