Future Economy: Prosperous, Sustainable and Resilient
Part of The Future We Want: The Change We Need, an event series hosted by the City of Vancouver in partnership with SFU.
As referenced on twitter, here’s Data Cake at 8 a.m.
Date: Thursday February 25
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time
You can register here by clicking this link.
While Vancouver has transitioned from a boom and bust economy to a diverse and knowledge-based one, many residents and workers still struggle to make ends meet. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified these concerns and further exposed the vulnerabilities in Vancouver’s economic situation. The pandemic has also required many businesses to fundamentally change the way they operate. City planning and economic policies need to support a new economic landscape not just in the present, but into the future. Important considerations include:
What can we learn from xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) and other Indigenous Peoples who are working on major economic development initiatives and leading their communities in economic endeavours important to the future of Vancouver’s economy?
How will we be able to maintain a vibrant, resilient economy that creates shared prosperity, liveability, affordability, and healthier lifestyles, along with sustainable cultural and economic development?
How can bold and collective efforts from the city’s economy confront our climate crisis and strengthen our democracy and governance?
How can we ensure that we are building a strong, inclusive and fair city by investing in businesses and sectors that promise fair wages and working conditions?
Join us as we discuss what is required to transition to a city of economic health and diversity at the fourth event of The Future We Want: The Change We Need series. Our panel will bring diverse perspectives on the future of Vancouver’s economy. We’re also looking forward to hearing your ideas on how to ground equity, reconciliation and sustainability in the local economy for Planning Vancouver Together.
Speakers
Julia Aoki Executive Director, Megaphone
Julia Aoki is an administrator, writer, researcher, and advocate. Currently the Executive Director of Megaphone, she has served as General Manager and Programming Director of the Powell Street Festival, the General Manager of VIVO Media Arts Centre, and volunteered with advocacy organizations, such as the Pacific Association of Artist Run Centres and DTES SRO Collaborative.
Charles Gauthier
President and CEO, Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association
Since 1992, Charles Gauthier has been at the helm of the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association (DVBIA). He is responsible for the overall management and strategic direction of the association that has an annual budget of approximately $5 million (CAD). Charles has guided the DVBIA to a legacy of accomplishments and prestigious honours, such as the top year 2000 award for “downtown management” by the International Downtown Association and four Canadian Society of Association Executives’ (BC Chapter) Cornerstone of Excellence Awards in three separate categories — government relations, new program, and “above and beyond.”
Carol Anne Hilton
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Indigenomics Institute
Carol Anne Hilton, MBA is the CEO and founder of the Indigenomics Institute and the Global Center of Indigenomics. Carol Anne is a dynamic national Indigenous business leader, author, speaker and senior adviser with an international Masters Degree in Business Management (MBA) from the University of Hertfordshire, England.
Naia Lee
Organizer, Sustainabiliteens
Naia was drawn to climate work through shared visions of a more just world. As an organizer with the local and national climate movement, she has trained young people and mobilized thousands to the streets — while continually witnessing the possibilities created by community. Currently a gap year student working with Youth Climate Lab,
Johanna Li
Manager, EMBERS Eastside Works
As the manager for EMBERS Eastside Works, Johanna is passionate about finding innovative ways to help people earn income. Having spent nearly 15 years working in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES), often known as Canada’s poorest community, with organizations such as the Potluck Café Society and the Vancity Community Foundation, she has built a strong repertoire of expertise in community development and gained a true appreciation of what is possible even with the many challenges at hand.
Michael Tan
Co-Chair, Chinatown Legacy Stewardship Group
Michael S. Tan 譚聖祐 is a financial executive with a strong track record of building global, hypergrowth technology companies, including Hootsuite, Unbounce, and Damon Motors. He is a Co-Chair of the Chinatown Legacy Stewardship Group, a City Council-appointed committee, tasked with advising Council on community actions to conserve and protect Chinatown’s unique cultural heritage.
Andy Yan
Director, The City Program at SFU
Andy Yan is the director of The City Program at Simon Fraser University. Born and raised in Vancouver, Andy Yan has extensively worked in the non-profit and private urban planning sectors with projects in the metropolitan regions of Vancouver, San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles and New Orleans. Andy is a registered professional planner with the Canadian Institute of Planners. He is also an adjunct professor in Urban Studies at SFU as well as an adjunct professor in the School of Community and Regional Planning at the University of British Columbia.
Chief Ian Campbell
Hereditary Chief, Squamish Nation
Chief Ian Campbell is a Hereditary Chief of the Squamish Nation and is currently serving his fourth consecutive term as an elected Councillor for the Squamish Nation. He has been employed as a lead Negotiator and Cultural Ambassador for the Intergovernmental Relations Department of the Squamish Nation since 1999. He has an MBA from Simon Fraser University, and was instrumental in the MST land acquisitions, independant Environmental Assessment of Woodfibre LNG, acquisition of TFL 38, Hosting of 2010 Winter Olympics, Sea to Sky Highway expansion and signage, ski hill development, and many other successful negotiations.
Veronika Bylicki
Executive Director and Co-Founder, CityHive
Veronika is an engagement innovator and community builder, and is the executive director and co-founder of CityHive, a youth-centred non-profit on a mission to transform the way young people are engaged in shaping their cities.
Veronika completed her BSc in Global Resource Systems at UBC, with a specialization in Urban Sustainability, Policy and Planning. Her experience includes working in sustainability education, sustainability engagement, environmental policy and participatory design.
Peter Hall
Professor, SFU Urban Studies
Associate Dean, SFU Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Peter V. Hall is a professor in the Urban Studies Program at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada, where he teaches economic development, transportation geography and research methods. He received his doctorate in city and regional planning from the University of California at Berkeley and previously worked in local government in Durban, South Africa.
