I really enjoyed the class on Social Entrepreneurship. This type of business was not new to me because I had attended a talk held by the Social Enterprise Club a few weeks earlier where Comm 101 Prof. Jeff Kroeker was one of the speakers. Before attending the workshop Social Enterprise (SE) 101, I had no idea what Social Enterprise was. However, because of the workshop and the Comm. class on SE, I am now able to verbalize and articulate why I decided to go into Business.

Also in attendance at the SE 101 Workshop was Mark Brand. His name came up during the class as well. He restored Save on Meats, which was an institution in the Downtown Eastside community. During his talk, his passion for the community genuinely came through. Mark gave specific examples of the social aspects of his business. For one, his main priority is always his employees. He stressed that the environment he tries to foster in the workplace is not only a professional one, but a familial one as well. With employees who are recovering drug addicts or previously homeless, Mark says it is always important to just take a moment to ask how everyone is doing and to make sure everyone is in a safe, healthy place in their lives.

Another program they do at Save on Meats is food catering. Once a week, Save on Meats and partnered hotels provide meals to the homeless and to those who don’t have the means to feed themselves.

If Social Enterprise is covered again in class, I think it would be awesome if Jeff could share some of his anecdotes from his experiences in Africa. It would really give us students an even better grasp on what Social Enterprise really is.

Additional reading:
Mark Brand’s Speaker Profile
Mark Brand: Building a Downtown Eastside Foodie Empire