Philippe has a passion for sport as a catalyst for transformation in young people’s lives and across communities and cities. He spent the largest part of his career with the International Olympic Committee in various senior roles. He is the founder of insPoweredBy, a small advisory boutique focused on active design, well-being, sport and events. In June 2020, he co-authored and published Sport & Finance for Development with a view to bring together the best of sports for development and innovative finance.
#24 - Russell Reimer: Manifesto Sport Management
Russell Reimer, President, Manifesto Sport Management
Russell is the founder and president of Manifesto Sport Management and a consultant specializing in sport and cause marketing, Olympic, pro and action sports athlete management, and major event bid strategy and fund development.
An active member in Canada's sport scene, Russell developed an award-winning program to promote tobacco-free lives to youth (Sport For Life), founded a growing community movement promoting FREE sport discovery for kids (All Sport One Day), served as the volunteer chair of the Country's first civic sport policy steering committee in Calgary, and worked as the bid lead for X Games Calgary.
#23 - Justin Connelly: Calgary Inclusive Hockey Association
Justin was born and raised in Calgary and went to Mount Royal University for Sport & Recreation Management. Growing up, Justin fell in love with hockey and it has continued to be a big part of his life. He has played, worked, and volunteered in hockey since the age of 16. He joined the Calgary Inclusive Hockey Association in 2015 when he came out as gay. The CIHA has two full time teams, the Pioneers and Villagers. The Pioneers were the first inclusive LGTBQ+ hockey team in Alberta and Justin is a Director with the CIHA. Justin is also an ambassador for You Can Play, which works to ensure the safety and inclusion for all who participate in sports, including LGTBQ+ athletes, coaches, and fans. Justin is passionate about LGTBQ+ inclusion in sport and continues to work on various projects in this area within Alberta. Justin has worked in various levels of sport and recreation most recently with WinSport as Coordinator, Ice Sports.
#22 - Noel Keough: Sustainable Calgary
Dr. Noel Keough B.Eng. (Mechancial) MEDes (Environmental Science), Phd (Geography)
Associate Professor of Sustainable Design
Co-Founder and Chair of the Board, Sustainable Calgary Society
Noel is a co-founder (1996) and Indicator Project Lead at Sustainable Calgary Society, and a founding member of the National Working Group for the Canadian Index of Wellbeing. He has been a faculty member at the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape for 15 years. He has 30 years experience working in community development both locally and internationally. His work has included local renewable energy assessment and design, sustainability education, community development, popular theatre as a community animation process, sustainability indicators design and technology assessment and low carbon sustainable community planning. Internationally, Noel has worked in Central and South America, Central and South East Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. He has also worked with a variety of community organizations in Alberta, Newfoundland and British Columbia. Noel’s forthcoming book Sustainability Matters: Prospects for Transition in Canada’s Petro CityState is due out in Spring 2021.
#21 - Jean-Francois Laurent: TAFISA
Jean-Francois Laurent is Junior Director at TAFISA headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, where he is responsible for regional and business development, partnerships, as well as coordinating TAFISA’s global programmes and events. He specialises in the promotion and advocacy of Sport for All and physical activity, with special insight on the topics of Active Cities and Traditional Sports and Games. He has been consultant for Sport for All in many countries and invited as a speaker to congresses and seminars worldwide. He is also a founding team member of the Global Active City Programme. Originating from Nancy, France, he graduated in social and political sciences as well as sports management at the Institute of Political Studies of Grenoble and Aix-Marseille University, France in 2012. He also studied at the University of Adelaide, Australia.
Episode Resources:
Active City PACTE Assessment: http://www.pacteproject.com/matrix/
Active Well-being Initiative: http://activewellbeing.org/
880 Cities: https://www.880cities.org/
15 Minute Cities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McGyONofhi4
*Note: The podcast identifies this concept as 5 Minute Cities but the concept is correctly known as 15 Minute Cities
#20 - Dale Calkins: City of Calgary
Senior Policy & Planning Advisor, Ward 7 Councillor Druh Farrell
Dale is passionate about socially, financially, and environmentally sustainable cities. He is an advocate for safer and more equitable communities that are designed to put people first. He currently advises Ward 7 Councillor Druh Farrell on land use and transportation planning issues at Calgary City Hall.
