Q & A with Mark Savard - Covenant House Vancouver

We recently held our Mingle & Jingle winter social and had the opportunity to partner with Covenant House Vancouver. Following the event, we asked Mark a few questions about his work at Covenant House Vancouver, how to get involved, and what advice he has for the YWiB members.

 

Can you tell us about Covenant House, your role there, and how you got involved?

Founded in 1997, Covenant House Vancouver offers a clear exit from life on the street for youth aged 16 to 24. We make this possible through a carefully designed Continuum of Care including a daily drop-in, a 54 bed residential crisis program, a transitional living program, relapse prevention, and life-skills training. Each and every day, young people come to us damaged from the abuses of their past, desperately needing love and guidance. Over the next year, more than 1,400 homeless young people will come to Covenant House Vancouver and take the first steps in creating a better life for themselves.

My name is Mark Savard and my role is Development Officer – Community Giving. I’m part of the Development and Communications team which includes: fundraising, volunteers, communications, and gifts-in-kind administration. I’m responsible for working (and fundraising) with: schools, community groups, service clubs, employee groups, and stewarding third party events (individuals or groups creating events benefitting Covenant House). I’ve been in this particular role for 8 years and have been on this team at Covenant house for 10 years. I always say that I ‘fell into it backwards’ – starting out on contract. I’ve had the opportunity to grow with the agency and I’ve never looked back! From my first day here I was very impressed with the program delivery model.

Youth accessing Covenant House’s programs and services are met ‘where they’re at’. They drive what they want to do and are accompanied through their journey with us by Youth Workers. Some youth may use all three programs; some may need just one. It all depends on their individual needs. We refer to our programs collectively as our ‘Continuum of Care’. Ultimately, we provide the programs and services that allow youth to leave the streets behind for good by providing a hand up, and not a handout.

With winter upon us, how can people best support or get involved with Covenant House and the great work you do?

There are a few options to help Covenant House in its work with homeless youth:

Donating items:

Gently used clothing appropriate for youth in our age range of 16 to 24, donating new toiletry items, socks, and/or underwear. Non-perishable food is welcome however it does need to be commercially prepared (we can’t accept food made at home).

Financial donations are always welcome:

We’re 95% privately funded so individuals, corporations, foundations, community, and employee groups sustain the work we do. You can donate online, via phone, or mail. You can also become a monthly donor!

Third party events:

People can hold all kinds of fundraisers from bake sales to birthdays. We have a peer-to-peer fundraising website where people, groups, and/or teams can set up fundraising pages then encourage friends and family to support them (they get instant tax receipts when donating online).Short-term volunteering: We hold thank-a-thons in our offices at the Drake Street building. This involves calling donors to simply say ‘thank you’ for their recent gift. We do this twice per week in October and November (plus a few dates in December) then again in February, April, and May. The application is brief and not the same process as the regular volunteer positions.

Long-term (regular) volunteer positions:

To hold a regular volunteer position at Covenant House you need to be at least 26 years old. There’s a fairly rigorous process involving: an application, one-on-one meeting with our Manager of Volunteers, police check, and group orientation.

Mentor Program:

This is a new opportunity to act as a mentor for youth residing in our transitional living program. You have to be at least 25 years old and be able to meet with your mentee once per month in person and be available via phone and/or email once per week.

What piece of advice would you give to the members of Young Women in Business Vancouver in regards to professional and/or personal development?

My grandmother told me, “never stop learning”, which I’ve endeavored to do (and I’m middle aged now!). It doesn’t have to be learning in the formalized (school) sense, but being open to new ideas, networks, and opportunities. When networking and meeting new people, I think about what I could possibly do for them and what other networks I know of that they could benefit from. Of course everyone you meet has a story so there’s learning potential from each person you encounter!

A couple of my favourite quotes come from Eleanor Roosevelt:

“Do one thing that scares you every day”.

“You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give”.

Blueprint Mentee: Natalie Chu

Another mentee's reflection from our Blueprint Mentorship Program should inspire you to apply for your own mentor in our January 2016 intake -- but quick! Applications close October 15, 2015.  

Natalie Chu

Development Coordinator

Citimark Development Corp.

What were your main objectives for the Blueprint program?

My main objective of the program was to learn both valuable business and life skills from not only my mentor, but other like-minded individuals. I wanted to get involved in a community that empowers women and encourages both professional and social long-term relationships. As this was my first formal mentorship program, I did not want to set expectations per se. I wanted the relationship with my mentor to develop naturally.

