About

Anoop is an award-winning humanitarian, nonprofit founder, culinary business owner, global youth ambassador, authorized home builder, and executive producer. Known for her philanthropic initiatives including building a gender equality based school in Africa and reconnecting homeless in Vancouver to their lost loved ones, she has dedicated the last decade to successfully creating and executing businesses and purposeful projects, advocating for girls and education, and representing Canada.

Born in Vancouver, Anoop was one of Canada's Top 20 Under 20, a Three Dot Dash Global Teen Leader, and BC's 24 Under 24. Through her philanthropic projects, Anoop has connected with some of the most influential movers and shakers around the world - Ndaba Mandela, Chelsea Clinton, President Jimmy Carter, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Bono, Susan Rockefeller, Nile Rodgers, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge: Prince William and Kate.

Anoop continues to manage and operate culinary businesses as a co-owner with Food Network Canada’s Bal Arneson. They have been at the forefront of innovative health and wellness, stopping food waste, and revolutionizing the food scene. 

As the first female Executive Producer for TEDxVancouver, Anoop has worked with some of the world’s most acclaimed leaders such as Canada's first and only female Prime Minister, Kim Campbell.

What does legacy mean to you?
Legacy is often framed on what someone has left behind or passed down, but I want to bring it to the forefront, to the present moment, and ask ourselves: What is our legacy right now? Whether it's fighting for equality, advocating for science, or inspiring through music, what choices and impact can we make everyday to bring positive change?

As the President of TEDxWhistler 2021, Shelly has been part of the leadership team for the past four years.

She is a Senior Innovation and Technology Manager at KPMG where she leads the Ignition Centre at KPMG’s Innovation Centre. Her main areas of focus are emerging technologies, disruptive trends, business model innovation and growth strategies.

Shelly is the co-lead for KPMG’s Women in Technology Community’s business development and client connection stream and sits on the GameChangers Advisory Board, which advises the planning committee for the Pacific Family Autism Network’s annual fundraising gala.

What does legacy mean to you?
Inspiring change and innovative thinking, and making a meaningful impact on creating a better future for generations to follow.

Leveraging her background in large-scale global events with a strong focus on value based business growth, community growth and logistics, Sara has worked as a consultant for personal and corporate branding and strategic partnerships. Throughout her career, Sara has collaborated with high-profile clients including athletes, CEOs and political figures. She is the current Director of Brand, Communications and Strategic Partnerships at SKIO Music.
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Sara sits on the boards for several organizations including W.O.R.T.H Association, helping women in the hospitality and tourism industry empower their voice in wage equality and with mentorship. She has also helped with numerous philanthropic initiatives with global brands and organizations including the David Foster Foundation, Lululemon, WE and The Bill and Linda Gates Foundation.
A native Vancouverite, Sara is passionate about fostering collaborative leadership. She has been a steadfast member of the TEDxVancouver team for the past 9 years and played a crucial part in building the TEDx brand, concept, strategic partnerships, internal culture and team of TEDx.
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What does legacy mean to you?
The theme and notion of a “Legacy” is the base of how I focus my work, my relationships, my family and so much of my life. It is the message I will leave behind and the way I currently align my values and goals. It is integral to know what legacy we want to leave for the next generation, as well as the impact we continue to make in the lives of our communities and the world.

Charlene has lived in multiple countries around the world including Kenya, Kingdom of eSwatini (formerly Swaziland) and now, Vancouver, BC. She began working with various community service projects in her teen years and was awarded an International Award for Community Service Person of the Year from her graduating class. Charlene has over 10 years of experience working in community service leadership, event logistics, and creative direction of educational workshops, mainly to support the communities in the Kingdom of eSwatini and Vancouver.

Charlene has been watching TED talks since the age of 15, using them as a resource to help practice her own public speaking techniques and also to draw inspiration for the workshop facilitations she would design in the future. She is passionate about event management for social causes and is really looking forward to leveraging her experience to support TEDxWhistler. Charlene aims to provide a resource as useful to the community, as TED talks where to her when she first discovered them.
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What does legacy mean to you?
For all generations, the power of legacy enables us all to fully engage with our present. I have understood from my life experiences that you are part of a larger community, a community that must constantly remember its history to build and hope for its future. There must be nurturing combined with conscience. There is an abundance of wisdom to be found in each other and we must connect our actions and reflections, focusing on how they can best serve our communities and the generations that come after us.

