Meaningful Work Retreat

The Meaningful Work: Green Jobs + Social Innovation Retreat
April 29-May 1, 2011 at Kananaskis Wilderness Hostel

Economic crisis. Climate change. Endemic poverty. Social injustice. The old paradigm is failing…
Ecopreneurs. Social innovation. Green jobs. Systems thinking. It’s up to us to create new opportunities for our collective future.

• Want to connect your career and calling?
• Want to initiate your own creative social and environmental projects?
• Feel the urgency for work that connects people and place?

Join hosts Alla Guelber and Mike Unrau and special guests:

• Tad Hargrave, Founder of Marketing for Hippies
• Ed Whittingham, Executive Director of the Pembina Institute
• Natalie Pepin, President of Peratos Consulting
• Adrian Buckley, Owner of Big Sky Permaculture
• Casey Eaglespeaker, Blackfoot Elder, Aboriginal Liaison, Consultant and Traditional Counsellor
• Sharon Hapton, Founder of Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers
• Brenna Atnikov, CED Coordinator, Thrive – Calgary

The purpose of this 2.5 day retreat is to spend a weekend with peers from diverse disciplines and inspiring professionals, deeply engaging with questions around vocation, sustainability, and social innovation.

This is a unique opportunity to:

• incubate innovation in an inspiring setting
• develop your own ideas for creative social and environmental projects
• learn about upcoming trends in the environmental careers sector
• connect with others from a variety of backgrounds and start building a community of practice… and much more!

The focus of the weekend is encouraging dialogue, brainstorming and capacity building as we all move toward creating our own ‘meaningful work’ that sustains people and ecosystem integrity. This fast-moving, exciting experience includes interactive activities, breakout sessions and a wilderness walk alongside inspiring professionals and guest mentors. We will explore a common journey of how we can connect occupation with a personal sustainability and work toward creating a supportive community of practice.

Includes all meals and dorm-style accommodation at Kananaskis Wilderness Hostel (one hour drive from Calgary). Transportation will not be provided but we will assist in organizing carpools.

Frequently Asked Questions

We have been hard at work designing an incredible agenda for the upcoming Meaningful Work Retreat April 29-May 1, 2011 at Kananaskis Wilderness Hostel. We’ve had many questions and inquiries in the lead-up to the weekend, so here are some answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions.

What kind of retreat is this? Who is it geared toward?

This is not your typical conference! Maximum participant capacity is 25, so you’ll have a change to get to know each other and the guest mentors.

You will delve deep, challenge yourselves, develop your own ideas for innovative social and environmental projects, businesses or not-for-profit endeavours, and connect with other inspiring individuals from a variety of personal and professional backgrounds.

What is the workshop format?

In this intimate, small-group setting, we offer a variety of activities that encourage creative thinking, inspiration and interaction.

The workshop will follow a dialogue model, inviting special guests who are experienced social innovators, business and not-for profit leaders and community activists to work directly with participants to brainstorm, provide advice on business and communication plans, network, and participate in knowledge sharing.

It is open to people from all academic and professional disciplines. This will be a weekend to make new connections, synthesize ideas and get projects moving.

How did the Meaningful Work Retreat start?

Alla Guelber launched the Meaningful Work Project with the inaugural Meaningful Work: Green Jobs + Social Innovation Retreat in April 2010. In her May 2010 article in Unlimited Magazine called The Quest for Meaningful Work, Alla shares the project’s beginnings and goals.

Who are the guest presenters?

For the 2011 retreat, we are pleased to welcome:

• Tad Hargrave, Founder of Marketing for Hippies
• Ed Whittingham, Executive Director of the Pembina Institute
• Natalie Pepin, President of Peratos Consulting
• Adrian Buckley, Owner of Big Sky Permaculture
• Casey Eaglespeaker, Blackfoot Elder, Aboriginal Liaison, Consultant and Traditional Counsellor
• Sharon Hapton, Founder of Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers
• Brenna Atnikov, CED Coordinator, Thrive – Calgary

In addition, we offer optional morning yoga on Saturday and Sunday, and there will be free time on Saturday afternoon to get outside and enjoy the Ribbon Creek trail system. A full workshop agenda will be posted in early April.

I’m not a “young professional”. Can I still attend?

Definitely. From the just-about-to-graduate student to the mid-career professional looking for a change, this retreat is all about exchanging ideas, perspectives and inspiration with others from similar and diverse backgrounds. If you have any specific questions about fitting in to the workshop, and how we might be able to address your concerns, please contact us.

We will offer a one-month later in-person event in Calgary, as well as online follow-up post-workshop. The Sunday of the workshop is focused on you! Through small group breakouts and an Open Space session, you will be able to focus on your personal goals for attending the Meaningful Work Retreat and for moving forward beyond the weekend.

You will find that the best follow-up will emerge from the personal connections you make with other participants and guest mentors.

Who are the funders?
This is a small, start-up project with seed funding provided by the Alberta Ecotrust Foundation and the Cooperators IMPACT! Fund. We have a growing list of community supporters who are providing in-kind and financial support for the initiative. Visit the Supporters and Funders page for more information.