21ink - Issue One English

Edition 1

A Big Opportunity For Stephen Kopp

Highlights from The Ideas Festival

Tim Brodhead, President & CEO of the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, Answers 21 Questions

In thIs Issue...

table Of COntentsLeading off21inc Board Membersdirector of Partnerships and Alumnitaking Action tête-à-tête(à-tête)Community Update

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they Really think that?Alumni ProfleGuest Column 21 QuestionsMust Consume

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leadIng Off

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The growth of organizations is similar to the growth of people. Parents work long hours on little sleep. Identities become solidified over time. We learn from mistakes and experience brings knowledge.

Since our launch three and a half years ago, 21inc has grown through the stages above to become an innovative organization with great partners, hundreds of committed supporters, and a network of 116 alumni doing inspiring work throughout Atlantic Canada and beyond.

2011 is an important year. As you’ll read in this inaugural issue of 21ink, we’re celebrating alumni and the wider community, while building a foundation for the future. To push the growth analogy to the edge, we’re going from adolescence to adulthood. We couldn’t be more excited.

Having completed Atlantic Canada’s first regional leadership experience, the Emerging Leaders Summit, we’re working with our partners to develop a 5-year strategic plan that would see 21 Leaders programs in

It keeps gettIng better

New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in 2012, and growing to other provinces afterwards. To support this work, we’ve adapted our business model and created a new governance structure and revenue vehicles.

Julie Breau, an alumna from 2008, has joined the leadership team as Director of Partnerships and Alumni. As you’ll read below, her priority has been to reconnect with each of our alumni, renew their relationship with 21inc, and explore what activities can be added to our arsenal to enhance their leadership.

We’ve also undertaken an exhaustive (and at times exhausting) process to create the indicators and evaluation framework that show impact and continuous improvement against our mission of developing leadership excellence. To help us navigate through the thicket of known unknowns and unknown unknowns, we’re formalizing an Advisory Network of esteemed and diverse leaders.

These actions are all aimed at strengthening the community of emerging and established leaders who will take our communities and region into the 21st Century. Communities are built on webs of relationships; and relationships require communication. That’s why we’ve been working hard to make this first edition of 21ink relevant, fun, and useful. We look forward to receiving your feedback

Message froM 21inc’s President and executive director

Alycia Morehouse, 21inc Chair with Tim Coates, Executive Director for 21inc

SPRinG/PRintEMPS 2011

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bOard

Meet 21InC’s dIreCtOr OfWhen Julie Breau (21 Leaders, 2008) joined 21inc this spring as Director of Partnerships and Alumni, she returned to reality. From 2008 to 2010 she worked with the Halifax office of the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre designing training scenarios - fake countries, fake economies, fake ethnicities, fake cities, and fake armed rebel groups: think Sim City on steroids - currently used by military forces around the world, including the African Union, to train their forces for peace operations.

In early 2010 the Centre consolidated, moving its work to Ottawa and leaving Julie without a fake world or a real job. She began picking up contracts, including part-time with 21inc, handling the logistics for November’s Emerging Leaders Summit and Ideas Festival.

When it became clear that 21inc needed a “CEO of the alumni community,” and help developing the organization’s new revenue vehicles, Julie’s suite of skills, organizational knowledge (she sat on the Board for a brief time), and personality were the right fit.

Fluently bilingual and an inveterate learner, she says that “developing leadership is something that has interested me for a longtime. I’ve always devoured opportunities to broaden my horizon, get out of my comfort zone, and improve my abilities.”

“The opportunity to join 21inc at this stage of growth is exciting. We’re a first mover on the scene and I believe that we’re growing the space for creative and collaborative leadership. Over time I’d like to see us known for having raised the bar of what’s possible.”

Alycia Morehouse, ChairClimate Change CoordinatorCity of Fredericton

Matt Alexander, Past-ChairSenior Environmental ScientistFundy Engineering & Consulting Ltd.

