11:30-12pm: Hayley Rutherford and Kate Pearce from the WGSI - Catalyzing Collective Action: What the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals mean for the Region of Waterloo

Grassroots momentum has been building across Canada to address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This set of 17 goals targets many of world’s most pressing issues which include ending poverty, protecting the planet, and ensuring that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by promoting inclusive, equitable, safe, and sustainable societies. Kate Pearce and Hayley Rutherford from Waterloo Global Science Initiative will provide an overview about the SDGs, their role in our communities, and how you can engage with them. The presentation will highlight some of the organizations and initiatives, including The Eco Market, that are helping Waterloo Region achieve the SDGs.

Kate Pearce is passionate about supporting, connecting and enabling communities to connect, create and thrive. As the Community Relations Manager at Waterloo Global Science Initiative, Kate is always looking for new opportunity to collaborate with local leaders, neighborhoods and organizations on new events, activities and initiatives. Hayley Rutherford is a (science) communicator. She currently works in content development, programming, and social media management for Waterloo Global Science Initiative, an organization that catalyzes conversations around big, global problems and develops strategic partnerships to help create solutions. Learn more about the Waterloo Global Science Initiative here!

12-12:30pm: C.D.Good and Jennifer Davis - Conversations with Grief and Hope

Through a dramatic reading of their illustrated story, ( When Ick Met Spark) Jennifer Davis and Dawn Good present a reflective dialogue between two strange characters, Ick and Spark. The dramatic reading gives voice to the fear and sadness that comes from knowing how much destruction is taking place in our environment. The story reflects a way to feel the truth, and at the same time, be empowered to choose ways towards a more balanced and transformed future. This talk will have impactful visuals from the book and give the audience a reference point to begin their own inner dialogue with their own inner sparks and ickiness, where powerful action can begin from.

Jen Davis and Carolyn Dawn  are creative professionals who have co-worked in their businesses throughout the  last 4 years establishing some emergent, multi-disciplinary methods to navigate in these times of rapid collective transformation. Together they created the book "When Ick Met Spark". They are dedicated mothers and developed many of their ideas at The Bright Spot (a collaborative space in Waterloo from 2014-2016), studied at Guelph Family and Organizational Constellations. They both are trained in business, restorative practices and Reiki.  See some of their workshops on Playing with Sparks website. Jen Davis is a death and dying coach and funeral celebrant. She is also an inventor and teacher and has a business called Exit Matters. It produces games and resources that help people talk about death and what matters most. Carolyn Dawn is a visual communicator with painting and sculpting  themes of environmental concerns. She is the artist in residence at Alternatives Journal and hosts creativity workshops giving people an experience of the transformational power of the visual language/expression. Her studio is on a farm in Wilmot township. 

12:30-1pm: Anne Toner Fung from Innovation Guelph, Begin With the End in Mind

Building a more sustainable approach to business is everybody's business. Whether or not you are in a naturally green industry, it will take the combined efforts of everyone to ensure our sustainable future. And it's not enough to "green wash" your products or services, because consumers have become too knowledgeable to fall for mere lip service - and betrayed trust can be a company's death knell. That's why it's so important to follow the advice of Stephen Covey and begin with the end in mind. Many entrepreneurs think they have to become profitable before they can start thinking about environmentally friendly inputs, reducing their carbon footprint or offering a living wage. But a true triple bottom line approach is principle-based and has to start from the foundation. This session will share a variety of approaches to building a purposeful business that considers people, planet and profit for a more sustainable world.

