Marcia Nozick once published a book called No Place Like Home: Building Sustainable Communities.
When she became CEO of EMBERS — the Eastside Movement for Business and Economic Renewal Society — she proved that it wasn't just an academic exercise.
EMBERS is a "business with a heart," she said when she accepted a 2017 Influential Women In Business award from Business in Vancouver at a luncheon at the Fairmont Waterfront on Intermational Women's Day. "Businesses are made up about people and people care about people. We all have something to contribute to the health of our community."
The non-profit temporary staffing agency provides employment to some of the most marginalized people in Vancouver. "We invest in their future — people coming off the street and out of prison, recovering alcoholics, new immigrants... These folks have not had a chance before and they are so inspiring. It's a miracle to see every day."
In doing so, EMBERS also fulfills its mission as a business that provides high-quality workers to its customers.
Nozick said that she's also inspired by the Millennials she works with at the agency. "The Millennials are leading the charge. I'm an old hippie and I'm given so much hope by this generation of givers."
More has to be done, she said, encouraging everyone to "think of new ways to make a difference and do social good together. This is how we're going to change the world for good."
You can read her profile in Business in Vancouver here.
