Kalen Taylor is the Executive Director of Purpose Construction, a social enterprise that combines social housing development and rehabilitation with trades training and employment run by and for people underrepresented in the skilled trades. Purpose Construction completes over $2.5 million in affordable housing repair annually, and currently has 4 single family affordable housing projects in development in Winnipeg’s North End, all of which are harnessing the power of social finance in the development process. Purpose Construction is run by and for people traditionally underrepresented in the skilled trades; recent immigrants and refugees, Indigenous people, women, people transitioning out of the justice system, members of the LGBTQ2+ community.
Prior to that, Kalen Taylor co-founded Aki Energy Inc., a nationally award-winning social enterprise that works with First Nations to build community owned renewable energy systems, training and employing 100% local installation labour. In Aki Energy’s first 5 years, they completed over $18 million dollars in renewable energy development in partnership with First Nations communities in Manitoba.
Kalen Taylor is a graduate of Oxford University’s Executive Social Finance Program, and took a lead role in developing Aki Energy’s $4.5 million dollar ‘Community Driven Outcomes Purchase,’ working with Raven Capital Partners to co-develop and deliver the first Indigenous community-led social outcomes purchase agreement in Canada.
Kalen has an Executive Masters in Project Management from the Schulitz School of Business, and LEAN Green Belt certified through the Desaultes School of Management at the University of McGill, and is a graduate of Oxford University’s Executive Social Finance program.
