We’re in the business of helping people who are making the world a better place
The 2011, 2012 and 2013 Agents of Change: Youth programs provided space and support to young people aged 19-30 with a promising social venture to help them turn their ideas into real impact, and prepare them for early stage investment.
Over three years, supported over 60 young entrepreneurs and their ventures.
Antonius Clarke is a resident of Jane and Finch. Growing up in this community, he was faced with many challenges and oppression, issues within the education system, over policing and poverty. He used his experiences to affect change among other youth and families. He became known as the Inner city ambassador, as he spoke up about the importance of giving youth a platform to share their stories, and recognizing the value and importance in respecting the lived experience of individuals. Antonius believes that power lives within and is a champion for developing local leaders and supporting resident development and involvement in all processes.
Balu Kanagalingam has shown an enduring commitment to bringing out the talents and spirit of kids from underserved communities. He has taken an active leadership role on the Youth Advisory Board of Arts for Children and \was largely responsible for the success of the Big Bam Boom Youth Arts Festival at Harbourfront. While pursuing his studies at Ryerson, Balu has been working as an outreach artist with Arts for Children and Youth and, at the same time, taking an active role in putting together this year’ s Big Bam Boom.
Chiara Camponeschi’s approach to social innovation and social change blends elements of empowered participatory governance with the latest collaborative tools and theories. Her work is pushing for a more nuanced understanding of (urban) sustainability, and promotes a vision of interconnected local communities that are interactive, livable and resilient. Chiara is also really passionate about co-design (of services, policies, projects), and works to raise awareness on the potential of what she calls place-based creative problem-solving” (PBCPS) Her latest project, The Enabling City, is a Creative Commons publication that showcases the best in PBCPS initiatives worldwide and has been listed in Shareable Magazine’s “World’s Top 10 Gov 2.0 Initiatives”.
Chris Wong noticed a gap in Toronto’s landscaping businesses, specifically that food crops were excluded from gardening services. Out of this need, he started Young Urban Farmers, a service that sets-up vegetable gardens. After a year of positive feedback, he took urban food production one step further. The goal for Young Urban Farmers CSA, a registered non-profit, is to grow food secure communities through a backyard CSA program, informative weekly newsletters, and educational workshops. He is also a member of the Toronto Food Policy Council and the Toronto Youth Food Policy Council, both of which work to shape policy around food issues in Toronto.
D’Andre Wilson has been a part of the National Society of Black Engineers for 4 years and would like to expand her work to teach leadership and STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) and also Entrepreneurial concepts to black youth. D’andre hopes to hold workshops, which she is currently developing a curriculum for with the help of the University of Toronto Engineering Outreach Office, and to hold competitions that will get youth engaged.
Darren Brown is a passionate and energetic individual. For the better part of the past decade he has dedicated himself to bettering the lives of the youth with whom he works . Through his experience organizing many outreach programs in and around the Greater Toronto Area, Darren has genuinely touched the lives of many young people.
David Berkal — I consider myself an activist, an entrepreneur, a storyteller, and an educator. I’m currently the Executive Director of Operation Groundswell, a nonprofit volunteer travel company. Now in its 5th year, OG will run 14 programs, sending 150 young adults all over the globe and raising over $150,000 towards community projects and microcredit financing, all while being a 100% financially self-sufficient social enterprise. I am also the founder of Canadian Roots, which runs exchanges and field schools for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal youth across the country. I recently completed my undergraduate at UofT specializing in Peace and Conflict Studies and was selected for the Next 36 Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute.
Francis Atta — I go to George Brown College, entering my third year in the Child and Youth Worker program. Growing up in the Jane and Finch community has been a blessing to me. From all the wrong choices that I have made in my life, I have learned how to become stronger and teach others how to do the same. I started an organization called K.E.Y.S which stands for Knowledge & Effort Yields Success. It is a Motivational Speaking Company and also provides workshops that inspires and encourages people of all ages to never give up no matter what the outcome.
Grace Poon started grayspoon 3 years ago. She spends her days helping non-profits, start-ups and social businesses develop and strengthen their business brand identity. Her clients range from start-up business owners to large non-profit corporations to small community based operations in developing nations. Last year, Grace ran away with her passion, chopped off 14″ of hair and launched The Hair Dare, a movement where girls (and guys) cut their hair to raise funds, awareness and hair for children who suffer from conditions like cancer treatments, burns and alopecia.
