Our Story
We believe that Basic Income works as a key building block in a human-centered economy— one that fosters innovation and enhances the well-being of individuals, families, and communities across Canada.
Technology and globalization has transformed the nature of work, creating immense opportunities to improve human life, but also uneven gains. AI and job automation have created a polarizing economy where middle-skill jobs are being hollowed out and replaced with more low-skill and some high-skill jobs.
Basic income is an economic floor, ensuring security and freedom for all. It defends equality of opportunity in a world where technological disruptions are reducing incomes for many. It buys people time by keeping them out of poverty, helping them secure housing, escape food insecurity, or say no to a bad situation.
As an innovation policy, it recaptures our risk tolerance, unlocking the opportunity for everyone to take risks and think long-term—leading to new careers, higher education, and new businesses. It aligns markets with human needs, adding resilience and robustness to our economy. And by abolishing poverty and reducing human suffering, it allows us to build a future where everyone has the chance to pursue their potential.
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Meet Our Team
Philippe Chabot
Artist & ResearcherHumans vs. Machine
Philippe Chabot
Artist & ResearcherHumans vs. Machine
Philippe Chabot
Artist & ResearcherHumans vs. Machine
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Philippe Chabot
Artist & Researcher Humans vs. Machine
Philippe Chabot
Economist Financing Basic Income
Philippe Chabot
Manitoba LiaisonPresident, Scotia Investments
Philippe Chabot
Public Relations
Ken Yang
Media & Content
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Philippe Chabot
Artist & Researcher
Humans vs. Machine
Philippe Chabot
Artist & Researcher
Humans vs. Machine
Philippe is a UBI adviser, researcher & artist. He keeps an eye out on related UBI news going on around the world & Canada, especially on the technology side. He manages & creates content for these social media accounts (BasicIncomeIMG | BasicIncomeQuotes | HumanVSMachine) to promote the idea of UBI and help push it towards reality.
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Ben Earle
General Manager
CEO, Feed The Need Durham
Ben Earle
General Manager
CEO, Feed The Need Durham
Ben is the General Manager of UBI Works, supporting the day-to-day operations of the organizations projects and activities. He has over 15 years of experience in the development and management of non-profit organizations. In addition to this work, he has led projects in the areas of social and economic policy analysis, community action research, and community service planning. His current work is focused on responses to the changing nature of the economy and the future of work. In addition to his role at UBI Works, Ben provides coordinating support to the Basic Income Canada Network and leads Alinea Community Development, a consulting practice that supports social innovation in the charitable and nonprofit sectors.
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Olivia Jol
Marketing Expert
Olivia Jol
Marketing Expert
Olivia was the youngest senior director at a public company in Canada, working in market strategy for a world leader in virtual desktop technology. Olivia is an anthropologist by study, with published works on Canadian indigeneity, imperialism and the history of Capitalism. Olivia is an active UBI advocate and volunteer.
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Floyd Marinescu
Founder
CEO, C4Media Inc.
Floyd Marinescu
Founder
CEO, C4Media Inc.
Floyd is the Founder of UBI Works and the CEO and co-founder of C4Media which provides software development news and learning events serving 1.2M online on InfoQ.com, and 8000 attendees annually via QCon conferences in SF, NY, London, Beijing, Shanghai, and Sao Paulo. Floyd is an angel investor in over a dozen startups, and has built teams and businesses in the US, Canada, China, Brazil, Europe. Floyd is a CEO advocate for universal basic income and together with Paul Vallée, CEO of Tehama, organized 120 Canadian CEOs to endorse basic income in Canada in Oct 2018.
Richard Pereira
Economist
Financing Basic Income
Richard Pereira
Economist
Financing Basic Income
Richard Pereira is an advisor to UBI Works. He is an economist and researcher whose primary interests are labour studies, ecological economics and co-operative economics. His research has been recognized by the Progressive Economics Forum (PEF – www.progressive-economics.ca), with the 2010 National Essay prize (MA/PhD category). He has helped develop the Canadian chapter of Basic Income Earth Network. Richard’s work increasingly explores the changing nature of the commons, our social commonwealth and ethical approaches to its preservation and sustainable universal distribution. He is the author of Financing Basic Income: Addressing the cost objection (Palgrave 2017).
