During these ever-changing times, it is good to know that people are willing and capable of helping the world in overcoming the crisis at hand. That is why GreenHouse, has awarded Emre, a social venture startup, $2,500 from the Social Impact Fund and more recently won the People’s Choice Award of $1,000.
It’s very easy to recognize what people with disabilities may not be able to do, but Logan Gillingham wants people to see what they can do. That’s what prompted the local grade 12 student to start the Different Abilities project, a project she brought to GreenHouse’s Youth Innovation program this winter.
GreenHouse students are often asked, “What’s your why?” The question invites emerging social entrepreneurs to figure out what change they truly want to make, and from there to determine the best way of doing so. When Aaiman Aamir came to GreenHouse a year ago in her last term, she wasn’t sure what problem she wanted to solve but she was aware of her regret about having opted out of studies in STEM.
Lucas Moffitt & Marc Mirella tour a recycling facility and meet with employees at the facility
Cherie Wai (BES ’19) was recently recognized with World Vision Canada’s Ruth Roberts Award. This award is part of World Vision’sHero’s for Children Awards, which celebrate individuals who have a heart for children and have demonstrated effort to make the world a better place, ‘especially’ for children.
For the last seven years, GreenHouse has offered a place for students in the UWaterloo community to receive support on starting and launching ventures that have a social impact. On November 26, 2019, GreenHouse went out into the community instead in an effort to offer an opportunity to newcomer youth from across the region who might not otherwise have the chance to learn from the incubator.
Ever since GreenHouse alumna Aileen Agada began her venture BeBlended – a company focused on the black hair care industry – she has kept a notebook in which she jots down every idea and possibility that occurs to her. But soon, Aileen might need to add a few extra pages to that notebook.
On December 5, GreenHouse celebrated its 19th cohort of social innovators and entrepreneurs at the Social Impact Showcase. As part of this celebration, GreenHouse awarded grants from its Social Impact Fund.
For many black women, simply walking into a hair salon to get their hair done is not an option. This was the experience that Aileen Agada had in Ottawa while away on a co-op term. It turned out, she had to ask community members where they got their hair done and the same response always happened, “a friend of a friend, of a sister in their basement.”
Lynne Murdoch, Founder of VOYHS and GreenHouse student is one of four ventures that won the Velocity Fund 5K Finals on July 18th, 2019.