Marie-Ève Cyr, trésorièreDirectrice Générale Village de Pointe-Verte

Alain ParentDirecteur des ventesAssomption Vie

Lynn WhiteCoordinator, Visitor EngagementDepartment of Tourism and ParksGNB

Claire RyanAccount CoordinatorMT&L Public Relations

Lucia DeMaioPolicy AnalystDepartment of Social DevelopmentGNB

Carlos CuellarSocial Entrepreneur

Jeff SparksNational Volunteer CoordinatorMuscular Dystrophy Canada

Nathan WhiteDirector of MarketingSaint John Sea Dogs

Marc GodinPropriétaire de restaurants et Entrepreneur


Julie Breau, 21inc’s Director of Partnerships and Alumni

MeMbers

21InC

partnershIps and aluMnI

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takIng aCtIOnEMERGiNG LEADERS SuMMit21-24 noveMber, 2010, st andrews, nb

iDEAS FEStivAL24-26 noveMber, st andrews, nb

54 emerging leaders between the ages of 20 and 35 from across Atlantic Canada assembled over two and a half days to participate in professional and leadership development, culminating with the Ideas Festival. More than a dozen established leaders from our region and beyond shared their experiences and lessons on building relationships, story-telling, team-building, organizational change and other leadership issues.

More than 200 participants from across Canada and the world shared and discussed ideas with people of different generations and sectors. The event was co-hosted with Public Policy Forum. The only unwelcomed guest was Mother Nature, who caused delays and deviated flights, and turned our last lunch into a packed-lunch and go! The Festival welcomed 60 speakers from near, such as Chris Aerni, Chef at the Rossmount Inn (St Andrews, NB) and far, such as Jonathan Robinson, founder of The Hub, whose home-base in London, but who traveled from Beijing, joined us to share some of their ideas. Notable quotes: “Eagles may soar but beavers don’t get sucked into jet engines” (Bill McEwan), “If you’re not confused, you’re not thinking straight” (Alex Himelfarb), “Less Sick Care, more Health Care” (Stéphane Robichaud)

Mary Gordon, President and Founder, Roots of Empathy

Emerging Leaders Summit Participants with Smudge the dog

From L to R: John Bowles, President, Inversa Systems; Roddy Awad, Founder, Tech Knowledge Solutions take in Zahra Ebrahim, Founder and Principal at ArchiTEXT’s session on Discovery and Creativity

Above: Dialogue on innovation in healthcare with (left to right) Antonia Maioni (Director, McGill Institute for the Study of Canada), Stéphane Robichaud (CEO, New Brunswick Health Council), Nora Kelly (former Deputy Minister of the Department of Health, GNB), Lea Bryden (VP, Citizen Engagement and Accountability, Capital Health) and John G. Abbott (CEO, Health Council of Canada)

Left: (Left to right) Bill McEwan (CEO, Sobeys Inc.), Joey Adler (President & CEO, Diesel, and Founder of ONEXONE) and Alex Himelfarb (former Clerk of the Privy Council of Canada) share some of their lessons in leadership

Anna Stuart, Vice-President, Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette

Emerging Leaders, from left to right: Colin Guthrie, Alexandra Warner, Sally Ng, Derek Simon, Christie Dennison, Sarah Craig and Duncan Gallant

Emerging Leaders from left to right: David Finlayson, Jennifer Kruger, Raymond Rashed, Raph Shay and Matt Rogers

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tête-à-tête(à-tête)

L’innovation est une composante essentielle de nos communautés, cependant il est de plus en plus difficile pour les jeunes d’innover dans nos petites communautés en raison de nombreuses contraintes tels le dynamisme, l’âge, les ressources et l’argent disponible dans la communauté. Il revient donc à des gens comme nous de faciliter l’innovation dans nos communautés en faisant preuve de leadership. Le leadership et l’innovation vont de pair, mais une personne peut innover sans nécessairement être un leader et le contraire est également vrai. Souvent les jeunes sont portés à croire que tout a été inventé et c’est encore plus vrai dans des petites communautés ou les débouchés sont minces et où les obstacles sont nombreux. Le leadership vient aider à relever ces défis et pousser l’innovation afin de dynamiser nos communautés. L’innovation se nourrit de leadership puisqu’elle en a besoin et souvent ce leadership doit venir de nous les jeunes leaders communautaires.

