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Laurier Prioritizes Social Innovation As we think about the future, and all the opportunities and challenges it presents, universities have an important role to play in creating knowledge, driving innovation, and supporting our communities in shared prosperity. Ontario, and in particular, the Waterloo Region, has an exceptional track record for innovation and entrepreneurship. This is a community of talented people with incredible ideas who will continue to shape our world in the coming decades. At Wilfrid Laurier University, we are focused on creating the conditions in which this talent can flourish as we move forward from the pandemic. Universities have the expertise, capacity, and responsibility to harness and support talent, not only for economic benefit, but also to tackle the existential challenges of our time. How universities build ecosystems that support innovators and entrepreneurs is becoming increasingly important in a world that needs bold leaders and ideas. Laurier has a strong tradition upon which to build as we chart this new vision. We are a national leader in social entrepreneurship and innovation. At its core, social innovation is the development of fresh ideas in response to current systems and structures that are failing society. One example of this is our reliance on single-use plastics for consumer items, which is creating an ecological disaster and is untenable for the future of our planet. Laurier is a place where students, faculty, staff, and community members—many as entrepreneurs— come together to find solutions to social, cultural and environmental challenges such as this. Our researchers are making discoveries and innovations that touch many facets of everyday life and we are providing the necessary conditions for students to pursue entrepreneurial aspirations that provide social benefit. Our students have received global attention for their social entrepreneurship as back-to-back runners-up at the Enactus World Cup in 2020 and 2021. The Enactus competition recognizes business ideas that have social impact and address a pressing need in our world. Through Enactus, Laurier students developed EarthSuds, a shampoo tablet that eliminates the plastic waste of hotel shampoo bottles. This product is now available in more than 70 retail stores across North America and the business continues to grow. Another student-led, made-at-Laurier idea born from Enactus is Last20, a business that upcycles plastic water bottles into a binding
agent for asphalt. This innovation has now been piloted in a paving project in Brantford. Through our Lazaridis Scale-Up Program, Laurier alumna Carinne Chambers-Saini was able to scale up her business that offers a sustainable, eco-friendly menstrual cup. With the Scale-Up program’s help, Diva International has grown into an international company, headquartered in Kitchener, which has sold more than 6.5 million units in 40 countries. These are just a few examples of Laurier’s social entrepreneurship and innovation in action. Every day, our university community is proving that businesses focused on social good can create economic prosperity while at the same time solving some of the existential problems our society faces. In the coming months, Laurier will bring into greater focus our strengths in social entrepreneurship and innovation with the development of an institutional innovation and entrepreneurship strategy. This strategy will set a vision to guide this work across our campuses, in Kitchener-Waterloo, Brantford, and soon, Milton. This strategy will focus our post-pandemic priorities—in collaboration with our host communities—as we identify and integrate social and economic opportunities. I believe that universities have a moral imperative to encourage the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators to frame their work in the context of social good. Ideally, all successful businesses of the future will prioritize equity, sustainability and good governance. We know that economic prosperity does not need to be incompatible with these goals. Our future depends on communities and leaders who embody these ideals.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Deborah MacLatchy Deborah MacLatchy is the president and vice-chancellor of Wilfrid Laurier University and a distinguished biologist. Dr. MacLatchy spearheaded the development of the Laurier Strategy: 2019-2024, which focuses the university’s priorities on future readiness and building a thriving community.
advocate May | June 2022
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