Social Enterprise

The Social Enterprise 101 (micro-credential) course was developed in collaboration with OCAD University for Richmond Hill's Small Business Enterprise Centre (SBEC) clients. Social Enterprise is essential in our rapidly evolving world, where the fusion of business strategies and social impact is paramount.

What is social enterprise?

Social enterprise refers to an organization whose objective is to have a social impact. Social enterprises are businesses that sell goods and services, embed a social, cultural, or environmental purpose into the business, and reinvest some of their profits into their social mission.

Social Enterprise 101 course

This micro-credential course serves as a crucial platform for exploring the dynamic field of social enterprises, where profit-making is seamlessly intertwined with the advancement of societal and environmental well-being. Equipping students with the tools to navigate this multifaceted landscape, this course nurtures innovative thinking and problem-solving skills. By instilling principles of social entrepreneurship and ethical business practices, this micro-credential empowers students to become responsible leaders, capable of creating businesses that make a positive impact on society while meeting the increasing demand for products and services that align with ethical and sustainable values.

In the Social Enterprise 101 micro-credential course students will explore the business potential of their own social enterprises (or social enterprise ideas) learning how to combine purpose and profit with today's global challenges. This micro-credential nurtures innovative thinking and problem-solving skills, critical for addressing pressing global challenges such as climate change, inequality, and financial literacy. Tools and techniques for purpose-driven business planning will be introduced. Topics include business models, business strategy case studies, developing markets, budgeting, decision making, business trends, risk analysis, operating systems, finance, and legal issues. Students will use this information to understand if and how their idea could become a viable business and create a detailed business plan.

Our current cohort intake will re-open July 22. We will be accepting Expressions of Interest forms and will assess your qualifications for the program. The deadline to submit your Expression of Interest form is September 10.

There will be a virtual information session at 1-1:30 p.m. on August 7 to help you decide if this is for you. Register using the link below:

August 7 Info Session

Expression of Interest Form

Social Enterprise 101 - course information

Course Dates: May 2 - June 12

This is an asynchronous course with instructors' lead sessions every Thursday.

Eligibility:

Entrepreneurs thinking about starting a social enterprise business, either for profit, or not-for-profit
Existing business that would like to turn their venture into social enterprise
For profit businesses
Not-for-profit businesses

Fee:

The unique collaboration between the City of Richmond Hill and OCAD University offers entrepreneurs to take advantage of this custom-created and delivered 6-weeks-long micro-credential social enterprise program to the Richmond Hill clients at a significantly discounted rate of $250.

Learning Objectives

Provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the concept of social enterprise, emphasizing its unique blend of profit-making and social or environmental mission.

Apply Innovative Thinking: Cultivate students' innovative thinking and problem-solving skills, enabling them to develop creative solutions to complex societal and environmental challenges.
Formulate Ethical Business Practices: Instill ethical business practices, transparency, and accountability in students, emphasizing the importance of responsible capitalism and ethical entrepreneurship.
Develop Responsible Leadership: Empower students to look at their intrinsic motivation to become responsible and socially conscious leaders, capable of driving positive change.
Specify Market Opportunities and Client Journeys: Equip students with the knowledge and skills to identify and capitalize on market opportunities for products and services that align with ethical and sustainable values.
Practice Interdisciplinary Learning: Promote interdisciplinary learning by drawing from various fields such as business, social sciences, and environmental studies, encouraging students to think holistically and work collaboratively.
Manage Growth and Change: Highlight the role of social enterprise in supporting economic growth, job creation, and community development, preparing students to manage and pivot in the changing world.

Micro-credential information

Micro-credential is a new model that uses short, focused credentials to verify mastery of a skill or competency, and is designed to target high-demand skills, leading to faster hiring.

The process offers a digital credential, which is the official certification of the acquisition of an individual’s skills or capabilities. It is awarded in a digital form, which is verified, secure and shareable with peers, employers and educational providers.

To learn more about micro-credentials, please visit the eCampusOntario website.

Why do I want a micro-credential?

Micro-credentials can be used to recognize both vertical and transversal skills. Coupled with the in-depth learning obtained in a field of study, micro-credentials can be used to present a more holistic view of an individual’s abilities and achievements.

In today’s fast-changing workforce and emerging gig economy, a nimble recognition system is essential for both professionals and employers, who are increasingly moving towards skill or competency-based hiring.

Qualifications

As part of the modules in each micro-credential, you will complete assignments and exercises, relevant to your business or business idea, outlined in each micro-credential. These build towards the required evidence for each micro-credential that is submitted at the end of the micro-credential modules.

Instructors assess the student’s work and issue a pass or fail grade (student must receive a passing grade to qualify for the micro-credential).

Digital Badge

Successfully demonstrated application of the key outcomes as part of the required evidencing will be recognized with a digital badge for the specific micro-credential. A link to the badge will be sent via email that can be added to resumes and posted on social media platforms.

Instructor

Iris Elliott

Iris Elliott (she/them) is a Professional Engineer with 16 years of experience in medical device development, including a 9-year tenure as the founder and principal contractor of New Normal Design Consultancy. Throughout her career, she has played a pivotal role in guiding companies and teams towards the successful launch of life-changing products and services, both domestically and internationally.

Her expertise extends across a spectrum of critical areas, from overseeing the industrial contribution to clinical trials to navigating the intricate landscape of regulatory approvals from Health Canada and the FDA. Notably, her contributions have directly resulted in the launch of five imaging products and the co-authorship of three patents in the field of prostate imaging.

In 2020, driven by her passion for continuous learning, Iris returned to graduate school to pursue a Master of Design program in Strategic Foresight and Innovation at OCAD University. This education equipped her with new tools aligning her career towards dynamic roles in business development and creative technology.

Iris is a systems-focused thinker with a talent for making connections between disparate subjects and ideas who loves helping to grow and sharing bubbles of knowledge. She consistently questions the broader implications and sustainability of what is created and is interested in businesses that foster these values, looking at short term impacts as well as positive systemic change.

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