SPEAKERS
Cory Ashworth
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Cory Ashworth spent his formative twenties in Beijing, where, he launched China’s first national radio rock show and became the first foreign VJ on MTV China. Ashworth is the founder of AYAM Civic Society, soon launching The March Sweater Project. He is an announcer on The PEAK, co-host of CAMP on Roundhouse Radio, co-host of Rain City Chronicles and is co-creator of A Good Book Drive for children in Vancouver.
Cory Ashworth loves community building projects, Oprah and first person narrative.
Nicole Bridger
Nicole Bridger is more than just a line of socially conscious products. We are creating a path to a more caring and empowered existence.
We source sustainable fabrics made from natural and renewable resources and are dyed with low impact dyes. We consider the impact that we have on the earth and do all that we can to minimize it. We use ethical manufacturing, 90% of which is at our own factory in Vancouver and the remaining at a fair-trade factory in Nepal.
We sew into each piece of clothing our mantra label that says ‘I am love’. This is a reminder to the wearer to speak kindly to herself and to others, acting as an agent of love in her own world. We are dedicated to contributing to positive change in our modern world.
Nicole Bridger was born and raised in Vancouver, BC. She obtained her BAA in fashion design from Ryerson University in Toronto ON. She then went to London, UK to intern at Vivienne Westwood where she learned the art of draping and saw that she could use her talent as a vehicle for the change she wanted to create in the world.
Bridger came back to Vancouver looking to learn about business and paired up with the founder of Lululemon Athletica to co-create Oqoqo, a casual eco clothing line. This is where she learned about marketing, scale and corporate culture.
She was then ready to put her design and business sides together to create her eponymous label of socially conscious contemporary women’s wear.
Bridger was awarded Canada’s first Eco Designer of the Year in 2010 by FTA.
Judy Graves
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Judy Graves created the Homeless Outreach Project which connects people who are homeless to housing, community services and income assistance. In the program’s first 2 years of application more than 700 people found housing. The homeless outreach project is found in 50 communities across the province. In the spring of 2013 Judy Graves retired from the city of Vancouver where she was the homeless advocated for 20 years.
Judy was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from UBC in 2009 and a Doctor of Divinity from the Vancouver School of Theology in 2013, Freedom of the city in 2014 and an honourary Doctorate Degree from SFU in June 2015.
Dale McClanaghan
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Granville Island was invented over 35 years ago with an unorthodox vision that explicitly rejected planning conventions. The founders of Granville Island sought to create an urban opportunity space for activities that otherwise would not happen in the City and certainly not in proximity to each other. That vision was implemented under community leadership from Granville Island Trust and the stewardship of a strong public official at CMHC. The team hired young designers and championed Island-based decision-making. Origination was a stunning success and under the guidance of CMHC the Island has matured and diversified.
With the pending relocation of Emily Carr University of Art + Design and the existence of numerous development sites, the Island has the opportunity to embark on a renewal. Building on Granville Island’s financial self-sufficiency and a well-formulated operating model the Island is poised for an adventurous and bold renewal. Integral to this is success is drawing from the lessons of the origination of the Island and the community-connected leadership that took some controversial but ultimately successful decisions. Our opportunity and duty is to enable a new generation of Vancouver’s youthful talent to explore their passions and realize their vision at Canada’s favorite public space.
Dale McClanaghan is Chair of the Granville Island Trust. Dale draws on his eclectic business and community experience in providing advice to Island management and the Federal Cabinet Minister responsible for CMHC. Armed with an MBA credential from UBC, opportunity and curiosity has enabled Dale to work in corporate banking, mining and real estate development. He is CEO of two publicly-listed companies; including Lotus Ventures Inc. an applicant with Health Canada to be a medical marijuana producer. Volunteer involvement with politics and policies at City of Vancouver helped broaden his perspective, particularly as Chair of the Planning Commission. He has been strongly influenced by his work as CEO of VanCity Credit Union’s affordable housing subsidiary and his activities with numerous non-profit societies. Dale is a vocal advocate for expanding the role of the non-profit sector in the social and cultural development of our City and region.
Alexander Weimann
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Alexander Weimann is one of the most sought-after directors, soloists, and chamber musicians of his generation. After traveling the world with Tragicomedia, Cantus Köln, Freiburger Barockorchester, Gesualdo Consort and Tafelmusik, he now focuses on his activities as conductor of the Pacific Baroque Orchestra Vancouver, and as music director of Les Voix Baroques and Tempo Rubato. Of special note is his recent appointment as Artistic Director of the Seattle Baroque Orchestra.
His coming season includes appearances with Symphony Nova Scotia, Portland Baroque, Mercury Baroque Houston, Arion Baroque Orchestra Montreal and Boston Early Music Festival. He can be heard on some 100 CDs and, frequently, on the radio in many countries.
Weimann was born in Munich, where he studied the organ, church music, musicology (with a summa con laude thesis on Bach’s secco recitatives), theatre, medieval Latin, and Jazz piano. He now lives with his wife, 3 children and pets in Vancouver BC, and tries to spend as much time as possible in his garden and kitchen.
Kevin Chong
Kevin Chong is the author of five books, including a novel entitled Beauty Plus Pity and a biography of the Canadian racehorse Northern Dancer. His writing has appeared in the Globe and Mail, the Walrus, the San Francisco Chronicle, Eighteen Bridges, and other places. He’s an editor at Joylandmagazine.com and teaches Creative Writing at UBC.
Daniel Kalla
Daniel has been an ER physician for over twenty years. He is the department head for St. Paul’s ER and a clinical associate professor at the University of British Columbia. He has published nine novels that have been translated into twelve languages. Two have been optioned for film and his latest historical trilogy, set in Second World War Shanghai, is being developed for both a feature film and TV series.
Bob Rennie
Bob Rennie is founder of Rennie Marketing Systems, whose recognized leadership for envisioning new and innovative strategies in development risk management and marketing real estate has led to landmark projects such as Fairmont Pacific Rim, Living Shangri-La, Olympic Village and Woodward’s. The company has had over $6 billion in project sales on behalf of clients since 2004, with over $720 million in 2014 alone. An acknowledged expert on the local economy, Bob’s annual address at the Urban Development Institute’s AGM has become an industry bellwether. Also known for having built a world renowned collection of contemporary art, Bob chairs the North American Acquisitions Committee at Tate Modern, is a member of the Tate International Council, serves as trustee for the Art Institute of Chicago and is the recipient of the Queen’s Diamond and Golden Jubilee awards, the Order of BC and a doctorate from Emily Carr University. He renovated and restored Wing Sang, the oldest structure in Chinatown, to include a privately funded museum space with regular exhibitions of works from Rennie Collection. All exhibitions are open to the public with free admission.