Crime of all types costs society significantly. But not just in a monetary sense. Communities live in fear, parents lose their children to the streets and incarceration, and many other destructive results. The vast majority of adults caught up in the justice system were at one point in their lives young offenders. The increasing amount of adults incarcerated in North America alone shows clearly that harsh, punitive justice, especially towards youth, does not result in a reduction in crime/incarceration. A new, restorative form of rehabilitation is needed if we are to truly have an positive impact on those most at-risk in society.

In partnership with The PACT Urban Peace Program, we created our innovative Get-Give™ model, providing clients with the opportunity to empower someone in need while empowering themselves. Every coaching package sold allows us to sponsor an at-risk youth in specialized LifePlan Mentoring and Lifeskills Development Programs. So, clients get and give coaching with every purchase. It’s that simple.

Inspired by the One for One™ model made known by TOM's Shoes, Widism™ has applied this model to its product and service offerings.

Problem

The need for engaged and empowered youth is not news. They are the future generation of leaders and innovators and there is no shortage of organizations that work to enhance the impact that youth will have in the world. However, the need for opportunities for youth living in at-risk communities and for youth already caught in the justice system doesn't get as much attention. It is this segment of the population that is often swept under the carpet, even in the most developed nations. In Toronto alone, there are roughly 400 youth who are repeat offenders and on track to eventually become adult repeat offenders. Once they turn 18 and reach this stage, the likelihood of sustained rehabilitation and reintegration back into society greatly decreases. The systemic issues and interrelatedness of crime and poverty continues to repeat itself. Jails, courts, and police are a huge cost to tax payers in every country on Earth. There is a serious need to invest in social services and prevention methods that reduce the amount of youth offenders who become repeat adult offenders.

Solution

The low-cost and high-return of our business model allows us to profit-share with the PACT Program providing for them a sustainable source of funding for their short and long-term growth. When scaled, this model will allow for PACT to grow to other major urban centres around the world and transform the lives and communities of those at-risk. We are the first coaching company in the world to adopt a "one for one" social business model. The partnership we've formed with the PACT Program will allow us to sustain, support and leverage the successful model they have spent 15 years perfecting. Personal and professional development is growing as an industry worldwide. At the same time, the average consumer is becoming more socially conscious about their buying decisions and often support companies whose values and social mission they resonate with. Once we sustain growth, we plan on expanding from the B2C market into the B2B markets as well utilizing our Think Inc. brand as the corporate/executive/leadership branch of the company. This will be achieved through a brokerage model using outsourced coaches with experience in the professional sector.

Example

In partnership with The PACT Urban Peace Program, we have designed the Get-Give™ social business model. We were inspired by TOM's Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie and the One for One™ model they incorporated. We spent time researching and brainstorming how this model could be applied to coaching and how we could transform the lives of those who could never afford coaching through this hybrid for profit / not for profit. We worked it into our business model and sales projections and have successfully integrated the one for one social business model into our company.

Marketplace

The personal and professional training and development industry is very large and very fragmented. There are a few key players at the top of the pile such as Anthony Robbins, Robin Sharma, Me to We, and many others. Even though these key players have a large part of the market, there are still many coaches doing well with their own private practices. Our innovative social business model will allow us to stand out among the competition since they all are simply for profit businesses. There is a growing trend in the popularity of social businesses and companies that are authentic and genuinely want to do good through their business practices are gaining a lot of positive attention in the media. More people are aware of B Corporation status, and companies that ingrain social/environmental good into their corporate DNA benefit from a large network of passionate supporters.