#19 - Mike Holroyd: Alberta Slalom Canoe Kayak
Mike Holroyd is the Sport Development Director for Alberta Slalom Canoe Kayak and co-owner of Kids Bikes Canada. He has coached the Alberta slalom team since 2007, after 10 years on the National Team himself. He's an avid kayaker, mountain biker, fisher, and cross country skier with his wife and two elementary school aged kids. Locally Mike has pursued several facility projects including the Harvie Passage Slalom Course, Montgomery Bike park pump Track and Valley Ridge fitness park. #getoutside #stayoutside
#18 - Kimberly Fisher: City of Calgary
Kim Fisher works for the Liveable Streets Division at The City of Calgary. Passionate about safe and connected spaces and places for people of all ages and abilities, Kim recently worked delivering the update to The City of Calgary’s Pathway and Bikeway Plan. When not working on active transportation education projects and programs for Calgarians, Kim can be found exploring Calgary by bike, camping and travelling with her partner and their 2.5 year old.
#17 - Jason Zaran: Calgary Multisport Fieldhouse Society
Jason is a Business graduate from SAIT Polytechnic spending over 20 plus years in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry with companies such as Sun-Rype and serving for a decade as Western Regional Manager for the H.J. Heinz Company of Canada. A long burning desire to try his hand at entrepreneurship led Jason to leave the corporate life and embark on starting his own business. In 2006 The Main Dish pioneered Calgary’s scene for healthy convenient eating and grew over 10 years to encompass 6 unique concepts/ locations. Today Jason is the Founder and operating partner of Fit Kitchen Inc., Calgary's original and premier fresh meal prep and meal planning company. Fit Kitchen was founded in 2015 and over the years thousands of busy Calgarians have benefitted from his unique lifestyle-based eating alternatives.
Giving back to the community is a passion for Jason and he has always made it a priority to support amateur athletics. The Main Dish and Fit Kitchen have both sponsored local athletes providing them with a yearly budget to provide healthy food that can aid in their training and help them with one of their biggest costs. Numerous national caliber athletes have been sponsored by The Main Dish/Fit Kitchen including Kaillie Humphries, Helen Upperton, Jeremy Wotherspoon, Mellisa Hollingsworth, Denny Morrison, Gilmore Junio, Jesse Lumsden, Erica Wiebe , Sam Effah, Rachel MacIntosh, Justin Kripps, Tristan Walker, Kelsey Andries and Alysia Rissling. In addition, The Main Dish had hosted its annual Celebrity Burger Cook-Off for 10 years and in its history the Burger Cook-Off event raised more than $100,000 for Ronald McDonald House Southern Alberta and other local charities like Classroom Champions.
Jason is currently the Chair of the Calgary Multisport Fieldhouse Society which is the lead organization working with the local officials to get a Multisport Fieldhouse built in Calgary. In addition he is a Committee member at Sport Calgary and has served as an industry member of the SAIT Marketing Program Advisory Council.
Jason resides in Calgary with his wife Pam and two children, Faith and Quinn
#16 - Rilee Manybears Iinomaahka (Running Buffalo): Community Leader and Gold Medalist
One of my greatest accomplishments in life is being a drug and alcohol free first nations youth. I am honored and thrilled to join the I.S.C.A as newly ambassador. I feel physical activity, sport and recreation Is very important for our lives. It helps keeps the mind, body and spirit intact with each other. I’m very excited to bring some amazing ideas to the I.S.C.A family and will be cheering, encouraging everyone for these upcoming challenges. So stay fit, keep sharp, make good decisions.
