theDock Centre for Social Impact
theDock Centre for Social Impact offers a space for their members to meet and collaborate. The centre has offices, meeting rooms, and events spaces where members can test initiatives and scale impact. They want to help inspire a vibrant community and to foster collaboration. Whether you are an individual or an organization of any size, theDock can support you and your ideas.
Colin the Operations Manager shows off the main meeting space. Photo by Ariel Glidden
What is your background?
“theDock got started in Fan Tan Alley in 2014. It’s a social enterprise co-working space operating by community and for community. theDock moved to the current location on Cormorant Street in 2016 and Scale Collaborative took over ownership in 2019.”
What made you want to open theDock?
“We purchased the Dock to continue the good work of having a social impact space in downtown Victoria, and as an opportunity to expand that impact by harmonizing it with the work of Scale Collaborative more broadly to create a thriving, connected, and financially resilient social change sector on Vancouver Island and beyond.”
Photo by Ariel Glidden
For someone who hasn’t been in before or who isn’t a member, what is your business? What makes it special?
“We are a coworking space and social impact hub. Beyond offering office space to social impact organizations – non profits, charities, entrepreneurs, and small businesses with a local lens or national scope – we seek to build and inspire an engaged group of people doing cool stuff. Prior to COVID, that was largely through events and our member benefits, but we’re always brainstorming new ways to keep members engaged with the wider Victoria community and social impact hubs across the country.”
Photo by Ariel Glidden
What inspires you?
“We are inspired by the ability of small organizations and teams to transform the communities they work in for the benefit of a diverse range of groups and to continue to grow community wealth. With affordable, accessible, and flexible space, members can enhance connections, test and pilot ideas, and build bridges between sectors – that’s where we come in!”
Why downtown?
“Downtown is the heart of any city. It’s the space to innovate, to ideate, and to inspire. That sounds cliche, but we believe that being at the heart of where the action is for local businesses and nonprofits is important for accessibility and to generate community growth.”
Photo by Ariel Glidden
What advice would you give to others who want to start a business? What would you have liked to know before you opened yours?
“That 2020 was going to be the year of a global pandemic requiring us all to social distance! All joking aside, the advice we would give is to ensure you have the resources you need to survive the early years, especially if you are creating a physical rather than a virtual business, and to always ask for advice and support. There is a large community of people who want to see you succeed!”
Photo by Ariel Glidden
How to find theDock:
theDock is located at 300-722 Cormorant Street and is open Monday to Friday. They can be reached by email at COMMUNITY@THEDOCKVICTORIA.COM, and by phone at (250) 590-5179. You can also find them on their website, on Facebook, and on Instagram!
