Social Innovation – Tiffinday

Posted by on Feb 4, 2012 in Bookmarks | No Comments

I don’t think I understood the meaning of social innovation in business until I found Tiffinday. Obviously it’s impossible to understand big, abstract concepts without knowing good examples.

At MaRS seminar about social innovation, Seema Pabari, the founder of Tiffinday, explained how her passion for environmental sustainability and social responsibility could be smartly implemented into her vegan lunch delivery business. Honestly, I would have just overlooked the company having only heard their motto. My mind would automatically jump to skeptical thoughts like, ”This sounds too good to be true. The food can’t be that good…etc etc”. To be honest I am not fully convinced of the concept of an organic, plant-based, health-conscious diet in spite of my healthy eating habits.

However, it made a lot of sense when she logically and passionately presented her ideas supported facts, and actions she has taken. I was especially impressed by her idea to recruit unemployed non-English speaking women who are at home while their children are at school. It is possible for her lunch business to hire permanent party time workers, and the value is not just in the money they get. Those women will get the chance to change their circumstances in a new country by working outside and interacting with other people. Considering the job barriers immigrants confront in Canada, I see a much bigger hope from this small business than from big talkers.

Her ideas and actions towards social hiring is not limited to Hindu speaking house mothers only. Tiffinday hires people who face barriers to employment due to mental/physical disabilities and invests time in training them. I often hear from social workers that the best way to improve symptoms in depressed people is to give them more responsibility in order to have them feel motivated. It was really good to hear of a company that actually practices social responsibility and is doing well.

I almost forgot to mention what “Tiffin” is. Here, a tiffin means a tiffin-box which is a lunch box made out of steel, used widely in India and South Asia. It is of course reusable, which allows Tiffinday to avoid disposable containers. I have to say,, this just makes sense!

Why don’t we try Tiffinday for lunch tomorrow? (Should live in Toronto downtown though:)

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