Rilee Manybears Iinomaahka (Running Buffalo) was raised on Siksika Nation, Alberta, Canada where he resided with his parents and his three younger siblings. During his elementary school years at the encouragement of one of his teachers, he joined their school track and field team and joining other sports in cross country, basketball, volleyball, and golf throughout his school years. In his final high school graduation year, he set a record for the Bassano School by competing in 4 different ASAA Provincial Championships in one year; Track and Field, Cross Country, Volleyball, and Skills (TV/Video Editing). It was also a devastating time when he lost his father who always supported and encouraged all his children in their sports and soon not long after, he began struggling with drugs and alcohol to numb his pain. At the encouragement of his younger brother, he begin to realize the self destructive path he was on was upsetting to his family. He began running again as his form of healing therapy. The following year, he began training for the 2014 North American Indigenous Games held in Regina, Saskatchewan, and won the gold medal in the 3,000 meter, and 2 bronze medals in the 1,500 m and 6K cross country events respectively. He also began training with the University of Calgary Track & Field Team preparing for the Canadian Cross Country Championships in Vancouver, British Columbia, later on that year. His highlight was in 2015, where he won the Gold Medal at the 1st Indigenous Games in the 8.4 Km event held in Palmas, Tocantins, Brazil, with 1,500+ athletes from over 20 countries all around the world participating. In 2016, he was selected to represent USA Team Running Strong to participate at 2016 Boston Marathon in April. in 2016, Rilee is apart of a youth program run by youth called “Siksika N7 and they run youth programs and events for the nations youth, the meaning of these events is to inspire the youth to make positive choices. The SN7 crew also brings in guest speakers for the youth so they can be inspired from them. In 2017 the Siksika N7 program has won a community change award from the ARPA (Alberta recreation parks association) and a youth role model award of Alberta that year as well. Rilee also serves as an ambassador for two non-proft organization, A.M.A Youth run club ambassador for Ever Active schools, and Spirit north.
#15 - Garry Lohuis: Bike Calgary
Garry Lohuis is a retired Petroleum Engineer. He has been a Director of Bike Calgary for 4 years. He developed his passion for cycling growing up in Dutch family.
#14 - Jasmine Mian: Wrestling Canada Lutte and 2016 Olympian
Jasmine Mian is a 2016 Olympian and graduate of UCalgary's School of Public Policy. She is a director for the national sport organization Wrestling Canada Lutte and sits on the international athlete commission of United World Wrestling. She is passionate about sport governance and hosts a podcast called Journey Beyond Sport which features conversations with Olympic athletes about retirement and what it’s like to transition into the next chapter of life.
#13 - Gar Gar: YYC Kids Ride
When always asked “Why are you running?” He says “I was always forced to run away from war and fear, now I am always running toward hope and helping build the city that has given my family and I countless opportunity.”
Born in Sudan as a refugee, Gar Gar immigrated to Canada without knowing a word of English at the age of 17. Gar later received a Bachelor of Business Administration from SAIT, majoring in accounting. As an active volunteer, Gar became more interested in issues affecting community safety and prosperity, youth, and civic engagement. He became the first Black student president at SAIT Student Association. He has sat on numerous boards including SAIT Board of Governors, Alberta Radisson and Forest Lawn Community Association and the City of Calgary Immigrant inclusion Committee to name a few. Gar is a major grassroots advocate for youth in the city and has worked consistently to provide youth with opportunities to improve their skills and provide experiences to help them grow as individuals. Gar has established multiple organizations and grassroots initiatives to help the less fortunate amid the COVID-19 pandemic, including YYC Kids Ride Foundation, School Supply Surprise, and Free Friday Family Pizza. Gar has also run in Municipal and Provincial Elections.
#12 - Kate Thompson: Calgary Municipal Land Corporation
Kate joined CMLC in January 2013 to lead the delivery of the master plan vision for East Village. In January 2020, after seven years as Vice President of Development, Kate stepped into her new role as President & CEO. Today, under Kate’s leadership, CMLC is overseeing the development of the BMO Convention Centre Expansion, Event Centre, and critical infrastructure projects in east Victoria Park, delivering on the vision for Calgary’s Culture & Entertainment District. A registered member of the Alberta Architects Association (AAA) and active Member of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (MRAIC), Kate manages architectural controls for East Village, ensuring all plans for new development align with CMLC’s vision for the neighbourhood. Kate is active in the community through her role as Board Chair of the YWCA Calgary Board of Directors and as a member of the Dean’s Circle of Environmental Design (EVDS) at University of Calgary, where she has been an Adjunct Professor since 2014. In both teaching and practicing architecture, she continues to highlight the importance of a well-built urban fabric and support projects that strengthen Calgary’s urban spaces.
