B4PN. Weekly Announcement #54. December 10, 2021

Welcome to this week's B4PN Weekly Announcement, our last for 2021. Thank you for your reading and engagement over the past year and stay tuned for our year in review in the new year. If you know someone who might enjoy our newsletter, please let them know that they can sign up here.

Compiled by Allyson Hewitt / VP Impact, MaRS Discovery District. Edited by Marek Nad

#ONE – Business: The Next 25 Years

What is the future of business? To explore, watch this recording of the inaugural Business: the next 25 years event, part of the University of Oxford’s Capitalism in Debate series. This one is entitled What’s gone wrong, what has to change and how to do it, hosted by the Sa?d Business School at the University of Oxford.

Readers of the B4PN Weekly Announcements will be very familiar with the panelists, Professor Colin Mayer (The British Academy, Future of the Corporation) and Paul Polman (former CEO of Unilever). In addition to these roles both men have written books on this topic and have deep ties to Oxford. The panel is moderated by Tyra Lee, a student in the Sa?d Business School.

Thanks to Michael Smith, Impact Bridge and advisor to the B4PN strategic clarity work, for recommending this recording which was held on December 8, 2021 and runs about ~1 hour and 30 minutes.

#TWO – Didn’t get enough of Paul Polman? Hear more on the Masters of Scale Podcast

Reid Hoffman’s Masters of Scale Episode 103: How redefining boundaries drives performance, w/former Unilever CEO Paul Polman, December 7, 2021.

“When Paul Polman joined Unilever as CEO in 2009, the consumer goods company – home to 400-plus brands including Dove soap, Ben & Jerry’s, and Vaseline – had been stagnated with years of lackluster performance. His famous turnaround of the company centered around his ability to redraw the boundaries of Unilever’s mission to emphasize sustainability and long-term growth. He’s a perfect example of why every leader should consistently re-examine the boundaries that limit their business – and be prepared to redraw them as you grow. By redrawing boundaries, you can reinvigorate your team with a new sense of power.” This listen is ~33 minutes long.

“I believe redrawing boundaries not only opens your eyes to new possibilities – it will also give you a refreshed sense of purpose, which will propel you towards your goals.”

Not a podcast listener? You can read the full transcript here.

#THREE – A social purpose economy is key to building inclusive, sustainable prosperity

Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation in British Columbia was unable to speak at the recent Propelling Purpose Summit hosted by the Social Purpose Institute (SPI) but his remarks are posted on their website clearly articulating the value of the social purpose economy for BC. “As I speak with people from across B.C. to help develop our province’s new long-term economic plan, I’m constantly reminded of the importance of a social purpose economy. Our government has said from the outset that we will work toward a British Columbia where everyone benefits, not just the few at the top.”

We certainly need more politicians embracing and acting on this point of view.? You can read the Minister’s remarks here and congratulations again to our friends in BC, especially the SPI for this leadership.

#FOUR – Social Impact Fellowship (Australia)

There seems to be a growing trend of hosting Social Impact Fellowships (this one is organized by Social Impact Hub based in NSW in Australia) that embrace the language of purpose:? “The Social Impact Fellowship is a transformative program for aspiring change makers seeking to explore their purpose and understand how they can drive greater social and environmental impact through their work and beyond.”

Find out more about the program here and apply here – the testimonials are very impressive. Please note: it’s unclear if the sessions are all virtual, in person or hybrid.

?There is also an Impact Leaders Incubator run by Carolin Ouwerkerk which appears to be based in the US. Find out more here.

#FIVE – New Opportunities for the New Year

Diversity in Sustainability is offering a regular jobs board that may be of interest to people, especially BIPOC individuals working in sustainability, with additional opportunities in other related fields. They feature ads from Canada (see below) and around the world. Here is a snapshot of some postings from this week and we encourage you to sign up to see more. Also, feel free to share job opportunities with the B4PN as well.

• Consultant/Senior Consultant – ESG, Sustainability and Reconciliation Action Plans, Creative Fire (Indigenous-owned). Virtual. Apply here
• Director, Secretariat, President's Advisory Committee on the Environment, Climate Change (CECCS). University of Toronto. Toronto, ON. $105,411-$175,685. Apply here?
• Sustainability Manager, Nutrien, Remote, Apply here
• Manager, Community Impact. Toronto Foundation. Toronto, ON. $65,000-$70,000. Apply here
• Senior Manager, Sustainability and Impact Strategy. McDonald’s. Toronto, ON. Apply here

quote of the week

“Creating a community of interest around purpose, helping business people find like-minded people to spend time with – that’s a pretty good start.” – André Beaulieu, Senior VP of BCE Inc., From the Canadian Voices on the Role of Business in Society Report.

Enjoy reading and enjoy the holiday period … on purpose. We look forward to being a part of your community in 2022 and beyond.

Allyson

-------------

What is the Business for Purpose Network? The B4PN is an initiative catalyzed by the JW McConnell Family Foundation and the MaRS Discovery District to help build a movement engaging companies to put purpose at the core of their work.

Past editions of the B4PN Weekly Announcements are available on LinkedIn and on Medium.

Interested in joining this movement? Please visit our Landing Page to get in touch or subscribe. We’d also love your comments on anything you read here or to promote any relevant articles you would like to share with others. If you do not wish to receive our announcements, please respond to this email to unsubscribe.