Vancouver Social Enterprise Forum ...

In January 2004 Fast Company magazine wrote a cover story on the state of Social Capitalists.

Fast Company contributor Cheryl Dahle, wrote the article in cooperation with the Social Enterprise Alliance and followed up the story by participating in a panel discussion at the SEA 2004 Conference in San Francisco.

So what ... this is where I come in.

I co-ordinate the Vancouver reader's network of Fast Company, the Company of Friends, and was asked about the state of social enterprise in Vancouver.

With that question I became acutely aware of the narrowing space between socially progressive corporations and corporatising non-profits.

To help answer the question; SEA conference participants, Fast Company readers, local entrepreneurs, community leaders, and involved citizens, met casually to begin collaborating. The Vancouver Social Enterprise Forum was 'born' on March 11th 2004.