The profiles below provide a sampling of some of the social enterprises and social entrepreneurs that are emerging in London.
If you are a social enterprise or social entrepreneur and would like to be added to the list of profiles, please email socialenterprise@pillarnonprofit.ca
For the Love of Laundry
Meet Melissa Power
Melissa started making my own laundry soap in an effort to cut costs for her young family. When she realized that her homemade laundry soap was just as good as anything in stores, she knew it was something she had to share. For the Love of Laundry hosts special laundry events across the city to provide low income families a place to do their laundry for free. Melissa is in the process of expanding this idea to eventually run her own laundromat. With Pillar, Melissa is making connections, building her plan and watching her mission of having every Londoner have clean clothes become a realiy.
Dave Cook
Dave Cook is one of London’s most successful social entrepreneurs, with three socially-minded businesses.
Fire Roasted Coffee & Habitual Chocolate
Dave operates a fair trade coffee roasting and retail company. “Our mandate is to ensure everyone benefits from the coffee experience, from the grower to roaster to consumer.” A sister company creates hand crafted chocolates, sourcing cocoa from Dave’s coffee travels.
Western Fair Market
As an innovative business incubator and welcoming gathering place, the market promotes local, healthy food networks and engages entrepreneurs and producers into the movement of revolutionizing retail – people dedicated to sourcing quality, ethical, healthy food and concerned about where it originates.
Jeff Pastorius
On the Move Organics
Jeff believes that social and environmental justice along with political and economic democracy are critical components to a sustainable food system. “It just so happens that by following this philosophy, we are able to offer excellent customer service and incredible products!”
The Root Cellar
“We embrace the tenets of the slow food movement and sustainable agriculture while consciously striving to offer affordable and accessible options to our community.”
Jeremy Jeresky
New School of Colour
This creative social space is a free art program that is open to all community members, with a special focus on providing opportunities to youth and adults dealing with issues of poverty, mental health and other social barriers. Jeremy partners with Neighbourhood Resource Centres and other community agencies to offer the New School of Colour programs.
Andrew Fleet
Growing Chefs! Ontario
Andrew and his team unite chefs, growers, educators and community members in children’s food education projects. Their mission is to get kids excited about wholesome healthy food. Their innovative programs include Classroom Gardening Project, Classroom Kitchen Project, Fresh Food Frenzy and Growing Community. Growing Chefs relies on community donations and volunteerism. Andrew is continually exploring ways that Growing Chefs might transform these programs into a viable social venture that can generate further revenues for the organization.
Impact Junk Solutions
Impact Junk Solutions is a social enterprise of CMHA Middlesex focused on creating meaningful employment for people with mental illness who face significant barriers to participating in the labour market. impact Junk Solutions has created over 15 jobs through its junk removal and cleaning businesses. With a strong commitment to the environment, the staff have never once gone to the landfill over their two years of operation, using their warehouse to store many of the items collected such as furniture and appliances until they can be donated to families in need.
Learn more.
Mine 101
This second-hand clothing store, features great clothes that take advantage of the generous apparel donations made to the Women’s Community House. Mine101 is a social enterprise that lets you do good while you look good. Proceeds from the sales go to support programs for children and women through Womens Community House.
Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU)
Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU) supports young people between 15-29 as they transition to independent adulthood, many of whom have not had access to the opportunities, mentorship, education, or family support that often shape success. For many youth entering YOU’s training programs, this is their first work experience. They often have limited knowledge of the job market and may not have been encouraged to pursue employment or further education.
YOU helps break cycles of poverty, housing instability, limited education, and addiction. Through social enterprise, youth gain transferable skills, real-world experience, and professional references. They learn customer service, teamwork, time management, multitasking, and how to follow direction — building confidence and motivation for long-term success. Youth also have access to YOU’s wraparound supports, including housing, healthcare, education, and employment services, to help them overcome barriers and achieve their goals.
Since 1993, YOU has been a leader in social enterprise, helping the community see the strengths and potential of marginalized youth and the positive impact of investing in their futures.
Social Enterprises at YOU:
YOU Made It Café & Catering
Mushed by YOU Preserves
YOU Made It Woodshop
Clean Works
Clean Works is a community-based social enterprise, service-oriented interior and exterior cleaning company. Cleanworks is a division of Pathways Skill Development & Placement Centre and provides opportunities for individuals to overcome multiple challenges to meaningful employment.
They specialize in interior janitorial services, graffiti removal and power washing. As a premier graffiti removal specialist, their focus is on community enhancement through the rejuvenation of commercial and residential buildings.
Jens Stickling
Westany Holdings
Jens is a real estate developer and property manager who puts his heart and soul into community economic development. In 2011 his company built a 72-unit affordable housing apartment building. In addition to lending his expertise, as a landlord, Jens supports a number of start-up local social ventures through flexible rents. He engages with his tenants and wants them to succeed. Current tenants who are granted a range of rental rates ranging from zero to less-than-market, include: On the Move Organics, Hacker Studios, My Sister’s Place Microenterprise, Green Energy London Co-op and Evolution
Green Energy London Cooperative Inc. (GEL)
GEL seeks a community where individual and collective actions will protect future generations by balancing our environmental, social and economic use of natural resources through energy efficiency, conservation and renewable strategies. GEL works to connect energy efficiency ideas and people to facilitate sustainable living and realize a more resilient, self-reliant community.
Chris Jansen and Tom Hartford
Textbooks for Change
Textbooks for Change provides students with inexpensive textbooks and gives them an opportunity to help others around the world.
They donate thousands of books to African Universities every year, as well as allocating 50% of its proceeds from book sales directly to micro-finance loans and mentorship to entrepreneurs.
“Help us change the world -- one book at a time.”
Tonia Richardson and Colleen Lindemann
Coupons for Hunger
Coupons for Hunger implements Employee Engagement Programs across London, Ontario that generate employee enthusiasm and pride. The coupon collection program generates food for the London Food Bank and Neighbourhood Resource Centres. Through relationships with local retailers, Miller Waste Group and London Food Bank, Coupons for Hunger is able to aid our community on a larger scale.