Who We Are

Vision

A vibrant, inclusive and equitable economy in the Downtown Eastside where all residents can thrive.

Mission

Exchange Inner City leads the collaborative efforts of its members, residents, and community partners to build a stronger and more equitable economy in the Downtown Eastside. We do this by building individual and organizational capacity, knowledge sharing, and advocacy. 

Organizing, convening and advocating

  • What we do: Exchange Inner City (EIC) is an organizer, convenor and advocate for Downtown Eastside (DTES) organizations that share common values, with a focus on community economic development (CED) and creating employment opportunities for DTES residents.
  • How we do it: We convene, advocate, and test new ideas focusing on CED and access to low-barrier income-generating opportunities. EIC also works closely with DTES social enterprises to build their internal capacity and grow their organizations.
  • How to get involved: EIC is always looking for new members, new partners and new ways to collaborate to create more economic and job opportunities in the Downtown Eastside. If you’re an employer looking for hard-working people to support your organization’s goals, a social enterprise that wants to grow and thrive, a public sector decision-maker that shares our commitment to CED, or a funder looking to support DTES community economic development and our collaborative work, contact us today and let’s get to work together. 

Staff

Johanna Li
Director
Johanna has spent almost 2 decades working in the DTES with various organizations such as the Potluck Cafe Society, the Vancity Community Foundation and EMBERS. Always with a focus on Community Economic Development, she is passionate about finding ways to empower the community to improve the lives of the most vulnerable in an equitable and inclusive way. As the past chair of the executive committee of EIC, Johanna is excited to return to the organization in this role.

Resident Advisory Council (RAC)

The Resident Advisory Council (RAC) is composed of Downtown Eastside (DTES) residents with diverse lived experiences 
who are deeply committed to Community Economic Development (CED).

The RAC works collectively to reduce barriers to peer-focused income opportunities, influence policy, and challenge the stigma faced by many in their community. 

Their work is driven by a shared understanding of the challenges and strengths within the DTES, advocating for meaningful change with compassion and dedication. 

The council meets regularly to discuss and strategize ways to enhance community-based income opportunities. 
They play a vital role in shaping the goals, strategies, and outcomes of Exchange Inner City, ensuring that the voices and needs of the community remain at the forefront of its initiatives.

Leadership Team

Leadership Team (website pic)
The Resident Advisory Council Leadership Team (L-R) Gilles C., Jaella R., and Adam J.

The Resident Advisory Council is led by a three-person leadership team, all of whom are DTES residents with lived experience and skills that resonate with council members. 

Their shared experiences help create a safe, supportive, and welcoming space where everyone feels heard and valued.

Launched in 2023, the inaugural leadership team has been instrumental in shaping the council’s foundation. 

They meet regularly to thoughtfully plan agendas and facilitate council meetings, ensuring that discussions remain inclusive and productive. 

Together, they work collaboratively to achieve the RAC’s goals and action items, always guided by a commitment to empowering the community and fostering meaningful change.

EIC Members & Community Partners

EIC Members and Community partners are integral to the success of Exchange Inner City’s work to create a more inclusive, vibrant and equitable economy in the DTES. 

To see a complete list of members and partners of Exchange Inner City Community Economic Development Association, click here.

To become a member of the association, or community partner, read our eligibility criteria below.

EIC Membership Eligibility

An organization or individual is eligible for membership in Exchange Inner City Community Economic Development Association if they meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • Social enterprise in the DTES

  • Organization that provides low-barrier employment in the DTES

  • Organization that provides peer employment in the DTES

  • Organization that provides training and skills development in the DTES

  • Active advocate for community economic development in the DTES

Community Partner Eligibility

An organization or individual is eligible for Community Partner status in Exchange Inner City if they meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • Business network connected to the Downtown Eastside

  • City Staff or Council member

  • Social service agency/housing provider in the DTES

  • Non-profit organization in the DTES

  • Vancouver-based social enterprise or community economic development organization