Jajube Mandiela — I am an emerging actor in stage, screen, and voice, as well as a young student pursuing a degree in Philosophy and Cinema Studies. I love my performance work but felt I was missing a tangible, positive impact on making the world a better place to live in, hence why I became the lead member of the reConnexion Artists Collective. We are a project-run group who connect Toronto’s youth with the professional live performance community. We are theatre practitioners (actors, arts educators, etc.) with core, project, and associate members. Our most successful, Trips2Shows project, takes youth accompanied by artist-facilitators to live performance events. While our newest project, Uth Connexions, endeavours to create a youth network in Western Toronto neighbourhoods so youth can have the power to program art training and creating activities in their own communities rather than through third parties. Simultaneously, we are launching the reConnexion Artists growth spurt: a project aimed at creating a stronger connection between arts organizations and youth social service providers. Our goal: when youth connect to one they have access to all.
Jayar La Fontaine — After completing graduate level work in philosophy at McMaster University, I relocated to Toronto and began working in community-based neuro-rehab settings. I now work with publically funded acquired brain injury (ABI) organizations to improve services, build partnerships with other areas of healthcare and social services, and empower ABI survivors and their caregivers. I am working with Jane McGonigal’s start-up Social Chocolate to bring clinical trials and beta testing of her rehab-based alternate reality game “SuperBetter” to brain injury clinics in Ontario. In September, I’ll be returning to school part-time in OCADU’s new Master of Design in Strategic Foresight and Innovation.
Jayme Turney — I am a 25 year old York Political Science/Political Economy Masters student and Toronto Public Space Committee campaigner (since 2008). The TPSC was founded by Dave Meslin about 10 years ago and is currently under transition and revitalization, which I am leading and managing. The new organization, Toronto Public Space Initiative, will continue TPSC advocacy work to promote and protect public spaces and outdoor visual environments from commercialization, as well as to promote a public ‘right to the city’ in these areas and in the decision making processes around them; in other words, to further democratize the urban.
Jonathan Moneta — Jonathan Moneta is developing energy managment systems that address the rising cost of energy and the changing ways we pay for it. He is experienced in the wireless Smart Energy space and was formerly the Director of Business Development for MMB Research. Jonathan was also Chair of the Young Social Entrepreneurs of Canada’s (YSEC) re:Vision 2010 conference.
Joshua Liu — I am a third year medical student at the University of Toronto. When I was 15, I created SMARTS – Youth Science Canada’s national youth science network. This year we have redeveloped SMARTS as the premier online social network for youth interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Presently, I am the co-lead of a project at UHN’s Centre for Innovation in Complex Care to map out the current state of avoidable hospitalization for complex patients in Ontario. I am also working with Toronto Western Hospital’s family health team to develop their Homebound Seniors Program.
Lauren Spring — I am a stage and screen actress and international improvisor. I obtained my BFA (in Theatre and Development) from Concordia University in 2005 and completed graduate studies in physical theatre and clown Paris, France at L’ecole de Theatre Jacques LeCoq and with Philippe Gaulier. I am currently completing my Masters in International Development at York University. I have been teaching theatre and improvisation-based workshops for children, teenagers and adults for more than a decade throughout North America and abroad and along with my partner, Thomas Gallezot, recently started up a company- the Extant Jesters – which specializes in skills training and event animation. We work with a wide variety of groups ranging from grade 2 students at Regent Park public school to top executives in bank towers- and everything in between. My current project is on the relationship between humour and resilience in the lives of those who have experienced torture or trauma and as part of it I have been facilitating improv workshops with refugees at the Canadian Centre for Victimes of Torture, exploring the ways in which the improv principle of “Yes and” (acceptance and advancement) can be applied to their everyday lives.
Liam O’Doherty — I am an organizer, activist and improviser who likes to swim, garden and ride bikes. I stay up late and get things done. My currently projects include: Youthmovements.org a global youth engagement mapping project with TakingITGlobal, Greenshades an environmental entertainment group and Avoid.net a collaborative advice platform for consumer information.
Nadia Hamilton — As a sibling to a young adult with autism, I have been cognizant my entire life of the challenges faced by those impacted by this and other disorders. I have spent a lifetime advocating for my brother and the autistic community which is, I feel, an extended network of brothers and sisters. This year, I’m focusing my efforts in starting a for-profit organization that caters to adults with autism. Nadia was the winner of CSI’s Project Wildfire and earned $25,000 for her project to improve the lives of adults with autism.
