A couple weeks earlier, I went to the TED x Vancouver event. Out of the many inspiring presenters that day, one of the keynote speakers was the owner of the Downtown Hastings based restaurant Save On Meats, Mark Brand, who’s business we learned about in one of our classes with the Sauder ISIS.

Mark started off his talk by giving us some interesting facts on his personal biography. He has travelled widely, and before he had taken over and re-opened Save On Meats, Mark had managed other restaurant, which were not as successful. As he got to know the district, Mark decided that he wanted re-open the historical Save On Meat because he truly thought that was needed in the community. This incentive was aligned with Vancity group’s desire to grant the group

While many may view the downtown Hastings area with fear, and seek to avoid contact with the community at all costs, Mark pointed out that social enterprise are one of the most effective means of changing our society from the micro level. Not only does Save On Meat provide job opportunities for those bordering on society’s sidelines and change their lives in turn, it also remains as a reminder of what kind of positive impacts businesses can make when they focus their incentives on improving the wellbeing of others.