Tom Pogson
Leading Advocate
Basic Income BC
Tom Pogson
Leading Advocate
Basic Income BC
A writer and musician based in Victoria, BC, Tom has been writing, researching and advocating for basic income since mid 2020. He does volunteer work with UBI Works as well as Basic Income British Columbia and has his own project called "Tom the BIVicBCGuy" on X/Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram and WordPress.
Paul Walsh
Manitoba Liaison
President, Scotia Investments
Paul Walsh
Manitoba Liaison
President, Scotia Investments
Paul Walsh Q.C. is a lawyer, businessman, and property developer, whose history includes the debating championship of Canada, and weekly commentaries on CBC radio, and CTV television. He has served on community cultural boards including The Manitoba Chamber Orchestra [President], Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers [President], The Winnipeg Art Gallery, Prairie Fire Magazine, as well as the United Way of Winnipeg. He was the Chair of Basic Income Manitoba, and is a member of MAWG, the Modernized [treaty] Annuity Working Group.
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Liam Wilkinson
Public Relations
Liam Wilkinson
Public Relations
Liam Wilkinson is the Public Relations Strategist for UBI Works. Having worked extensively in the private and non-for-profit sectors, he crafts narratives that highlight economic as well as social justice case for basic income in Canada. He serves as the Managing Editor for the group, collaborating with other storytellers to envision a more just and prosperous future.
Ken Yang
Media & Content
Ken Yang
Media & Content
Ken oversees the production and marketing of media and content for UBI Works' national audiences. Ken previously worked in corporate governance research at a top Canadian law firm, in social cognition research at the University of Toronto, managed the commercialization of early-stage technology from the university, and co-founded a California-based political organization focused on democratic reform and universal basic income. Ken holds a JD/MBA from the University of Toronto.
Our Journey
CEOs for Basic Income
UBI Works founder Floyd Marinescu organized 120 Canadian CEOs, representing $2.3B in annual revenues, to sign a letter in support of reinstating the Ontario Basic Income Pilot.
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Economic Contributions of the Canada Child Benefit
UBI Works commissioned the Canadian Center for Economic Analysis to study Canada’s basic income for families, showing that it grows the economy, creates jobs, and lowers poverty
Basic Income March 2019
We organized the first ever Basic Income March in Toronto, joining more than 20 cities around the world on October 26, 2019 to march in support of basic income.
Ontario Liberal Party Convention
On March 7, 2020, UBI Works founder Floyd Marinescu presented alongside a 6.5’ robot to 2,000 political delegates, including former Premiers of Ontario, MPs, and MPPs about AI and basic income (at the invitation of candidate Alvin Tedjo).
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COVID-19 Emergency Basic Income
UBI Works launched a petition for an Emergency Basic Income, garnering over 30,000 signatures and emails to MPs in all 338 federal ridings in the week before emergency benefits were announced.
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Economic Impacts of a National Basic Income
UBI Works commissioned the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis to study the economic impacts of a national Basic Income, showing it could grow our economy more than it costs, while ending poverty.
Basic Income Marches 2021 & 2022
We organized and supported basic income marches and rallies across the country in Ontario, Quebec, BC, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, and Yukon.
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Campaign for Basic Income Bill C-273
We worked with Julie Dzerowicz MP, sponsor of Canada's first-ever private member's bill for a Guaranteed Basic Income, to launch a national promotional campaign and petition to UBI activists and MPs in every riding.
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Campaign for Basic Income Bills S-233 & C-223
We launched national activist campaign to help promote Bills S-233 & C-223 for a Guaranteed Livable Basic Income, introduced by Senator Kim Pate and MP Leah Gazan. Over 30,000 emails were sent to MPs and Senators across every riding.
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Basic Income Now Election Pledge
UBI Works organized a Basic Income Now Candidate Pledges during the 2021 Federal Election, where 40+ advocates were elected. In total, 189 candidates in 3 parties across 46% of ridings took the pledge to actively support the establishment of basic income if elected.
USask Report on Cost Savings & Downstream Benefits of Basic Income
UBI Works and Coalition Canada funded research at the University of Saskatchewan which found that basic income generates a Social Return on Investment of $1.06 per $1 invested.
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CEOs for Basic Income — New Letter
To date, over 180 Canadian CEOs and business leaders, representing $1.5B in annual revenues and 5,300+ staff, have signed a letter calling for a permanent basic income in Canada.
Feature on CBC News: The National
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