L’un des résultats de notre communauté grandissante de 21inc, c’est l’émergence de communautés d’intérêts, et de groupes de personnes occupant des postes similaires. Pour cette édition inaugurale, nous avons demandé à trois de nos anciens qui sont directeurs généraux de municipalité de songer sur la place du leadership et de l’innovation dans la gestion de nos communautés. Voici ce qu’ils nous ont dit :

Le leadership et l’innovation jouent un rôle très important dans la gestion de nos communautés. Parfois, nos communautés ne sont pas toujours prêtes à prendre le risque associé à l’innovation. Ceci est souvent le cas pour les différents paliers de gouvernements. La décision la plus certaine et souvent la préférée. En s’impliquant dans nos communautés, au niveau politique ou administratif, les jeunes peuvent s’assurer que l’innovation et le leadership sont toujours des items qui sont discutés et la meilleure décision à long terme est considéré.

Pour des petites communautés, avec des ressources monétaires et humaines limitées, le leadership et l’innovation sont les seules façons de maximiser le potentiel et de faire progresser nos communautés.

Le risque et l’inconnu - deux éléments reliés à l’innovation qui font peur depuis toujours. Certaines personnes doivent calculer leur risque, et d’autres, non, mais la personne qui risque doit être capable d’accepter de vivre l’échec autant que le succès. Cette personne devra peut-être sacrifier sa carrière. Est-ce qu’il existe beaucoup de personnes prêtes à sacrifier leurs carrières au nom de leurs visions, et est-ce qu’il existe beaucoup de personnes qui ont une vision forte, ainsi que la possibilité de la mettre en œuvre? Sûrement, plus que l’on croit, mais si toutes ces personnes auraient pu réaliser leur vision, le N.-B. serait peut-être de loin la province la plus développée au Canada? Je crois que les gens qui gravitent autour des municipalités au N.-B., et ailleurs au pays, doivent faire place à beaucoup plus d’innovation et de leadership, ces temps-ci, afin de faire face aux nombreux défis rencontrés. La vision et l’inclusion des gens dans une telle démarche peuvent être difficiles. Le soutien du gouvernement serait un atout, mais est-ce qu’il a une vision? Sans vision, je ne crois pas qu’il y a de leadership et donc, aucune innovation. Pour ce qui est du leadership et de l’innovation dans les petites communautés, ils sont de loin des éléments clés pour le maintien des acquis et la progression de celles-ci. Cependant, ces petites communautés font souvent face à l’exile de leur population – surtout les jeunes -, ce qui fait que le groupe de bénévoles en place qui a dirigé, et possiblement innové, au courant des années, n’a pas la chance de se renouveler et fini par s’essouffler. Qu’est-ce qu’il restera aux petites communautés lorsque ces personnes quitteront le bateau?

MARC LANDRy (ANCiEN, 2005)directeur général de la ville de beauMont, alb.

MARiE-ÈvE CyR (ANCiENNE, 2009)directrice générale du village de Pointe-verte, n.-b.

MARC DuGuAy (ANCiEN, 2008)directeur général de la ville de caraquet, n.-b.

Marc Landry en compagnie du Premier ministre de l’Alberta, Ed Stelmach.


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The 2010 Ideas Festival may have led to some new and interesting opportunities for some of its participants. Dr. Don Desserud, a long-time friend of 21inc and a two-time participant at the Festival will be taking on a new role as Dean of Arts at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI). UPEI’s president, Wade MacLauchlan was a speaker at the Festival. In addition, another friend Patrick Lacroix is joining the T4G Limited team out of Fredericton - we like to think, following some Ideas Festival conversation. All the best to Don and Patrick in your new positions!

Le 4 décembre 2010 avait lieu au Delta Beauséjour le «Gala d’Excellence de la Banque Nationale du Canada» au cours duquel les prix du «Club Élite» furent remis. Parmi les lauréats, David Michaud (Moncton, 21 Leaders, 2009/10), de la succursale de Dieppe, remporta le titre de «Conseiller Finances personnelles de l’année» (Personal Banking Advisor of the year), et ce, pour toute la région de l’Atlantique. Ce prix est basé sur la performance au niveau des volumes de vente et sur la qualité de service offert aux clients. Bravo, David!

Scott Walton (Saint John, 21 Leaders, 2009/10 and Emerging Leaders Summit 2010) had a busy winter. His company Enovex which is developing a greenhouse gas capture system, was nominated for the New Brunswick Innovation Fund’s 2011 Breakthru competition and was awarded a runner-up prize worth $70,000. Congratulations Scott!

