In my everyday work with GOT Foundation, my goal is to let the voices of the girls and women we work with drive the direction of our programs. In our experience, grassroots initiatives are the most effective in instilling long-lasting change. Since GOT’s inception, we have also learned that it is critical to include men in all of our programs because we believe that boys and men have an important role to play in ensuring greater social and economic equality for women and girls. Men’s voices and opinions also matter, and creating a non-judgemental space for productive dialogue is crucial.

In my work with my business Elevated Escapes, as well as with Momentum/Be Local YYC and other projects, I have always valued receiving feedback from people with different life experiences than my own. I think this naturally leads to decision-making that is more inclusive as well as more creative.

While I believe that the non-profit sector has a critical role to play in reducing inequalities, I think that for-profit social entrepreneurs, in particular, have incredible potential to initiate radical, sustainable transformation through innovative business models and policies that improve the lives of all stakeholders. For instance, this can be achieved by paying employees a living wage. About 200,000 Albertans live on a minimum wage currently, and in Calgary, for example, the living wage is almost 50% higher than the minimum wage (source). I’m grateful to work for Momentum/Be Local YYC, which is leading the way in empowering mission-driven business leaders, which I believe is key for reducing inequalities both locally and globally. Although social entrepreneurship has come a long way in the past several decades, I think we’re still in the early stages of watching social ventures tap into the many possibilities for creating a more inclusive and regenerative economy for all.