How was your mentor, Carlee Groves, a good fit for you?

Carlee is a charismatic, passionate, and driven individual. We met for the first time prior to the formal launch of the program in January. Within minutes of meeting each other, it felt like we had known one another for years. At that initial meeting, we asked one another what we hoped to achieve throughout this program. We agreed to be open […] with one another and vowed to hold each other accountable. She was the perfect fit for me, and I am grateful to have shared this experience with her.

How did you and Carlee connect and work together throughout the program?

Carlee and I made it a priority to meet at least once a month. We went to a few industry events together, and met before each of our workshops. At these meetings, we'd discuss the progress we both made with respect to our personal and professional goals. In addition, we would talk about some of the challenges that we were facing at work, how we overcame them, and how each of the experiences we faced was a growing and learning opportunity.

What was something Carlee said or did that really stuck with you?

I can be a perfectionist, which can be my demise sometimes. Carlee had a very similar journey through the early stages in her career; she taught me that not all questions can be answered right away, but to embrace the unknown and let fate be my destiny (to a degree, of course). I consider myself to have risk-adverse tendencies. Carlee encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone because risks are not necessarily always bad. Taking risks can result is great outcomes, but without trying, we'll never know what those outcomes are.

What were the most impactful lessons, conversations, or development that came out of your discussions with Carlee?

She emphasized that there are no wrong choices per se, but highlighted that there is something to learn from every experience. It is important to put yourself out there, get involved with the community and be open to new experiences. So long as you are constantly learning and doing, you are moving in the right direction. Personally, I have struggled with what the next steps of my career are. Whether it's pursing a masters degree, continuing with my current career path, travelling, or doing something completely different, the unknown scares me. I have learnt to embrace this journey with open arms.

Did you apply any of your development from this experience to your career?

This experience has taught me about the balance between my career, lifestyle, and relationships. As important as it is to execute tasks, it is equally important to develop one's growth, lifestyle and relationships. I have made it a standard practice to revisit my goals, and constantly develop them. By breaking my goals down into three categories, I have been able to focus on each of them independently and to determine how best achieve them. I have found this to be an extremely rewarding process, and has helped me challenge and push myself.

What was your favourite aspect of the YWiB Blueprint program?

Sharing this experience with others, and seeing the progress of other mentors and mentees was inspiring. I usually attend industry-related events, so it was great to meet women in other industries, and learn the ins and outs of different lines of work.

How has YWiB Blueprint helped develop your career?

This mentorship program has helped me celebrate my achievements to date, and has helped me envision what I want to get out of the next year, five years and ten years of my career. Though I cannot guarantee any given set path to achieve my goals, Carlee and I discussed all different ways to achieve them, and I am excited to see what my future entails. I have made it a goal of mine to take some courses to acquire new skills. I am now inspired to constantly challenge myself with things that I am hesitant of. […]I look forward in pushing myself to new boundaries.

Apply before October 15, 2015 for the January 2016 intake!

BTGC: Women & Innovation

We're still feeling the afterglow of last Thursday's inspiring panel at RED Academy, on Women & Innovation. We saw a lot of eyes light up listening to our panelists, and in case you were too in awe to take notes, we wanted to share some of the thoughts from the evening. Here we go...  

On defining "innovation"

• A mindset/skill that needs to be practiced (don't just stick with the same old answers!)
• Disruption
• You do not need to reinvent the wheel to be considered innovative
• Taking concepts or ideas and applying them to another situation or for another purpose
• Taking old concepts or ideas and applying them to modern day situations or purposes
• Solving a problem in a new way

On being innovative

• Don't force it. To be innovative, you need to know who YOU are; your strengths and passions; focus on those. It can be difficult to come up with creative ideas for things that bore you or you know little about. strengthfinder.com.
• Innovation is not equal to technology. Technology is a result of innovation and a tool to be innovative, but not innovation itself. You can be innovative in any field of work.
• Stick to your guns. Your ideas are good ones. Men get an idea and think it's the best thing since sliced bread. Confidence (even if false or fake) can be convincing.

When it comes to defending your ideas

• Know your audience. Tailor your pitch to what you think they are looking for or what motivates them.
• Make sure you put your idea in context of the problem it's solving.
• Your ideas are not YOU. It's easy to be emotionally attached to your ideas, but don't take things so personally if someone shuts one down.
• Further to the above, some people will never be won over (or won't be until you're already successful :P). Some people need to be shown how good an idea is, not told.
• Sometimes it's important to realize if the environment your in is not welcoming of your innovative ideas, it may be time to move to somewhere that is.