COMMunIty update

Janet thompson-Price (Saint John, 21 Leaders 2009/10), has co-founded a boutique law firm, Coffin & Thompson, after 12 years with Stewart McKelvey. This law firm is the first carbon neutral law firm in New Brunswick and is especially equipped to work with environmental, construction and immigration clients

Collette O’Hara (Halifax, Emerging Leaders Summit 2010) has become Owner/Partner at Red Balloons Relations.

Clare Levin (Halifax, Emerging Leaders Summit 2010) is pursuing her passion for health as a Research Consultant for the Research Power Consultation (RPI).

trevor MacAusland (Moncton, 21 Leaders, 2008), anciennement de T4G Limited, est maintenant directeur général de propel ICT.

Scott Walton

Left: David Michaud

Above: Dr. Don Desserud, right, participating on a 21inc panel discussion with Dr. Margaret Conrad, Brian Dick, and Dr. Joe Rugerri

they really thInk that?

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DEREk RiEDLE

Undercover Boss, because one of the most effective ways to learn how to improve your organization is to spend time working with people on the front lines.

In fact, many of the most innovative ideas are generated by those who work with clients face-to-face every day. I believe the same holds true in government, and that’s why I was so pleased with the responses I received in my [email protected] inbox after asking public servants to sharetheir ideas about how we can run a more efficient and responsive government for New Brunswickers.

PREMiER DAviD ALWARD

saint John, nb - ceo, revolution strategy

Premier of new brunswick

kRiStA WALSHMontague, Pei - President, Kc collect!

autres. Je n’ai aucun intérêt à m’humilier en public et encore moins à observer les autres le faire.

Je trouve que l’émission « So You Think You Can Dance » respecte au moins l’art dont elle fait la promotion tout en évitant, habituellement, le sensationnalisme qui caractérise sa cousine « American Idol ».

ANNE HEbERtMoncton, nb - directrice, conseil économique de n-b

Road Hockey Rumble. J’ai fait une apparition dans la Saison un et notre équipe a été détruite. Je veux un match retour!

tREvOR MACAuSLANDMoncton, nb - Propel ict


“If you could compete in any reality show on television right now, which one would you choose, and why?”

Since my hidden talents include navigation and dancing, I would have to be part of a reality show that Incorporated “The Amazing Race” and “So You Think You Can Dance”.

It would consist racing against other team and uncovering clues and hintsto a secret venue and preforming to an unknown song (based on the country) once you arrive.

I’d compete in a hybrid of “So You Think You Can Dance” and the “Amazing Race” and I’d River Dance around the globe.

“Why” you ask? Have you ever seen me River Dance? It would be my gift to the world.

Si je devais absolument faire partie d’une série téléréalité, il faudrait que ce soit « So You Think You Can Dance ». Et, il faudrait aussi que j’apprenne à danser !

Les réalisateurs des séries « réalités » exploitent le désire de certaines personnes à devenir célèbres à tout prix, en profitant du voyeurisme des

Participants would be voted off based on their performance. They must incorporate certain dance moves from the clues and hints that were discovered along the way

aluMnI prOfIle

Stephen Kopp wasn’t even home from his 21 Inc experience when a big opportunity came his way.

Kopp was driving back from St. Andrews, N.B., to Saint John with his wife Monica Adair in November. He had attended the Emerging Leaders Summit and Adair, also his business partner in Acre Architects, had come along for the Ideas Festival.

An email popped up on Adair’s phone, purporting to be from comedian/actor Shaun Majumder. Known for such bits as barraging Sidney Crosby with hockey numerology theories, Majumder wrote “I am working on something fun. I would like you to consider being a part of it.”

“If it was April Fool’s Day, we would have thought someone made this up.

Out of the blue Shaun Majumder emails us with a (request for proposals) for a small hotel. We couldn’t tell if it was real or not,” Kopp recalls. “We didn’t know if it was real or one of our friends.”

The email gave them a week to develop the concept – a luxury inn in Majumder’s hometown of Burlington, N.L. Inspired and energized after spending several days with other young leaders, they set to work.

