Who is behind Social Innovation Calgary and the Social Good Accelerator initiative?

Right now, we're a small and fairly informal group that meets on a regular basis to advance the cause of establishing a hub-style co-working space for social innovation and social good in Calgary.

Like most such hub concepts, our proposed Social Good Accelerator project is a mix of a physical space and the genuine commitment of various groups to try and innovate around how our society works. In particular, we want to significantly accelerate the ways in which we innovate for social good.

Our group has been exploring some of the best models of innovation and collaboration in this field, including ideas from across North America and the world. Between our working group members, we've either personally experienced or talked to most of the major centres of this kind in other cities.

More than a space

Along with our discussions with local Calgarians, we've discovered that what happens in the space around innovating for social good is as — or more — important than the place itself. Based on this learning, we're pressing forward on multiple fronts simultaneously: while we want to establish a physical home for the hub, we're not waiting for this to happen in terms of encouraging, supporting, and helping accelerate social innovation and the building of social good in our city.

See some of our related initiatives (at right) for how we're helping to accelerate social good in other forms.

Our team

Current members of the social innovation Calgary working group include:

Gena Rotstein*

Michele Fugiel Gartner*

Jason Switzer*

Michael Bowerman

Lindsay Mitchell

Cory Krygier*

Natalia Zoldak

John Bardos

Richelle Matthews

Jonathan Perkins*

*denotes members of the working group's executive committee

Want to add your expertise?

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. outlining your interests in the initiative, and how you think you could best be involved!