Join us

This panel discussion and networking event is the inaugural partnership between SEIP Canada and Protagoniste, featuring and supporting Canadian impact entrepreneurs.

A pioneering community-supported fishery, a health innovation tackling iron deficiency, a disruptive direct trade Cameroon/Canada chocolate manufacturer—these will serve as our case studies as seen through the lens of their founders.

Come meet peers and learn from Dr. Gavin Armstrong, Ayissi Nyemba and Sonia Strobel, 3 successful impact entrepreneurs on their unique journeys—problem-solving, fundraising, growing, and changing the world in the process.

The conversation will be moderated by Isabelle Swiderski. We'll follow the main event with facilitated networking.

Event schedule

8:00am PST / 11:00am EST / 5pm CET // Speaker intros and discussion

:55 – 1:05 // Q&A

1:05 – 1:10 // Closing remarks

1:10 – 1:30 // Networking breakouts

9:30am PST / 12:30pm EST / 6:30pm CET // Event ends

In conversation

Ayissi Nyemba / Founder and CEO, EMKAO Foods

Coming from generations of cacao farmers in a country where cacao production and export contributes significantly to the national economy and to support poverty alleviation, Ayissi Nyemba soon came to understand the immense challenges and inequity faced by her family and Cameroon’s many cacao farmers due to outside pressures. Ayissi was convinced that they deserved better, and that she was going to help.

While completing her undergrad in marketing at university of École de Commerce ICOGES in Lyon, Ayissi took the opportunity to study at École Chocolat where she received designations as Professional chocolatier and Maitre chocolatier. Once she moved to Canada to pursue her Masters, Ayissi started concocting the idea of importing cocoa beans to Canada.

Today, as one of only two cocoa producers in Canada, her company EMKAO, located in Mission, British Columbia, is invested not only in offering a high-quality product, but also transforming what it means to produce chocolate at every stage of the supply chain, using a direct trade model.

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Gavin Armstrong, Founder and CEO of Lucky Iron Fish Enterprise®

Dr. Gavin Armstrong is a committed impact entrepreneur. He is currently serving as the Founder and CEO of Lucky Iron Fish Enterprise®, a social enterprise dedicated to alleviating iron deficiency around the world using a simple health innovation. Through this role he was a Fulbright scholar at Auburn University and was awarded the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 in the Social Entrepreneur category in 2016.

In 2017 he received the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award and was named 'Social Entrepreneur of the Year' by EY Canada. In 2018 he successfully pitched his company Lucky Iron Fish Enterprise on CBC's Dragons Den where he was able to secure a deal with two dragons. In 2019 he was named LGBT Small Business Leader of the Year by the Canadian Gay Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

A long-term advocate and activist against hunger and malnutrition, Gavin is the first Canadian to receive the William J. Clinton Award for international work against hunger and is the inaugural recipient of the international Michaelle Jean Emergency Hunger Relief Award. He has also helped the Lucky Iron Fish win multiple Cannes Lion awards including the Grand Prix and several Clio Design Awards including the Grand Prix in healthcare. He has also received a Silver Innovation Award from the Edison Foundation. In 2015 Conscious Company Magazine featured Gavin as one of the seventeen 'Rising Social Entrepreneurs' of the year.

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Sonia Strobel , Co-Founder and CEO, Skipper Otto

Sonia Strobel co-founded Skipper Otto Community Supported Fishery in 2008 with her husband and fisherman, Shaun Strobel, to connect fishing families like theirs directly to conscientious consumers. Their innovative sustainable seafood subscription service lets members pre-purchase a share in the catch before the fishing season.

An activist for social and environmental justice, Sonia has been a life-long supporter of the local agricultural food movement. Applying her knowledge of Community Supported Agriculture programs to fishing, Sonia conceived the idea for a Community Supported Fishery and Skipper Otto became one of the first CSFs in the world. Skipper Otto now supports 30 independent fishing families and delivers sustainable local seafood to over 5,100 families across Canada as well as a small, select group of restaurants and retailers.

Sonia has been the recipient of many awards acknowledging her vision and leadership including: winner of the SheEO Radical Generosity Award in 2015; 2018 Canadian finalist in the Veuve Cliquot Business Woman Award; winner of the 2019 Forum for Women Entrepreneurs’ Pitch for the Purse; and Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.

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Moderator

Isabelle Swiderski, Founder, Seven25 & Protagoniste

Head of SEIP Canada

As a serial impact entrepreneur herself, Isabelle founded her design-for-impact agency Seven25 in 2007 to accelerate the success of values-driven organizations—whether they operate for profit or not—and to foster the emergence of a new, more equitable economy.

An award-winning designer marrying an MBA and an MA in Design, Isabelle has facilitated systems change work supporting startups, governments, foundations and ecosystem builders in over 15 countries on 4 continents in 3 languages.

A sessional lecturer at Emily Carr University for over a decade, Isabelle is regularly invited to speak and teach on topics of design-led innovation, customer discovery and impact entrepreneurship. In 2019, she founded Protagoniste, the continuous learning network for social entrepreneurs.

About SEIP

SEIP is a remote incubation program that supports social entrepreneurs on their journey from planning to implementation. The initiative was established by Zsolt Bugarszki, associate professor of Tallinn University, head of the Social Entrepreneurship MA program.

SEIP is a global support network of social entrepreneurs and impact-oriented businesses.

​SEIP Canada offers Canadian social entrepreneurs

• an international forum to discuss ideas, shares issues with fellow Social Entreprises from around the world,
• connections with peers and experienced mentors to help you,
• events and opportunity to organise events with other international SEs