Catalysts for Social Innovation provides space, services, and connections to help turn individuals' ideas for social good into lasting change. Incubators, fiscal sponsors, and management organizations support ideas that may be complex, unpredictable, and risky by offering tailored operating platforms and access to mentors and other innovators. The session will showcase these catalysts and their partnerships through a learning circle with four presenters working on social innovation.

1. C1. Catalysts for Social Innovation At its simplest, social innovation is a new way of doing things for the common good. At the other end of the scale are the novel solutions that permanently alter perceptions, behaviours and structures. Either way, it takes time, connections and resources to pull it off. While established organizations may have all three, many ideas with huge potential come from individuals and groups with little or no infrastructure. To help develop those ideas, a unique support system of incubators, fiscal sponsors and management service organizations has sprung up, providing space, administrative services, mentoring, and access to others engaged in the same work. While these entities operate largely “behind the scenes”, this session showcases their work, and the partnerships they have built with innovators to turn creative thinking into lasting change. Once you’ve heard their stories, interact with four innovators and catalysts in a learning circle to explore the value of tailor-made operating platforms for emerging organizations, and the very real opportunity they give OTF to invest in an area that is often complex, usually unpredictable and inherently risky. Presenters: Harris Ivens, Farmers Growing Farmers Program Coordinator, Everdale Organic Farm & Environmental Learning Centre Allyson Hewitt, Director of Social Entrepreneurship, MaRS Centre Tonya Surman, Executive Director, Centre for Social Innovation Leslie Wright, Director, TIDES Canada