2024 'State of the Island'
Economic Summit

Passionate about the circular economy and social equity, Georgia is compelled to find tangible solutions for businesses that strive to make a positive impact. Through her work at Synergy Foundation, Georgia works with entrepreneurs, existing businesses, regional government, and community stakeholders to foster the transition to a circular economy in BC. Georgia is also the lead on the annual Project Zero Incubator Program and the Circular Accelerator Program.

Gil Yaron is Managing Director of Circular Innovation at Light House, a Vancouver-based organization dedicated to advancing circular and regenerative practices in the built environment. Gil leads the Building Material Exchange program on Vancouver Island serving to capture excess and salvaged building materials and provide them as valuable resources to local manufacturers and other businesses. He is also an advisor on circular economy to the Municipality of North Cowichan’s Economic Development Action Plan. Gil holds a Master of Laws from UBC and brings more than 30 years of experience in the circular economy, sustainable procurement and entrepreneurship.

David Leverton is President of Leverton & Associates Ltd. and has been providing management consulting services to government, NGO’s, and not-for-profit organizations for 30+ years. In late 2022 the company embarked on a new business enterprise creating and distributing strategy-based, tabletop board games, that are hands-on, interactive, environmentally sustainable, and most of all, fun to play. Their first game release is called Dice Hockey™ Challenge (dicehockey.com) and is modelled after Canada’s national winter sport. The new game is available throughout parts of Canada and plans are underway to release the game into the United States and Europe. Their second tabletop board game is currently under development. David and his wife, Anne Doyle, are building their new board game business in Courtenay where they have lived for many years.

Susan is a Partner in MNP's Consulting Group and leads the National Insights and Analytics Practice. With more than 20 years of experience conducting economic analysis Susan has a deep understanding of the regional nature of BC's economy and the factors that affect Vancouver Island. She is the lead author of the State of the Island Report and has conducted a number of projects related to economic development on Vancouver Island. Susan is a member of the Canadian Association of Business Economics and is on the board of the Association of Professional Economists of BC.

Naomi Tabata is the Director of Envision North Island, which includes responsibility for the Centre for Applied Research, Technology and Innovation at North Island College, where NIC’s talented faculty and students connect with community businesses and organizations to create meaningful and mutually beneficial applied research projects. North Island College’s research areas of strength are varied and include aquaculture (and specifically seaweed), indigenous language, health care, and technology. Naomi has over 20 years of experience specializing in project management and grant-writing for post-secondary and non-profit organizations. She is also currently preparing a business case to support student housing at the Campbell River campus. She serves on several community and professional committees and is a passionate advocate for community development, education and healthy communities. She holds an undergraduate degree in biology from UBC and a Master of Arts in Leadership from Royal Roads University.

Brian has worked in the tourism industry for more than 20 years in progressive roles across multiple organizations and now leads the team delivering work to serve First Nations, residents, and tourism businesses throughout the Vancouver Island Region. Previously he worked for the GReater Victoria Harbour Authority, tartanbond, and Destination British Columbia.

Brian holds three degrees from the University of Victoria, including his MBA. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the UVIC Board of Governors. He is a proud member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and one-half of a two-dad family.

Brian has worked in the tourism industry for more than 20 years in progressive roles across multiple organizations and now leads the team delivering work to serve First Nations, residents, and tourism businesses throughout the Vancouver Island Region. Previously he worked for the GReater Victoria Harbour Authority, tartanbond, and Destination British Columbia.

Brian holds three degrees from the University of Victoria, including his MBA. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the UVIC Board of Governors. He is a proud member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and one-half of a two-dad family.

Tyson ?ikaatius Atleo is a hereditary Chief-in-line of the Ahousaht First Nation, and the Natural Climate Solutions Program Director for Nature United. Raised with the principles of Heshook-ish Tsawalk, meaning "everything is one," Tyson is dedicated to upholding the values of respect, care, love, and teaching in all of his work. He is deeply committed to advancing conservation of the natural environment, and the spiritual, social, and economic well-being of Indigenous peoples.

With a professional background in industrial mechanical design and personal background centered on the ocean, Sebastian leads Shifts technology development in autonomous systems in the Marine sector.  Key technology includes the OceanSled autonomous surface vessel (ASV) , which has recently become the first ever ASV in the Canadian Coast Guard fleet. Sebastian’s extensive previous experience in mechanical engineering includes cross border collaboration and delivery of complex, strategically sensitive systems. This, coupled with years of project management experience at remote worksites in BC’s backcountry, help him translate client needs into Shift Coastal Technologies’ development.

Mike Carter is the Vice President of Operations with the Port Alberni Port Authority. Prior to joining the Port Authority in 2009 Mike worked in the Helicopter Logging Industry for 21 years; managing operations throughout Coastal and Interior British Columbia. After spending much of his life in remote logging camps he transitioned to the Port Authority to manage their 4 Marinas and a 250-site campground. After performing various roles, Mike was appointed to VP of Operations in January 2022. The duties of this role include overseeing the shipping terminals, seafood processing plant, marinas and a campground as well as designation of Port Security Officer.

Pat English, currently acting in a consulting role as the Manager of Economic Development for the Regional District of Mount Waddington, is a professional with over 30 years of experience with public and private economic development projects. Pat has a BA degree in Economics and an MBA in finance and marketing, both from the University of British Columbia. He has previously served as a Director of Economic Development for the Province of BC and has owned and operated his own hospitality businesses in Prince George and northern BC. He currently serves as a director for several non-profit organizations, including the Rural Island Economic Partnership and the Hopetown Community Development Society.

