OUR STORY
In 2014-2015, three key milestones signaled a growing social innovation movement in Alberta:
MARCH - DECEMBER 2014
The Social Innovation Endowment Fund was born and then cancelled.
Created by the Government of Alberta in 2014
MID 2014 - SEPTEMBER 2015
Social Innovation Ecosystem Mapping: Preliminary Findings for Alberta was released.
Co-facilitated by the Government of Alberta’s Social Innovation Team and the CoLab, located within Alberta Energy
NOVEMBER 2014 - FEBRUARY 2015
The social impact community came together to ask, "How do we put social innovation to work for Alberta?"
Supported by Suncor Energy Foundation, Trico Charitable Foundation, Social Innovation Generation (SiG) National and Rock Strategy & Leadership
In response to the above milestones and a growing interest in “community builder fellowships,” ABSI Connect was created in 2015. It was an experimental collaborative project, supported by Trico Charitable Foundation, Suncor Energy Foundation, Mount Royal University, Social Innovation Generation (SiG), and seven host organizations in Edmonton and Calgary.
The question driving ABSI Connect’s work has been: “How can we get better at solving complex social and environmental problems in Alberta?” As it engages with this question, ABSI Connect has evolved through three phases:
Phase 1 (2015 – 2016): Three fellows, supported by an Ontario-based facilitator from SiG and a diverse group of Albertan advisors, conducted 70 in-depth interviews and 40 informal conversations with social innovators, thought leaders, and connectors across Alberta. They published their findings (highlighting patterns and proposed pathways for Alberta’s social innovation ecosystem) in a final report.
Phase 2 (2016 – 2017): Building on the momentum and connections from Phase 1, several ABSI fellows, based in Calgary, Edmonton, and Wood Buffalo, worked as connectors, conveners, and community-builders in their sectors and communities for 6-12 month terms. They learned together through reflective practices, were supported by an Ontario-based facilitator and several Albertan advisors, and documented what they were learning in blog posts and published articles. This phase ended with a workshop (Nov 2017) in which key stakeholders came together to discuss ABSI Connect’s future.
Phase 3 (Summer 2018 + ): We hired our first full time, Alberta-based ABSI Connect facilitator, created a small advisory team, and partnered with Social Innovation Canada. We are working to connect, align, celebrate, enhance, and learn from Albertan changemakers who are finding innovative ways to address the complex problems their communities face.
Alumni Fellows and Facilitator
ABSI Connect is grateful for the thoughtful, passionate, and creative individuals who began this journey and continue to bring social innovation into their current roles. You can find their reflections, insights, and work here.
Thank you to Aleeya Velji (Edmonton Fellow), Lesley Cornelisse (Policy Fellow), Kate Letizia (Calgary fellow), Melissa Herman (Northern Fellow), Tori D’Avella (Calgary fellow), Annand Ollivierre (Edmonton fellow) and Kelsey Spitz-Dietrich (founding facilitator) for all your contributions to ABSI Connect.