YSEC - Young Social Entrepreneurs of Canada

The second part of my day on September 23, involved going to a panel discussion organized by an emerging and highly motivated new group - Young Social Entrepreneurs of Canada.

This group is a ‘for youth by youth’ non-profit organization dedicated to helping extraordinary young people change the world with bold, systemic ideas. One of the ways they are helping to support and encourage young Canadian social entrepreneurs is by holding a series of Meet Ups, panel discussions and workshops. Not only do these events provide useful advice and inspiration, but they are also hotbeds of networking and idea-sharing. 

The Meet Up on Sept. 23rd, featured a panel discussion with Cheryl May from SiG@MaRS, Daniel Moneta, Co-Founder of MMB Research, and David Berkal, Co-Founder of Canadian Roots and Operation Groundswell. The panelists told their stories of how they got started, some challenges they faced (traveling through Africa with a backpack full of cash) and the importance of metrics and tracking your success. 

Best of all, a speed-dating style “meet-and-greet” maximized the opportunity for the attendees to meet and talk about the hurdles they were facing. It was a fantastic turnout - the room was full and the atmosphere was electric! 

Next steps - talking to YSEC about their thoughts on an SSE Ontario. As leaders of the next generation of social entrepreneurs, they are clearly a group to reach out to.