Mark is the CEO of the Pacific Seaweed Industry Association. He is a past board member and Chair of the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance (VIEA), where he still chairs the Foreign Trade Zone and Invest Vancouver Island (FTZVI) initiative. In addition, he served on the BC Minister of Agriculture's Advisory Group on Regenerative Agriculture and Agritech (MAGRAA) and currently serves on the Board of Small Business BC.

Gaby Wickstrom is the General Manager, Operations & Business Development, with the ‘Namgis Business Development Corp. Having lived in Port McNeill for 29 years, her business and political background have made her keenly aware of the issues rural communities face. She has always been a community and region advocate, who recognizes the power of working together to overcome challenges. 

Gaby has served as Mayor and Councillor of Port McNeill, and held leadership roles including Past President of the Port McNeill & District Chamber of Commerce, board member with the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance, Director-at-Large on the Union of British Columbia Municipalities executive committee, and Chair of the Vancouver Island Regional Library board.

A lifetime entrepreneur and focused on creating the conditions for a regenerative future where people and organizations have every opportunity to flourish. Co-founded Thin Air Labs and then spun Future Fit Cities out to bring more focus to the quality of place and the ecosystems of activity that flow in and around those places. This has included getting over $200 million of new projects into production that would have otherwise gone unimagined. Greg is also the co-founder of InceptionU, an unschool that uses a design mindset anchored in critical thinking, systems and collaborative approaches to nurture adaptive and responsive talent across a variety of technical disciplines including software development. He also co-leads the Doctorate of Design program at the University of Calgary School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape and is a guest lecturer at the Breda University of Applied Sciences in The Netherlands. When he wants to relax or get yelled at, he referees lacrosse.

Kristi has always worked in the social impact sector. After 10 years as a youth worker, she returned to school to complete a business degree, with a focus on social enterprise. Kristi founded and supported several employment social enterprises, and was Director of Social Enterprise for Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network. In 2014, Kristi co-founded Scale Collaborative to support growing a thriving social change sector. Within Scale’s family of organizations, Kristi is the Managing Director of Thrive Impact Fund and Scale Institute Society.

Human Capital Strategies (HCS) is a leading independent workforce and labour market consultancy in BC, founded by Kerry Jothen over 22 years ago. HCS has completed over 300 projects, serving 150+ clients, including global LNG companies like Chevron and Petronas, Rio Tinto, and major construction firms. HCS also leads workforce strategy development for Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, such as Campbell River and Prince Rupert. Kerry has managed research and strategy for over 60 Indigenous organizations and multiple industry sectors. He was also the founding CEO of the Industry Training and Apprenticeship Commission, now Skilled Trades BC.

Ashka Wirk, BSc, MBA, CMC, ACC is the Principal of Wirk Consulting. She is a seasoned private sector leader. She began her career as head of Business Development with an Okanagan biotechnology firm. She was then the CEO of the healthcare association management arm of Vancouver's StemCell Technologies, the largest biotechnology company in Canada.

As a management consultant and executive coach for the last ten years, Ashka has provided strategy support to small and medium-sized private sector businesses, to nearly every BC ministry; and to not-for-profit organizations across Canada.

She has a particular focus on helping founders and their teams create tailored succession plans to ensure their businesses thrive beyond the founding generation, through an approach called SuccessionReady. 

Ehren is Partner and Director with Urban Systems where he provides strategic consulting services for private, public, and community organizations. With a background in engineering and business leadership, he excels in creating long-term strategies, policy development, capital programs, and service delivery plans. Ehren is deeply immersed, avid, and passionate about business succession for professional service firms, providing invaluable guidance in leadership, talent development, and intergenerational engagement for employee-owned firms. His approach positions Ehren as a pivotal figure in helping organizations navigate the intricacies of business succession, complementing his strategic consulting practice while driving positive results.

Josh Ludgate is the Chief Operations Officer at Small Business BC. He is an experienced non-profit leader, with nearly a decade spent serving entrepreneurs across our province. In his time at SBBC, Josh has worked to forge closer ties between like-minded organizations, entrepreneurs and communities across Canada, growing the impact, reach, and resources of SBBC to support our mission to elevate every BC business.

Kyle is the Director of Education with Co-operatives First, where he leads the development and delivery of start-up support services and training for Co-operatives First. Originally from Newfoundland and Labrador, Kyle has worked his way across Canada, focusing on community economic development in rural and Indigenous communities. With degrees in Geography and Public Policy, Kyle’s educational background has focused on community development, corporate governance, and public policy. Aside from his work with Co-operatives First, Kyle stays busy as a volunteer, history enthusiast, and long-distance runner.

Mike is a lifelong British Columbian. He has worked extensively in BC politics for premiers Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark, whom he served as Chief of Staff in the Premier's Office and campaign director for her re election in 2013. Today, Mike is a partner and Chief Strategy Officer at Kirk & Co, one of Canada's leading communications and public engagement firms.

Kate has nearly 20 years’ experience in public policy, advocacy, social impact and communications. She is the Vice President of Engagement at Vancouver Foundation, where she oversees teams leading learning, evaluation, communications, marketing and advocacy work. She started her career as a reporter covering breaking news for the New York Times and the Globe and Mail, winning awards for her feature writing and investigative work, and later served a senior advisor to the former Premier of Ontario.

Geoff Meggs has decades of experience at the provincial and municipal level in B.C., both as an elected official and at the senior executive level.

He was appointed chief of staff to Premier John Horgan in 2017 and remained in that post until Horgan retired from provincial politics in 2022. Before that, Geoff served three terms as a member of Vancouver City Council, where he chaired various city committees and represented the city on the Board of Metro Vancouver.

He held a range of senior communications roles in the labour movement, worked as chief of staff to Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell, served as executive director of the B.C. Federation of Labour, and as communications director to Premier Glen Clark.

The author of several books about B.C. fisheries and politics, Geoff lives in Vancouver.