NEWS / MEDIA

Halifax, NS. October 3, 2018 –Rise Asset Development has opened its first location outside Ontario, with the launch today of Rise Nova Scotia in partnership with TEAM Work Cooperative, a Nova Scotia Works Employment Services Centre serving the Halifax community. With the support of Rise Impact Donors Bell Let’s Talk and RBC Foundation and Capital Partner the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), Rise Nova Scotia provides business advisory services and low interest small business loans to aspiring entrepreneurs in Nova Scotia who have a history of mental health and addiction challenges that create barriers in accessing the support they need.

“From our years of work in Halifax with individuals living with mental illness and barriers, we know the excellent option self-employment can offer”, says Janice Ainsworth, Executive Director of TEAM Work Cooperative, an employment agency with 20 years of experience in service delivery. “We welcome the opportunity to host Rise Nova Scotia,”

“Rise has spent the last few years scaling across Ontario and now we are taking that learning to expand across Canada,“ says Lori Smith, Chief Executive Officer at Rise. “Rise was fortunate to be the recipient of extensive pro bono advisory services through Deloitte’s Social Innovation Fund. This work, along with some excellent support from the Mental Health Commission of Canada, helped to identify those communities with the greatest need and Nova Scotia came out on top.”

As Rise expands across Canada, it is building on a successful model that brings wide-reaching impact for communities, entrepreneurs and volunteers.