WINDSOR, ON – December 12, 2014 – Windsor SOUP is narrowing its mission to focus solely on helping launch and support social enterprises in the community. A social enterprise (business) has many similarities to a traditional business, but inspiration is usually drawn from a different, more social philosophy. Social enterprise ideas, unlike conventional business ideas, typically result from a desire to solve a social need; similar to how many non-profit and charity organizations find their beginning.

Both social entrepreneurs and non-profits looking to enterprise themselves can now apply to Windsor SOUP. Their ideas must be socially driven with a goal of sustainability.

The goal of Windsor SOUP has always been to help social ideas and this change will aim to fund those that are long-term and have a clear social benefit to our community, as well as a financial sustainability piece to them. “The shift is slight but we are hoping the results will be huge and seen for years to come,” said Enactus organizer, Peter Corio. “With being able to fund ideas with roughly 2000 dollars, we feel that we can help social entrepreneurs get started or non-profits realize their social enterprising ideas.” The P. & L. Odette Charitable Foundation matches donations at the door.

Partner Pathway to Potential (P2P), the region’s poverty reduction strategy, has identified Social Enterprise as a key area of focus and has recently partnered with WEtech Alliance to move social innovation forward in the Windsor-Essex region. Director of P2P, Adam Vasey noted, “This is a great way to marry the two similar ideas into one and build on the capacity of all three organizations.”

As one of seventeen Regional Innovation Centres in the province of Ontario, funded by the Ontario Network of Entrepreneurs, WEtech has a role to play when it comes to accelerating innovation. President of WEtech Alliance, Yvonne Pilon noted, “Innovation comes in many different forms. In the case of social innovation, it’s the application of innovative, practical, sustainable, business-like approaches that achieve positive social and/or environmental change.”

Windsor SOUP will continue to follow a 4:4:4 format: four presenters will have four minutes each to make their pitch and answer four audience questions. With a donation of five dollars at the door, attendees will receive soup and salad and get a chance to vote on the social project they feel has the most potential to make a positive impact on the community.

The next Windsor SOUP will take place on Sunday, January 11, 2015 at 6 p.m. at the Walkerville Brewery (525 Argyle Road). Applications are being accepted until Monday, December 22 and can be downloaded at http://pathwaytopotential.ca/windsor-soup/.  Anyone with questions may contact Peter Corio at coriop@uwindsor.ca or call 519-996-9903.