Charles Steele is a pioneering social venture entrepreneur and the visionary President and Co-Founder of Ziptrek Ecotours, the first zipline tour company in North America, established in 2001 in Whistler.

Under Charles’ leadership, Ziptrek has expanded to locations worldwide, including Mont Tremblant, Quebec, and Queenstown, New Zealand, and has worked with high-profile clients such as the Olympics, multiple Super Bowls, Major Baseball League, and Canadian Football League, including the recent Vancouver Grey Cup.

About Ziptrek

Ziptrek was created to facilitate learning about sustainability and is designed to illustrate related principles whenever possible. Ziptrek is a multi-award-winning business renowned for its commitment to sustainability education based on the principals of The Natural Step framework. Ziptrek teaches more people about it annually than The Natural Step organization itself.

In recent years, Charles has been at the forefront of innovative transportation solutions based on radically reimagined ziplines. This includes the development of the Switchback® ride system by Ziptrek Technologies, which integrates cable and rail allowing ziplines to go uphill and around corners, opening up vast new possibilities for both recreation as well as low-carbon, autonomous public transportation.

As a speaker at the Social Venture Institute’s “True Confessions”, Charles will share candid insights and lessons learned from bringing these sustainable products and ventures to life. His story is one of innovation, resilience, and a relentless pursuit of a greener future.