The HiVE

The HiVE is a co-working space located in a renovated heritage building near Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. The facility has been gathering individuals and organizations to collaborate in a shared space since 2011. There has been a global trend in working in a virtual space with start up companies, individuals and organizations trying to find affordable work spaces.  Members do not just share infrastructure and amenities - they are working in a collaborative environment that was developed to turn good ideas into reality with a focus on addressing local and global issues in a creative and meaningful way.

The HiVE, as they proudly describe on their website:

" ... supports and amplifies the social impact sector in Vancouver; we do this by mixing one-part      shared-space with one-part collaboration and a dash of love. Our community is made up of over 150 individuals and organizations within the social entrepreneurship, sustainability, tech and creative sectors all working to make the world a better place"

Isa Mundo Foundation is now a part of this community of change makers and thinkers and will continue to be in the future.  The Foundation moved into the HiVE full time in 2014 and completed our first year. During that span, we were able to meet energetic new entrepreneurs, small established businesses and potential funding opportunities. We held individual and group meetings in their open concept space and and developed ideas in their "hot desks" and open kitchen.

The idea of the HiVE fits well with our focus on finding innovative ideas to complete our projects but done in a collaborative way.  The shared space concept also aligns with what we hope to build within our own projects focusing on education and child centred facilities - one of sharing resources, information and space to better individuals and communities.

To learn more about the HiVE, please visit their website at www.hivevancouver.com

Photo taken from HiVE website.

Happy New Year, Bonne année, Feliz año nuevo, Manigong Bagong Taon

We would like to wish a Happy New Year to everyone and all the best in 2015! And a big thank you to those who supported us and followed our work throughout the year.

It has been a great year for the Isa Mundo Foundation as we completed yet another year of community visits and project completions.

It was a very busy year of researching, emailing, networking, grant writing, travels, meetings, forming partnerships and project completions. A few highlights included:

• A site visit to Mexico in February to see the IMEC in Volcanes, the new facility being constructed for Pasitos de Luz called Casa Connor and being introduced to the Families of the Dump organization doing great work for children and families in poor communities.

• We completed a fundraising campaign and partnered with Red Cross to help rebuild the lives of those who suffered from the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan in March of this year.

• The Electronics Recycling Association partnered with the Isa Mundo Foundation and donated used laptops and other technological supplies to support our IMEC. We are grateful for the first 25 laptops they have provided for us.

• One of the biggest highlights of the year was help organize the 180th Pacific Coast Scout Group (Rovers) trip to Puerto Vallarta and to visit the Volcanes Primary School.  After more than a year of planning, the Rovers traveled in May to complete their International Service Project over a two week period.

• October brought us back to Mexico to complete our last project site visit of the year. The trip was to discuss how to support Casa Connor as they progress to complete the facility for the children and youth of Pasitos de Luz.  We also visited Volcanes to take photos for the Rovers of the completed kitchen for the school in order to feed the children along with constructing a storage facility and office space.

• We are grateful for travelers who volunteered their time to take laptops and other supplies for the foundation to Volcanes Primary School in the month of November.  

 It was a busy year and we hope to have more site visits and completed projects in 2015! Stay tuned.