Nathan Duncan is the founder and CTO of eevig the give back initiative. He has contributed many years into social innovation and began his journey at the age of 14 when he opened his own media design firm onmedia just to build a social project he was passionate about IAP Sports. Nathan has now turned his eyes to the future… through a rough economy and with a growth in the social consumer market he has now targeted a new project, which is eevig the give back initiative. Eevig acquires quality corporate redundant assets such as chairs, desks, stationary supplies and IT equipment from some of the world’s most recognizable brands and managea the connection from corporations to social initiatives across the globe.
Paige Lawson — I am the founder and director of The DREAM Project, a locally based organization from London Ontario that provides education alternatives, resources, support and awareness for mental health and mental illness. Founded in 2008, DREAM has become a recognized support system within the Thames Valley and Catholic District School Boards, serving over 30 highschools and youth groups. I was recognized as a 2010 Top 20 Under Twenty Award Recipient for my work, and have recently expanded my work to Hamilton where I am currently studying Television Broadcasting and Communications Media.
Samantha Banks holds a Diploma in Fundraising and Volunteer Management from Humber College and has a BFA in Contemporary Dance from Concordia University. Sam was elected Vice President Special Events for the Fine Arts Student Alliance, where she organized orientation for 5,000 students and acted as a Fine Arts Councilor for the Concordia Student Union. She served as president for a campus, city-wide and international youth movement, and was responsible for implementing leadership development and social justice programming. Sam has attended conferences throughout the world that focused on interfaith and peace in the Middle East. She was selected for fellowships with the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee and Canadian Israel Experience- Birthright. Sam was Social Chair for Students Take Action Now for Darfur and fundraised for Doctors Without Borders.
We’ve partnered with the Ontario Trillium Foundation to run the 2rd annual Agents of Change Youth competition (formerly Project Wildfire), designed to help innovators turn their ideas into real impact and prepare them for early stage investment. The competition found 21 outstanding youth who are making a difference in their communities, across the city and the world. We are thrilled to welcome these talented innovators into the CSI community!
MEET THE 2012 AGENTS OF CHANGE: YOUTH
Asha Suppiah
I am often called a WATER WARRIOR. My passion is to ensure that everyone across the world has access to clean drinking water regardless of his or her financial situation. I am the Founder and CEO of Enviro Spinnovations through which I am working towards commercializing my patent-pending solar desalination technology.
Ayah Norris & Kyla Zanardi
The INSIGHT Project is a documentary and digital storytelling project providing a closer look at Toronto’s change-makers: their journeys, their insights, and the creative way they are shaping their communities. The project is designed to spark conversations, inspire action, and act as a virtual mentorship platform for young people in our city.
Carlos Aster Taguba
In 2002, I co-founded Ill skillz, a group of young motivational speakers, youth facilitators and performers from the Greater Toronto Area. Our mandate is to help young people “Unlock Their Dreams” by encouraging them to do what makes them happy.
Dayna Jones
My project, The Ladies Rhythm and Movement Club, is a women’s knowledge bartering collective that operates on the idea that knowledge can be in free exchange among peers. The LRMC is an inclusive organization that takes an action-based approach to combatting gender oppression in our community.
Gregory McKenzie
Stonepound Coffee operates as a means to support indigenous coffee farming families from Pula, Asipulo, Philippines, by importing their green beans to Canada, as well as through the Stonepound Community Advancement Fund, which returns a percentage of all profits back to the community of Pula.
Harvest Noon Café
In January 2012, Harvest Noon Cafe, the first project of the Toronto Sustainable Food Cooperative, opened its doors. This cafe provides a relaxed and inclusive gathering space for students and the community to eat, cook and learn about food and food issues.
Ilana Ben-Ari
I am a toy designer turned social entrepreneur. My startup Twenty One Toys uses toys as tools to teach the key 21st Century skills: Innovation, Creativity, Collaboration and Empathy. We have worked with daycares in Uganda, Rehabilitation Centres in Trinidad, schools in Toronto and organizations such as Engineers without Borders.
