The OCS’s Community Conversations utilize circular practices to cultivate diverse perspectives, tap collective wisdom, and begin to mobilize tangible community action.
Shane Lapp, Holistic Systems
#Together We Can
Community Prosperity
The OCS Community Enterprise’s scalable whole systems approach spans People, Planet, Purpose, and Profits to create tangible community prosperity.
BackGround
The following timeline highlights Okanagan Circular Society’s evolution since its inception in 2020.
Fall 2020
Recognizing the need for a new approach to community economy, the Okanagan coLab invited a diverse group of community leaders together into a 6-week Design Lab journey, where they co-created the seeds of the Okanagan Circular Society.
December 2020
Based on legal advice from a leading social enterprise lawyer, the OCS was incorporated as a Federal Not-for-profit corporation.
Spring 2021
With funding from Social Innovation Canada, the OCS completed an academic research paper called a “Blueprint for Economic Transformation”.
Fall 2021
The OCS and coLab began hosting monthly Community Conversations to hear directly from the community on what was working well, what wasn’t working well, and areas of focus for the Okanagan.
Winter / Spring 2022
The Community Conversations culminated in presentations on transformative community ventures, with focus on food resilience and circular economy, and the development of a comprehensive business plan.
Summer 2022
The OCS and coLab convened a team of experts to build out the foundation of the OCS so that it would be ready for larger community co-creation of the Community Enterprise, with an initial focus on food resilience.
Okanagan coLab
coLab is reimagining how community lives, works, and plays to inspire community co-creation and innovation.
What started in 2011 as a group of creative and independent professionals has since blossomed into a community of hundreds of inspired thinkers, makers and doers. Collaboration brought new members into the fold, sharing their creative energies to support one another while rethinking what a coworking space could be.
With over 11 years community leadership across tech, social enterprise, and arts and culture, the coLab is being integrated into the OCS to continue its growth as a thriving coworking and community centre, along with being the operations hub of the OCS.
coLab’s role within OCS is to grow social entrepreneurship, facilitate co-creation, build and energize connections and collaboration. coLab is an integrator that brings together the best and brightest minds of community, along with resources to tackle these systemic challenges from a whole perspective.
Our Team
Meet the dedicated team working to realize the OCS’s community potential.
The group has extensive experience across business, academic, community, and sustainability sectors — and highlights the OCS’s power to draw top talent around the purpose of generating community wealth and well-being.
Greta Reid, Community Catalyst
Barri Harris, Corporate Leadership
David Jenkins, Sustainability Champion
Shane Austin, Community Development
Brandon Farr, Business Development
Events & News
OCS Community Enterprise Overview
We are pleased to announce the release of Okanagan Circular Society’s Community Enterprise Overview, a short yet comprehensive tour of the OCS vision, model, approach, and key areas of activity.