Social Venture Institute (SVI) Sea to Sky

About Rosemary and Lil'wat Business Group

We are thrilled to welcome Rosemary Stager as a speaker at SVI Sea-to-Sky! In August 2023, she became the first woman CEO of the Líl̓wat Business Group (LBG), the economic development arm of the Líl̓wat Nation. With over a decade of involvement, including 12 years on the Líl̓wat Nation Council overseeing Economic Development, she brings deep expertise in business growth and strategic partnerships.

A passionate advocate for economic empowerment, Rosemary is committed to creating well-paying jobs and expanding training opportunities for Líl̓wat families. As the daughter of the late Stl’atl’imx Hereditary Chief Allen Stager, she carries a strong connection to Nt̓ákmen (The Ways of Our Ancestors).

"The Líĺwat Business Group (LBG) is committed to building a sustainable economy for Líl̓wat Nation that respects Lil̓wat7úl culture and values. LBG takes a collaborative, transparent and forward-facing approach to its endeavours, whether expanding its existing businesses or developing projects that re-establish the Nation’s presence on its Territory in Whistler and Pemberton. We are meeting our commitment to our community through strong management, capacity-building projects, and productive partnerships with regional businesses.

LBG’s mandate is to operate profitable businesses that allow for significant reinvestment in the community, through financial contributions that support Nation initiatives, and provide employment and training opportunities for Líl̓wat Nation citizens. Currently, LBG employs more than 100 people across its five limited partnerships: Líl̓wat Retail Operations, Líl̓wat Forestry Ventures, Líl̓wat Construction Enterprises, Líl̓wat Capital Assets and Líl̓wat Management Services.

All LBG projects are carefully assessed to ensure Aboriginal Title and Rights and the Líl̓wat Nation’s Inherent Right to Self-Government are not negatively impacted."


We are honored to have her share her insights at
SVI Sea-to-Sky!

About Aki and Save Da Sea

Aki Kaltenbach is the founder of Save Da Sea, a plant-based seafood company based in Victoria, BC. The idea for Save Da Sea came while she was running her family’s Japanese restaurants. After becoming vegan in 2018, Aki searched for plant-based seafood alternatives but found few options available. Determined to fill this gap, she developed her own recipes and began serving them in the restaurants. Once she saw a growing demand for these products, she took the leap in 2019 to focus on Save Da Sea full-time.

Today, Save Da Sea is pioneering the plant-based seafood movement in Canada. Their products, made from whole foods and free from toxins and microplastics, offer a sustainable alternative to traditional seafood. As the first Canadian company to bring fresh, refrigerated, plant-based seafood to market, they now offer three products in over 500 retailers nationwide, including Whole Foods,
Save-On-Foods, and Sobeys.

About Mike Rowlands and Junxtion

Today, effective strategy integrates culture and brand, embraces the change that’s all around us, and is captured in a living document that empowers leaders through change, growth, and organizational development.

In this session Mike Rowlands will share insights into Junxion’s Turning Point™ approach, which blends Agile methodologies, Appreciative Inquiry, stakeholder engagement and systems thinking in an integrated model that’s been implemented by many SVI alumni in their ventures—and a long list of visionary, social purpose organizations.

About Leonie Smith and The Thoughtful Workplace

Leonie Smith has worked in frontline and senior management positions in nonprofit organisations. She has almost 20 years experience training, coaching, and in mediation. In particular, she focuses on surfacing the practical implementation of principles of nonviolence, sociocracy, care, connection, and shared understanding in service to collective work. Among her clients are Greenpeace International, 350.org, Hollyhock, The Embodiment Project, and Young and Laramore.

Leonie’s history with SVI began as a presenter for the first SVI Virtual, having contributed several times since then to help with non-violent communication strategies and dialogues.

In her session, she will guide participants through the process of observations, feelings, and needs, offering a journaling-based self-empathy practice that bridges into dialogue centered on human connection.

The Thoughtful Workplace is a consultancy providing training, coaching, and organisational development for diverse teams. Our work is Influenced by principles of nonviolence and people-centred ways of working that include nonviolent communication (NVC), Sociocracy or dynamic governance, collaboration, and belonging building practices. We co-create and co-design, in partnership with our clients, to build skills, restore relationships, and develop systems that support groups to work with care and effectiveness towards their shared purpose.

Finance Q&A with Olivia Hornby, Aki Kaltenbach, and Jill Bester

A casual conversation about options for entrepreneurs and non-profit leaders to fund their organizations, through debt, equity, and beyond.

Whether you're launching a new venture or looking to scale an existing initiative, this discussion will provide valuable insights into the opportunities and challenges of securing financial support.

Bring your questions and curiosity as we dive into the practicalities of funding, share real-world experiences, and explore creative approaches to sustaining and growing your organization.

About Shannon Emerson and Forge & Spark Media

A 90-minute interactive workshop designed to help social entrepreneurs and business leaders create authentic, purpose-driven marketing that resonates with their audiences and drives real business impact.

Participants will explore how to align their marketing with their core values and business purpose. Through guided exercises and real-world examples, they will gain clarity on their audience’s needs and challenges, define a value proposition, and craft a clear, authentic core brand message. The workshop focuses on developing a genuine connection between the business and its audience by combining self-awareness with audience understanding.

Key sections include defining business purpose, understanding audience personas, identifying audience "jobs to be done," and drafting authentic messaging that communicates both purpose and value. The workshop also provides group sharing for feedback and support.

Workshop Outcomes:

- A clear understanding of their business’s purpose and audience’s needs.

- A draft of their core brand message and value proposition.

- The confidence to create marketing that authentically reflects their values and drives meaningful engagement.

About Ziptrek Ecotours

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's 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.

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.

Details TBA

About Melanie and FireSwarm

Meet Melanie Bitner, co-founder and business development leader at FireSwarm Solutions Inc., a company pioneering the integration of advanced drone technology in wildfire management. With a background in strategic marketing, brand development and communications, Melanie leverages her expertise to drive industry adoption of FireSwarm’s cutting-edge solutions. Her passion for wildfire resilience is deeply personal—FireSwarm was founded in response to the devastating loss of her own multigenerational property to wildfire in 2023.

This firsthand experience fuels her commitment to empowering responders with technology that improves situational awareness, decision-making,
and safety in complex fire environments.