Growing up, my parents instilled in me the values of paying-it-forward to people in my community. During my first year of university, this led me to explore different career paths that would allow me to combine my interest in business and my passion for building a sustainable community. During my summer internship at the Social Venture Connexion (SVX), I had the opportunity to work with a diverse mix of inspirational, value-driven professionals from impact investors, community foundation leaders to social entrepreneurs all across Canada. I want to continue exploring the intersection between sustainability and business with a global lens.

What is your personal definition of sustainability?

Sustainability, to me, is defined as creating an ecosystem that meets the most basic needs of every member of a community in the long-term while protecting the environment. Tackling sustainability-related issues means looking at the intersectionality of all the systematic societal and environmental issues that have been built over decades.

What role do you see sustainability playing in your professional career?

Sustainability will always be the center and focus in my professional career. After working at SVX, I found my passion for impact investing and I really enjoyed learning about so many social ventures that are creating an environmental and/or social impact across the world. I want to utilize the sustainability certificate to provide me with a tangible skillset, in sustainable finance and impact measurement, that I can take with me to the workforce.

My mission is to lead the transition of the capital markets industry to be centered around people and environment rather than purely profit. As the world will be challenged by the many environmental, social, and health-related crises, moving capital to solve these issues will be the single most important priority in my career. Whether that would be designing innovate, ESG-based investment products in the capital markets industry or building policies to accelerate the movement of capital, this is how I see my long-term professional career making an impact in the world.

What sustainability projects have you been engaged in?

My first sustainability-related project was when I co-founded my high school’s Animal Rights Club, where we educated students on cruelty-free beauty products and advocated to cancel the mandatory biology field trip to the local zoo.

During my second year of university, I completed a fellowship with the HSBC Social Innovation Academy where I completed consulting projects for four different social enterprises across Canada. From conducting market research on the clean technology space for a New Brunswick-based energy storage manufacturer to developing a digital communications strategy for a Vancouver-based zero waste grocery store, I provided the clients with recommendations on how they can grow their new social venture for the long-term.

I am currently an Associate at the London Social Value Fund, Ontario’s first youth-led impact investment organization. A part of the National Social Value Fund network, my team of diverse, interdisciplinary students uses impact-first funding approach to invest in local social purpose organizations that support positive development of the London community, but are unable to acquire capital through traditional means.