Unfinished

Pallet loads, truckloads, warehouse loads full of excess inventory get thrown out or liquidated every day. After 20 years brokering liquidation deals, Dave Rolleston was looking for more - more than squeezing the cheapest purchase and the highest bidder. That's when he started turning the process into a charitable donation, with about 75% of his profit going directly to charities. In this conversation, we talk about the size of the excess inventory problem, how sometimes the innovation is not that much different than your current model, finding a renewed sense of impact, and how brokering for impact is an opportunity for so many. Find more information, links and resources at https://joelmharrison.com/podcast

Moving from a corporate career to founding a nonprofit is not an easy feat. However, moving an in-person nonprofit or business solely online in a matter of months is even harder. Leah Coss is the co-founder of Build a Biz Kids and the founder of BBK Network, organizations teaching youth and kids hard and soft skills through entrepreneurship - and she did just that. In this conversation, we talk about how they quickly adapted during the pandemic, and how it opened their eyes to the impact that's possible through digital connections. But also the inherent issues with digital connections and constant Zoom calls. We talk about how to inspire your volunteers and employees, work remotely, and actually build connections online. View more at joelmharrison.com/podcast

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Aaron Friedland, the CEO of The Walking School Bus and SiMBi, has a passion for change that is powerful and inspiring. From struggling to learn because of his own Dyslexia to studying economic development to creating solar-powered classrooms and literacy software, Aaron's journey is one we can all learn from. In this interview we talk about the journey to creating impact halfway around the world, the struggle of doing too many things, and how we can create solutions from empathy, that are accepted and have a lasting effect. This chat isn't necessarily about education, it's about social entrepreneurship and how you can take the right approach for observing a problem and creating solutions.

I haven't felt so inspired to be an entrepreneur more before this episode, and not just because my guest today, Justin Bedard started a global organization (JUMP! Foundation) that inspires youth to make a difference. It's because he opens up about his failures, owns it, and learns from it. I don't hear this enough from social entrepreneurs. We see too much polished fetishizing of being an entrepreneur, and it doesn't usually match our own experience. In this episode we talk about everything from how nonprofits are struggling to find a social enterprise model, what being a nonprofit social enterprise even means, how JUMP! Foundation provides experiential learning to merge with a standard curriculum, the failures that shocked Justin into starting over, and the changes he made in leading his organization that launched them into their current success.

Whether you're looking for impact investments now, in the future, or never, there is a mindset here that all change makers needs to take note of. This episode I sat down with Mike Winterfield, Managing Partner of Active Impact Investments. They've been instrumental in deploying over $10 million in capital to businesses that create social or environmental impact. We dive into everything from how they define impact companies, what it's like starting a venture capital firm, how their model is different and allows impact investors to get more involved, and 3 big mistakes that people make when raising money.

When you start a company for the sole purpose of funding tree planting, and it takes off as a fashion brand, you see how it would be hard to stay focused. But through rebrands, viral social media hits, and an evolving fashion landscape, tentree hasn’t strayed from their mission. In this episode of the podcast, I get the absolute pleasure of speaking with Arthur Kononuk, Creative Director and Co-founders of tentree. To give some context, tentree plants 10 trees for every item purchased, and we dive into their audacious goal of planting 1 billion trees by 2030. We talk about their experience of going viral on Instagram, why they did a rebrand, the state of the textiles industry and sustainable fashion, and why selling more clothing might not be the best way to reach their new goal.

This conversation with Patrick Nangle, CEO of Modo opened my eyes entirely to a lot of subjects. I had no idea that car share programs, companies like Modo, were indeed thinking about impact. That they were created to solve the problem of environmental impact AND the financial impact of vehicle ownership. We talk about car share programs and community impact. We talk about co-op models and how they differ from standard corporations or nonprofits. We talk about collaboration and an openness to realize you can’t solve anything on your own. It truly was a pleasure, and if you’re living in BC, I hope you have a chance to try out Modo’s car share program.

So I’m not exactly the mompreneur that this episode is about, but I’m thrilled to talk with Mona Tavassoli of Mompreneurs Worldwide in this episode about everything from starting a business as a mom, managing your energy, culture and starting a business around the world, and how she’s teaching other mom’s how to excel at business. In this conversation, we dive into her work to empower women, and with her new foundation, to empower women refugees through educating them on entrepreneurship.

I sincerely didn’t understand how ignorant I was about the disability community until I read Al Etmanski’s new book and had him on the podcast. Al Etmanski is a long-time social entrepreneur, four-time author, and father to a daughter with down syndrome, which was the catalyst to his work. In this interview, we dive deep into Al’s new book, The Power of Disability and the stories and lessons that we can all learn as social entrepreneurs from people with a disability. We talk about language and labels, we talk about the way the landscape has changed over the years, we talk about why “the systems” are being created and modified by the wrong people. It was an inspiring conversation, and I truly believe that there is something for everyone in this book.

Josh Myers has wisdom that is far beyond his years as a leader in a nonprofit. As the executive director of the BC Centre for Ability, facilitating programs and assistance to people, young and old, with disabilities, he’s already taken the organization through significant transformations. In this episode we discuss Josh’s journey into becoming an executive director (hint: he worked there for 5 years first!), the organization changes they’ve been making in the past year, building leadership teams, being a leader through the tough times, and so much more. This episode truly is for all of us in a change-maker and leadership capacity - and Josh shares some very practical ideas on how to perceive your role and humbly come to serve others to get the best out of everyone.