Grassroots Enterprises - Brenda Herchmer

2024

June

About the Author

2026

March

Canada’s Productivity Problem is Social, Not Just Economic

February

Systems Innovation Isn’t Working: These Two Missing Ingredients Explain Why

Social Innovation Was Never Going to Deliver Systems Change

Who Speaks for Rural Canada Now?

When Innovation Lives in Communities—but Funding Doesn’t

January

When Funders Confuse Bigger With Better

Canada Finds Its Voice: Principled, Pragmatic, and Ready to Lead

From Motivational Graffiti to Mild Obsession with Quotes

When Kindness Looks Like Leadership

2025

December

Planning in a World That Won’t Sit Still

Futures Thinking for Real People (a cape is optional)

Holidays Don’t Have To Be Perfect To Be Wonderful

What ‘Community’ Really Means—And Why We Need It Now More Than Ever

Pies, Partnerships, and a Better Future

November

What Happened in Victoria, Didn’t Stay in Victoria

Three Cooks, One Kitchen: Stirring Up Solutions for Innovation

October

Cars or Care? Time to Turbocharge Differently?

Sorry, Bobby

September

Will They Wrap Their Arms Around New Knowledge?

Infinite Growth, Finite Planet—It Doesn’t Add Up

From Complexity to Clarity

July

Redefining Success: Balancing Prosperity, Well-Being, and Purpose

June

Where’s the Moonshot???

Staying Ahead of the Curve

May

From Bystanders to Builders: How to Shift the Power In Community Planning

April

ECOSYSTEMS OF CHANGE: Unleashing Community Power for Systems Innovation

March

Being Safe Means You Can’t Stand Still

February

Catalyzing Change: Canadian Social Innovators

January

This is the Time of Monsters

Communities as Fractals?

2024

December

5 Strategies for Being More Future-Ready

Two Perfect Gifts

Are You a Rudolph?

No Wrapping Paper Required

November

An Entertaining Use of AI

Whlpped Cream and the Value of Fun

October

Finding My Funny

Can Community Innovation Be Simplifed?

Impactful Ways to Decide and Do

September

Learnings About Complexity from the Grassroots

Unhappy With Your Job? You’re Not Alone

August

Change Your Corner of the World

Scissors or Glue?

Same Work, Different Names?

Bob Rae: Not Retired and Still Going Strong

Burned by a Blame Thrower

July

What Were They Thinking?

Time to Move into the Driver’s Seat?

Sometimes Even Miracles Need New Strategies

The Power and Pride of a Unique Horse

June

Hard Work and Even Harder to Explain

April

The Kids Are Not All Right

March

Too Tired to Lean in to the Future?

February

The Role of Sector-Connectors: Utilizing Collective Wisdom for Whole-Community Development

Are We Languishing?

Doin’ What Comes Naturally?

January

When You’re Stuck in the Weeds

There’s Always Chocolate!

Seriously, Loud in the Library?

A Roadmap to Happiness & Well-being in 2024

2023

December

Finding Holiday Joy

Grilled by Sandra Day O’Connor

November

Time to Colour Outside the Lines and Off the Page?

Can the Big Picture Make Change Easier?

We Are So Much More Than a Non-Horse

Laugh and Learn?

They See Possibilities, Not Problems

Talking Heads Aren’t Enough

Sparking Innovation: It Takes a Village

October

Is Bigger Always Better?

August

Why Are We Applying Rational Strategies to Irrational Situations?

July

Complexity Stalls Action

Enough with the Alphabet Soup

June

Running on the Right Road?

May

7 Good Things About Tough Times

They Ran to Help

April

When Change Feels Too Hard….

March

Finally I have a Category

Maybe Bigger Isn’t Better?

February

IQ. EQ. Now XQ?

Legacy Lessons from a Wanna-be Tap Dancer

January

More than One Feather

It’s About More Than Lettuce

2022

December

What I Wanted for Christmas

What’s a Third Place and Why Pianos?

November

Kindness Has Its Own Rewards

Ocean Freighter or Canoe?

It’s So Tempting To Play Ostrich

The Soft Side of Innovation

Are You a Positive Deviant?

October

The Tattoo That Made Me Want One

The Invention that Sidetracked Education

Are You Ready for What’s Next?

September

Paddling on One Side of the Canoe?

Can Simplicity Make the Complex Possible?

Why Jobs Make Me Twitchy

A Paucity of Curiosity?

What the Heck Do I know About Prison Reform?

August

Where’s the Community Innovation When We Need It Now More Than Ever?