Tonya Surman, Executive Director, Centre for Social Innovation
Tonya Surman is the founding executive director of the Centre for Social Innovation – a dynamic convergence space whose mission is to spark, connect and support new ideas that are making the world a better place. We provide shared space to 100 social mission groups, act as a community centre for social innovators and provide a home to a limited number of incubated projects. www.socialinnovation.ca Tonya was also the founding Partnership Director for the Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and Environment - www.healthyenvironmentforkids.ca, whose work led to a new legislative framework to manage chemicals and the banning of Bisphenol A in baby bottles. She was also senior partner in the Commons Group- www.commons.ca , the founding business manager for www.rabble.ca and executive director of Web Networks www.web.net. Tonya has been creating and leading social ventures since 1994 and has built her body of knowledge around multi-sectoral collaboration and entrepreneurship for social change.