OCS Community Enterprise for Collective Prosperity
Generating Community Wealth and Wellbeing
The Okanagan Circular Society (OCS) Community Enterprise is an innovative framework designed to transform community economic development. At its core, it's a not-for-profit corporation with subsidiary for-profit entities, creating a platform for hybrid community ownership. This innovative structure enables the integration of proven approaches, while creating a platform for cross-sectoral collaboration to address some of our most pressing challenges.
Democratic Community Ownership
The Community Enterprise utilizes adaptive Self-governance principles, moving beyond traditional decision-making to create more inclusive, responsive, and democratic practices. By incorporating a Community Lab and a Venture Builder Accelerator, we're creating a holistic ecosystem that balances community benefit with financial viability. The OCS Community Enterprise serves as a missing link in community economic development, offering a scalable solution for building sustainable and equitable communities.
Exit to Community
Exit to Community transitions businesses and real estate from private to democratic community ownership, creating lasting community benefit. This process also involves a transformation in governance and a realignment of mission towards social and environmental benefit. These businesses form the foundation for resilient communties, while also generating long-term returns for investors and community.
With an estimated 75% of small and medium-sized enterprise owners planning to sell their businesses over the next decade, representing $2 trillion in assets, Exit to Community offers a unique opportunity to move a substantial portion of our local economy into community ownership. This approach not only preserves existing businesses but transforms them into vehicles for community benefit, ensuring economic value remains and grows within community.
Community Solar
As part of our commitment to sustainable development, the OCS Community Solar Initiative aims to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy in the Okanagan. We are completing a feasibility study, which includes partnerships with local municipal utilities and an NRCan grant proposal for regulatory innovation. The initiative aims to pave the way for community-owned solar that will contribute to both environmental sustainability and community wealth-building.
Key Partners
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of ETSI-BC:
