Status Update

Nov 24, 2020

Good morning to everyone here in the West, and good afternoon to those in the East. I want to thank you for being with us today for this special announcement alongside members of the media, industry leaders, government and our amazing TELUS team. I'd like to start us off by acknowledging the traditional and sacred lands of the Salish, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil Waututh nations that we have the privilege of doing business on. I respectfully acknowledge that many of you are located on different territories. Our organization understands that meaningful engagement and reconciliation with indigenous peoples can only happen within the framework of inclusive dialogue, collaboration and partnerships. Hello and welcome. I'm delighted to be with you to celebrate the launch of our TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good. Today's announcement builds on TELUS' legacy of leveraging our globally leading technology, coupled with our social and human ingenuity, to enable better outcomes in the communities where we live, work and serve worldwide. As the global leader in social capitalism, we are using our core business to amplify a greater social purpose that benefits all of our stakeholders, from shareholders and customers to our most vulnerable citizens. The TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good will invest in new, responsible and sustainable businesses to answer the biggest challenges facing our communities today. At $100,000,000 this is one of the largest corporate impact funds globally, showcasing TELUS' commitment to making the world a better place for future generations. Indeed, since February, TELUS and our team members, including our retirees and community ambassadors, have gifted $1,300,000,000 including one point four million days of caring through philanthropy and volunteerism, to make such a meaningful difference in the lives of our fellow citizens. Moreover, thanks to the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, which was endowed with $120,000,000 donation from TELUS, the largest by a publicly traded corporation in Canada, we are building a brighter future for young people and for those who need our support the most. The TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good will support organizations, organizations focused on providing Canadians with access to quality health care solutions that promote mental and physical well-being, Focused on empowering social and economic inclusion to help all citizens realise their fullest potential. Focused on connecting and protecting our food supply to ensure the safety and traceability of the food we eat and focused on creating solutions that protect the planet, a planet that our children are going to inherit, to do so by reducing our environmental footprint by leveraging our technology. This fund will future proof our social purpose with a sustainable and expansive funding model, one that provides early stage financing to entrepreneurs as well as new and established companies here in Canada and well abroad that need our investment and business support to bring their ideas to life and bring them to scale. Moreover, as we continue grapple with the widespread economic impacts of the pandemic and look ahead to a period of recovery, this fund will inject new sources of capital into our economy, providing critical assistance to help small businesses thrive. Indeed, by connecting like minded, socially conscious companies to necessary resources, our TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good will empower entrepreneurs and social innovators globally to continue delivering on TELUS' promise of a friendly future, not just for one, but for all. I'd now like to introduce our next speaker, our respected Canadian technology advocate, influencer and media personality, Jessica Galang. Leveraging her expertise and insights, Jessica will facilitate a conversation with some of the key architects of TELUS' Pollinator Fund for Good. This includes Jill Schnarr, our Chief Social Innovation Officer, and Blair Miller, one of the managing partners of the Pollinator Fund. They will discuss how the fund is setting companies up for success and empowering greater social innovation in our country and well beyond our borders. It's now my pleasure to introduce Jessica. Hi. I'm Jessica Galang. I've been tracking the Canadian tech and innovation community for years as a journalist, and I care about creating more space for diversity in the technology industry and supporting those who are building tech for good. I'm so thrilled to be joined by two passionate leaders at TELUS who share similar values for doing good through technology. Blair and Jill, I'm so excited to dive right into it and talk about how the TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good came to life and why now? Jill, can you please share a little about the genesis of the fund? Of course. But first, I wanted to thank you so much, Jessica, for your leadership and commitment to covering stories to accelerate change in Canada's technology sector and our next generation. We are so lucky and so happy to have you with us today. Communities in Canada and around the world continue to struggle with social problems such as good education and jobs, sustainable food production, quality health care, and clean technology. And these issues are difficult to solve because their causes are complex. Governments and charities cannot tackle them alone. So corporations need to step up and invest in new businesses that will help drive social change and that's why we're launching this fund. TELUS is a world leader in social capitalism with a core commitment to leverage the power of technology to bridge digital, social and health divides, enable equal access to technology and empower all Canadians in our all connected world. Our TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good is a natural extension of this commitment