We are proud to announce a new member has joined the Pillar team as our Social Enterprise Coach. Recently, Pillar created the Social Enterprise and Social Finance Cluster, and Julie is joining a rockstar team of social innovators!
This new cluster brings together Pillar's social enterprise coaching program and VERGE Capital's loan fund under one cohesive approach: "To build a prosperous and resilient social economic market for London and surrounding counties that is financially inclusive and addresses our social and environmental challenges"
Previously Social Finance Manager of VERGE Capital, Andre Vashist is now our Director of Social Enterprise and Social Finance, leading the cluster strategy. In this role he continues to manage VERGE Capital's loan fund and development of a new impact investing fund, in addition to leading impact measurement and management.
Megan O'Neil-Renaud joined our team in January, and as the Manager of Social Enterprise and Social Finance, leads our efforts to embed social enterprise supports within the entrepreneurship ecosystem locally and across southwestern Ontario. She is managing FUEL, a regional partnership to support social enterprise, in addition to leading our data management for the cluster.
Our newest addition, Julie Forrester joins the cluster in May as the Social Enterprise Coach. In this role, Julie is responsible for working 1-1 with social enterprises at all stages through coaching, incubation, acceleration and connecting to advisors. In addition, she will be leading marketing and research for the cluster and excited to launch some new programs this spring.Julie's biography:
Julie has worked with community organizations, businesses, and individuals to develop sustainable, innovative solutions to complex social and economic problems. As a graduate from the Ivey Business School, she leverages her business skills to support the development of sustainable communities. She is passionate about culture and travel and has worked in both Uganda and Bolivia on start-up projects empowering communities through micro-finance and entrepreneurship. Since returning to Canada last summer, she has been co-managing Goodwill Industries Impact Loan program for marginalized entrepreneurs and working with Family Service Thames Valley developing London’s Financial Empowerment Network.
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