The Epp Peace Incubator in the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement
Submitted by Paul Heidebrecht, Director, Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement

Entrepreneurs striving to make a social impact often struggle to generate change at a political, societal, or systemic level. Through the Epp Peace Incubator, the Centre for Peace Advancement helps entrepreneurs scale their impact by teaching them to think and work politically. Understanding how various levels of government work and can be fruitfully engaged equips social entrepreneurs to identify opportunities for program partnerships, to tackle regulatory hurdles, and to influence priorities and policies.

Richard Yim is the co-founder of Demine Robotics (pictured here along with his colleagues Theancchay Bun and Jared Baribeau), a PeaceTech start-up that is seeking to accelerate the process of removing landmines. As a member of the Epp Peace Incubator, he has gained invaluable experience in connecting with civil society networks and governments in both Canada and Cambodia. One indicator of Richard’s impact is that the Government of Canada recently pledged $12 million in new funding for innovative approaches to landmine clearance.

Paul was not able to join today but would love to speak with others about this work: paul.heidebrecht@uwaterloo.ca