My love affair with coffee is only trumped by my love for unicorns.

I don't always keep people in suspense, but when I do...

Kyle is an experienced Chartered Professional Accountant with an MBA from Saint Mary’s University. He has experience leading annual budgeting and strategic planning processes, cash management and treasury oversight, detailed financial modelling, cost control initiatives and turnaround strategies, establishing best practice finance and control processes as well as developing corporate reporting and risk management practices for board level audiences. He has experience in several industries including high-growth tech, oil and gas, transportation, fisheries and news media.

Melissa became the Twin Cities’ fifth LEED for Homes Accredited Professional (LEED AP) and completed the work necessary to get her own home LEED Gold Certified, the basis for her book, Building a Sustainable Home: Practical Green Design Choices for Your Health, Wealth, and Soul, (Skyhorse Publishing, August, 2018). With her corporate experience in finance, marketing, and business development, and an MBA and Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Chicago, Melissa has been providing sustainability advisory services to businesses, governmental agencies and non-profits, focusing on strategic and operational change that provide bottom-line financial returns. She has led the LEED certification of two million square feet of commercial buildings, written GRI-compliant Corporate Sustainability Reports, is a LEED Pro Reviewer and LEED mentor with the U.S. Green Building Council. She is the founder of Green Intention LLC where she writes about sustainable home living.

My happy place is filled with Schnitzel, frisbees, and taller door frames.

Ashley Abernethy is the Marketing Lead at Rise. With over a decade of experience in sales and a passion for saving the planet and making it a better place for her daughter and family, Ashley is thrilled to be leading marketing efforts that will have a social impact at Rise. When Ashley isn’t on an adventure with husband Jesse or her soul sisters, she can likely be found sipping coffee or wine and planning her next retreat, mountain biking excursion, or travel destination. Probably using a spreadsheet of some sort and drinking out of a unicorn mug.

I am slowly turning into a computer.

Crystal is the President of Crystal Richard & Co. a global digital PR & marketing consulting biz helping small businesses, entrepreneurs, and brands create and tell stories that will attract a tribe of raving fans. She’s also the Content Creator behind East Coast Mermaid, the Author of Get Covered! and the Owner of the Sandy Toes Shop. She will be the first to admit that her cat with thumbs was Instagram famous first.

Dog mom & iced coffee addict

Dane George holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering and a Masters of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering from Dalhousie University. He has three years of experience working with residential contractors with a focus on energy efficient renovations, and has worked with the Clean Foundation as a Certified Energy Advisor conducting energy audits of homes. Most recently, his graduate research involved analyzing electricity consumption patterns. Dane has also prepared and delivered workshops on home energy sustainability, and is currently teaching Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax.

Wayne Groszko is a consultant, researcher, and teacher in Energy Sustainability with 13 years of experience. He has taught at Dalhousie University and the Nova Scotia Community College, in the Faculties of Engineering, Environmental Science, and Energy Sustainability Engineering Technology. Wayne is also President of the Community Energy Cooperative of New Brunswick, and has worked as Renewable Energy Coordinator with the Ecology Action Centre in Nova Scotia. He holds a B.Sc. (Hon.) from the University of Calgary, and a Ph.D. from Dalhousie University.

Laura grew up in the California suburbs, far removed from environmentalism, but nature always has a way. She uprooted her life in 2015, moving to the countryside of Washington to live a more sustainable and simple life on 12 acres. She and her fiancee are learning on the job as they attempt everything from gardening and natural pest control to eco-friendly building and home improvement.

Joy grew up in the natural beauty of the North Okanagan, nestled near the foot of the Monashee Mountains. Hailing from a family of home builders, both the environment and home construction became closely intertwined in her youth. Today, she and her builder hubby are raising their family in Vancouver, where she avidly follows the current sustainable construction trends as the city aims for the title of ‘Greenest City’ by 2020.

Tobias runs an agroecology farm and a natural building collective in the mountains of El Salvador. He specializes in earthen construction methods and uses permaculture design methods to integrate structures into the sustainability of the landscape.

Donna Pols Trump’s work has been published in literary magazines and online. She has received several Pushcart Prize nominations. Donna’s education includes degrees in Biology and Physical Therapy and a host of writing classes taken and taught at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. Her short story “Portage” was selected by judge Anne Tyler for first prize in a 2018 contest sponsored by december magazine.

Based in St. Paul, Frank Jossi is a journalist, editor and content strategist. He covers clean energy in Minnesota for Midwest Energy News and writes frequently for Finance & Commerce. His work has appeared in more than 70 local, national and international publications.

Stephen Collette is a Building Biologist, Building Science Consultant, LEED Accredited Professional, and a Heritage Professional. Stephen is the owner of Your Healthy House and lives in Lakefield, ON with his wife and 2 daughters.