Édouard-Julien Blanchet

Company: Espaces d’initiatives

Sector of activity: Social innovation

Head office: Quebec

Number of employees: 4

His commitment

Aligned with UN sustainable development goal 8 (decent work and economic growth)

To foster a reduction in social inequality and develop more sustainable and resilient cities and communities, we commit to offering consulting services to any actor who wants to innovate and take action.

“Our society doesn’t have the luxury of losing people or organizations who want to get involved in their communities, because they have the potential to be forces of innovation and social transformation essential to solving the major crises we face.”

– Édouard-Julien Blanchet, Co-founder and Executive Director of Espaces d’initiatives

A catalyst for positive social impactnmentally responsible delivery platform

A vocation first

Édouard-Julien Blanchet didn’t choose to become an entrepreneur. He became one through projects that convinced him of one thing: Quebec City needed a consulting service and collaborative spaces to support and act as a catalyst for organizations, businesses, and individuals who run projects with a strong social impact. The idea germinated in 2015, well before this new trend took off. At the time, actors in social change did not have services that reflected their needs, and even less so the support to help bring their ideas to fruition.

The strength of collaboration

How do you become a catalyst with impact? Espaces d’initiatives supports businesses, organizations, and individuals from every horizon who want to serve their community with custom projects to address social and environmental issues. The open, inclusive approach relies on understanding the challenge, collaboration, and innovation. By working collegially, equipping participants, and promoting discussion, Espaces d’initiatives supports actors who want to take their social impact project from idea to action.

Success stories

Over the years, Espaces d’initiatives has fuelled initiatives that respond to issues of isolation and poverty affecting the most vulnerable populations. The laboratory supported the Toboggan project to provide access to nature, one walk at a time, combatting social inequality, isolation, and exclusion with a program of inclusive activities that support healthy lifestyles, cheaper transportation, and equipment for people with reduced mobility. There is also the Espace Parvis project, which offered more than 100 free cultural activities that reached 7,000 people from Limoilou, while promoting access to fresh vegetables and developing a space for social diversity in this neighbourhood that is experiencing rapid gentrification. Another example: La FabriQC, the first social impact school, a unique event in Québec to provide tools, create networks, and promote Québec’s social innovation actors. Bringing together over 1,000 participants and a cohort of 45 citizen entrepreneurs, the FabriQc was the first event of this type in Québec.

Educate and provide tools to prepare the future

Espaces d’initiatives also offers a support program that helps emerging businesses develop their social impact. La FabriQC, deployed for the first time in 2019 with the support of the Ville de Québec, offers citizen entrepreneurs four-day workshops to familiarize them with project management, be introduced to best practices, and work in cooperation with a support community. It is a sustainable initiative, which has trained 45 entrepreneurs and initiated over 1,000 people to social innovation. By helping those who want to help, Édouard-Julien Blanchet invests in the future of the community of Québec City and contributes to building a more just, egalitarian, and resilient world.