Sessions on Best Practices is a new speaker series designed to support artists and designers in initiating major, real-world projects. Hear from a range of founders and self-starters with experience in the arts and cultural sector, social innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as non-profit/co-op spheres.

These hour-long talks are free; a limited number of seats are open to current students, alumni and creative practitioners. There is no need to RSVP.

Select Tuesdays at 4PM – All Welcome!
Emily Carr University

Fall 2019

Mapping Yourself: Values, Skills and Identity
Gilad Babchuk, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Groundswell
4:00 pm, Tuesday, September 17 at Room D3370

In 2012, Gilad co-founded the innovative alternative business school Groundswell and serves as its Executive Director. Groundswell pioneers a new way to support aspiring entrepreneurs and individuals who want to develop their ideas into sustainable social enterprises, taking a holistic approach to education by incubating the individual, not just the business idea, within an ecosystem of support. Groundswell has supported the launch and growth of nearly 100 social ventures.

Gilad currently sits on the Board of CCEC Credit Union and the Vancouver Fix-It Collective, a zero-waste textiles venture in Vancouver.  He serves on the Advisory Committee for the First Nations Technology Council, the Advisory Board of  Diverse in Tech,  and Youth Rites of Passage.

Forming a Collective, Founding a Non-Profit
Michelle Fu, Co-Founder, 221A
4:00 pm, Tuesday, October 15 at Room D3370

Michelle Fu is a co-founder and Head of Finance & Equity at 221A. Previously she completed a degree in industrial design at Emily Carr University of Art +Design and worked in the environmental and communication design field, most recently in a management role at Cygnus Group in 2013 where she developed comprehensive wayfinding systems for clientele such as ICBC, Cadillac Fairview, Civitas Urban Planning and Vancouver Coastal Health. Fu also worked at Emily Carr University managing the Audain Artist-in-Residence program, where she gained key insights into educational and international planning. Fu contributes her experience working with institutional and governmental partners into 221A’s growing cultural infrastructure, including the development and implementation of financial, informational and technological systems.

Co-ops by and for Artists and Designers
Andrea Harris, Executive Director, BC Co-op Association on
4:00 pm, Tuesday, November 5 at Room B2190*

Andrea Harris is passionate in her belief that businesses have a key role to play in creating a more socially just and environmentally sustainable future. Following her passion for marrying business with social change, Andrea joined the British Columbia Co-operative Association as their Executive Director in May on secondment from Vancouver City Savings Credit Union (Vancity). She is looking forward to working with the BCCA team for the next year to support a stronger, values-based co-operative economy. At Vancity, she held several senior leadership roles, most recently as Director, Member and Community Insights where she led a team of researchers, analysts, and data scientists to uncover insights to drive growth, continual improvement and innovation. Previously she led the Sustainability Group in implementing strategies and programs to create positive change in community, focusing on social enterprise, poverty alleviation, and climate change. Her accountabilities also included the development of metrics and systems to measure the impact from Vancity’s lending and community initiatives.

Andrea holds a Masters of Science degree in Applied (Agricultural) Economics from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Business from the University of Calgary.

*This talk was rescheduled from October 8.