EPICentre is excited to be the recipient of a Libro Prosperity Grant in the amount of $89,140, which will allow us to deliver a new program related to social innovation. The Libro Social Innovators Program will provide education and programming to ventures pursuing social innovations and social enterprises. The total project will be divided into two phases: the Libro Social Innovation Workshop Series, and the Libro Social Innovators Program.

Throughout the 2018 summer months, a Social Innovation Coordinator will host the Libro Social Innovation Workshop Series: workshops and guest speaking events to help stimulate the social innovation culture across Chatham and Windsor-Essex County. Once this is created and validated, participants will be able to test their innovations during the Libro Social Innovation Challenge event in September. This event will allow participants to work in teams over the course of a weekend to prepare a final pitch for judges on their new social venture ideas. The top two teams in Year 1, and top three teams in Year 2, will move on to the second phase of this project, the Libro Social Innovators Program. Each team will receive a grant to support them through an intensive cohort to accelerate their ventures.

We are also very happy to announce that WEtech Alliance will provide partnership through this program. The University of Windsor and EPICentre are very grateful to Libro Credit Union for their continued support in our programming and services.