The Spirit and Business gathering, first convened in 1995, was inspired by Social Venture Network (SVN). I saw the power of peer support in the development of values-driven business through SVN. My life work is committed to British Columbia, which I see as the best chance to model a just and sustainable society. I knew that if we brought together entrepreneurs who care about life beyond the accumulation of wealth, and did it at Hollyhock, good things were bound to happen.

By twisting the arms of a few friends, following up leads on others who might be allies, and putting the word out through the ripe network that already knew Hollyhock, we were able to bring about 30 people together in the big white tent for a few days of glorious September time. The harvest season.

The format then was loose and all of it was a big experiment. The response was enthusiastic. We immediately started work on the next year's gathering.

By 1999, I was able to attract the Associate Director of Social Venture Network (SVN) to come up and see what was brewing. Martha Belcher was helping SVN build its new program, “Social Venture Institute” (SVI), and I was ready for an experienced partner to take our format and turn it into something more concrete. SVN became our Co-Producer and together we attracted Canadian Business for Social Responsibility (CBSR) to join us.

The SVI format became our template. We kept a rigorous schedule of talks and break out sessions with lots of practical topics that every entrepreneur faces: Finance, Attracting Capital, Banking and Investor Relations, Human Resources,
Marketing, Maintaining Mission, Strategic Growth, Strategic Planning, Community Involvement, CSR principles, Leadership, Management, and more.

We used SVN and CBSR networks to attract stellar speakers from across the continent, people who had already built successes, starting from zero just like the rest of us.

We found high-level professionals otherwise only available for hundreds of dollars an hour, and drew on their desire to give back, and spend 4 days with us - all their free time filled with young entrepreneurs exploring solutions to business challenges.

We did, however, make changes to the template: we took the 2-day "entrepreneur boot camp" model and stretched it into a 4-day "Hollyhock style" variation. We added things like yoga, movement, hiking, parties, poetry, music, and fun. “SVI Hollyhock” is a unique experience.

By 2003, we started selling every space Hollyhock could provide. Hollyhock lined up B&B's and found ways to expand capacity for this gathering. We wondered if the intimacy and quality of the gathering could hold up as we went to 60, then 80, then 100, participants. To our pleasant surprise, in every single one of the 10 years of SVI Hollyhock, the attendee feedback has been an enthusiastic: "I don’t know what it was, but THIS year was even better than last year, the Best Year Yet!”

It is a daunting bar to keep raising and clearing. We now have to close registration in early spring for the September event, managing through the summer to fill spaces as people find they have to cancel due to unexpected business demands.

We have hosted probably 500 different attendees now. Some have attended nearly every single session for five, even ten years. We strive to balance the demand by returnees, with the high value of bringing in new attendees, blending experience and fresh ideas. It is a fine art.

Relationships become networks become alliances become movement. Skills, great people, inspiring stories, good parties, gourmet home-style natural food, swimming in the ocean, breathing the cleanest air available, creates a nourishing good time. SVI and Hollyhock: it is a formula we hope continues to work for many years to come.