Anne is a lifelong champion of entrepreneurship. She has experienced business and social enterprise from all sides with more than 20 years of business and organizational development in the private and not-for-profit sectors. Prior to joining Innovation Guelph, Anne owned and operated several businesses and subsequently brought that experience to bear as an independent consultant helping small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) accelerate growth and overcome operational challenges. She currently serves on the Smart Cities Steering Committee for Guelph/Wellington, the Board of Directors for Hospice Waterloo Region, the Alectra/Guelph Hydro GRE&T Centre Transitional Advisory Board, and the Manufacturing Committee of the Guelph Chamber of Commerce. Anne is a certified financial planner (CFP), certified human resources leader (CHRL), and holds an Executive MBA from Queen’s University. As a former business owner, management executive, co-founder and angel investor, Anne brings a multi-faceted perspective to Innovation Guelph that fuels her passion for helping businesses start, grow and thrive.

1:30-2pm: Jen Novakovich from The Eco Well, Sustainability in Cosmetics

What is green beauty? This term is thrown around so flippantly, but what makes a product truly sustainable? Is natural synonymous with ‘green’? Should we be looking to certifications and non-governmental organizations for insights about our products? What are some of the metrics we should be looking to when calling a product green? This topic will be disseminated throughout this presentation.

Jen Novakovich is a passionate science communicator, environmentalist, and cosmetic chemist. She has two bachelors of science honors degrees from the University of Guelph; one in Zoology, and the other in Nutrition and Nutraceutical Sciences. Jen completed her graduate studies in Cosmetic Chemistry and today has a deep passion for sustainable development and science-based cosmetics. She currently helps brands to develop product lines, travels internationally to speak about sustainability in cosmetics, and offers advanced training on cosmetic science and 'green' formulating to brand founders and formulators. Jen is the founder here at The Eco Market as well as her cosmetic science education platform, The Eco Well.

2-2:30pm: Susan Koswan - A Good Green Death: Will your last act on Earth be sustainable?

Susan Koswan, Instigator of the Good Green Death Project, will share her vision of a more eco-friendly alternative to cremation and burial. Following closely the work of Recompose in Seattle, Washington, Susan is determined that Ontario will be the second place to legalize composting our dead. She needs your help to make it happen, because everyone wants to be a tree after they die.

Susan Koswan is the instigator of the Good Green Death Project. She has been fortunate over the past twenty-five years to be able to pursue her passions and causes while being a stay-at-home mom. From writing a novel (2080: The Return of Pareto) to eco-activism, to learning how to play guitar and sing, and even being the host and community producer for a six-part series on Rogers (The Green Scene), life has been good. Susan recently started a great gig as a freelance columnist for the Waterloo Region Record, focusing on environmental issues. Now she wants to find out how can we work together to make the end of our days and beyond, greener and more meaningful.

2:30-3pm: Dr Brian Doucet, Inequality and divisions in the contemporary city

Cities are becoming more unequal, and Kitchener-Waterloo is no exception. In North American cities, the geography of this inequality is linked to different transportation and mobility option available in different neighbourhoods. I argue that areas with mobility choices (driving, walking, cycling and good transit) are becoming more gentrified, desirable and, consequently, more exclusionary, while many neighbourhoods where driving is the only viable option (particularly those built in the decades after World War II) have become poorer and less attractive places to live. This talk will reflect on these trends in light of the opening of the region’s new LRT line.

Brian Doucet is the Canada Research Chair in Urban Change and Social Inclusion in the School of Planning at the University of Waterloo. Originally from Toronto, he lived and worked in the Netherlands between 2004 and 2017, teaching urban geography at Utrecht University and Erasmus University College. His research critically examines processes of gentrification and neighbourhood change, with a focus on how people experience these changes within their own communities. His new research agenda is particularly focused on the relationship between transportation and neighbourhood change, specifically the impact of transit and cycling.

