The Robertson Building

Behind all great innovations are visionary minds, people who are willing to take risks on experimental ideas that provide none of the comforts of a reliable formula for success. The Centre for Social Innovation (CSI, Suite 120) is one such experiment that in its first year has already become a model of how the co-location and collaboration of fourteen social mission organizations can produce tangible results for social change. Here's the concept: provide the space for small organizations to have a private office space with shared meeting rooms/conference space, kitchen, and common areas. These groups share an Office Manager, Audrey Vince, expensive office equipment like a photocopier, phone system, and fax machine. They also share an Executive Director, Tonya Surman, who not only keeps the Centre running but adds her expertise to programming initiatives geared at creating mutually beneficial collaborations and "incubation;" a chance for small organizations that may have previously been housed in isolated basements or attics to get on their feet and increase their reach by becoming part of a community of social mission groups.

The proof that the co- location is working is when groups like the Stephen Lewis Foundation, who within seven months had outgrown the Centre and moved on to a larger facility, are able to use the unique circumstances of the Centre to expand organizationally and therefore expand their mission and message. The development of CSI was the result of a special collaboration all its own - between Tonya and building owner Margie Zeidler. The journey began with a spontaneous discussion. Tonya, who spent six years at 401 Richmond working at Web Networks (Studio 384) was also a member of the Tri-C committee, along with Margie and several other tenants at 401 Richmond. The committee spent a year talking about the connections amongst community, culture, and commerce and devising some community building initiatives. In 2003 Tonya and  Margie reconnected as a result of the social
innovators forum, hosted by Alan Broadbent and ideas that matter. "We realized there were some
interesting possibilities of bringing the community space that urbanspace is so amazing at creating, together with
ideas around creating intentional communities and collaboration amongst social mission groups. We
knew that if we could combine our forces, that anything would be possible" Mary Rowe of ideas that matter was brought in to refine the concept and the idea for CSI was hatched.  A grant for a feasability study from Canadian Heritage accompanied with guidance from Patrick Tobin Director, Strategic Policy and Communications, Department of Canadian Heritage came at a critical moment, and along with research done by Eric Meerkamper of D-Code  (401 Richmond, Studio 251) the project became a reality.

In February of 2004 CSI held information sessions for forty prospective tenants twenty-five of which applied for space and fourteen were selected for tenancy. The Centre was designed for small organizations of one to four
people, so this was one of the primary criteria for selection. Tonya was also interested in creating a mix of for-profit
and non-profit, stable and emerging, and a diversity of sectors so the tenants represent the multi-cultural, international development, and environmental areas, as well as a variety of social service agencies and professional
associations. By June the tenants were moving in to the newly renovated space on the ground floor of 215 Spadina Ave.

Now that the dust has settled, CSI can begin working on programming. As Tonya explains "we are now at the point where we've tested the co-location, its working like a charm and we can start developing the programming vision to support and answer the question: 'how do you incubate and catalyze social innovation?'" One of the ways that the
Centre is attempting this is to focus on two strategic areas of social innovation: building effective collaboration and the incubation of social enterprise. "This is about building a culture of collaboration amongst non-profit and social mission groups and revenue generation, in order to build more autonomy for organizations that are trying to do social purpose work, for non-profit and social mission organizations. As a separate initiative, the programming committee, under tremendous tenant leadership from Warren Garret of Community Culture Impresarios (Suite 125), John Degan of the Periodical Writers Association of Canada (Suite 123), Paul Bubelis of the Sustainability Network (Suite 128), and Michael Kerr of The National Anti-Racism Council of Canada (Suite 122) are exploring the development of programming that breaks down the silos between sectors.

As Tonya continues, "another way that we're planning on doing this is with 'virtual tenancy.' This will be a way
that we can affiliate with new up and coming projects and initiatives, provide them with services, and be able to
highlight the work that they're doing within the centre without actually having to give up a suite. So they'd still
be home-based but they'd be affiliated. The Centre is also experimenting with something we're calling a 'clinic
model.' Often when people come together at events and workshops they get all this synergy and all these great
ideas and then nothing happens. But, because we're a placed-based initiative we're looking at hosting follow-up clinics to these events that will explore how you create an environment that enables collaboration to happen without forcing it." These clinics would also afford the opportunity for peers to come together with consultants and
experts to problem solve and evolve their thinking in certain areas of interest.

The Centre is also working with the Ashoka Foundation and Peter Drucker Foundation to launch a Social
Innovation Awards program to recognize social innovation organizations. "And that should round the Centre's overall objective, which is to catalyze, inform, and support social innovation in Canada" - round it out indeed! 

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