Joanne Cave
I am the co-founder of Connect the Sector, which looks to connect and build opportunities for younger professionals to influence the future of the non-profit and social sector. We work to address issues such as funding reform, succession planning & intergenerational mentorship, social finance tools, and barriers to policy advocacy.
Jonathan Asmis
We are looking to build out the Aboriginal Professional Association of Canada. It is our hope that by helping Aboriginal leaders continue to thrive and develop in their respective careers, we are able to inspire an entire generation to follow in their footsteps.
Kaela Bree
My project is my social enterprise – Aussie X. We empower kids to enjoy physical activity as part of their everyday life no matter their level of skill, ability or gender. We are working towards conditioning physical activity as a basic human need to help create maximum happiness for all.
Lawrence Alvarez
As President of the Institute for a Resource-Based Economy, my focus is to forward our message of sustainability through education. We are currently developing a series of workshops, and are looking to develop and pilot ‘resource libraries’ around the city geared towards access of goods one might need to use in or around the home.
Stephen Bentley & Lucas Lu
Our new venture is a good food business called Grocerybunny. The goal is to connect local farmers and good food businesses with Torontonians through a marketplace that lives on the Internet.
Melody Li
I am planning a project called Homeless Connect that stems from a model in San Francisco and replicated in over 220 communities around North America. Project Homeless Connect was originally started in 1998 as an event to serve those experiencing homelessness with a wide range of health and support services under one roof.
Michael Kenny
I am a co-founder and director for Regenesis, a grassroots environmental and social justice organization that supports community builders and advocates. One of our main initiatives at this time is the Toronto Ecovillage Project, which aims to create an affordable, sustainable and community-oriented mixed-use development using the cohousing model.
Mira Etlin-Stein and Amanda Landry
In early 2012, we co-founded Dream Weavers: An Occupational Therapy Collective. We founded this organization based on a need we perceived in our community, amongst teens and young adults with autism and other developmental disabilities, who were not having their needs met once they graduated from children’s services.
Nicholas Wiktorczyk
I am the Co-Founder of Spently. I am a passionate entrepreneur that is on a mission to eliminate paper receipts which cause the destruction of 10 million trees a year and contain harmful cancer causing chemicals like BPA.
Quadri Oshibotu
Hygienna Inc. is a Canadian personal hygiene company whose job is to provide a convenient and time-saving alternative to the exclusive use of toilet paper, cumbersome or expensive bidets, a watering canteen or showering after using the toilet. Hygienna Inc. is a start-up company. Our flagship product, the Hygienna Solo, was launched in December 2011.
Robin Sutherland
My vision is to acquire a remote off-grid fishing camp close to my childhood home, which is situated in a unique isolated natural setting in the Algoma District. I envision turning this oasis of crystal clear lakes and vast tracts of crown land into a social enterprise where under-resourced urban, rural and aboriginal youth are given the opportunity to take part in creative and experiential learning.
Rukshan Mehta
Since 2009, I have worked with Students for International Development, a project that has evolved into an organization that I hope to bring forward as a registered charity. SID was built on the vision that young people across Canada and the world hold the potential to engage in sustainable development work through project management.
Shelley Vaisberg
Trained in rehabilitative care, I develop health-care market applications for new and existing toys and tools, addressing the needs of vulnerable populations and those with mental illness and physical or cognitive disabilities. I also consult for social development agencies, local and international, that use Sport for Development concepts to effect social change in their communities.
Tahirah Stanley
I studied Theatre and International Development, and I’m really excited about combining my two passions to create real change in communities around the world. My project, Theatre for Peace, seeks to empower youth through the performing arts. Over the course of three months, the youth, ages 14-18, work with professional artists to develop monologues, poems, dances, songs etc. that are then compiled and put into a final performance.
We’ve partnered with Microsoft Canada and the Ontario Trillium Foundation to run the 3rd annual Agents of Change: Youth competition, designed to help innovators turn their ideas into real impact and prepare them for early stage investment. We selected 10 projects led by youth under 30 working to build stronger and more resilient communities.
MEET THE 2013 AGENTS OF CHANGE: YOUTH
Many Rivers Permaculture
Paul Wartman likes to create space to imagine what’s possible when communities are grown from good, accessible food systems. Bringing that vision into reality is his mission. Paul founded the group Many Rivers Permaculture which is working to create a healthy, environmentally-protective, food-loving, “I-wanna-grow-that-in-my-backyard” community. He is currently researching Edible Forest Gardens as a Master Student at the University of Guelph and is collaborating with community groups to bring healthy food to everyone in the Guelph and Mississauga communities.