Jacob is a life-long Vancouverite who’s currently the head of product development at a leading technology services company. He has a passion for innovation, team-building and technology which naturally leads him to build relationships, and bring people and technology together. For fun, Jacob loves to travel, explore new places and spend time with his family and dog.

Always a huge fan of TED talks, Jacob would often watch them to gain inspiration for how to be a better leader and create an impact with his work. He is excited to bring this combination of inspiration, innovation, team-building, and love for technology to help the TEDxWhistler Team.

What does legacy mean to you?
Legacy is about giving your all into everything you do and all you pursue. It’s about trying to help advance others, spread positive values like integrity and the responsibility to serve others by supporting and promoting community.

Throughout his 13 years as a professional copywriter, Paul has been exploring different ways to use his love of storytelling to spread ideas, bring brands to life, and inspire readers. In his career he’s worn many different hats, including Marketing Copywriter, Senior Copywriter, Talent Development Coach, and VP of Public Relations for the Best Buy Toastmasters club.

Paul is currently a UX Writer at Best Buy Canada’s head office and is having a blast as a  Marketing Copywriter and Producer for TEDxWhistler.

What does legacy mean to you?
Using the power of stories to spark imagination, improve lives, and make the world a little bit better–one idea at a time.

Conor has 20 years of experience as a musician, writer, and board-sport enthusiast. He approaches life using a creative lens, whether riding a mountain or wave, writing a song, or crafting copy for an event or experience. Born and raised in Vancouver, the wet, green, mountainous, Northwest coastal region helped shape his outlook and desire to explore ideas. 

Working for multiple companies in the retail, customer-service, and action sports industries, he improved upon his innate ability to connect with people and their stories, while continuously modifying his own. 

Through his perspective gained from life and work experiences, combined with his formal education studying History and Art, he aims to provide effective, creative solutions to copywriting, user experience, and design challenges.

Conor is currently a UX Writer at Best Buy. Like many of us, he’s been inspired by TED talks in the past and now he’s stoked to be part of the team, writing copy for TEDxWhistler. 

What does legacy mean to you?
Leaving a legacy means making an imprint or impression, be that through the connections you make with people through influence, love, and support, or the impact the work you do has on current and future generations. While negativity and violence leaves scars and creates trauma that destroys, limits, and closes things off, a legacy of positivity opens our collective experience exponentially: uplifting, inspiring, broadening horizons, and creating opportunities for everyone who rides that powerful wave of positive flow.

Marion is driven by the desire to find and share optimistic stories. She currently leads product communications and media relations for Arc’teryx.

Marion considers herself a relationship builder, storyteller, and connector who loves to bring experiences to life. Having watched TED talks since her university days, she loves how they spark ideas and can be easily shared with others.

Outside of work, Marion loves to cook and play outside, whether she’s skiing, hiking, biking, running, camping, or just sitting on a patio. She lived in Whistler for a few years and will always value the time she spent there.

What does legacy mean to you?
Legacy is what you leave behind, whether in a brief encounter with a stranger or your mark on the world.

As the Director of Volunteers for TEDxWhistler 2021, Marc brings ten years of TEDx experience to the team. Marc first joined the TEDxVancouver team back in 2010 as an event day volunteer, and in 2014 joined the leadership team as the Director of Volunteers. With 20 years of experience leading teams in the Vancouver software development community, Marc has a passion for building healthier, more productive teams, and finding ways for people to work together more effectively.

What does legacy mean to you?
Legacy is the imprint we each leave on the world. Choosing to leave a positive legacy on the world can be as simple as always being kind to strangers to taking actions which inspire millions of people. For our team here at TEDxWhistler, part of our legacy will be helping to bring forward inspiring speakers to share their amazing stories with our community.

Joe is a passionate and extremely successful serial entrepreneur.  He started his first professional business, Full Frame Marketing, in 2010. It went on to reach $1M in revenue, win Best Branding and Communications Globally for E.O., and be nominated for Small Business of the Year 2018 prior to his successful exit. 

Joe took his entrepreneurial skills to various other businesses like ShareShed, Left Technologies, ICO Agency, and Code Ninjas, winning numerous branding and business awards along the way. Later he joined the leadership team for TEDxVancouver, leading the digital marketing team with a focus on the core meaning of TEDx: equality and sharing ideas. 

What does legacy mean to you?
Providing an insight into how to create a hopeful future, built upon the foundation of gender and opportunity equality.

Amber is passionate about building communities and telling the stories of companies that positively impact the world. As the Marketing Manager at the tech innovation company Left, she helped execute the community and marketing aspects of the successful RightMesh AG Token Generating Event (ICO), which concluded in May 2018. 