#11 - Elliot Weinstein: TheBeachYYC
Elliot is the owner and President of The Beach YYC, the only indoor beach recreation facility in Alberta. Seeing a need for more indoor recreational opportunities in Calgary Elliot thought an indoor beach would be the perfect fit. Keeping active has always been one of his passions, and he is now very excited to have a fun, new facility where everyone - regardless of age, gender, orientation or ability - can stay active all year round. The Beach YYC primarily serves the beach volleyball community, but is also available for other sports and activities: beach ultimate, yoga, team building, kids parties, and any activity you would play on the sand. Elliot received his MBA from the Haskayne School of Business in 2011, specializing in Global Energy Management and Sustainable Development. Prior to his MBA, Elliot received a diploma in Business Finance and Investment Management from Langara College in Vancouver, as well as a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Calgary. Before following his entrepreneurial dreams, Elliot was a Project Manager at Golder Associates managing global projects in their IT department.
#10 - Nathaniel Miller: 2008 Olympian
Nathaniel Miller, former captain of the Canadian Men’s National Water Polo team, is a 2008 Olympian, 3x PanAm Games medallist and 7x National Champion. Miller honed his leadership skills during a 12-year National Team career where he helped guide the Canadian men’s team to some of its greatest successes, including a Gold Medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Championships, and the programs first ever Olympic qualification in 2008. After retiring from elite competition in 2010, Nathaniel has remained active in the Canadian sports landscape, serving in management and leadership roles with the Canadian Olympic Committee, Toronto 2015 Pan/Para PanAm Games and the Alberta Water Polo Association. He has also been involved in grassroots sports as a coach and volunteer for the past 25 years and continues to share his passion for movement and physical literacy as a Master Learning Facilitator with the National Coaching Certification Program and as a certified Yoga instructor. In 2017, Nathaniel was the recipient of the inaugural Canadian Olympic Scholarship to Queen’s University, where he entered the Executive MBA program, graduating in the spring of 2019.
#9 - Kyle Shewfelt: Kyle Shewfelt Gymnastics and three-time Olympian
A three-time Olympian, Kyle Shewfelt made a historic breakthrough at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens when he won gold on floor exercise for Canada’s first ever Olympic medal in artistic gymnastics. The longtime leader of the Canadian men’s team, Shewfelt enjoyed success outside of the Olympic arena. Since retiring in 2009, Shewfelt has remained involved with the sport as a television commentator as well as an ambassador and mentor for Gymnastics Canada. In 2013 he opened Kyle Shewfelt Gymnastics with programs for all ages. Shewfelt was inducted to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.
#8 - Allison Sandmeyer-Graves: Canadian Women & Sport
Allison Sandmeyer-Graves is the CEO of Canadian Women & Sport—the leading national non-profit focused on achieving equity for girls and women in sport and through sport. Having grown up in Alberta as a multi-sport athlete and now driving thought leadership and solutions for inclusion at every level of sport, Allison is passionate about the power of sport and its possibilities for individuals and communities across Canada.
#7 - Jyoti Gondek: City of Calgary
Jyoti Gondek was elected to serve Ward 3 in October of 2017. Prior to that she was the Director of the Westman Centre for Real Estate Studies at the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business where she established a unique program to bring students and professionals together in building strong and prosperous cities. For 12 years prior, she provided research-based consulting services ranging from creating complete communities to fostering healthy corporate cultures. Jyoti’s academic training includes an undergraduate degree in sociology and criminology, an MA in organizational sociology that examined corporate social responsibility, and a PhD in urban sociology.
#6 - Marco De Iaco: Sport and Major Events
Marco De Iaco has dedicated his career to helping Calgary make smart investments and responsible choices in sport and major events, accelerating community objectives for economic and social impacts, grassroots sport and collaborative partnerships. Marco is a graduate from the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary and the Executive Education Program from Queen’s Smith School of Business. The past chair of the 2016 JUNO Awards and the 2020 GLOW Winter Festival, Marco also served as the Director of Exploration for the Calgary Olympic Bid Exploration and is currently serving on the board of the Calgary Police Commission.