On what organizations can do to cultivate innovative thinking/corporate culture around innovation

• Incentives for new ideas that work
• Starting an innovative group (Vision Critical's Innovation Circle)
• Generally being open-minded and welcoming of employees' ideas (sometimes it may not be the entire organization, but someone who has decision power who listens to you and will give you a chance without repercussions)

You don't need to know it all

• Create your own personal Board of Advisors and consult them on decisions you feel are important. These people will be invaluable. Family do not count.
• Get a mentor. Whether informal through a personal connection (maybe someone on your Board of Advisors) or a formal mentor who has relevant experience and new connections for you...better yet, do both. Apply to YWiB Vancouver's Blueprint Mentorship Program before October 15th!

Did you hear a good quote or have your own thought that isn't on this list? Sharing is caring, so add it to the comments below!

#YWiBbtgc: Meet Melanie Levenberg

Beyond the Glass Ceiling panel event is back again, and this year’s theme focuses on Women and Innovation. We sit with top tier panelists from Vancouver who live and breathe innovation. Who are these innovative businesswomen? Today, we’re pleased to introduce you to…

Melanie-Levenberg

Melanie Levenberg

Founder & Program Director of DANCEPL3Y

There are a plethora of classes to choose from these days. But have you ever bought a pass for something just to use it a few times and let the rest expire? Conventional fitness classes tend to follow the same template: the instructor is at the front of the class and has everyone do the same movement or activity.

Enter Melanie Levenberg. Growing on her background in fitness and health across a number of industries, Melanie wanted to create something that was engaging, interactive and playful to promote a positive, fun attitude to fitness. It was this philosophy that DANCEPL3Y and the 3 Rules of PL3Y were created:

Be positive.

Be fun.

Be yourself.

DANCEPL3Y is designed to inspire everyBODY to feel like a rockstar as they "sweat happy". After learning simple moves from a variety of dance styles, DANCEPL3Y is all about interacting with the others in the class and discovering your own unique style and way of moving. No minimum skill required, and no boredom over repetitive, recycled classes. Just fun being yourself.

DANCEPL3Y runs programs in Vancouver, catered to ages as young as preschool, children, teens, and also adults. Children, in particular, are growing and developing habits – both good and bad – as well as their outlook on things like health and fitness. If children are to have a positive attitude towards these, it’s important that they have a lot of fun doing it. Last year, Ms. Levenberg presented DANCEPL3Y at the 2014 Global Summit of Physical Activity in Children in Toronto.

Come hear Ms. Levenberg talk about her innovative concept this Thursday, September 17th at Beyond the Glass Ceiling: Women and Innovation. Not only that, but she’ll be giving us a demo of what DANCEPL3Y is all about with a quick “refresher” exercise to get up and bust a move after the panel ends!

Last chance to grab tickets for tomorrow's Beyond the Glass Ceiling!

#YWiBbtgc: Meet Julie Gunn

Beyond the Glass Ceiling panel event is back again, and this year’s theme focuses on Women and Innovation. We sit with top tier panelists from Vancouver who live and breathe innovation. Who are these incredible businesswomen? Today, we’re pleased to introduce you to…

Julie Gunn

Julie Gunn

VP Customer Success of Vision Critical

Julie Gunn is one of the few individuals who have been at Vision Critical since it’s beginnings in 2000. Ms. Gunn played a role in the early development and management of this Vancouver-based company’s customer experience.

For those who are unfamiliar, Vision Critical’s signature product is a cloud-based customer intelligence platform that offers a range of solutions for companies looking for data-backed insight into their products, services, and brand that will lead to better business decisions. In other words, they help clients ask better questions, listen more intently, and learn what the people they care about think and say.

In order for this platform to achieve valuable results, it’s critical that it be user-friendly and engaging for those in the company's “community” (a defined cohort who a company is interested in conversing with). As such, innovation is a huge part of Vision Critical’s corporate culture, as they need to adapt to society’s changing preferences for interacting online and offline.

Today, Ms. Gunn leads a dynamic and growing business unit within Vision Critical, specializing in community strategy and management. In addition to a multitude of things including overall profits, Julie is responsible for employee retention, development of new offers, organic growth, all of which require innovative thinking and approaches if you want to get results. To encourage innovation and generate valuable ideas for Vision Critical's customers, Julie developed an initiative within the Customer Success team called the "Innovation Circle".

