Our Interview with Brandaid's Co-founder Cameron Brohman

We recently had a chance to sit down with Cameron Brohman, from The Brandaid Project, and chat with him regarding social entrepreneurship.

S: Social Exchange Project
C: Cameron Brohman - Co-Founder Brandaid Project

S: Lets start with the model of Brandaid. How would that be a relevant part of the education process at Centennial College?

C: I think that because, for two main reasons, or rather how is that it can live in Centennial College on campus, it can live within the curriculum as a practicum, as an action-­‐study combination-­‐real world and sustainable business model and learning process. So I believe it is an attractive vehicle for education because it is interesting to do this. I can tell you, it’s an interesting job, bringing products from different countries-­‐with challenges, and the deep cultures and great narratives and especially, you know, in the Canadian context. I think this is because the business relates to multicultural sources of trade, that its particularly Canadian and therefore really belongs as part of the education process in Canada.

The products of our student entrepreneurs

Llama winter toque hat from Peru

Hand made picnic bag from Nigeria

Hand made note book made from recycled material

Wayuu bag

Hand made scarves from Nepal

All the colours of the rainbow

Our New Brochure!

Social Enterprise at Centennial College

Now that we have established a model in which to follow and align our own model, we need to establish what benefits a social enterprise model would have for Centennial College faculty and students. The benefits of have a social enterprise model at Centennial College are as follows:

Global citizenship and Equity

Firstly, a social enterprise model closely follows Centennial College's commitment and vision of global citizenship and equity. Essentially this vision adds a social action dimension to the students’ education as well as attempts to bring to life a global perspective via international student internships. This vision is perfectly aligned with social enterprise. Both the GC&E and social enterprise attempt to foster a means by which to give back to the greater society within which it operates. 

Diversity 

Secondly, the student body of Centennial College is one of the most ethnographically diverse in North America. This presents an ideal networking opportunity with globally marginalized communities. The business management students often attend the School of Business with the goal of setting up import/export businesses, but lack the skills needed to execute their plan. This presents an opportunity for a cornucopia of international social enterprise possibilities. 

Literature

Third, the literature which we have reviewed confirms our notion that social entrepreneurship training complements business management education in a meaningful way. It not only provides entrepreneurial training, but also instills a complex stakeholder perspective which is an excellent training ground for students to mitigate conflicts between stakeholder interests. 

Students

Finally, our belief is further confirmed by the concrete student-run social enterprise model at Olds College, which has already generated a tremendous educational value for the students and branding value for the college. 

BRANDAID Project: Marketing for the Developing World

Brandaid Project - A leader in entrepreneurial projects

FOUR-STAGE DEVELOPMENT CYCLE

BRANDAID Project follows a four-stage development cycle in collaboration with Ad agencies, designers and artisans. The process is called:

DISCOVER- CONNECT-DEVELOP-LAUNCH 

It is designed to introduce a range of Artisan Brands and authentic, socially progressive product collections to designers, buyers, retailers and ultimately consumers and to do so while ensuring that Artisans receive a just portion of the proceeds, the recognition they deserve and opportunities for sustained business

DISCOVER

There is an enormous untapped pool of design talent and product potential in less developed regions of the world. Hundreds of Master-led communities, employing a dozen to several hundred skilled Artisans, handcraft products that combine cultural significance with exceptional quality and design. With the assistance of Artisan associations, NGO’s such as UNESCO, and other design and development networks, BRANDAID Project seeks out these promising, near market-ready communities.

CONNECT

There is an enormous talent pool in the world’s Advertising and design agencies who want to use their skills and creativity on socially progressive initiatives. BRANDAID Project taps into this network, partnering select agencies with Artisan communities to produce exciting and distinct Marketing and brand materials. BRANDAID Project also partners master artisans with accomplished designers who co create new, culturally authentic product ideas and collections.

DEVELOP

Master Artisans with the input of designers create new collections that combine traditional design with contemporary ideas and aesthetics; beautiful, storied and marketable. Ad Agencies develop brand identities and marketing materials, including logos, videos, digital content and print collateral, to help promote the unique value of these brands and collections.All are then showcased to progressive retailers, designers and buyers on brandaidproject.com.

LAUNCH 

BRANDAID Project launches Artisan communities into the global marketplace by helping to establish retail and sales programs backed by in-store merchandising, online advertising, viral marketing, exhibitions, public relations and social media. As a result, previously unknown or undervalued Artisans can benefit from improved business opportunities and broader recognition, while consumers worldwide engage in rich cultural narratives and the creations that express them.

OLDS COLLEGE MODEL

Model in which to follow

Before we decided to come up with the idea of starting a social entrepreneurial enterprise at Centennial College, we looked for existing examples we could potentially emulate and hopefully follow. 

We approached this endeavour by asking a lot of questions and doing a lot of preliminary research. We read several academic books, articles and journals that spoke highly of the importance of running an entrepreneurial program at the grassroots level.

Still, we needed an example to follow. After an exhaustive search, we happened upon a uniquely Canadian entrepreneurial enterprise created and run by an academic institution called Olds College. 

According to the Canadian Institute for Rural Entrepreneurship at Olds College, since 2011, Olds College has been importing green coffee beans from the Ramirez Coffee Company located at Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic.