DISCOVERY 16 – SOCIAL ENTERPRISE ZONE & PITCH COMPETITION

By Andrew Bridge.

We had a great morning at the Social Enterprise Showcase and Panel as part of the Discovery Conference in Toronto.  Eight finalists pitched their businesses, demonstrating impressive growth, innovation and passion for making a difference.

As an advisor to the MaRS Catalyst Fund, (a partnership between MaRS and Virgin Unite), and a sponsor of the event, it’s inspiring to see the growing appetite from young entrepreneurs to both build a successful business and make a positive impact on the world in a meaningful way. At BrandProject, we’re strong advocates of the ‘business as a force for good’ philosophy, and it’s great to see the momentum building int the entrepreneurial community towards this approach.

The 8 finalists were Peekapak, CoPower, Wastenot Worm Farms, QoC Health Inc., Building Up, Twenty One Toys, GrantBook and BlancRide. We’re looking forward to seeing who takes the top prize in the pitch competition (winner to be announced tomorrow), but each business deserves a lot of credit for driving a shift in the way we look at business – as a force for good.