The CSI Community - a Blog Series

Submitted by mike brcic on June 23, 2010 - 2:41pm

Over the coming weeks, we'll be posting a series of blog posts about CSI members and their work. In our first instalment, we profile ClearlySo Canada (the global marketplace for social business, enterprise and investment)

1) How long have you been a CSI member?
ClearlySo Canada has been a CSI member since January 2010.

2) What's the best part of being at CSI?
The best part about being at CSI is the feeling of being a part of a community in the building. The special events that take place here (Salad Club, Farmer's market, etc) are such wonderful ways to get to know the other tenants in the building and really help us feel connected.

3) What has being at CSI meant for your organization/business?
It has meant a permanent space for us to conduct our business while also being part of a social innovation hub in Toronto.

4) What are you working on right now?
We just completed our first investor speed dating event sponsored by RBC Wealth Management here in Toronto. Modeled after our successful events in the U.K., each business was positioned at a table and investors moved from table to table throughout the session. Businesses had a maximum of three minutes to make their pitch to each investor, followed by three minutes for the investors to ask questions. We are currently compiling feedback and determining locations for future Investor Speed Dating events.

5) Have you collaborated with other CSI members on projects, and if so, can you share an example or two?
We have just entered into a partnership with Green Enterprise Ontario. We'll have more exciting news to share on this partnership in the coming weeks.

6) Tell us something that other CSI members might not know about you.
ClearlySo Canada is the online national marketplace for social business, enterprise, and investment. We celebrate and promote our members, connect our members to one another through peer-to-peer networking events, connect them to investors, and advocate on their behalf with financial institutions and government.