As Vancouver basks in the afterglow of the 2010 Olympics, an athlete of a different type is representing Canada in the global social venture arena.

Vickie Cammack has spent a lifetime finding ways to connect society’s most isolated and vulnerable citizens. Through her company, Tyze Personal Networks, Vickie and her team have now developed a set of online tools that help people establish private social networks as a way of developing communities of care for people facing life challenges.

The Ashoka Globalizer is a new initiative that brings together the 25 of the world's most advanced social entrepreneurs with leading business entrepreneurs at Vienna's Hofburg Palace from July 31 - August 2 this year. Vickie is one of the 25 selected Social Entrepreneurs from around the world, making her an Olympian in the social venture field.

Vickie summarizes the opportunity in her trademark visionary and modest manner, saying “It is an honour to share our Tyze approach with this illustrious group of world leaders. We know that the Tyze tools help to improve health and well-being outcomes by connecting people to a caring, supportive network. I’m eager to explore how we can extend this approach around the world – after all, there is nothing more universally shared than how we connect and care for one another.”
Says Tyze Board Chair, Jim Fletcher, "We are very proud that Tyze has been selected as one of 25 leading social enterprises to participate at the first ever edition of the Ashoka Globalizer. It is testament to both Vickie’s vision and the critical global need to find new tools that can bridge formal and informal systems of care."