Type: Lunch & Learn

CSI is many things - a coworking space, a non-profit organization, and a launchpad - but, first and foremost, we are a community. A community of innovators, of changemakers, of neighbours, of people putting people and planet first. And the awesome work that our members do, each and every day, never ceases to amaze us! So of course, we do our best to highlight our members whenever possible. Recently, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Molly Bannerman, Director of Women HIV/Aids Initiative (WHAI), a community-based response to HIV and AIDS among cis and trans women in Ontario. Below is an edited summary of our chat, where we discussed the work of WHAI and their latest Collective Action Community Change report.

It's Canadian Innovation Week 2023! This year, we're celebrating with our members and highlighting the world changing work that they do. We're spotlighting just a few of our thousands of members here in the themes of Canadian Innovation Week 2023 - be sure to come by our spaces or join our community to meet the rest of our innovators!

Generally, when we see or hear media about climate change, we’re faced with images of destruction: natural disasters, crumbling infrastructure, rising global temperatures and falling levels of polar ice. And sadly, those are all realities - but there’s another reality, too. The communities coming together to envision, work for, and implement a better and brighter future. To close out Earth Month, we spoke to two people in our community about the role that connection, art, and joy play in the climate sector.

Happy International Women's Day to all the women-identifying folks out there! CSI is a women-led organization, and just over 50% of our staff identify as women, so it's safe to say that at CSI, we're celebrating women all year long. Today, we asked our staff to highlight some of the women who inspire us every day. Here are the people whose cultural, social, economic, or political achievements inspire, encourage, and motivate us to continue putting people and planet first.

We spoke with Regent Park entrepreneur Gail Lynch, CEO and Experience Designer of ZERO Cocktail Bar, about building a non-alcoholic bar and her experience as a Black woman entrepreneur. 

It’s been almost a year since we announced the official opening of the CSI Community Living Room - a community experiment that provided a platform on which community initiatives could thrive, a new innovation in our 10th year in the Regent Park community.

As we celebrate Black History Month, we’re continuing our learning, and we thought an update to our Black history reading lists (see our lists from 2018 and 2020) was in order! This year, we turned to our CSI community to crowdsource their recommendations. We asked our members and staff to share with us a favourite book, essay, movie, show, or podcast that they found impactful about the Black experience.

Every year, we honour a member or members with the Bow Tie Award during our famously festive Holiday Gathering. And no, it’s not for the best dressed attendee!