Centre for Social Innovation

The Centre for Social Innovation is a social enterprise based in Toronto, Canada. It specializes in the creation of shared workspaces for people or organizations with a social mission. It has three locations in Toronto that serve as shared workspaces, innovation labs and community centres. These buildings offer private offices, private or shared desks, and spaces to hold meetings and events.[1]

Centre for Social Innovation
Founded2004
FocusSocial Innovation, Social Enterprise, The Next Economy
Location
Key people
Tonya Surman, CEO
Websitewww.socialinnovation.org

The Centre's mission is to catalyze social innovation and to foster collaboration by connecting social innovators and entrepreneurs working across sectors, and providing them with programming such as workshops, seminars, competitions and mentorship opportunities to accelerate their success. CSI also incubates a limited number of social innovations, providing them with programmatic, strategic, administrative and or financial services.

CSI has also published several books on creating shared workspaces and one on its Community Bond.

History

The Centre for Social Innovation, was founded in 2004 by Tonya Surman of the Commons Group, Margie Zeidler of Urbanspace Property Group, Mary Rowe of Ideas That Matter, Pat Tobin of Canadian Heritage and Eric Meerkamper of DECODE. Its first location, CSI Spadina, opened in the Robertson Building owned and operated by the Urbanspace Property Group.[2]

In 2010, the Centre for Social Innovation bought a 36,000 sq. ft. building with the help of a financing model called The Community Bond.[3]

In 2012, the Centre for Social Innovation opened CSI Regent Park in the Regent Park neighbourhood, Canada's largest public housing community, currently undergoing Canada's largest community revitalization.[4]

In 2012, the Centre announced it would open a location in New York City in Manhattan's Starrett-Lehigh Building.[5] CSI Starrett-Lehigh opened in 2013.

In October 2014, the Centre bought the 64,000 sq. ft. Murray Building, located right across the street from CSI Spadina. The Centre purchased the building with 'community bonds,' which are low-interest loans made by private citizens who agree with the centre's mission and want to help it expand.[6]

Locations

CSI Spadina

CSI Spadina opened in 2004 in the Robertson Building at 215 Spadina Ave. in Toronto, Ontario, a historic warehouse building in Toronto's Chinatown district, owned and operated by the Urbanspace Property Group.[2]

CSI Annex

CSI Annex is located at 720 Bathurst Street in Toronto, Ontario. CSI Annex is the Centre's second location and was financed with the help of community bonds.[7] The Annex location is home to many not-for-profit organizations including Spacing and Cycle Toronto.

CSI Regent Park

In September, 2012, CSI opened a 10,000 sq. ft. location in Toronto's Regent Park neighbourhood, on the third floor of the Regent Park Arts & Culture Centre.[4][8]

Organizations

CSI's 800 member organizations include nonprofits, charities, for-profits, entrepreneurs and activists working in areas from health and education, to arts and the environment.[9]

References
  1. Immen, Wallace (June 17, 2011). "Co-work spaces bring the like-minded together". Globe and Mail. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
  2. Goar, Carol (January 18, 2008). "Focal point for social innovators". Toronto Star. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  3. Yogaretnam, Grace. "Community Bonds and the Rise of Local Power". Corporate Knights. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  4. Dagostino, Scott (February 1, 2012). "The city's next talent incubator starts putting down its Regent Park roots". Yonge Street Media. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  5. Geiger, Daniel (2012-07-19). "CSI Takes 24K S/F At Starrett-Lehigh For Business Incubator". Commercial Observer. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  6. "A new model of community centre building: Porter". thestar.com. 2014-10-28. Retrieved 2020-07-02.
  7. Lu, Vanessa (May 9, 2010). "Social innovation centre pins hopes on expansion". Toronto Star. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  8. Hume, Christopher (17 September 2012). "New cultural centre breathes life and colour into Regent Park". Toronto Star. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  9. Porter, Catherine (October 28, 2014). "A New Model of Community Centre Building". Toronto Star.
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