Make Change Market

Make Change Market is Employ to Empower’s signature annual event. This vibrant community gathering is held during Global Entrepreneurship Week and serves as a platform to celebrate the power of community, collaboration, and entrepreneurship.

Now in its second year, Make Change Market brings together 21 local entrepreneurs facing systemic barriers, community members, and partners in a dynamic celebration of innovation and resilience.

This year’s theme, Together We Build, shines a spotlight on what’s possible when every person is empowered to contribute their strengths and talents. It’s a reminder that, together, we can build stronger, more connected communities.

✨ A marketplace of local entrepreneur vendors offering artwork, artisan soaps, jewelry, workshops, peer support counselling, beauty services, and more.

✨ Entrepreneur stories that showcase creativity, resilience, and the pursuit of possibility in the face of systemic barriers.

✨ Opportunities to connect, support, and be inspired by entrepreneurs who are reshaping what business can look like.

🎟 Raffle prizes featuring local favourites like gift cards to Prado, Burgoo, Capilano Suspension Bridge, Vancouver Water Adventures and more.

📸 A playful photobooth sponsored by Magikmoments to capture memories with friends and community.

🎁 A festive gift wrapping station to make your purchases holiday-ready.

🍪 Free BAK'D cookies for the first 100 guests.

🚁 A chance to win a roundtrip for two on Helijet’s scheduled helicopter service between Vancouver & Nanaimo (valued at $1,000!).

Make Change Market isn’t just a shopping experience — it’s a celebration of the strength of our community and the power of collective support. By attending, you’re helping break down barriers for local entrepreneurs and contributing to a more equitable, empowered community.

Employ to Empower (ETE)—an award-winning Vancouver-based charity that believes no one should be left behind, and that everyone has a strength to offer, and deserves the opportunities and resources to thrive—the event reflects our mission in action. We collaborate with people facing systemic barriers by offering skills-building, mentoring, and community engagement programming.

Our programs empower individuals navigating challenges such as disability, mental health, and substance use to foster economic inclusion, confidence, and belonging, so they can become active contributors to their communities.

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