From Program Participant to Community Partner

I'm always amazed by the impact Momentum graduates create long after they complete their programs. One inspiring example is Bill Zheng, whose journey from participant to entrepreneur has created opportunities for many others in our community while also leading him back to Momentum as a valued community partner.

Bill completed Momentum's Youth Matched Savings program in 2021 while finishing high school. His family had immigrated to Canada from China in 2013 and, like many newcomer families, faced significant financial challenges as they worked to establish themselves in a new country. At the same time, Bill's mother was dealing with health challenges. He carried significant responsibilities as a caregiver before his mother passed away while finishing his final year of high school.

Through the Matched Savings for Youth program, Bill built financial knowledge and savings habits that helped him prepare for post-secondary education. He used the matched savings to support his studies in nursing at the University of Calgary, inspired by a desire to address gaps he saw in our health and social care systems.

Bill was busy in university, working part-time in social service sector and security jobs. It wasn’t stress free work either, as he often worked with people experiencing homelessness. Despite all the juggling of work and school, Bill also managed to launch a business. AND it was not just any business. He started a social enterprise.

The social enterprise Bill co-founded, RadiCare Ventures, provides cleaning, safety, and social services while creating employment opportunities for people facing barriers to employment. RadiCare removes graffiti, cleans properties and manages public washrooms. While it makes Calgary a cleaner, safer, and more welcoming place - as featured by the City of Calgary’s 2025 State of Downtown Report - its greatest impact is creating meaningful work for people experiencing poverty, homelessness, and other challenges.

Bill's work is gaining well-deserved recognition. In 2025, he was named one of the Calgary Herald's 20 Compelling Calgarians and also recently received a Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.

As Bill has shared, "it is never too early to start making a difference, and when you take that first step, always remember to listen before you act." That perspective comes from lived experience. Before launching RadiCare, Bill spent time learning from the people and communities he hoped to serve.

My personal connection with Bill grew through Social Venture Institute (SVI) Alberta hosted by Momentum last year. Bill joined a panel discussion I facilitated on businesses that are willing and able to hire people experiencing barriers to employment. His perspective stood out because he spoke not only as an entrepreneur, but as someone who deeply understands the importance of opportunity and the difference meaningful work can make in a person's life. This fall, Bill will once again join the SVI Alberta community as the gathering of social enterprise leaders comes to Calgary for the first time.

Momentum's connection with Bill and RadiCare is also continuing to grow through the new StartWork initiative. Alongside community partners, we are working to expand social enterprises as a pathway to employment for people transitioning from Income Support. RadiCare's success demonstrates the powerful role social enterprises can play in creating inclusive employment opportunities.

For me, Bill's journey is a reminder that financial empowerment is about much more than saving money. It is about creating pathways to education and career opportunities. Sometimes, those pathways even lead to creating opportunities to help others create better futures for themselves.

I am proud that Bill remains part of the Momentum community and grateful for the opportunity to partner with him. His story demonstrates how investing in young people can create ripple effects that strengthen our entire community for years to come.