Dr. Stacey Danckert

Stacey Danckert is the co-Director of WREN (Waterloo Region Environment Network), past Green Party candidate, and passionate community volunteer. As Co-director of WREN, a local nonprofit, she is working to amplify the success of local sustainability-oriented organizations through collective action and collaboration. She is the Policy Advisor and Finance critic for the Green Party of Ontario. Stacey believes that advocacy and political participation are both essential to creating the cultural shift that we need for a better future. Stacey holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Waterloo. She is an eco-warrior, who is continually pushing herself to learn more ways to help create a better future for her 2 sons. Follow her ponderings in her montly column in the Community Edition and on Twitter @StaceyDanckert

Truzaar Dordi

Truzaar is a doctoral candidate in Sustainability Management at the School of Environment, Enterprise, and Development, at the University of Waterloo, working under the supervision of Dr. Olaf Weber. His research utilizes advances in computational modelling to investigate the intersection between climate risk and financial resiliency. His research draws from the fields of climate finance, stranded asset risk, and energy policy. Recently, Truzaar is interested in the systematic risk of rapid decarbonization on asset pricing and portfolio allocation. Truzaar holds a Masters in Sustainability Management from the University of Waterloo where his research examined the burgeoning fossil-fuel divestment movement. Since, Truzaar has worked on sustainable capacity building for small and medium enterprise in the Waterloo region, stakeholder simulations of infrastructure projects like Canadian pipelines, the design of a national climate finance strategy, and on flood risk management. He has sat on the executive committees of Sustainable Youth Canada, Sierra Youth, Fossil Free UW, and the Canadian Society for Ecological Economics and is the director for Waterloo Sustainable Development Group’s (WSDG) Impact Investing Division. Truzaar is the recipient of the 2018 Energy Council of Canada Energy Policy Research Fellowship, awarded for his work on financial stability.

Dr. Rene Van Acker

Rene Van Acker is Professor and Dean of the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) at the University of Guelph. Prior to his appointment as Dean, Rene was Associate Dean External of OAC (2009-16) and previously chair of the department of Plant Agriculture (2006-09). Prior to his appointments at Guelph, Rene was a professor at the University of Manitoba (1996-2006). Rene is a co-founder of the Food Institute at the University of Guelph (now the Arrell Food Institute) and has played a key roles in fundraising for OAC since 2009. Rene's research interests include weed management and agronomy. He has published over 130 peer-reviewed works to-date and over 300 other non-peer reviewed contributions. His research on coexistence and genetically modified crops has led to work in Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, France, Germany, Australia, and the US. Rene grew up on a farm in southern Ontario. He holds BSc and MSc degrees from the University of Guelph and a PhD from the University of Reading (UK).   

Dr. Brian Doucet

Brian Doucet is a Canada Research Chair in Urban Change and Social Inclusion in the School of Planning at the University of Waterloo. Originally from Toronto, he lived and worked in the Netherlands between 2004 and 2017, teaching urban geography at Utrecht University and Erasmus University College. His research critically examines processes of gentrification and neighborhood change, with a focus on how people experience these changes within their own communities. His new research agenda is particularly focused on the relationship between transportation and neighborhood change, specifically the impact of transit and cycling.

Jen Novakovich, Panel Moderator

Jen Novakovich is a passionate science communicator, environmentalist, and cosmetic chemist. She has two bachelors of science honors degrees from the University of Guelph; one in Zoology, and the other in Nutrition and Nutraceutical Sciences. Jen completed her graduate studies in Cosmetic Chemistry and today has a deep passion for sustainable development and science-based cosmetics. She currently helps brands to develop product lines, travels internationally to speak about sustainability in cosmetics, and offers advanced training on cosmetic science and 'green' formulating to brand founders and formulators. Jen is the founder here at The Eco Market as well as her cosmetic science education platform, The Eco Well.

Jennifer Lyon, MC for The Eco Market

Jennifer Lyon is The Eco Market’s resident Marketing Director. She is a WLU grad who proudly calls KW home. Jennifer is responsible for the development of the Eco Market brand, creating exciting and engaging marketing strategies for new and existing events and oversees campaigns, events, digital marketing, and PR. Aside from working with us, she also has contributed her writing and photography to the Community Edition, a Kitchener local community focused newspaper. In addition, she works as an independent photographer through her company Jenny Does Stuff and leads her own social project called The Diamond Project.