Kopp says the RFP “read more like a vision and a dream” and came with a promo video that was used to pitch a documentary on the project to the W Network. After a face-to-face interview in Burlington, cameras shadowing their every move, Majumder announced – in front of town hall – that Kopp and Adair landed the job and

the TV roles that come with it.

Now, life includes monthly design meetings with Majumder (“We have never laughed so much at meetings,” Kopp says), with a focus on using local resources and reducing environmental impact. Acre, meanwhile, has been selected as one of the top emerging firms in Canada by Twenty+Change. Kopp says they feel pressure, but not because of the cameras shooting the documentary series.

“We appreciate that the process is being documented,” he says. “In our opinion the TV shows today undermine the real process of thorough and thoughtful design. Design takes time, energy, vision and a strong team. Good architecture doesn’t happen overnight.”

a bIg OppOrtunIty fOr stephen kOpp

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Partner/architect, acre architects (els – ’10)

Monica Adair and Stephen Kopp, photo by Mark Hemmings

What makes an organization successful? Bonnie Cook, President and CEO of AbbyShot Clotheirs in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador, has figured it out. By focusing on employee empowerment, her company, which creates clothing styled after movies, anime, TV shows, and video games, won the 2010 Canadian Innovator of the Year award by the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters. Bonnie spoke at the Emerging Leaders Summit this past November, about how applying her philosophy spurred on waves of creativity. We asked Bonnie to share her philosophy with the 21inc community in this first issue of 21ink. Below, she reflects on the toxic presence of conflict in the workplace.

Is there conflict in your workplace? Is it horrid to think of going in every day and working beside a certain co-worker with a bad energy? Sometimes we felt that way. How fortunate we are, that we took on some simple yet huge lessons!

Conflict arises when two or more people’s opinions differ, sometimes even you with yourself! (Think about that one).

Our company recognized conflict as the root of all evil, the reason for us not moving forward, and the demise of our bottom line! Now we see it as an opportunity to see everyone’s valued opinions, an opportunity to be heard. How does being heard make you feel?

Learning the true meanings of perception, accountability and responsibility has been massive for us. Have you ever felt as though

someone didn’t see things as you did? Quiet your opinions just once and allow yourself to see someone else’s view and see what happens. Yes, we know these simple words and meanings but do we really do them? Do we pay attention to our own language and the responses we often get?

When something has gone wrong with a situation, have you really taken it on as something you were responsible for? For example, if your dog gets out of the garden, is it his fault? Truly, if you get annoyed about this, who was to blame? Be accountable for the fact that the hinge may need replacing and bingo, you have a much better outcome from the situation. When we speak the truth we are communicating the right words to ourselves. There is no judgment, no feeling of failure. It becomes a clear path to everything we desire.

Judgment held its place here for some time, however try this on for one

single day and see what happens: “Give up the need to be right.” Judgment crushes people’s ideas and creativity. Open the floor to a meeting with no judgment and suddenly innovation appears! Give up the need to be right about someone’s opinion and suddenly new options emerge! The people you least expect to speak up present new ideas. How does it make you feel to be heard? Suddenly people feel valued, appreciated. Being part of a team of innovative people is most self-satisfying! What more is there than being part of a contribution to success?

Our motto here is “What we put out there has everything to do with what we get back”. Think about that for a moment….

Business is a network of conversations. Communication opens the door for every opportunity, for all possibilities!

Try it on……I think you’ll even like you more

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tRy it ON

guest COluMn

Bonnie Cook, President and CEO of AbbyShot Clothiers


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21 questIOns

21 Questions for tim brodheadPresident & ceo, J.w. Mcconnell family foundation

Q: What did you do before joining the J.w. Mcconnell family foundation?A: 27 years of international development (NGO) work in Africa and South Asia, including five years as CEO of the Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC).

Q: How would you describe your role at the Foundation? A: Agent provocateur/agent of change.

Q: What leadership abilities have been most difficult for you to develop?A: Management skills, patience, team-building.

Q: What are the most important decisions you make as the leader of your organization?

A: Strategic program choices and staffing

Q: the Foundation has done a lot to promote social change in Canada. For people not familiar with this space, how would you describe the Foundation’s work? A: Creating greater societal resilience to cope with multiple uncertainties and unpredictable challenges – by promoting inclusion, social and environmental sustainability and a culture of continuous social innovation throughout Canada.

