Speakers

Sophie Agbonkhese is the Sustainability Coordinator for the Strathcona Business Improvement Association (SBIA). Sophie joined the SBIA to pursue her vision of helping businesses become more sustainable. Originally from Victoria, Sophie holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Acadia and a Masters of Logistics and Supply Chain Management from MIT with a focus on sustainable supply chains. Before joining the SBIA, she worked as an independent small business consultant and as a purchaser at BC Hydro. Sophie is responsible for coordinating the Strathcona Green Zone Initiative including the Strathcona Resource Exchange, the Sustainability Expo, and the Snapshots of Strathcona series.

Brian Dodd is the Executive Director of United We Can, a non profit social enterprise and charity in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Prior to taking over the helm of United We Can from founder Ken Lyotier, Brian spent over 20 years managing television production operations. Brian is passionate about being “involved” in the community around him. He has spent many years volunteering with organizations dealing with the problems of youth at risk, homelessness and urban renewal. Last year, United We Can recycled 20 million containers, put $2 million dollars in the Downtown Eastside community and employed 150 people from the community is sustainable “green” jobs.

Kira Gerwing has been with the City of Vancouver Planning Department since 2005. Her current focus is projects supporting the regeneration of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, specifically through green economic development, land use planning and policy development.

Prior to working at the City, Kira was a regional planner for an environmental non-profit organisation with extensive experience in conservation planning along British Columbia’s coast. She holds a Masters in Community and Regional Planning from the University of British Columbia and Bachelor of Geography from the University of Victoria.

Kira’s core area of interest lies in partnering with marginalized communities to develop plans that synthesize their cultural and physical resources with traditional and community values. She has provided community and professional workshops on strategic planning, land use policies, community economic development, and government-to-government consultation.

She loves cycling in skirts and heels, and is a mother to two young children.

Mark Trotzuk is the founder and chief operating officer of Boardroom Eco-Apparel, a clothing design and manufacturing company based in Vancouver. Mark opened Boardroom Custom Clothing in 1996. Nine years later, shortly after his daughter Rio Raine was born, Mark initiated a big change in operations and product development at Boardroom by launching ECO-Apparel (ecoapparel.ca), a clothing brand made exclusively from environmentally friendly materials that is committed to environment, health, and safety at every level of manufacturing—from raw materials to distribution.

In April 2008, Mark’s passion for the environment brought him the opportunity to train with Al Gore as a presenter for The Climate Project; a Canadian initiative to increase awareness of Global Warming and Climate Change. Mark is also an “Ambassador” for the David Suzuki Foundation, for which he delivers interactive workshops to workplaces interested in greening their business. He holds a degree in economics and agriculture from The University of British Columbia.