Lyrics
Welcome to the Summit for social purpose lovers
Listen to the sounds of the hum of its engine runnin’
Propelling Purpose into the center of business function
The transformation isn’t complete yet, but it’s comin’
So welcome to the Summit, where purpose is discovered
Where societal impact is bigger than just numbers
In the next quarterly budget – it’s about the next hundred
When social purpose-driven businesses are set to run it
It’s about the evolution of business, the next chapter
At the Social Purpose Institute with Mary Ellen Schaafsma
And Peter Weeme, putting social good in it’s place
At the center of the stage, Naheed Nenshi is… wait
Nahead Nenshi is on the phone from some other place
With Peter for half an hour, while we’re lookin’ at his face
Nahead came through, he was phoned in, but dialed in
Transforming business into a culture of rapid piloting
In this world of Five Crises, this risk-loving environment
Eliminate “The Canadian Experience” from your hiring
Take it from Robert Safrata from Novex, it’s no sweat
To transform delivery, with e-vehicles up next
Look inside and tell me, what’s your organization stand for?
Inspire sustainability actions like Amanda Chor
From Hemlock, this is hip-hop, I lyrically keep score
Like Leor Rotchild, from CBSR
Socially responsible business rap is the new poems
Storytelling like Westcoast Sightseeing with Hugh Jones
And the low-carbon economy, that’s that a visions of brilliance
Be a social purpose myth-buster like Andrew Wynn-Williams
Associations, baby, he’s reppin’ the exports
From Canadian ports, shout out to Burnaby Board
Of Trade with Tessa Vanderkopp, deliver the change
With a member-driven, sustainability drip campaign
With a template that can be adapted and given to everyone
A social purpose template, take it from Letricia Fullerton
With that ESG, and Beth McMahon and the Planners
We need to learn to Walk the Talk with Tracy Folkes Hanson
At the Summit for social purpose lovers
Listen to the sounds of the hum of its engine runnin’
Propelling Purpose into the center of business function
The transformation isn’t complete yet, but it’s comin’
So welcome to the Summit, where purpose is discovered
Where societal impact is bigger than just numbers
In the next quarterly budget – it’s about the next hundred
When social purpose-driven businesses are set to run it
This is “Profit on Purpose”, makin’ the basics accessible
Nadia Hamilton knows, how to build it in MagnusMode
Tested by her brother Troy, as a boy, he carried the day
And Unilever’s makin’ sustainability commonplace
With Gary Wade, make taste not waste, that insight
That you get from Helmann’s, that mayo, that fridge night
That dinner that you can flexibly, flexipie out of jars
Plus shout out David Redern from Holsim Lafarge
I spit bars, and to some people that seems to be hard
But it’s nothing next to sustainable concrete and rebar
So take it from David Simmonds, Canadian Life lessons
And yes David, your “interrogation sessions” sound aggressive
But that’s how you get the highest social standards
To a company that creates a better world with Coro Strandberg
How do you make sure your company’s social purpose is hot?
Make sure you know the definition of what social purpose is not
It’s not a marketing tagline, a slogan or campaign
It’s a quest, a NorthStar that guides you social change
To societal good, just ask Catherine Wood
Coast Capital sponsored this Summit as only Coast Capital could
Collective action, with business rappin’, this deep rhyme slaps
Just like Nahead said, just start with three kind acts
Get involved, it radical collaboration, it’s never hands-off
That’s how you get the benefits, ask Christelle Francois
Or Mike McIsaac, his purposeful thoughts were so pure
When asked: “People, what the heck is an intrepreneur?!”
It’s someone who builds purpose within a corporate shell
And brings a new construction to it, like Tim Coldwell
Like Frances Edmonds with the Purpose Business Ecosytem
It’s time to bring the purpose message out so that the people listen
It’s everything, from the rhymes that flow from my brain
To community building to green supply chain
At the Summit for social purpose lovers
Listen to the sounds of the hum of its engine runnin’
Propelling Purpose into the center of business function
The transformation isn’t complete yet, but it’s comin’
So welcome to the Summit, where purpose is discovered
Where societal impact is bigger than just numbers
In the next quarterly budget – it’s about the next hundred
When social purpose-driven businesses are set to run it
Social purpose is taking action now, not waiting in the wings
Like Roger Beauchemin said, putting a non-financial price on things
Like Gordon Beal, it’s accountants doing more than tallying balance
It’s Accountant Warriors, superheroes saving the planet
It’s Rahul Bhardwaj, Global Networkin’ the changes
The future winners are gonna win at “Stakeholder engagement”
It’s Upkar Arora, takin’ transformative measures
With applied mathematics, give us the Impact Investors!
So take it from Stephanie Bertels, this initiative isn’t cool
Unless it lives at the heart of Canadian Business Schools
Maxime Lakat knows, the greed has got to stop
He wants concrete action, he wants to see you walk the walk!
I try to work it into all the rhymes I’m writing
Ask Daphne Taras, we need longer time-horizons
Get to textbook re-writing, it starts now, it’s not easy
Just ask Ujwal Kayande, who’s incoming at Beedie
Bring in the values of the Cree people if you don’t know
That indigenous perspective with Anne-Marie Croteau
At Concordia, straight up breakin’ it down to the basics
With a Business School Association Anti-Racism Statement
I’m just the rapper, kickin’ the business on the rhythm
Like Shivan Kishore repping the Vancouver Economic Commission
Get every trigger and learn it, it’s purpose we’re concerned with
Ask Baljit Lalli, get waste and Return-It!
It’s worth it, social benefit it is the basic reason
Adjust the fluid valves in your company, with David Friesen
Engage your team in the process, and make it bottom up
And continuous for all time, each gain is not enough
And the results you get will be truly amazing
Ask Mike Shilling at the Credit Union, Community Savings
Representing the Working People, baby, union style
Mike had a simple message: Don’t Wait, Do It Now!!!
This is about the world we want to make, just set the stage
And then set interim goals to make the change
So that the future we leave to our kids just ain’t the same
The purpose economy starts with YOU, NOW, that’s the takeaway
At the Summit for social purpose lovers
Listen to the sounds of the hum of its engine runnin’
Propelling Purpose into the center of business function
The transformation isn’t complete yet, but it’s comin’
So welcome to the Summit, where purpose is discovered
Where societal impact is bigger than just numbers
In the next quarterly budget – it’s about the next hundred
When social purpose-driven businesses are set to run it