Lunapads

While Madeleine was working hard on the eastern side of Canada drumming up sales, I was in a completely different zone on the west coast, enjoying the place I call paradise ~ Hollyhock on Cortes Island. Each year, over a hundred socially minded business leaders running for profit and not-for-profit ventures gather here for an event called the Social Venture Institute. This interactive five day forum provides a stimulating venue for entrepreneurs like me to learn, be inspired, mentor, and enjoy the spoils the west coast has to offer… beautiful beaches, a peaceful setting, amazing fresh food from the garden and ocean and more!

There was no shortage of opportunities to be inspired by fellow entrepreneurs and guest speakers who have created or are leading mission driven businesses and enterprises… too many to name here! A sampling of awesome women entreprenuers who I was honoured to share the long road trip to Cortes Island included: Bridgitte Alomes from Naturalpod, Sylvie de Sousa from Naturebag, Emira Mears and Lauren Bacon, authors of The Boss of You (and our webmistresses at Raised Eyebrow Web Studio), and Nikiah Seeds from Mama Goddess Birth Shop. My thanks to you lovely ladies for sharing your amazing energy and wisdom with me during our trip.

One of the profiled speakers who I want to tell you more about is Adrienne Marie Brown, a young dynamic woman who, in a very short time, has become a much sought after speaker for her views on media, communications and her chosen field: activism. Adrienne is the Executive Director of The Ruckus Society, a not for profit organization that provides environmental, human rights, and social justice organizers with the tools, training, and support needed to achieve their goals. Adrienne opened her speech with a beautiful song she wrote and had the entire audience enraptured with her captivating life story and her compelling message: take action for what you believe in. (View the Ruckus home page for video clips or “shout outs” of her speaking.) When I later chatted with Adrienne to share my own personal story of “lactivism”, I learned she was a huge DivaCup fan and recommends the cup to all her friends. Here she is holding a DivaCup, an organic cotton Lunapads Pantyliner, and a copy of our new Teen Booklet. (To her left is another beautiful woman named Kat Vellos, a youth worker from the Power of Hope.)

I was moved by the powerful energy that Adrienne held and quite surprised at how small a budget she has to work with at Ruckus, given their mandate. I encourage those who are moved by the work of The Ruckus Society to join Lunapads in supporting them with a donation here. “Your donation will go directly to the front lines in the nonviolent struggle against the hostile corporate takeover of our planet. We’re training people in the creative use of nonviolent tactics and strategies, and we need your help! We invest in leaders who know how to think on their feet and create actions that cannot be ignored. After all this time, actions still speak louder than words, and Ruckus is amplifying a movement for change. We are inviting you to join us on the front lines of environmental protection and social justice. We need your voice and we need your support.”

Every time I leave Hollyhock, I come home refreshed, inspired and ready to take on the world. Thank you to all my colleagues who inspired me and shared their stories and wisdom.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 at 1:29 pm by Suzanne and is filed under Local Happenings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.