Introducing Hook it Up
There’s a new crop of young popping up all across the province. They blend the traditional lines between sectors and help unlock ‘adjacent possibilities’ through their creative approaches to social change. They come from all geographic regions, cultures, and skill-sets. Some observers might call them “social entrepreneurs”, but mostly they say they’re just ‘doing their thing’. The result, lucky for us, is building better futures for themselves, their communities, and their planet.
Over the past 6 months, we’ve been tracking the journeys of 24 of these youth throughout all stages of enterprise development to see what we could learn from their experience and to help them out along the way through our Hook it Up program.
Take a moment to get inspired by each of their stories below.
From Hook it Up Launch events in late-May 2016.
Tina Chan (Kitchener-Waterloo) has built a social enterprise selling turn-key packages to schools, universities, and mental health institutions to better support panic, anxiety, and stress.
Daniel Gladstone (Greater Toronto Area) is turning Toronto’s backyard fruit trees and bushes into delicious goods as part of his new social enterprise, Urban Harvest.
Jordan Wettlaufer (Sault Ste Marie) and his team at Algoma University’s Peoples’ Garden are creating a full lifecycle approach to urban agriculture, including development of the campus’ first commercial-grade composting system
Eden Hagos (Greater Toronto Area) is promoting small business and a new lens of cultural awareness through her food blog and promotions venture, Black Foodie.
Natenale Mulugeta (Greater Toronto Area) is helping artists of East African backgrounds share their work through his events promotion business, Dreams to Reality
Mark Kryshtalskyj (Kitchener-Waterloo) is supporting young people with their personal and professional development through his hybrid online + offline venture, Rockstar Café.
Ishita Agarwal (Greater Toronto Area) has created Behind-the-Scenes e-zine for individuals to anonymously share their stories of sexual harassment, assault, and discrimination
Stachen Frederick (Greater Toronto Area) has created Braids for Aids, an organization that utilizes hair dressing salons as a site for promoting awareness about HIV/AIDS and sexual education.
Jacky Habib (Greater Toronto Area) has established News Lens Media to create experiential training opportunities for those interested in responsible journalism and storytelling
Nayani Rajamohan (Kitchener Waterloo) is pioneering theatre-based arts therapy within youth and elder long-term care facilities, through her venture Saaski Innovations.
Nikhil Jagga (Kitchener Waterloo) has created Habit Insights to translate principles of Cognitive Behaviourial Therapy into fashionable, effective products for self-care
Darren Brown (Greater Toronto Area) is using arts as a lens for the cultural empowerment for those identifying with Aboriginal, African and Caribbean backgrounds.
Lisa Doff (Thunder Bay) has created Mobilize: Community Supported Transportation to aid Thunder Bay’s low-income neighbourhoods’ transit needs.
Sanjin Zeco (Greater Toronto Area) is creating a mobile app to help those with physical accessibility challenges find the best routes to get where they need to go.
Marilee D’Arcueil (Greater Toronto Area) is creating new approaches to supporting substance abuse and recovery through her initiative, The Social Human.
Joanna Lehrer (Greater Toronto Area) is a practicing lawyer utilizing technology to create smoother transitions for those exiting the justice system
Connor Desjardins (Sault Ste Marie) is the owner and operator of Jardin Farms, motivated by a commitment to sustainably grown goods.
Jasmine Recollect (Sault Ste Marie) has created Native Lengths, a shampoo inspired by cedar smudge ceremonies and Nishnawbe culture.
Patrick Evans (Sault Ste Marie) has created the Sault Tool Library to offer easy access to repair facilities and equipment.
Keaton Francis (Manitoulin Island) is sharing his love for music and fashion with youth in his community through AfterHourz.
Fotini Giannelis (Greater Toronto Area) is helping pioneer a new approach to childcare that connects young kids with elders for mutual benefit
Ameen Binwalee (Greater Toronto Area) has created Out-of-the-Box to create new employment opportunities in the renovation and construction sector
Craig & Sandy Holmberg (Sault Ste Marie) are supporting the continued evolution of a long-held family business, Sunnybrook Farms, which is inspired by sustainable-growing practices and supporting local employment opportunities for youth
Congratulations and thank you to all our participants for their courage to embark on these journeys, and those mentors and allies who’ve supported along the way. If you are interested in potentially creating your own enterprise or supporting someone else, we encourage you to reach out to the participants and/or sponsoring organizations
Hook it Up was a program of the Socent7 (aka the Future Fund 7 Collective of the Ontario Trillium Fund)
