Read about both projects in their founders’ own words below:

Speed Friending events will gather people together in central community locations to complete speed rounds of meeting and connecting with each other through a series of activities and conversations.  The purpose of these events is to connect people from different backgrounds (intergenerational, cultural, socioeconomic) to form valuable friendships and engage people who may not normally have the opportunity to interact with one another in a meaningful way.

Ashley Kwon, the founder of the Speed Friending events, is an SFU Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology graduate student and she works full-time in health promotion for a local health authority.

West Coast Woodpickers is a start-up project dedicated to upcycling unused wood materials into beautiful, west-coast souvenirs. We hope to provide a sustainable, locally-made, and locally-sourced alternative for intrepid adventurers and tourists looking for a memento of their visit to the beautiful west coast of British Columbia!

Michelle Chen and James Wiltshire are graduating students within the Faculty of Environment at Simon Fraser University, with an affinity for sustainability and a love of woodworking.

We wish both projects all the best and look forward to hearing about their learnings along the way.

The SFU Student Social Innovation Seed Fund is a joint initiative of RADIUS and Embark that supports radical change endeavours with social and environmental impact at their core. Funding amounts ranging from $200 – $1000 are currently available for SFU graduate and undergraduate student social innovators. The deadline for the current round of funding is February 6th, 2017 – apply now!