She is involved in a number of other initiatives that span across the organization pertaining to customer feedback on product, adoption of CRM systems, thought leadership, and marketing and customer experience initiatives such as the annual Vision Critical client summit in NYC.

At YWiB Vancouver's Beyond the Glass Ceiling panel event this Thursday, September 17th, come hear Ms. Gunn’s thoughts on being innovative from the point of view of an international and renowned organization that roots itself in innovation.

Check out:

https://www.visioncritical.com/

Julie Gunn on LinkedIn

#YWiBbtgc: Meet Lisa von Sturmer

Beyond the Glass Ceiling panel event is back again, and this year’s theme focuses on Women and Innovation. We sit with top tier panelists from Vancouver who live and breathe innovation. Who are these incredible businesswomen? Today, we’re pleased to introduce you to…

Lisa von Sturmer

Founder & CEO of Growing City

Ms. Von Sturmer is an entrepreneur from Vancouver who founded an urban composting company.

With a backdrop as stunning as Vancouver’s, it’s tough not to be conscious of our impact on the environment. The City of Vancouver has ambitious green goals and we Vancouverites love our community gardens, green rooftops, and widespread public recycling. Some residences have begun composting, but in other environments outside single-family homes, where people can collect and use their own composting in the garden, the process is more difficult.

Seeing an opportunity and being passionate about bettering her community, Ms. Von Sturmer founded Growing City to make composting a cinch for apartment buildings and residences, commercial buildings, and restaurants. She even pitched her concept on CBC’s Dragons’ Den.

Growing City customers receive a vestibule to collect their waste, the building’s employees or residents are educated on what can go into their bins, and away they go! Once full, a Growing City team member returns to remove the waste and clean the bins to prevent odour. A full-service company making composting effortlessly simple. As a result, they help clients reduce their waste by up to 40% or more!

An important part in retaining customers is educating and exciting them about composting and its positive impact, Growing City provides progress reports to show clients how much they’ve composted and what that means in terms of methane, CO₂, and monetary savings. They even make playful comparisons like the number of household items or Justin Biebers that it equates to in weight! Through this, Growing City keeps clients engaged and feeling good about their efforts.

Ms. Von Sturmer has presented on CBC’s Dragons’ Den, presented a TedxTalk on social entrepreneurship, is the current Canadian Global Ambassador for International Women's Entrepreneurship Day, and is an active advocate for youth entrepreneurship.

Come hear Lisa von Sturmer by grabbing a ticket to Beyond the Glass Ceiling: Women & Innovation, where she will share her perspective on innovation and how that secret ingredient landed her where she is today.

Watch her interview on Shaw's program, the Rush, where she talks about her Dragon experience and her jump into composting!

#YWiBbtgc: Meet Joanna Buczkowska-McCumber

Beyond the Glass Ceiling panel event is back again, and this year’s theme focuses on Women and Innovation. We sit with top tier panelists from Vancouver who have live and breathe innovation. Who are these incredible businesswomen? Today, we’re pleased to introduce you to…

 

Joanna Buczkowska-McCumber

Managing Director of The Next Big Thing

Ms. Buczkowska-McCumber is an accomplished social innovation and business strategist with a strong passion in creating social change through entrepreneurship. Her philosophy is that business should not only provide economic value, but also create social and environmental value.

As the Managing Director of the non-profit foundation, The Next Big Thing (TNBT), she steers the ship in advancing the next generation of entrepreneurs. Ms. Buczkowska-McCumber comes across many entrepreneurs with innovative concepts in her role and has insight into how important a quality that is when it comes to starting a company that thrives.

Indeed, TNBT, itself, is innovative. Offering the nation with a rule-breaking fellowship program, TNBT breaks against traditional methods of teaching to get tomorrow's most promising entrepreneurs into the business world. Through this unconventional approach, they empower young entrepreneurs to succeed with resources, hands-on experience, and a network of driven like-minded and renowned innovators.

In 2014, TNBT helped accelerate 10 youth-founded startups. Prior to her involvement at TNBT, Ms. Buczkowska-McCumber was a founding member of the Centre for Social Innovation & Impact Investing at UBC's Sauder School of Business, and co-creator of the award-winning Coast Capital Savings Innovation Hub, a program that 'propels social change through innovation and entrpreneurship.'

Needless to say, innovative has been the air that Ms. Buczkowska-McCumber breathes, and we are so excited to hear from her at Beyond the Glass Ceiling: Women & Innovation!