In Focus | Michael Lavigne of Open for Change

In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition for the people, businesses and organizations that help make our city great. The team at KelownaNow.com is passionate about this community and the people that make it amazing. We want to show our friends, neighbours, family and colleagues that we notice them and the fabulous things that they do.

What is your name?
Michael Lavigne

What do you always find yourself saying?
Peace & Light

If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select and why?
Arlene Dickinson, because she inspires me with her entrepreneurial spirit, perseverance and brilliant mind. But more importantly because she is very clearly a social entrepreneur who cares about people and the planet; we need more CEO’s in this world who understand the importance of conscious business and the concept of People, Planet then Profit!

If you were to receive any existing public award, what award would you like to win?
Nobel peace prize

If you could spend a day with any historical figure, who would you choose and why?
Steve Jobs, because he is an innovative visionary who challenges the status quo; he believed passionately his ideas would improve society, and strived to achieve them no matter how many nay say’ers he encountered.

Who inspires you?
All the like-minded people I connect with every day who tell me they have been searching for something exactly like what our team has created.

What are three things on your bucket list?
Swimming with Elephants
Play one on one with Michael Jordan, and win!
Travel to each country in the world

If you had an enormous yacht, what would you name it?
For sale!

If you could foresee a single day of your future in its entirety, what date would you select?
The day that Open For Change becomes bigger than Facebook

What are you passionate about?
Helping others, uniting the community, sustainability and socially conscious businesses…. AND the Dallas Cowboys of course!

What has been your favourite day of your life, up to this point?
The day I realized that one person has the potential to change the world!

What has been your proudest accomplishment?
Building a brand new social networking platform that is designed to unite a community of game changers who are like-minded collaborators for a more sustainable future.

Where is your favourite place to dine in Kelowna? What do you like about it?
Misato’s Kitchen, all you can eat Sashimi… need I say more?

What is your favourite activity or event in Kelowna? Why?
Volunteering, giving back to your community is the most rewarding experience I’ve ever had!

What is the name of your business/organization?
Open For Change Enterprises Inc.

What does your business/organization do?
We invest our membership fees into socially conscious businesses, with the intention to reinvest two thirds of all our profits back into our communities. We support non-profits and social cause organizations who are making impact in our communities.

Where can people find you or your business online?
www.OpenForChange.com

How do people connect with you on Linkedin?
https://www.linkedin.com/profile/

Where can people find your business on Facebook?
OpenForChange

What is your Twitter account?
@OpenForChangeBC

What is your mission?
To fund global change, by making our membership accessible to anyone with internet access.

If you could achieve one thing within your field, what would it be?
To surpass Facebook in membership numbers

Where do you want your business/organization to be in five years?
Global

Who do you consider to be a forerunner within your field?
We consider our concept to be ground-breaking, there are social enterprises all over the world, but nobody has put it together the way we have.

What three qualities do you feel that your business/organization exemplifies?
Transparency
Sustainability
Community

What would you like to say to your employees/volunteers?
All I want of you is your passion, nothing more, nothing less.

How does your business/organization impact the community?
By reinvesting two thirds of all our profits, and coordinating volunteers to support the organizations who create positive change.

If you were trapped in an elevator with several wealthy investors from any field, which field would you want them to be experts in? What would say to them/talk about?
Environmental sustainability
Technology
Social enterprise
Finance
Their interest in joining our dream team of strategic investors

If I could change one thing about Kelowna, it would be:
The fact that there are there are people living on the street; society needs to treat them like people and less like a nuisance; we need to create innovative ways to tackle this issue.

What do you think makes Kelowna great?
The energy that is all over the city, people are ready for change.

Some general comments I would like to share are:
OFC is a for-profit social enterprise committed to creating a united community that empowers people to make sustainable change.
Our online social platform invites members to make change in their communities by contributing their time and money to credible social organizations. Membership fees from our platform are multiplied and redistributed to the causes our members want to support. We are committed to giving two-thirds of our profit back to society, because we believe in people and planet, before profit.
Basically, we believe in a new concept; a donor can give $5 to a non-profit, which isn't allowed to make a profit and be truly sustainable, or they can give the same $5 to OFC, our investors will multiply it, then give back two thirds to help the world, and the final third is reinvested, to make exponential sustainable growth, which creates farther reaching impact. If you want to be part of that impact, become a member today by visiting www.openforchange.com

We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below, and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE. Thank you, Kelowna!