  • Community centre in the DTES

  • Business/institution supporting community economic development and/or social procurement

  • Foundation, donor, funder supporting community economic development and/or social procurement

To find out how to become a member or community partner, contact eic@communityimpactrealestate.ca 

The History of Exchange Inner City Community Economic Development Association

Introduction

Exchange Inner City is an organization that grew out of the City of Vancouver’s Community Economic Development (CED) Strategy planning process. In 2016, over 35 community organizations came together to co-create the CED Strategy with the City. This group, called CEDSAC, rebranded as Exchange Inner City, and today is incorporated in the BC Societies Act as Exchange Inner City Community Economic Development Association (EIC).

CEDSAC

The last Economic Revitalization Strategy for the Downtown Eastside (DTES) had been created in 2004, as part of the Vancouver Agreement. While legacies of that strategy lived on, no formally organized collective effort between the City, other levels of government, and DTES communities to improve the economic conditions of the DTES had existed since 2010. In response, upon approving the DTES Local Area Plan in March 2014, Vancouver City Council made an amendment mandating the creation of the Community Economic Development Strategy:

“Further planning work needs to be prioritized for the following areas:

Local Economy: properly coordinate and resource the implementation strategies such that a coherent community economic strategy is created for the DTES that recognizes Hastings Street as the local shopping street to reconnect the neighbourhoods and their economic hubs, and recognizes the need to plan appropriately for the preservation of industrial lands.”

This led to the City’s creation of CEDSAC – Community Economic Development Strategic Action Committee. CEDSAC acted as the structure to support the process of creating the CED Strategy to address issues of poverty, income inequality and the health of local serving businesses. The CED Strategy was subsequently adopted in 2016.

Funding for the initial stages of CEDSAC was provided through several avenues, including: City of Vancouver (Great Beginnings), Simon Fraser University Community Economic Development Program, EcoTrust Canada/LEDLab, Buy Social Canada, and Vancity Community Foundation acting as the administrative backbone. 

Exchange Inner City

CEDSAC continued as an emergent community organization and in January 2017, the first Executive Committee was founded. Two of the founding members, Elizabeth Ballantyne and Wilson Liang, remained on the Executive for 6 years (and counting) and 5 years, respectively. Within ten months, CEDSAC hired an interim director and rebranded as Exchange Inner City. It operated in a highly participatory manner, with strong inclusivity of residents and a wide range of organizations and sectors involved. EIC led community engagement as part of the CED Strategy and implementation process, developed strong community partnerships and programs, and helped to advance the City’s work on poverty reduction, affordability, equity and other key areas of concern. Along with community organizational and individual engagement, the City was the lead implementer in actions related to policy, such as the Community Benefit Agreement and activated under-utilized municipal assets for social innovation and programming (e.g., low barrier employment hub Eastside Works).

Exchange Inner City Community Economic Development Association

EIC successfully supported quick start actions from the CED Strategy leading to the majority of the actions being implemented and bringing with it a shift in EIC’s organizational focus. EIC was positioned to be a backbone organization supporting CED in the DTES, shifting from City-sponsored advisory board to an independent community-based CED organization. Moving from policy co-creation to implementation, advancement and accountability to CED goals; and from a focus on individual residents to focus on organizations with CED-related missions. In May 2022, EIC formally incorporated as a non-profit society within the BC Societies Act – Exchange Inner City Community Economic Development Association. The Executive Committee became the founding Board of Directors, and the first Annual General Meeting was held in April 2023, including nomination and approval of a slate of eight directors.

Today…2023

Today, EIC continues to build upon the foundation that CEDSAC began. Its focus remains community economic development and the organization is pursuing three strategic priorities.

1. Strengthening the Livelihoods Continuum

2. CED Advocacy and Awareness

3. DTES Collaboration

Read more about EIC’s strategic areas here.

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