The Creative Thinker Series...
The Creative Thinker Series is a set of original analyses of thoughts and methods of some of the most interesting minds of our times. We look at their career trajectory, choices made along the way, and attempt to elicit their philosophy and approach to innovation. Over extended conversations and subsequent follow-up discussions, supported by a thorough examination of information available about their work (website, published information, and on occasion, speaking to their colleagues) we try to put together factors we think summarizes their thinking and approach to social innovation and enterprise.
We are forever grateful to them, for taking the time to talk to us about their work and approach, giving us insight into several issues, including the not-so-obvious and invisible ones.
"People get loved into existence"
- Vickie Cammack
With that one sentence, Vickie Cammack sums up the entire philosophy behind her work with caring for society's most vulnerable.
Vickie Cammack. Caring for the disabled, removing isolation, giving peace of mind to families.... and bringing about systemic change
Vickie Cammack is a serial social innovator! Based in Vancouver, Canada, Cammack has been working toward bettering lives of people with disabilities. Her work is extremely significant because it does not look at those with disability alone, but looks at entire families. Every one of her ventures includes the eco-system around the person/s with disabilities and offers solution/s that is beneficial to the person concerned and to those around them.
Cammack has won several awards and sits on several boards as a key advisor. We are very grateful for the time she has given us, explaining at times even some of the basic mechanics of certain issues.
From her entire body of work, we focus on three big time innovative solutions Cammack has been responsible for. PLAN Network, RDSP and Tyze. PLAN and RDSP were co founded by her and Al Etmanski (another Canadian legend in the world of social innovation), and have become Canadian staples when it comes to caring for the vulnerable.
NOTE: Our focus here is not the content of her work, but her thought process, the small things and strategic moves that has made her work such a success.
We examine here what it takes to be innovative in arriving at systemic solutions in an area such as caring for society's most vulnerable, areas generally shrouded isolation.
backing up a little...
So, what are these innovations? And why do they qualify as innovations and not just enterprises?
A social innovation is bigger than a social enterprise, in that the innovation does not stop at delivering a solution, but is focused ultimately on social change. Simply put, it strives to change the odds and change the way we address the same issue. Or have the potential to bring about systemic change.
PLAN, RDSP & Tyze, are firmly entrenched in the Canadian care continuum, taking root internationally, growing bigger, reaching wider networks and entirely capable of changing the manner in which we address caregiving, planning and securing a stable present and future for loved ones with disabilities.
Before we understand what are some key areas to address in order to being about such changes, here is a quick summary on what PLAN, RDSP and Tyze is.
Hover over the buttons/ press and hold to read quick summary
PLAN or Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network is a nonprofit that helps families create a strategy for the future for loved ones with disabilities.
What it does: Help create family and support networks, help with financial and estate planning, facilitate legal help, focus on liiving conditions (including homes) that meets ones' needs and so on. They go way beyond just kind advice and self-help resources and provide actual professionals to support individuals and families as they navigate several critical issues.
Operational since: 1989
USP: Access to professional advice on every front for individuals and families wihere a loved one has a disability.
Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) is a govt. of Canada approved matched savings scheme that helps families create a secure financial future for loved ones with disabilities.' It is a long term savings plan to help the holder be better financially prepared for their future' (RDSP website, 2019)
How it works: Family members and friends of a person with disability can deposit money with this savings scheme and depending on the person/family's annual income, the federal (national) government will match that amount in varying proportions. The beneficiary receives monthly payments from age 60 onward and while lump sums can be withdrawn at any age, there will be some penalties.
Operational since: 2008
USP: Dedicated savings scheme for people with disabilities, easy to contribute for family and friends.
Tyze is a for profit online platform that creates a virtual network of family, freinds and neighbors around a loved one with a disability or senior citizens or someone receiving care.
How it works: The person in question (or a trusted family member or friend) creates a membership for them. The member controls who has access to view their member page and can even control who gets access to see how much information. They can keep in touch socially, get more involved like schedule visiting times, taking the person t, say a doctor's appointment, share other confidential informationwith children who may be living far away etc. all under one platform. It is aimed at both conveninece and removal of isolation.
Operational since: 2008. (Cammack is no longer involved with Tyze)
USP: Addresses the more critical issues people receiving care face- the practical (access to doctor's appointments, food, sharing large amounts of information securely with loved ones who are far off) as well as create social networks
Synthesizing it all...
Synthesizing the information collated from our discussions and various asynchronous communication with Cammack (emails etc.), triangulated with other pertinent information, the following themes emerged.
Hover over / press and hold over bold text to read analysis
Knowledge & Skills
Allow idea to grow organically
Hover over text / press & hold
Cammack has/had signigicant knowledge and skills in caring for the disabled and allied fields. As an educator, she had conducted significant research into these areas, created curriculums and had significant exposure in these areas.
These have played a significant role as active and passive influencers in her subsequent ventures, be it PLAN or Tyze.
This is also a big lesson for those aspiring- leveraging existing knowledge to further newer ventures. This reduces the learning time as far as the basic tenet of the work is concerned.