Currently Amber is focused on building a global community of property owners and travellers who understand the importance of sustainable tourism through Left’s newest brand, One Degree.

Amber earned an undergraduate degree from UBC and led the Member Experience department at the BC Tech Association. She is leading the social efforts on the TEDxWhistler 2021 team.

What does legacy mean to you?
Doing work for the betterment of others.

Azzra is a seasoned professional specializing in client experiences and operations. She is the Co-Founder and COO of Elegance Event Planning and also works for a Managed IT Provider.

In 2008 she started combining a passion for event and project management with a visionary approach to event planning, resulting in beautiful and impactful experiences. Azzra is excited to join the TEDxWhistler 2021 team and looks forward to helping craft a lasting legacy.

What does legacy mean to you?
An opportunity to create change in the present moment while leaving an everlasting impression for many years to come

Steven is a creative builder that loves bringing ideas to life. Frequently, this means leveraging his skills as a software developer to build tools, apps, and websites that solve important human problems. Steven considers coding a creative outlet and hobby and is fortunate enough to employ his passion for technology as a developer for Shopify. Prior to developing technology, Steven used writing as his creative outlet to bring ideas to life. He has worked as a technical writer and magazine editor for such publications as Ski Canada and BC Business Magazine.

Originally from The Maritimes on the East Coast of Canada, Steven is humbled to be a Vancouver implant and call it home. Despite a passion for technology, he does not hesitate to disconnect from it and soak in the natural beauty on the West Coast. As an East Coaster, visiting Whistler for the first time was an unforgettable experience: it was getting to see one the most gorgeous places on earth. Steven is honoured to have the opportunity to be part of the TEDxWhistler team to help create an event that will mirror the beauty and connectedness of Whistler and its community.

What does legacy mean to me?
Legacy is as much about the future as it is the past. It is of course important to acknowledge, respect, and understand a legacy that we value from the past. However, legacies are also an opportunity  for growth and change. Today we have the opportunity to create a new legacy for the future. Our current actions and thoughts will be the legacy for others to build off in the future. It's everyone's current responsibility to scrutinize the legacies they are carrying and make changes to create lasting, positive legacies for the future.

Itzel has spent many years working in visual design and film. Originally from Mexico City, she came to Vancouver to continue a career in the film industry. While working in the art department, trying her hand at everything from props to set decoration and building, she strengthened a life-long passion for storytelling. After deciding to study at VFS (Vancouver Film School), Itzel realized that she wanted to shift her focus to Visual Design. 

After graduating from VFS, Itzel returned to her alma mater to work, first as an Art Coordinator and then a Visual Designer in the marketing department. She’s been working at VFS for 5 years now. 

Itzel joins the TEDxWhistler team as the Visual Design Lead where she’s excited to appreciate and help craft the narrative of the event using her wide range of design skills. 

What does legacy mean to you?
It’s nothing too poetic. Essentially: be a good person. It's harder than it sounds. Because once you’re gone, your legacy is what people remember you by. No one is perfect but as long as you’re trying your best to be a good person, then your legacy will be good.

Dalia comes from a background in fine art and has been working as a graphic designer since 2006. She is passionate about nature, literature, cooking, and helping other people. 

What does legacy mean to you?
Your legacy is the difference you make in other people’s lives. Even the small, humble things we do matter, and so being helpful and giving is what I want my legacy to be.

Having worked as a designer for over 25 years and in marketing for over 20 years, Lian has proven that she’s passionate about discovering new ideas and exploring different areas of creativity. Lian is motivated by solving problems, helping people, and supporting others in finding ways to make their lives better.

Currently Lian is working at Best Buy Canada as a Senior Creative Designer in the Brand Creative marketing team. She’s excited to join the TEDxWhistler team and use her skills to help spread ideas that are worth spreading. 

What does legacy mean to you?
Legacy is all about inspiration—finding inspiration in others and hoping to inspire others along the way.

In her first year with the TEDxWhistler organizing team, Eva is excited to help launch this amazing event. She was born and raised in Vancouver, and works as a Staff Accountant at KPMG.

Eva is passionate about social impact and event coordinating, and enjoys exploring the outdoors, playing sports (especially volleyball), and engaging in other recreational activities.

What does legacy mean to you?
Building a foundation that is inspired by passion and creating an impact that will ignite a spark in others, inspiring them to follow en route, become leaders themselves, and continue the cycle of ingenuity.