The SVI Pebble Effect
For the past few years, I have had the pleasure of attending what I consider to be one of the best business leadership retreats for mission-based entrepreneurs and social change leaders. Hollyhock’s Social Venture Institute is a unique blend of business, inspiration, education and fun. Situated on picturesque Cortes Island overlooking the coastal waters of the Strait of Georgia, Hollyhock is a little piece of paradise.
While it can be quite a trek getting there, I make the effort (and my family makes the sacrifice) to attend this five day retreat so that I can connect with other social entrepreneurs, learn and become inspired by successful leaders, give back to the business community by offering my time to others, and rejuvinate my soul.
This year, I managed to pack into one particular day, what could be described as the ultimate SVI experience: nourished on a delicious vegetarian buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner (read: no cooking or cleaning!), gathered valuable business tips from an interesting case study about Sprig Toys (cool recycled plastic toys), took a refreshing swim in the ocean, indulged in a craniosacral massage therapy treatment, received some kick-ass business advice from some seasoned strategists (watch out world, here we come!), provided some one-on-one advice for a start up entrepreneur, collaborated with some colleagues on e-commerce and social marketing strategies, feasted on raw & barbequed Cortes Island oysters, and listened to the success story of the first female CEO of Canada’s largest credit union. Phew! Yes, that was a rather jam packed day, but it is those types of experiences which makes SVI so special.
Another great outcome at SVI is the strong sense of community that builds up during the conference, and endures well beyond the retreat. While many of us have travelled from all over the world to attend this conference (including SAWA hero Seleman from Rwanda) we quickly discover, after spending 5 meaningful days together, that the world is really quite small and that, in spite of the enormous challenges we individually and collectively face, if we stay connected and support each other, we can still make a measurable impact on the world.
As a small example of post-SVI support, my kids and I participated in the TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup challenge on the shores of Burrard Inlet, organized by fellow SVI colleagues Lisa and Andrew from Growing City Composting. I both wanted to support their event, and show my kids the importance of taking care of our environment. Eager to do our part, we spotted a section of the beach where there were remants of a beach party. Across Canada, the event collected over 200 garbage trucks worth of trash!
And the post-SVI connections are still going strong. In the past few weeks, I have attended several gatherings with hundreds of people committed to social and environmental change, and are doing so through their business and/or their not-for-profit endeavours. Numerous sold out social events such as the recent PowerPlant Vancouver event (a networking event for green leaders) and this week’s launch of LoCo BC (a business network dedicated to creating a vibrant local economy) are a testament to the enthusiasm people share about the harnessing power that local business and a strong community can have. At these sessions, speakers share their stories and their knowledge so that we can collectively learn and find opportunities to collaborate. I particularly appreciated Kierstin De West’s symbolism of the “pebble effect” to describe the meaning and power of local and community: it starts with caring for our family, and then ripples out to our neighbourhood, our city, our country, and our planet.
The ripple effect of a single pebble that drops can go far ~ and at Hollyhock, a quiet but powerful pebble drops at SVI, and carries far and wide beyond that.
Thank you Joel Solomon, Pam Chalout, Heidi Hartman and the SVI team for organizing such a great event!
January 5th, 2010 at 11:12 am
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