Meet Jen Fischer: Founder of Soul Roots
Written By: Montana Kimel, SoJo Marketing & Research Intern
Jen Fischer has had quite a journey building Soul Roots. Her story starts in an entrepreneurship course at Ryerson where she first began exploring her idea — and the idea she might be an entrepreneur. The premise of Soul Roots is to turn brownfields — contaminated pieces of land throughout Toronto — into farms that would service and nourish the community around it. This idea has been used in other cities, including Vancouver and New York, but has never been picked up in Toronto. Her focus is on a specific plot of land in Parkdale, her own neighbourhood, where she has been working alongside Greenest City and the Co-op Cred Program to support those from low-income and marginalized communities.
The ball has been rolling on this idea over the past few years, and through connections and different training programs Jen has had the opportunity to grow personally as she grows her social enterprise. She shares some of this journey with me and has some great advice to provide along the way.
Where did your passion and drive for social change come from?
Jen Fischer: Most recently it was participating in an Olivia Chow leadership training program, but it goes back to a severe health incident, surviving that, which has given me a drive of wanting to actually do something with my life, to live life with meaning. I believe that instead of being frustrated by the system, let’s try to change it. And so by overcoming things, realizing things were possible, I found my drive for social change.
What is your own background in social entrepreneurship?
JF: It was a new concept within itself to me until I got to Ryerson. I wanted to answer the question of, how do you define social innovation? And for me, it is what we do when we see a problem in our community and refusing to accept the status quo.
What would you say was the most important personal change since you started your project?
JF: It has transformed my life. It made me realise so many things about myself. Humans do these things because they think this is the way to do it. I think this project is making me talk to people I would have never talked with, cold calling, cold emailing. We all have things we tell ourselves, that holds us back. This journey has made me realize I needed the power to believe in myself and realize that I am capable.
What did you learn from it?
JF: Learning that the “no’s” aren’t personal, I think that is the hardest thing. I want that feedback. In the past, I would have shut down and seen them as personal attacks, rather than seeing them as opportunities. I have learnt a lot about how I interact with people.
Did you have any specific guiding experiences or people in your life?
JF: It wouldn’t have been possible without mentorship. I have been speaking to AJ [Tibando, Co-founder of SoJo] for about 5–6months and the first time we sat down together, we talked about me and my own self doubt. Even though I felt like a complete fool, it help me put it on the table right away and move past my fears. I’m in a different community than I am familiar with, there are things in politics that I am unfamiliar with… and I’m doing all these things, but I can’t do them, without an expert or someone to push me to look forward.
What about a significant change in your social enterprise and how you have managed to grow it?
JF: The biggest thing has been connecting with experts. When I had the conversation with the brownfield expert, when I met with him, he told me what I needed to do, and he kinda validated the project. What you needed to do, how I needed to ask for things — those (experiences) have always been game changers. Having a partner has been significant, as well as grant funding from JW McConnell Foundation & Ryerson.
What did you learn from that change?
JF: Consistency around support is important. The project is going to constantly have another hurdle. I kind of like these roadblocks, they feel like a no, but you have to spend a day to be reenergized. I haven’t mastered this… but this is the DNA of the social enterprise project, there is downs and there is ups. Not taking those moments personally, but as another opportunity or thinking ‘how am I going to solve this?’ Maybe it’s with meeting people once a week, whether it’s mentorship or meeting with another stakeholder in the community.
How did you grow from that change?
JF: What I am working on, it can be replicated in anything. If I ever do another project, there are going to be the same challenges, they will just take a different form. Even the fact that I am making these connections, that in itself is really exciting. People are passionate and doing same thing, and it re-energizes the project. People should think, ‘this is possible’ — right now they think they can’t go do that, they can’t go meet with the Director of Toronto Public Health (for example!). We want them to hear the good stories and think wow you can do that, that is really neat! Not just me personally, but the potential of being exciting — we want people to hear the good stories and think ‘that it can be replicated.’
What advice would you give aspiring social entrepreneurs?
JF: Two main points: talk to people about your idea and find a mentor. Get mentorship right away and to get a mentor that fits and understands you, gets you. Being around people that are within this field, being a part of an incubator community is a really good idea, reaching out to Social Venture Zone, the University of Waterloo are all good resources. I spent a year trying to understand my neighbourhood (Parkdale)… I didn’t want to come in as another piece of the gentrification puzzle and tell people what I think is the best for the neighbourhood, I needed to get to know that neighbour, get to know the food policies on that neighbourhood.
What mistake do you see young entrepreneurs make the most?
JF: I think there are a lot of people doing their undergrad right now who have great ideas, and I think that we believe we need to go to school, graduate and then do those ideas. Whereas I think, school is intense, but I see a lot of capacity and compassion that I see a lot of my peers have. They have these great ideas and I say “do it” but they say “no” or “I don’t know”. This is the most advantageous time for you… you’re around a community of people and there’s tons of support around you. Just try it!
What do you think are the barriers to starting a social enterprise at the moment?
JF: We think that there are a lot of limitations, we pretend that there are these invisible barriers. They aren’t there! It’s how you pitch it, how you share it… the self doubt percolates through me… I don’t have a masters, I don’t have those things — but I am doing it!
Last thought?
JF: It doesn’t matter where you are coming from, it doesn’t matter your age or your credentials or your abilities, it doesn’t matter what those things are, that we are all kind of making it up, the experts, are all making it up, they have their own limitations and their own insecurities too.