that will drive social innovation in Canada by focusing on four major pillars: transforming health care, caring for our planet, supporting responsible agriculture and enabling inclusive communities. Our TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good amplifies our core belief that good business and doing good are mutually inclusive. Responsible start up businesses that are backed by our new fund will benefit from our world leading communications expertise, TELUS' twenty year legacy and corporate venture capital funds and the network of good that together our 55,000 team members have created across the globe to advance like minded companies. Thanks for sharing, Jill. Now, Blair, I've heard this fund will power the biggest, boldest, bravest ideas from the next generation of startups that are focused on doing good. Can you talk to me a little bit about what this means? The TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good was created to invest in for profit responsible businesses dedicated to solving the biggest challenges of today and tomorrow. From improving health outcomes and providing better access to care, building solutions to better our planet and reduce our environmental footprint, empowering agriculture through innovative technology solutions and supporting solutions to further social and economic inclusion. The Fund will help accelerate amazing and innovative work being done from coast to coast. I'm excited to introduce one of our first partners, Claudia Hepburn, CEO of Windmill Microlending, Canada's largest microlending program, who can share how they support newcomers to Canada achieve economic prosperity through affordable microloans and mentorship. I'm Claudia Hepburn, the CEO of Windmill Microlending. We're thrilled to be one of the first investments for the TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good. Canada is the lucky recipient of hundreds of thousands of newcomers each year, but too many skilled immigrants and refugees aren't able to find employment in their field because their credentials aren't recognized in Canada. Getting recertified takes money, which is challenging when you're trying to start a new life here with no credit history. So too many of our immigrants get trapped, trapped financially, trapped in a survival job they're not meant to do. Windmill provides support and affordable loans of up to $15,000 to help immigrants and refugees pay for the courses and exams they need to restart their careers in Canada. Our alumni are now professionals that Canadians have come to count on, doctors, nurses, accountants and engineers. The average income of our client multiplies by 3.5 times, meaning better lives for families and more taxes investment will fuel our growth, enabling us to scale up from 1,000 to 4,000 new loans per year. With this investment, TELUS will help Windmill convert the potential of skilled immigrants into inclusive prosperity for Canada. On behalf of the Windmill team and our clients, we'd like to sincerely thank everyone at TELUS for your support. Windmill Windmill is a great example of a socially responsible organization with a mission to help new Canadians. I think we can all agree that one of the defining aspects of Canada's tech ecosystem is the way partners rally together to support and drive forward innovation. Jill, can you talk a bit about some of the other partners the fund is supporting? Yes. Definitely. At $100,000,000, the TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good is one of the largest corporate impact funds of its kind globally and we're only just getting started. We aim to continue to evolve and grow the fund over time, continuing to support Canadian companies and founders as well as global companies that may be looking to grow and expand their impact into Canada. And so I'm honored to introduce everyone to our next investee and accomplished entrepreneur, Brian Smith, CEO of Ryza Capital, a Sunshine Coast based impact investment fund that invests in BC based companies that drive both social and economic impact to the regions that they serve. I'm Brian Smith, and I'm the CEO and one of the founders of Rise of Capital based here on the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia. Since 2015, we've been investing in local, social and technology ventures that contribute to the United Nations' sustainable development goals while providing our investors a financial return. From food sharing innovators to state of the art composting technology to online tools, educating the next generation of young leaders, there are strong British Columbian companies that are changing the world for good. Impact investing is at a tipping point, and we are excited to see investors like the TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good understand the need to help local communities thrive and be sustainable by providing catalytic capital. Thank you, TELUS, for making this commitment to driving lasting social, environmental and economic impact in our local communities. That's fantastic. It's wonderful to see how the community comes together to support and build success. Blair, I understand we have one more announcement. Can you please share a little more about who we're introducing next? Absolutely. Our next investee has a mission that touches on one of our pillars that I'm personally passionate about, bettering the environment. We're currently living in a period of unprecedented climate chaos with the planet warming at staggering levels and carbon emissions estimated to triple in the next fifty years. Investing in innovative, sustainable solutions that will protect our environment for future generations has never been more important. It is my pleasure to welcome Craig Kasberg, CEO of Tidal Vision, the only commercial scale U. S.