“What keeps me going is the drive for systemic change; that we can prove new models are possible.”
In partnership with Employment and Social Development Canada, Startup Canada is celebrating and putting the spotlight on a leading Canadian social innovator driving change in one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Startup Canada was pleased to sit down with Tonya Surman, Co-founder & CEO of the Centre for Social Innovation, to learn about their impact on SDG 17—Partnerships for the Goals.
Tonya Surman is a co-creator of the Constellation Governance Model and the Community Bond, and the leader behind the Catapult Microloan Fund. The Ashoka Foundation and the Trillium Foundation are among the many organizations that have recognized Tonya for her leadership and contributions. A vibrant social innovator, Tonya is one of Canada’s leading champions and mobilizers of social innovation.
SC: What is the Centre for Social Innovation?
TS: The Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) is a nonprofit social enterprise that creates a home for people in organizations that are working to build a better world. In a nutshell, we’re building the next economy—we’re attempting to shift the market from everyday business to business that really puts people and planet first.
SC: How does your work advance SDG 17—Partnerships for the Goals?
TS: Everybody at CSI is working on one or many of those goals. We’re home to about 1,000 social purpose organizations. Whether it’s economic development, or climate change, or alleviating plastics, or circular economy, or health and wellness, or education—we’re entirely social purpose-driven in all of our programs. Our education programs, our acceleration programs, and all of the animation work that we do at the CSI is 100% focused on achieving the SDGs.
SC: What would you say is the impact you’ve had that you’re most proud of?
TS: The thing I’m most proud of is when I walk into one of our locations, and I see two members—who I know didn’t know each other before—talking and jamming and figuring out how they can collaborate to get their projects to be more successful! For me, the dynamism of the community, of the social cohesion, how we build trust, and how we really help a lot of people have happier lives—it’s the process and the product, right?
SC: Absolutely! What inspires you to keep going?
TS: What keeps me going is the drive for systemic change; that we can prove new models are possible. That’s what CSI is fundamentally about. It’s not just making the world better, it’s fundamentally changing the system on which we operate so that the change can scale and have an impact—not just for a small group of people—but for an entire community, country, and world.
SC: What is your big vision for Canada and the World over the next 20 years?
TS: I believe that the world needs more Canada, and also that we need to do better. We need to address our climate issues in a major way. We need to start living within our own carrying capacity. But Canadians know a thing or two about how to live together, and our values need to be offered with humility to the rest of the world as an inspiration for how to live and work together in harmony.
Canada has an incredible opportunity to be the most shining example of social entrepreneurship and social impact. I personally want to put Toronto on the map and Canada on the map as the best place in the world to be a social entrepreneur.
SC: What do you think today’s entrepreneurs should be focused on to spread these Canadian values for a better, brighter future?
TS: Victoria Lennox and I, many, many moons ago, co-authored an op-ed that got published in the Globe and Mail around building a caring economy. We’re calling it ‘next economy’ for sure, and it needs to be a net-zero economy; it needs to be circular—all those things! But the thing that each and every one of our entrepreneurs across Canada can do, is they can think about the value of caring in their work.
There’s not an entrepreneur out there who doesn’t care—and that’s a Canadian value. It’s also a value that we can actualize through the power of entrepreneurship. It’s how we look after our employees, our collaborators, our supply chains, and our communities.
Local, place-based entrepreneurs are deeply rooted in Canada. We don’t just say, “Oh, yes! Bigger is better; Silicon Valley.” No. Community matters and we want to create and enrich them in sustainable ways.
SC: How has caring helped you persevere and thrive through your work?
TS: Caring is at the foundation of everything that we do. I care about the world, I care about other entrepreneurs, and how we work together is just as important as what we’re doing.
We have to remember that the objective is not some faraway thing; the objective is to live well right now. The act of caring; the act of empathy; the sense of belonging—these are the things that actually enrich our lives. Putting that at the center of everything I do gives me the clarity to remember that it’s not how big I grow, or how many staff I have, or how big our budgets are. It’s actually about how we treat each other as a community and reach our potential.
SC: Where can people go to learn more about your journey and organization?
TS: I think the real opportunity here is really to learn about some of the models and work that the Center for Social Innovation does. Check out our website. Also, check out some of the national work that we’re doing. We’ve recently launched a charity called Social Innovation Institute, and have been actively developing a project called Social Innovation Canada.
Social entrepreneurs might be interested in learning from our regional partners across the country, to be able to tap into what’s happening in local networks. Whether it’s social innovation, collaboration, systems change, or social entrepreneurship—the kind of work that communities are doing across Canada is just so bloody inspiring.
SC: What final piece of advice do you have for entrepreneurs looking to grow their impact and grow their business?
TS: Find yourself a wonderful mindfulness practice that helps you really question what success needs to look like in your heart. And when you can connect to what really drives you—inside your body, inside your heart, and in the way that you relate to others—then you’ll be ready to really drive and create the kinds of business that will unlock that potential for the rest of the world.
Feeling inspired to make an impact? Join the Startup Canada Social Impact Network to gain access to social enterprise programming online and on-the-ground.