There is an old saying that it takes a village to raise a child, but Jessie Jollymore has experienced through the youth of Hope Blooms, an inner city initiative she founded that engages at-risk youth, that sometimes it takes the children to raise the village. A dietitian who worked in inner city health for 15 years, Jollymore witnessed the challenges people face every day with food security, isolation, discrimination, and poverty. An idea bloomed of creating sustainable, youth-driven micro-economies: growing local food systems, growing social enterprises, and mentoring youth to become leaders of change. This led to over 50 youth ages 6 to 18 leading the way in growing over 3,000 pounds of organic produce yearly for their community, building innovative outdoor classrooms, and building a successful Fresh Herb Dressing social enterprise, with 100% of proceeds going toward growing food, and scholarships for youth.

In this inspiring, vibrant book, the youth behind Hope Blooms tell the story of the social enterprise they built from the soil up, the struggles of "creating something from nothing," successfully navigating the world of business, and ultimately building resilience and leaving behind a legacy. Includes youth's words of wisdom, stories, and poetry, and over 75 colour photos.

Hope Blooms has received National and International Awards and recognition including being named one of Canada's top Changemakers for 2015; Governor General Meritorious Service Medal of Honor in 2016; The Ernst and Young first place winner for Social Entrepreneurs of the year for Atlantic Canada 2016, and Innovator of the Year 2017 from Halifax Assistance Fund to name a few. They were also named one of the top 10 pitches of all time on the national CBC television show Dragons' Den.

Hope Blooms' profile page

ARLENE DICKINSON is a venture capitalist on the hit CBC show Dragons’ Den, co-star on CBC’s The Big Decision and the #1 bestselling author of Persuasion. Dickinson is the owner and CEO of Venture Communications, a company she grew from a small, local firm to one of the largest independent agencies in Canada, and has recently launched Arlene Dickinson Enterprises, a company dedicated to promoting the advancement of entrepreneurs.

WEB: arlenedickinson.com and youinc.com
FACEBOOK: Arlene Dickinson
TWITTER: @arlenedickinson

Arlene Dickinson's profile page

• Short-listed, APMA Best Atlantic-Published Book Award