-based manufacturer of KYTOZAN, an eco friendly biopolymer that displaces synthetic chemicals by upcycling sustainable ocean byproducts such as crab shells. Hi, I'm Craig Casberg, Co Founder and CEO of Tidal Vision. We were inspired by coastal communities whose traditions, cultures, economies and ecosystems depend on ocean sustainability. Tidal Vision was founded on the belief that sustainability should never be a compromise. Billions of pounds of fishery byproducts in our region were being discarded annually. We saw this waste as an opportunity, and we developed process for upcycling crustacean shells into kytosan biochemistry solutions. And our kytosan solutions are directly displacing synthetic chemicals on an industrial scale across the water treatment, textiles and agriculture industries. Already, we are diverting more than 1,000,000 pounds per year of shell biomass from being discarded. Our products are used to remove the toxins from over 2,000,000,000 liters of contaminated water per month. We are just getting started. And with this investment from the TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good, Tidal Vision will be able to scale our vision expand our impact in new markets such as the agriculture industry. Thank you, TELUS, for supporting our mission. Wow. What a powerful and inspiring reminder that sustainability doesn't need to be a compromise on price, quality, or performance. Thank you, Blair and Jill, for chatting with me today. I understand we have a few special guests who want to say a few words about the TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good. Hi, everyone. I'm Ahmed Hussain, minister for families, children, and social development. I'd like to congratulate everyone that is involved in this important launch of the TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good. I'd also like to begin by acknowledging that I am on the traditional territories of the Algonquin peoples. Like you, the government of Canada is keen to support community based solutions to find, solutions to complex societal problems. That is why in 02/2019, we launched the investment readiness program, which has helped many organizations right across the country find solutions to complex social problems. It is also the reason why in 2021, we will be investing almost $755,000,000 in social finance funds to fund social purpose organizations right across the country. Thank you for everything that you do, and congratulations once again on the launch of the TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good. Hello. I'm John Horgan, premier British Columbia. I'm on the traditional territory of the Lekongan speaking people, the Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations. On behalf of our government, I would like to congratulate TELUS on the launch of the Pollinator for Good Fund, which will invest in companies who share a commitment to improve the lives of people. I'm certain that British Columbians will benefit from this impressive investment supporting better health, protection for the environment and improved agriculture. We're living in unprecedented times and the impacts of COVID-nineteen continue to challenge families and businesses every day. While our government has announced our own strategic investment fund and our own economic recovery plan, it will be benefited by private sector investments like the one announced today. Working together, our economy will recover and build back better and stronger than ever before. And the priorities that matter to British Columbians such as Clean BC and our government's plan to protect our environment and invest in new technologies will be helped and aided by what's announced today. I'd like to once again wish a heartfelt congratulations to Darren and the whole team at TELUS on today's announcement. TELUS is BC's largest private sector employer and a cornerstone of our provincial economy. We look forward to continuing to work with TELUS to drive positive outcomes for British Columbians. Hi, everyone. It's Lane Merifield here saying hi from my home in beautiful British Columbia. I just wanted to send a huge congratulations to the team at TELUS for launching the Pollinator Fund for Good. It's what Canada needs right now, and I certainly can't wait to track the innovation and positivity that is cultivated from this $100,000,000 investment. You know, people people often ask me why I joined CBC's Dragons Den. And part of why I became a Dragon is because I believe empowering Canadian entrepreneurship. It's one of the largest sources of job creation, and it shapes a better future for everyone. As an entrepreneur and proud board member of the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, I know firsthand the value and success the Paul Initter Fund will bring to early stage tech companies and entrepreneurs, not only through access to capital, but also through mentorship and connections and TELUS' deep rooted company values. I am so looking forward to celebrating many more milestones that I know are sure to come. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of our speakers today, including Minister Hussein, Premier Horgan and Lane Merrifield for their insightful and inspiring comments. A TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good will invest in innovation that promotes better mental and physical health, greater social equity, a greater and safer food supply and a greener planet, propelling TELUS' long standing legacy of leveraging the power of technology in combination with human innovation to enable positive outcomes for all of us. I hope you share our excitement for the incredible opportunities our pollinator fund for good will generate for our businesses and communities across Canada and beyond. We look forward to supporting our new partners as they bridge digital, social and economic divides and fuel innovation for the betterment of our world now and well into the future. I'd like to leave you with a video showcasing how our Pollinator Fund for Good will create truly meaningful and lasting change. Again, thank you all for being with us today. Please stay well and stay safe.