WHAT DOES ATRIA MEAN?
Atria (ae'treea):
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1. The upper two chambers of your heart.
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2. Plural for 'atrium' (an open area in the centre of buildings).
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What Atria means to us: Love for community.
ATRIA'S IN THE PROCESS OF BECOMING A COOPERATIVE. WE ARE ON A MISSION TO MAKE IT EASY TO CONTRIBUTE AND WORK TOGETHER ON COMPLEX COMMUNITY PROBLEMS.
What is a Cooperative?
A Cooperative is a people-centred organization owned by and operated by its members who believe in the mission and want to contribute towards the vision. Cooperatives share common, internationally agreed-upon principles and act together to build a better community and world through cooperation.
Why a Digital Collaboration Platform?
When it comes to solving big problems like poverty reduction, Vancouverites ask themselves questions like, "Where do I even start to learn about the problem? What are the current solutions? Who is working on the solutions? Is there a plan and how can I help?”
Individuals and Organizations who work to alleviate poverty on a daily basis hold some of the answers to these questions, but are too constrained with time and resources to educate the greater community, which creates silos. Poverty is an issue that affects everyone in our community, so we believe everyone should be free to access accurate information and opportunities to help alleviate it. A Collaboration Platform will break down silos and bridge the gap between individuals, organizations, and the community to clarify the problem and increase accessibility to information, services, and opportunities.
For example, a range of content could be aggregated and linked to the Collaboration Platform from the 211 hotline to articles on ‘what to do if someone is sleeping in my neighbourhood.’ Features may include ecosystem mapping, a central calendar of community events, summaries of related problems (food security, housing, employment etc), a forum for conversation and debate, or surveys and polls.
Atria is actively seeking funding to build the Collaboration Platform. If you're excited about our mission and vision and want to support us, click below to become an Atrian or donate.
OUR VISION
Year 1, Atria is building the team, content and technology to turn the cooperative concept into a reality. First, Atria is focused on bringing hope and possibility to ONE cause: Vancouver Poverty Reduction.
In 5 years, Atria will have transitioned its primary focus from education-building (via the Collaboration Platform) onto helping stakeholders align on common goals with progress tracked and articulated via the Collaboration Platform. Processes learned will be systemized and automated. More tools will be built.
In 10 years, with a proven model of how we can tangibly improve our community problems, Atria will continue to test the model and develop a platform for people to collaborate on other community problems.
In 30 years, Atria will be known as the platform where societies are able to collaborate on global and local complex problems creating tangible impacts in our communities and on our systems.
FOUNDER'S STORY
Hey, I'm Evan.
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I'd first like to thank you for being here. Perhaps some of my journey will resonate with you:
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I am born and raised in Vancouver (which seems to be a novelty today!). I've always felt passionate about community. In my early 20s, I began asking myself "What should I do with my life?", "What does the world need?' and 'How can I be of service?"
I started looking at climate change, poverty, education reform, and other problems but everywhere I looked I felt unclear, overwhelmed, and hopeless. How could this be true?! I don't believe it is all hopeless, so why does it feel that way?
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I realized that in every social cause I studied, it wasn't very clear how we were working together, who was doing what, where they were going, whether they were succeeding, or how I could support meaningfully. All these questions felt like barriers to my involvement. Add responsibilities to my schedule like family, career, health, education, social life, and a little me time, and suddenly life is too busy to get involved in any community problem. I don't believe it has to be this way. I believe collaboration is possible and necessary for us all to impact community problems together.
A decade later and a life a path that has led me to work on East Hastings Street, to executive board room tables, to create a podcast on stigma and identity, and into the depths of my own being, I have set out on a mission to make it easier for people to work together on the societal issues they care about. I want people to feel like no matter who you are, where you come from, or how much money you have, we can all make a difference and even the smallest contribution matters. Collaboration is the only way can we truly overcome our community problems and create a fulfilling planet for all beings to thrive.
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Vancouver is my home and we are just getting started here.
Will you join me?
With love,
Evan
MEET OUR TEAM
Our team currently includes over 30 heart-centred volunteers with either knowledge and experience of poverty or skills in design, technology, marketing, and business development.
Evan Sidwell
Founder
Rishabh Johri
Cofounder, COO
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Redshift Collective
Marketing Support
Jaella Rodrique
Community Ambassador
Reese Patterson
Creative Director
Adrianna Chong
Creative Lead
Firm Kongthong
Creative Lead
Sarah Daniels
Creative Lead
Jay Dubeta
Coach & Counsellor
Jayson Hurstinen
Community & Systems Manager
Joseph Masongsong
Developer
ADVISORY TEAM
Alisha Masongsong
City of Vancouver Planner ll - Community Economic Development
Caroline Ternes
Former VP of Transformation, Starbucks (NA)
Deanna Wing
Program Manager, Central City Foundation
John Chao
Head of Technology, Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang
Kevin Barlow
Kevin J Barlow Consulting & Former CEO, Metro Vancouver Aboriginal Services Society
Marco Pasqua
Entrepreneur, Accessibility Consultant & Inspirational Speaker
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Nancy Maribel
VP of Marketing and Communications, Nexii Building Solutions
We are building an organization guided and built by its members. If you believe a world where all beings thrive is possible, help us realize this vision together.