The Pirates of Capitalism Gather in Vancouver

Posted on January 20, 2014 by institute B

About a month ago I was given the opportunity to see a working cut of the film, Not Business As Usual. The movie traces the history of capitalism and its unintended price of success. It was based on economist Milton Friedman’s influential argument that the only purpose of business was to drive profit and that the road to financial prosperity was about every man for himself.

If Friedman was the man who sold the world on greed, Not Business As Usual is about the innovators who are buying it back and turning it into something else.

So last week, some of Vancouver’s most progressive social entrepreneurs were in attendance for the sold-out premiere at the iconic Imperial Theatre. Guests were treated to a night of fermented liquids, popcorn, and a chance to view the film for the very first time.

Amid its humorous vintage clips and interviews with several self-defined “Pirates of Capitalism”, the film tells a story about social and conscious entrepreneurship as a movement that only few will dare to join in order to impact the lives of many. Seeing the film for the second time in the presence of some of Vancouver’s Pirates of Capitalism was like seeing this sort of social entrepreneurship in 3D and beyond.

At the end of the screening, Kevin Lee Royes,“inventorpreneur” of Dragon’s Den fame, hosted a panel discussion with Heather O’ Hara (Potluck Café), Ken Sim (Nurse Next Door) Suzanne Siemens (Lunapads), and Mike Rowlands (Junxion Strategy).

The energy and conversations at The Imperial brought the film to life. Panelist, Suzanne Siemens defined the night’s vibe quite accurately when she said, “Choosing the word ‘disruptive’ is kind of fun.” In effect, the premiere worked to recognize those who are breaking the barriers of traditional business models and values. But it was also an opportunity to actively start the conversation about social entrepreneurship.

I may have been busy handling critical popcorn-making duty for most of the night, but a little bit of eavesdropping allowed me to overhear questions like:

“Is business as usual a serious problem? How are we complicit to it?”

“Is it too late to change the world? Can we afford to participate in, let alone dare to create a solution?”

“Why have we forgotten to be human about business?”

“Is social entrepreneurship too idealistic?”

“Where do social entrepreneurs get their ideas from?”

Whether it’s to celebrate or challenge social entrepreneurship, Business As Usual’s public debut sets up a discussion that will hopefully allow the movement to grow.

Written by Alyssa Sy De Jesus.