R.I.S.E Edutainment
Randell Adjei is a Spoken Word Edutainer and Artivist. He uses art to empower and provoke thoughts of a better society for our world. Randell is the founder of Reaching Intelligent Souls Everywhere (R.I.S.E) Edutainment, which is a youth led initiative that provides a weekly platform for artists to express themselves in a positive way. R.I.S.E Edutainment also conducts workshops and artists development initiatives to develop Toronto’s talents.
The Kitchen Library
Dayna Boyer’s kindergarten report card states: “Dayna does not like sharing”. Her former teacher might be surprised to learn that not only has Dayna learned to share but she’s also at the forefront of the sharing community in Toronto with her non-profit, The Kitchen Library. The library works in partnership with The Toronto Tool Library, which has provided support and incredible mentorship along the way. This project is the perfect combination of three of her passions: community outreach, marketing, and food.
Grounds for Gardens
Founded by Jocelyn Molyneux, Wastenot: Resources Managed Sustainably up-cycles food waste into natural fertilizer through worm composting, providing clients with Zero Waste organic management solutions. The Grounds for Gardens project aims to enhance organics recycling within the urban agriculture movement by installing free worm bins at community gardens and using vermicomposting to locally upgrade coffee grounds into fertilizer for that neighbourhood.
My Green Neighbour
Bianca Sayan is the founder of My Green Neighbour, which matches lenders in the community to people with profitable energy efficiency projects. Think Kiva.org for energy efficiency projects! Bianca is constantly exploring what works in corporate sustainability and social responsibility.
Foodie Pages
FoodiePage.ca, started by Erin Maynes and Stephanie Pal, is an online marketplace that helps make local, responsibly-produced food more accessible and convenient to locate and purchase. We’re responding to a significant trend in consumer demand – the desire to support local, know where food comes from, and understand the background and story of food producers and products.
WaterFarmers Aquaponics
Evan Bell calls himself a thinker, tinker and builder. He is equally happy discussing the specifics of aquaponics design or rolling up his sleeves to lay out new grow beds or frame a greenhouse. Evan’s varied background assists WaterFarmers with project management, business development and community outreach. Evan got his start in aquaponics by building household hobby systems and volunteering with the University of Waterloo’s Aquaponics Group as a grant writer and project manager. Now continuing his aquaponics adventure under the expertise of Arvind, he is passionate about bringing systems-level change to the world’s food security problems. His present research interests surround the design and construction of high-efficiency controlled environments tailored for aquaponic farming in Northern Climates.
DeenUp Athletics
Heartbeat Nation develops programs for healthy living and creating elite student-athletes. The first initiative, DeenUP Athletics, leverages sports as a social engine to engage youth. The basketball training programs cater to hundreds of players in Toronto to further their athletic and academic achievements. All trainers have played basketball at CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sports) and/or NCAA in the US. The mentorship includes sessions on building healthy lifestyles, community activism, post-secondary education, etc. Nahyan Chowdhury’s and Adeel Sahibzada’s objective is to provide the highest quality of athletic training, alongside the mentorship to build strong individuals whom their families and communities can be proud of!
synapsABILITY
After serendipitously connecting over siblings touched by autism, Jeff Bernstein and Joseph McDonald, co-founded synapsABILITY – a community for lives touched by disability. As an intermediary working to provide opportunities in employment, housing and financial planning, synapsABILITY aspires to connect individuals in need with the private sector as an alternative to traditional, publicly delivered services. By creating critical mass around broad societal challenges, synapsABILITY believes that every Ontarian’s potential can be realized.
Equal Grounds
Equal Grounds is a Social Enterprise dedicated to providing professional services to their clients by creating opportunities for people of different abilities. Additionally, they provide training & development and access to assistive technologies to enable participants. Fun Fact: Torrance Ho is a 12 year power wheelchair goaltender in the Toronto Power Wheelchair Hockey League (TPWHL) and Terrence Ho loves adventures, including summiting Mount Kilimanjaro in July 2012 and skydiving in August 2013.
Part of the CSI Accelerates Initiative
At CSI, we support entrepreneurs with solutions that drive change through acceleration and incubation. Learn more about our approach here.
