About | SEIZE (Solidarity Economy Incubation Zone)

Solidarity

Economy

Incubation for

Zero

Emissions

(or, SEIZE for short)

Like it says above, SEIZE stands for Solidarity
Economy Incubation (feel free to add the
words for Zero Emissions at the end if you’re an
acronym purist).

We are a member-based democratic
organization that serves a thriving community
of solidarity economy organizers and
entrepreneurs in Montreal.

is to advance the transition from capitalism to a more
sustainable, democratic, and human-centric economy. We aim
to do this through collective capacity building and solidarity
entrepreneurship.


New collective enterprises are usually suffocated by the
reality of the market they’re trying to enter. They can’t
grow, so they can’t displace the extractive and profiteering
enterprises that currently dominate almost every sector.
 
On the other hand, the social solidarity economy movement is much
stronger than we think—especially in Quebec.
 
Our goal is not only to uplift new collective enterprises through
funding, expertise, and networks— but also to plug them into the
global movement for economic transformation. This is how we
give collective enterprises in their infant stages ground to stand
on and air to breathe.
 
With some support, these enterprises can grow in strategic
sectors—eventually displacing the private enterprises that treat people
and the planet like replaceable cogs in the machine. Sector by sector,
brick by brick, SEIZE is focused on transforming the economic system.

SEIZE’s Strategic Directions 2023-2026 ↗

What does this look like?

Well, it means we want to support businesses like this
ridiculously consequential donut shop:

Board Members

Jess Cabana

Quinn Brunet

Thomas MacMillan

Dru Oja Jay

Olavo de Macedo Collins

[one support member seat currently vacant]

Worker Members

Olivia Champagne

Worker Member
General Coordinator
[general@solidarityeconomy.ca]

Malcolm McClintock

Worker Member
Operations Coordinator
[operations@solidarityeconomy.ca]

Marcus Peters

Worker Member
External Coordinator
[external@solidarityeconomy.ca]

Lumina Kitaura

Auxiliary Worker Member
Community Action Research Coordinator
[lumina@solidarityeconomy.ca]

Alexandra Leclair

Auxiliary Worker Member
Fundraising Coordinator
[alexandra@solidarityeconomy.ca]

David Feng

Auxiliary Worker Member
Outreach Support Coordinator
[david@solidarityeconomy.ca]

Our Support Members:

What is an incubator?

An incubator is essentially a business accelerator, meaning an organization that takes in groups of people with the ambition to create new businesses/organizations, and gives them training, mentorship, networks, funding, and the support they need to reach success. This business accelerator model is commonly utilized and practiced within the traditional for-profit capitalist owned economy, but to help level the playing field SEIZE only focuses on giving a leg up to SSE entrepreneurs and organizers. Our research on university based entrepreneurship incubation services shows that there is no organization within Canada utilizing this approach to support the transition to a democratic economy.

What is the Social Solidarity Economy (SSE)?

The social solidarity economy (sometimes referred as the socialist economy) is a model centered around collective ownership and democratic control. There is a fundamental difference between the culture of a business that is grounded in the collective ownership and democratic assembly of its community, and the culture of a business that will grow to be controlled by the detached and questionable motives of laissez-faire economics.  SEIZE is following the footsteps of the global SSE movement in supporting the next generation of collective entrepreneurs to build enterprises around the principles of equity, sustainability, pluralism, solidarity and participatory democracy. Learn more about Solidarity Economy Principles here or sign up to our “Fundementals of the Solidarity Economy” 8 week curriculum!

What is collective entrepreneurship?

Collective entrepreneurship is the very heart of the social solidarity economy – ordinary people organizing to meet their needs while creating community capital and sometimes even building personal equity. We define entrepreneurship as the creation of value and the creative act of meeting the needs of people by organizing production and distribution. Anything involving the production of goods or services can be community owned and democratically governed and we help build the collective capacity necessary to do so.

Hot off the press:

Governance & Transparency

Bylaws ↗

SEIZE is incorporated as a federal non-profit; however, you may notice that our bylaws reflect the values of a solidarity cooperative.

Third-party Financial Statements:

SEIZE endorses financial transparent practices and upholds Canadian accounting standard for not-for-profit organizations.

Financial Statements 2022

Financial Statements 2023

Opt-Out Info ↗

As a Concordia Undergraduate you can opt-out of contributing to SEIZE during the semesterly opt out period.

Annual Impact Report:

Check out the details and highlights of our activities!

Annual Impact Report 2022

Annual Impact Report 2023