Amy Robinson, Founder & Executive Director
Amy has been applying her diverse skill set to sustainability in business for over a decade. Her experience spans from small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to big industry, focusing of the business case for sustainability – the management, business, social and environmental benefits. Amy focuses on the implementation aspects of sustainability from an organizational systems point of view. She focuses on managing sustainability as change management from the starting point of an organization’s existing culture. Amy works both directly with business, and with organizations that support business, providing research and developing tools and guides to support implementation for some aspect of sustainability.
Amy works as a researcher, trainer and implementation consultant in sustainable procurement, waste management and greenhouse gas management with some of Vancouver’s best-known business sustainability programs – Green Table Network, Sustainability Purchasing Network and Climate Smart Business. She is intimately connected with the local sustainable business community, seeking opportunities to build community and partnerships to move sustainability deep into small and mid-sized businesses. A veteran of the Board of the BC Chapter of Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE BC), she understands what is needed to develop a thriving and sustainable business network in the region. She is well connected to the BALLE HQ staff and directors, who offer advice and support.
Saul Brown, Board Chair & Owner Saul Good Gift Co.
The seeds of change were planted early when Saul first started going on wilderness expeditions as a teenager. Besides the beauty of nature, Saul began to realize that health and well-being depends on understanding our interconnection with each other and the environment. Since then his passion for sustainability has flourished, working as canoe/kayak guide, industrial ecologist, and social entrepreneur. Saul Good Gift Co. Inc. a green corporate gifts and promotions business, started as course work while working on his MBA in sustainable business from the Bainbridge Graduate Institute, financing the start up from his student line of credit. Saul Good is currently in its 3rd year, located in Vancouver, BC and a founding member of the Strathcona Green Zone, a business driven initiative to address social and environmental issues for community competitive advantage in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Saul sits on the Sustainability Committee of the Strathcona Business Improvement Area.
Tricia Rogers, Treasurer & Accountant
Tricia Rogers has over 15 years experience in accounting. She has worked as a Finance Manager for a BC based sustainability Charity and is experienced with multiple stakeholder reporting. In addition, Tricia was a bookkeeper for an Ontario based athletic not-for-profit organization. Prior to working in non-profit, she was a tax consultant in public practice and with Hudson’s Bay Company. By consulting for clients in a variety of industries, Tricia learned accounting and operational best practice required for organizations to succeed and prosper. In addition to her business experience, Tricia is interested in small and medium sized business and is a graduate from Royal Roads University bachelor program in Entrepreneurial management.
Bonnie Foley-Wong, Director & Founder Pique Ventures
Derek Weiss, Director & Communications Expert
Derek is a communications professional and social innovation explorer. As Manager of Community Engagement at Vancouver’s Union Gospel Mission, he works with a devoted and talented team to catalyze change through innovative events like Summer Connect, the Eastside Stride, Uncovering Vision art show, and more. As Co-Chair of the Urban Core Community Worker’s Association, he coordinates with other Downtown Eastside service providers to cultivate healing in that community. As Creative Advisor at Frontier Consulting, he uses his PR and branding experience to increase both self-awareness and public awareness of small- to medium-size not-for-profits and Credit Unions.
Sandra Bicego, Director & Owner Pacifica Blue Consulting
Sandra is a strategic planner, engagement and consultation specialist for non government and government organizations and business. She provides services in facilitation, project management, communications, event management, and policy research development. Her specialties include engagement and consultation, strategic planning, organizational development, communications, event management and policy development. Sandra has a passion for living sustainably, supporting local, and global animal welfare.
Katja Macura, Director & Sustainable Business Strategist
Katja is a strategic planning consultant with a background in digital media, user experience, branding and sustainability. Her focus is on helping companies operationalize their vision by bringing creative ideas, business thinking, technology and sustainability strategy together to create unique business value. She has over 16 years experience as a strategist, information and business analyst, and facilitator for both global brands and independent businesses. Katja has a BComm from the University of British Columbia and MSc in leadership for sustainability from the Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden. She is a champion for local business success and believes in business as a powerful force for positive change.
Leslie Shieh, Urban Planner & Project Planner, River Market
Leslie is an urban planner working in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is a researcher and writer, with a passion for the concept of community and its role in urban governance in different planning cultures. Leslie is also Project Planner at River Market, a revitalized Westminster Quay Public Market. River Market’s tenants are solely local, independent businesses, with a focus on uniting people around the activities of food. The market hosts many arts and cultural activities with the goal of creating commerce, community and culture. River Market works to strengthen the links between residents and local businesses, and with the local food system.
Darren Stott, Business Consultant
Darren Stott has over 15 years of experience in the food retail industry. This includes store management, logistics, marketing and purchasing for one of the largest Co-op retailers in the UK. He also did retail analytics consulting for blue chip retailers and manufacturers such as Safeway, P&G and Unilever in the UK. Darren served as Director of Purchasing for the largest online organic home delivery company in North America, with 7 locations including Victoria.
In 2010 Darren started Greenchain Consulting, to use his food retail Blue Chip experience, to support BC local food initiatives through business planning, business strategizing, purchasing policies, operations and best practice research. Recent and relevant projects include New City Market (Vancouver food hub), Victoria Public Market, local food procurement in local school districts and food distribution in DTES.