Q: What is the role for social innovation, social enterprise, and social entrepreneurship to help build a better Canada? A: These are all just different ways to express the conviction that in the face of socio-demographic, economic and environmental challenges we need to actively explore new approaches that tap our ingenuity and creativity to address tough problems.

Q: Can you give an example?A: Vibrant Communities brings “unusual bedfellows” from government, business and the community together to tackle poverty in selected cities; JUMP Math uses a radically different approach to overcome the ‘math-phobia’ that holds kids back in school; ArtsSmarts is a national program to encourage creativity in the service of learning; the Registered Disabilities Savings Plan pioneered by PLAN and legislated federally is a major step toward greater self-sufficiency and dignity for people with a disability – all of these and many more combine new thinking, a more entrepreneurial business model and a determination to focus on system change rather than incremental improvements.

Q: Social innovation is not new, but lately it seems to have caught on like

Tim Brodhead, President & CEO, J.W. McConnell Family Foundation

For Tim Broadhead, President and CEO of the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, Canada is on the verge of making significant progress against some of our most intractable public challenges. This is in large measure thanks to his leadership at the Foundation, which he joined in 1992. His work and that of the Foundation is at the forefront building support for social entrepreneurship and innovation, arguably one of the most exciting fields today. In late April Tim graciously agreed to be our first 21 Questions profile, and we can’t think of someone more apt - TC.

Q: What is the first thing you do when you get up in the morning?A: Listen to CBC Radio 1.

people.

Q: What is the role for government and the private sector in fostering social change?A: Government can either facilitate and encourage or hinder social change. Many of our most far-reaching social changes have resulted from government action. Now business decisions (including our choices as consumers) have greater impact, but creating a resilient society and sustainable economy requires that all sectors – public, private and community – collaborate effectively.

Q: What will be different about social change in 5 years compared to today?A: Individuals will have greater potential power than ever before – to access information, to create networks and movements, to use new technologies to transform our economy and society. Paradoxically, fear of change, anxiety over real or perceived threats to our well-being, weakened governmental capacity and environmental impacts may solidify resistance to anything that challenges the status quo. Our children will be starting to get the bill for our inaction and will ask “What did you do to protect my future?”

wildfire. Why is this?A: Because change is accelerating. It is becoming obvious that approaches that have failed to solve problems for the past 50 years will not now suddenly prove to be successful. Our expectation that institutions and experts can be entrusted to make decisions for us is giving way to a sense that we all have a role to play and we all have both the potential and the responsibility to contribute to create the world we want.

Q: Where is Atlantic Canada in building capacity for this type of work?A: Atlantic Canada is right up there: it has had pioneering social innovators like Rev. Dr. Moses Coady, path-breaking social enterprises like DAWN, supportive bodies for training and leadership development like the ALIA Institute and The Hub in Halifax, 21 inc in N.B., new social finance mechanisms such as the Saint John Community Loan Fund and the N.S. Government’s CEDIF…and the list goes on!

Q: How do you maintain your energy?A: Get out and meet the people who are making the change. Whether in Canada or overseas it never fails to inspire.


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Translation services provided by / Services de traduction fournies par:

Q: What role can philanthropy play in fostering social change?A: Illuminate, challenge, experiment, advocate. Do what other funders can’t or won’t do.

Q: do you put ketchup on your poutine?A: What is poutine? (just kidding!).

Q: What is the best movie you’ve seen recently?A: The Inside Job

Q: What’s playing on your iPod right now?A: Leonard Cohen’s Closing Time

Q: Where do great ideas come from in your organization?A: Mainly from people seeking a grant.

Q: if you were going to join the circus, what would your job be there?A: Elephant attendant.

Q: What is the best piece of advice you ever received?A: “If you want real change, speak to people’s aspirations, not their anger.”

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring young people?A: I try to avoid giving advice to young

Interlingual Inc.A member of the 21 Inc. Alumni NetworkMembre du Réseau de Participants de 21 Inc.

[email protected]

Must COnsuMe

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thank you to J.d. irving, Ltd. for their generous design support on this inaugural newsletter

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21ink - Issue One English