Social entrepreneurship offers a powerful way to address essential needs like affordable housing and food security, while also nurturing a sense of belonging. By building businesses that foster community and connection, you can help ensure everyone feels included and valued—and, as a business owner, turn these possibilities into real, lasting change for your community.
WeBC is partnering with Purppl, a team that helps purpose-driven organizations build sustainable impact, to bring you a series that will inspire, equip, and connect you on your journey to making a difference.
This series is ideal for anyone who is new to social enterprise or eager to deepen their organization’s impact and communications. You’ll gain practical strategies, frameworks, and tools as we focus on two key areas:
- Session 1 | Social Enterprise 101: Discover what social enterprise truly means, why it matters, and how it can be used to build community wealth and long-term resilience. You’ll see how purpose-driven business models can address real needs and reignite hope in your community.
- Session 2 | Impact Storytelling: Learn how to translate your impact goals and lived experience into stories that connect with funders, customers, and your community. This session will help you share your journey authentically, inspiring trust, support, and action.
Join us to explore how you can bring positive change to your business and those you serve!
January 15 and 22 | 10am to 11am PT | Virtual
Series cost: $50; free for WeBC Loan clients and Vancity Women Entrepreneur Program clients
Open to everyone!
Session Descriptions
All sessions are online on Thursdays from 10am to 11am PT. Recordings will be available for 30 days after each live session.
January 15 | Social Enterprise 101
Led by Andrew Greer, Managing Director and Co-Founder, Purppl
Social enterprise blends purpose and profit, offering new ways to address social and environmental challenges while building local economies that work for everyone. Whether you’re new to the concept or ready to take the next step, this session will help you see how social entrepreneurship can create lasting change and foster belonging.
Across Canada and BC, communities are finding innovative ways to tackle challenges and build local economies. Social enterprise models can operate as for-profit or nonprofit, but starting or strengthening one takes guidance, clarity, and collaboration.
In this interactive session, you’ll:
- Learn what defines a social enterprise and explore examples from across BC and Canada
- Understand how social enterprise can build community wealth and long-term resilience
- Explore ways to generate revenue while building social and/or environmental impact
- Discuss governance and team readiness for social enterprise development
- Leave with a simple framework to help your organization decide if social enterprise is the right next step
January 22 | Impact Storytelling: Sharing the Difference You Make
Led by Hilary Henegar, Service Lead & Entrepreneur In Residence, Impact Strategy & Storytelling, Purppl
Social entrepreneurs and small businesses often struggle to communicate the powerful impact they’re building in a way that inspires action, sales, and funding. This session will help you bridge that gap, giving you tools to tell consistent, compelling stories that build trust and support.
People want to feel a sense of community and belonging. By sharing your impact authentically, you can connect with customers, funders, and your community—helping them see the difference you make and inspiring them to join your mission.
In this session, you’ll:
- Learn how to use a theory of change to develop clear, emotionally resonant stories
- Connect your lived experience and outcomes to the bigger narrative of change
- Understand how to connect with your audience, balancing heart and data in your communications
- Practice storytelling techniques that engage customers, funders, partners, and clients
- Leave with practical tools and templates for ongoing storytelling in your organization
Workshop Leaders
Andrew is a social impact leader and business builder as Managing Director and cofounder at Purppl, a social enterprise dedicated to helping purpose-driven organizations build sustainable impact. He is also the BC Interior Lead, board member, and co-owner at Thrive Impact Fund, which invests in impact organizations and social enterprises across British Columbia generating meaningful social, environmental, or cultural benefits.
Andrew’s entrepreneurial journey includes building a consulting and coaching business in the social impact sector from the ground up, scaling Purppl to a $1 million social enterprise. Through carefully building a high-performing, values-aligned team and implementing tech-enabled, relationship-driven sales processes, he established a sustainable foundation with predictable revenue streams for long-term growth and impact. Before founding Purppl, Andrew led programs and partnerships at Accelerate Okanagan, the Okanagan Valley tech accelerator. Earlier, he was a top-performing Canadian sales manager at Xerox. Andrew also brings diverse experience working in, starting, and serving as a Board member to nonprofits, cooperatives, and social enterprises.
Hilary is a brand and engagement strategist and marketing coach for social enterprises and nonprofits. Over the past 15 years, she has helped build and grow businesses, nonprofits, and communities rooted in social impact. Her sector expertise spans many different types of small business as well as Indigenous communities and enterprises, social services, housing organizations, employment for those with barriers, community transportation, and disability services. She specializes in developing marketing and communications strategies that seamlessly integrate with the sales process to drive predictable revenue in alignment with social impact goals. Through intentional strategies and creative campaigns, she connects impact-driven organizations with their audiences, ensuring that marketing efforts not only tell compelling stories but also directly contribute to organizational growth. By building operations that collect and leverage data, Hilary ensures that marketing decisions are intentional, informed, and impactful.
As a skilled group facilitator, she brings expertise in Marketing & Communications, Impact Strategy & Planning, Social Enterprise Feasibility & Growth, and Impact Measurement & Measurement.
