to help raise awareness of those who make a positive impact on society

In November 2008,  when I walked into the offices of the The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation at 1002 Sherbrooke St W in Montreal,  I knew I’d come full circle.  Much earlier in 2008, I came through these very doors to meet Susanna Kislenko, who, at that time was considering me for the role of telling the story of one of the McConnell grantees.  Now, seven months later, I was returning to the same McConnell office, but this time Susanna was with me, having recently come on as Chief Operating Officer of ARC.  I get chills just thinking about it.

Seven months ago, my education in social innovation began.  You can read that blog post here.  That was when I arrived for my first McConnell visit as a filmmaker, and I left as an advocate for social change.

The Backstory on me, Billie Mintz:

Seven months ago, I’d just returned from traveling across North America telling a story of financial ruin and disaster that I was not only the documentarian but also a victim and subject of the film, The Ponzi Scheme.  I showed up at McConnell broke and wondering what my next move would be.  My days as a social cause filmmaker were coming to an end; I was running out of support and couldn’t sustain myself.  My plan for ARC, a vision that I’d held for almost ten years, was fading because it didn’t seem possible anymore…  On top of all of this, I was secretly losing faith that I could do anything to make an impact, going the way I’d been going, piece by piece without proper support.  I had spent the last couple of years as a documentary filmmaker for social causes and the only money I managed to squander was recently stolen by Bradley Eisner (as documented in the Ponzi Scheme story).  I definitely was not expecting the future I was presently encountering while discussing elements of this story with Susanna.  She had seen my films and was quite excited about working with me.

What is the McConnell Foundation?

The McConnell Foundation is focused on supporting social innovation throughout Canada.  They often encourage social entrepreneurs who are having success locally or provincially and assist them in expanding their model to a national scale.

I was blown away when I began to understand exactly what McConnell did, and what they wanted me to do…  It was like everything I had set up with ARC years before was all right here under this roof, and they were actually asking ME to film this.  I was so used to convincing others that I should film social causes and that film could help better the world, and here I was in an office that had real funds to spend on people who were making a difference, and they wanted me to film the evolution in progress.  Susanna had to repeat herself because I was in a bit of shock.  She told me the basics of social innovation that had been happening all along and up until now; I was the only person I knew in my small world that cared.  I was very isolated, knocking down the wrong doors on a path that was not recognizing my vision and need for help.  I misinterpreted my results as living in a world where not enough cared, but really I was just traveling down a different isolated path where only certain people didn’t care.  In fact, it wasn’t the world that didn’t care, just the world I was in, didn’t.  And now, all of the sudden, I was in this office and saw that I was right all along, just misguided.

At one time I think I asked Susanna if I could lie down on the floor because I felt overwhelmed.  Truth and hope and faith were rushing back into my consciousness and I didn’t know how to digest it all.  Susanna was very patient with me and explained all the simple concepts that I’d been doing all along. I didn’t know the proper names and terminology.  It was a re-education and Susanna was the old mystic on the raft taking me across the river into a new world occupied by thinkers and visionaries that cared very much for the outcome of the world and humanity.  She was asking me to tell their stories and all I wanted to do was cry.  A man works his whole life with his vision as his only companion and here I was in some sort of salvation being told that everything was going to be all right.  I had a place and a people.  I belonged to something that was bigger than me and it wasn’t only me holding up this vision.  That people were doing this long before me and there was a serious movement that was as concerned as I was.  The relief in that moment that I was not alone and that I could be a part of something so big and important was the most profound moment I have had.  Susanna was their representative.  She sought out a storyteller and she found me.  That moment was definitely the beginning of a long relationship and little did I know that one day she would be running ARC with me.

ARC gets face time with Stephen Huddart

I was here to meet Stephen Huddart, VP of the McConnell Foundation.  I’d heard a lot about him from Susanna, and was excited to finally meet him. The meeting went amazing.  The stars are aligned, and I’m now able to clearly see that there is a design and we are all players in a bigger picture.  There is a big shift happening in consciousness and there is acceleration to this shift.  Listening to Stephen and seeing the reflection of my own outlook in his, reminded me that not only am I supposed to be here but that the time is upon us and that action must come now.  The planning and reflecting stages are over.   I don’t mean to sound apocalyptic but it can no longer be denied.  We see the world changing around us.  Everyone seems to be waking up.  At ARC, we are meeting with some of the largest corporations and organizations in the world and everyone seems to be on the same path.  It is a time for all groups and people to come together and work collaboratively on real change.  It is a true sign of our times that a storyteller gets to have meetings with some of the most important change-makers of the world, who are wholly dedicated and have the ability to implement change.

ARC found itself in that meeting, and glimpsed for an instant, its true purpose.  Stephen helped us realize that everything we were doing up until now was part of a bigger picture, shared by others.  It was a meeting that defined where we were in the process and how close we are to where we want to be.  It was a time of great clarity and vision.  It was a meeting of our elders and our mentors and with this new knowledge, ARC was on the right path.

The big shift is happening.  I watched Stephen come alive as he went to the board and wrote down a chart that has been brewing in his head for years.  Susanna and I marveled how similar these ideas were to our own concepts.  Great synergy was happening and I jumped up to the board myself.  I felt everything I’d learned up to now was for this collaboration, and my input was needed in the great meta strategy of being able to look at the world’s problems and identify real solutions by finding a way to share our information through collaboration.

Stephen gave us his chart and his blessings and told us to run with it.  Like a prophet, he handed down his knowledge and empowered ARC; he has now made it our mission to spread and share the doctrine with our generation and all other change makers in the world.

Watch out for things to follow.  We will soon be collaborating with some of the most inspiring changemakers we have met along our journey and co-creating a project that will enable all of us to come together in the name of change and innovative solutions to world problems.