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Over the past few months, I spoke to more than 10 CEOs and academics based in Calgary, working across the sectors of climate, health, education, and the economy. These conversations, part of a podcast series I’ve been developing with CJSW FM, the University of Calgary’s campus radio station, offered a deeper look at how growth and innovation are shaping outcomes for people and communities.
If there’s one thing most of them emphasized, it’s this: there is a huge gap between innovation and impact. Many innovators and even experienced leaders fail to see the bridge that connects a good idea to a great, lasting solution.
Let’s outline what that bridge looks like.
Know the disconnect to know your opportunity
Looking at a global scale, global growth is slowly returning. The UN projects global GDP to grow 2.7% in 2025, supported by trade recovery and policy shifts. Yet this growth continues to bypass millions. Over 660 million people remain in extreme poverty.
Large segments of youth, newcomers, and underserved workers remain excluded from the benefits of innovation, especially in cities that are otherwise booming.
For business leaders, this is a strategic opening. Innovation is advancing fast, but are you directing it to the right destination?
From good to great: What it takes to build innovation that truly serves
Based on my interviews and a lot of real-world case studies, there’s one important point that innovators and the leaders driving it can take note of: Build your innovation with the people you are building for, and test it for long-term impact using clear standards.
If you can’t measure it, it’s not going to last.
Here are three principles that stood out across these conversations:
- Focus on co-creation. Work alongside underserved communities during product development, not after.
- Expand their role. See them not just as end users but as testers, collaborators, and contributors.
- Align purpose with growth by building models that solve real problems and create lasting business value.
Profit with purpose framework
A good business leader understands that economic success and social progress are deeply interconnected. One cannot grow sustainably without supporting the other.
The World Bank’s latest Business Ready report puts it plainly: the most successful private sectors are those operating in environments where services are accessible, systems are trusted, and opportunity is shared.
How innovation-led businesses are turning purpose into a growth strategy globally and locally
Both locally and globally, many companies are finding ways to integrate the profit-with-purpose framework into how they operate.
One example from Calgary is Pedesting. It is a mobile navigation app designed to assist pedestrians, particularly those with mobility challenges, in navigating urban environments. Unlike traditional navigation apps that focus on vehicular routes, Pedesting emphasizes accessible pedestrian pathways, including indoor and outdoor spaces.
The app provides detailed information on features like ramps, elevators, and accessible restrooms, enabling users to plan routes that accommodate their specific needs.
It integrates purpose into a for-profit model. The company works with real estate owners across Calgary to digitize indoor and outdoor spaces, enhancing accessibility while supporting broader engagement and community visibility.
Globally, companies are also building strong business models rooted in purpose. Too Good To Go is a food-rescue app operating across Europe and North America. It connects users with restaurants and stores that have surplus food, offering it at discounted prices.
The app earns through a small commission on each transaction, helping reduce food waste while supporting local businesses and ensuring affordability for users. It’s a simple idea that creates value for everyone involved.
Key takeaways for business leaders to foster innovation with communities:
- Focus on co-creation. Work alongside underserved communities during product development, not after.
- Expand their role. See them not just as end users but as testers, collaborators, and contributors.
- Align purpose with growth by building models that solve real problems and create lasting business value.
A closer look at Calgary’s opportunity to lead
For example, in Calgary, the health and care sector highlights how business-driven innovation can address practical gaps and provide insights relevant to other sectors.
Calgary has made progress through initiatives like HaTCH, Innovate Calgary, and the University of Calgary’s healthcare innovation programs. These efforts support entrepreneurs and bring new technologies into care.
Yet, workforce shortages continue to pose a challenge, particularly in roles such as home care, frontline support, and mental health services.
One of my favourite examples to quote is The Alex healthcare model we see in Calgary. They realised that despite the innovative health care programs available, there is a disconnect due to the lack of service providers — especially for people in rural areas who cannot easily access health care. They introduced The Alex mobile health bus as part of their preventative care. This is a perfect example of going where your customers need you.
Their dental health bus does the same. The Calgary school district, including the Catholic board, welcomes thousands of new students every year due to migration. Dental care is one of the most expensive health services, and thanks to the yearly dental visits with The Alex Dental Health Bus, many students no longer need to worry about it.
Where can business leaders take the lead?
- Hire differently: Many organizations are broadening their talent pipelines by engaging with newcomer programs, Indigenous networks, and vocational reskilling initiatives.
- Co-create solutions: Product teams are finding stronger results when underrepresented users are included early in the development process — not just for feedback, but during the design phase.
- Subcontract smarter: Procurement strategies are evolving to prioritize local vendors, micro-providers, and community-based partners that reflect the city’s diversity.
- Back better ventures: Investors are increasingly supporting companies that address systemic challenges through viable business models. Impact-aligned funds continue to show strong and consistent returns.
Positioning for growth that lasts?
Calgary’s tech sector is gaining momentum and bringing fresh energy into the economy. But growth alone isn’t the full picture. Housing affordability, food access, and workforce shortages continue to hold people back, and that affects businesses too.
When innovators and business leaders start viewing growth through the lens of the challenges we face as a community and as an economy, the results shift from isolated success to collective well-being. And that shift isn’t just good for society. It brings returns right back to your own business.
We’ve seen what innovation can do — from breakthroughs in healthcare to better access to food. It has the power to change lives, systems, and futures.
Don’t lose this moment. This is your chance to build something that truly lasts and lifts others with it.