Having a thorough knowledge of the area you want to innovate in, allows for exploring the (inovative) idea and allowing it to grow in all directions. While letting the idea to grwo to allow for different possibilities is always a good thing, having previous knowledge in the area enhances chances of the idea morphing in ways that has true potential.
Having seen, experienced a lot of the issues one wants to innovate in, allows for strategic planning. At time of planning then, it is all about the practicalities- assessing what else is out there, market trends, barriers, timeframes and so on. background knowledge and organic idea growth allows for a methodical plannig strategy.
Solid planning & Implementation Strategy
Cammack says these are two things whose importance cannot be stressed enough. Some ideas take forever to move along, yet others will need convincing at every step. 'Being patient sometimes is all it takes to remove barriers' she says, something that has to be practiced if it does not come naturally to you!
Offering new products/ service lines in areas allied to your original venture has several advantages.
1) you already have a reputation in the field
2) you have a ready target base that trusts you
3) convincing investors is easier since you have the goodwill and audience-base as well as past performance in the same area
4) your own learning curve will be less steep, allowing you tp focus on the real content of your work.
5) you can argue your case better
6) there will be no need for extensive ground research and surveys before laying out the idea
This means do not g after it for the sake of it!
There is a convenience that comes with technology, esp. with the second wave of use of the internet- connectivity. One must explore the viability of using it to further the venture (like PLAN or RDSP), or using it centrally to deliver the idea (like Tyze).
The convenience and benefit to the end user in using a network as Tyze, a secure portal to communicate with friends and family and others in the care continuum would not be possible without technology. Offering a tech based venture has its own processes and stipulations, nonetheless should be an option to consider.
Time & Patience
Adapt to tech wisely
Offer new product/services in areas allied to your original venture
practical tips & experience-led wisdom
In many ways, a lot of these are intelinked, overlapping and enmeshed in one another. They also make a lot of sense as stand-alones! A lot of these are 'rookie' mistakes we make and hearing it from someone who has scaled several innovations brings more credence to these tnotions!
When working with govt. and regulatory boards, patience really is a virtue!
RDSP, Cammack says took 8-9 years planning! And then, she and her partner Al Etmasnki who had put together the whole thing, were not included in certain critical decision making committees. "These things happen and one cannot burn bridges about it" she says, "you will need the same peoples' goodwill, so being level headed is critical- at all times".
A health and human services idea that is NOT dependent of govt. agencies and other traditional agencies will be seen with suspicion
'When PLAN first started out, it was seen as elitist, esp. the idea of people having tp pay for these services. Over time, persisting with the idea, showing them what the work is, how it can help slowly made PLAN a reliable source. You have to let people see for themselves. A new idea, however well intended will always be met with suspiscion, be prepared for that1'
Not everybody will be happy for a pay-for-service model
'Not everybody will warm up to the idea for paying! When it comes to human services, most people expect services to be free, esp. if there is no physical product they will go away with. Be prepared for this, have a plan in hand to explain the benefits, let them see for themselves.' With PLAN, Cammack stuck to the pay-for-service model, but made sure the service fee was reasonable, esp. since it was a new idea. Program users were included in decision making regarding growing the idea and their suggestions taken on board. It was demonstrated to them the money was being put to good use with access to resources they could not otherwise reach themselves. People should be allowed to see the benefits for themselves.
As much as possible, go in with facts
When the planning team went to talk to the bank about PLAN, they went in with hard facts. The bankers were people and family people but they were shown how (this was the 1980s) the current generation of people with disabilities were outliving their parents and needed to have a plan to secure their future.....things like this make a lasting impression. As much as we want the stories to carry the day, going in with facts helps make a logical argument.
Start Small
First meetings for the PLAN network were in drawing rooms of people who supported the idea. A radical idea will need time to settle in people's minds. Starting small allows for several benefits, including some very practical ones like reduced overhead costs.
Human networks and word of mouth publicity always works!
Developing human bonds, knowing the people you are working with is a huge plus. They will go on to become good word of mouth publicists and spread the word, giving your idea a big boost. And when you roll out a new service, the buy-in from the target audience is easier.
A networking, mentoring and strategic advising group for women would be useful!
Cammack says when Tyze was being planned, she was the only woman in the room, the only woman over 50, talking to a bunch of techies and investors! A lack of role models, a lack of advice and support from other women could easily lead to self doubt and isolation she says.
Quiet Value adds: Becoming part of a peer networking group, networking and relationship building with others like yourself is always a plus. It can lead to fruitful associations and get solid advice, but at the very least, removes isolation. there are several organizations around the world. From Canada's viewpoint, the CAWEE or Canadian Association of Women Executives and Entrepreneurs is a good place to start!
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"Tyze is simply a tool that allows people to do what they want to do, which is love and care for one another."
- Vickie Cammack, Tyze Founder
A Canada-wide registered matched
savings plan specific for people with disabilities
A family-led charitable organization dedicated to building inclusive communities for all citizens.