An OLIP intern in 2011-2012, Shilbee Dhalla-Kim is a facilitator, coach and instructor who supports entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs in clarifying their passion for change. After OLIP, Shilbee was the social enterprise manager at Native Women’s Resource of Toronto to help develop a feasibility study and a business plan. She then worked as a manager at the Centre for Social Innovation in Regent Park, where she worked to amplify the success of social entrepreneurs, non-for-profit organizations, artists, community leaders, and activists. Afterwards, she volunteered at Cannabis Amnesty, a non-for-profit organization dedicated to righting the wrongs caused by cannabis criminalization in Canada. She then became the workstream manager of Entrepreneurship Policy at what was formerly known as the Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship at Toronto Metropolitan University. Alongside her own coaching practice, she’s currently a facilitator with Neolé Inc. and instructor at McMaster University. Shilbee is passionate about helping people explore and clarify their passions and harness them to effect change.
During her time with OLIP, she interned for MPP Teresa Piruzza of Windsor West (government placement) and MPP Elizabeth Witmer of Kitchener—Waterloo, and post-resignation worked for MPP Laurie Scott of Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock (both opposition placements). Her highlight during OLIP was with MPP Scott, who tabled a private member’s bill proposing amendments to Ontario’s Endangered Species Act. When MPPs voted on the bill, Shilbee found it particularly interesting to see how urban and rural lived experiences can shape people’s views on legislation and can help find common ground among legislators. OLIP taught Shilbee the importance of networking which led her to her first job post-OLIP. The programme also gave her clarity to pursue working in the social entrepreneurship space.
Her advice to future, current and past OLIP interns is to reach out to people! People love to share their stories, so ask them lots of questions. She is currently reading Flowers of Fire by Hawon Jung, which is a hopeful work on South Korea’s feminist movements. It particularly touches on the spread of the #MeToo movement and interviews activists who channel their rage into passion for change.
