True Confessions Session: Tonya Surman, CEO of the Centre for Social Innovation

Thursday
Aug 24
7:30 pm

Schedule 2025

Thursday, October 2
Friday, October 3
Saturday, October 4
2:00 pm

Arrival and Registration 🙂

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3:00 pm

A Walk with Rooted Relatives

Join a traditional plant walk along the Saskatchewan river to learn about the deep connections between the Métis people and plant life through traditional knowledge.

4:30 pm

Free Time

5:00 pm

Refreshments and Cocktail Hour

6:00 pm

Dinner

7:00 pm

Evening Session Begins

Welcoming, Introduction to Metis Crossing, Land Acknowledgement and Smudge 

7:13 pm

Sunset (Moon Phase: Waxing Gibbous)

9:45 pm

Band & Bonfire

Binoculars will be available on the patio to stargaze at night. Bring your instruments to the bonfire!

8:00 pm

True Confessions Session: Karina Birch, Owner and CEO of Rocky Mountain Soap Company

Karina Birch is the co-founder of Rocky Mountain Soap Company, a Canadian natural beauty brand known for its commitment to sustainability, simplicity, and community. Since launching the company in 2000 with her husband, Cam Baty, Karina has grown the brand from its roots in Canmore, Alberta, into a purpose-driven business inspired by nature and place.

7:00 am

Candlelit Yoga Before Sunrise

7:40 am

Sunrise

8:00 am

Breakfast

9:00 am

Session Starter and Pitch Tips

Quick, practical tips on how to deliver a compelling pitch—perfect prep for Marketplace of Ideas pitch competition.

9:30 am

Case Study: Speaker TBA

A peer-driven, real-time problem-solving session where an entrepreneur shares a current challenge in their impact business and receives honest, constructive insight from fellow participants to help them move forward.

11:00 am

Silent Hour

We invite you to take a nap, journal, stretch, or simply sit in stillness—no talking, no tasks, just time to be.

12:00 pm

Lunch & Learn

Presentation and Q&A on social procurement, hosted by Buy Social Canada

1:15 pm

Workshops: Sessions 1A—Topic: Tools to Attract Investment  

1:15 pm

Workshops: Sessions 1B—Topic: Mind Over Mission: The Mental Health Imperative for Social Entrepreneurs in a Changing World 

2:30 pm

Free Time

4:00 pm

Marketplace of Ideas

A high-energy, 60-second pitch event where participants share bold ideas and invite support from the SVI community.

6:00 pm

Dinner

7:08 pm

Sunset (Moon Phase: Waxing Gibbous)

7:30 pm

True Confessions Session: Tonya Surman, CEO of the Centre for Social Innovation

Tonya Surman is one of Canada’s leading social entrepreneurs. She co-founded and leads the Centre for Social Innovation, a pioneer in coworking and social enterprise that has supported 6,000+ world-changing initiatives. Tonya developed the globally used Constellation Model for multi-stakeholder collaboration, helping ban toxic chemicals in baby bottles and mobilizing 40,000+ Ontario nonprofits into a policy-shaping network. She also created the Community Bond, a groundbreaking social finance tool that has raised $10M to secure $40M in real estate for 900+ social entrepreneurs. Most recently, she helped launch Social Innovation Canada, a national network supporting systems-level changemakers.

9:30 pm

Failure Wake Bonfire

A place to share what didn’t work, what hurt, and what crashed & burned. No advice, no fixing—just honest storytelling, release, and a reminder that failure is part of the path.

7:00 am

Meditation Session

7:38 am

Sunrise

9:15 am

Workshops: Sessions 2A—Topic: Diving Deeper into Social Procurement

9:15 am

Workshops: Sessions 2B—Topic: Business Growth Strategies  

10:45 am

Case Study: Speaker TBA

12:00 pm

Checkout of your room

Please be sure to checkout by or before noon

12:15 pm

Lunch

1:15 pm

Peer Coaching Circles and Closing Celebration

4:00 pm

Depart ☹️

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