Economic Leadership Team
Local Expertise. Passionate Leadership.
The Economic Leadership Team will provide advice and expertise on Economic Development strategy in Squamish, in line with the 2019-2022 Council Strategic Plan, stimulating diverse Squamish-based job growth for social and economic gain.
View the full Terms of Reference here.
Economic leadership team members
Katrina Carroll-Foster
Co-founder & Partner at Kollectively
Katrina advises and works with leadership teams, founders and entrepreneurs in the innovation and technology arenas. She actively engages with impact-focused accelerators like the Forum, Futurpreneur, and as an EiR, with Foresight Cleantech Accelerator, to support entrepreneurs in BC. In 2017 she co-founded The Raise Collective to help change the ratio of women in early-stage investing. She is now an LP with Women's Equity Lab and Spring's Impact Investor Challenge alumni.
Her company, Kollectively.io, works with the founders and leadership teams of B2B technology companies to develop results-driven business, brand and marketing strategies.
An entrepreneur herself, Katrina also co-founded and built a subscription e-commerce startup - pre-Shopify.
John Matthews
Principle, Matthews West
John Matthews serves as Principal of Matthews West Ltd, a Squamish-based development company that strives to enhance the environmental, social, and economic opportunities of the communities where it works. Matthews is currently managing several projects in British Columbia’s Sea to Sky Corridor including the 60-acre master-planned development of the Squamish Oceanfront, the 200-acre single-family master plan community in Brackendale, and assorted smaller projects in partnership with the Squamish First Nation. Additionally, he is the President of the Board of the Dallas Wetlands Foundation, a 501c(3) non-profit that develops and maintains urban wetlands.
Prior to his work in Canada, Matthews specialized in financial modelling and project management at Matthews Southwest in the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex where, among other projects, acquisitions, and dispositions, he led a 60-acre brown-field development south of downtown Dallas.
Kim Stegeman-Lowe
VP, People, Technology & Sustainability
Kim is a senior administrative and operations executive with over 20 years of cross-industry experience, bringing depth and breadth to senior leadership roles, and a professional and personal commitment to employee and community engagement, and sustainable growth and development.
Kim is Vice President, People, Technology & Sustainability for Western Group (headquartered in North Vancouver). The enterprises within Western Group, Western Stevedoring & Western IntermodeX, play essential roles connecting global trade to critical interfaces of Canada’s marine, rail and road serviced transportation corridors. Western Group’s terminal and stevedoring division acquired Squamish Terminals in 2018. Before joining Western Group, Kim served as President of Squamish Terminals.
Kim takes an active role in various industry associations and community organizations both past and present. Kim resides in Squamish with her husband and two daughters, and has been lucky to call Squamish home for the past 18 years.
Richard Mackellar
President & CEO, Kite Company Creator
Richard is President & CEO of Kite Company Creator and former Managing Partner at Chrysalix, a venture capital firm focused on intelligent systems, industrial innovation and the environment. He is a director of Minesense, GlassPoint, HaiLa, Rockburst Technologies and DTE, and a former director of the Vancouver Enterprise Forum and the BC Technology Industry Association. His entrepreneurial background includes being CEO of two UBC startups, NxtPhase and BrightSide, and was Engineering Manager of another startup, Kevry Corporation.
As an Adjunct Professor, Richard teaches Entrepreneurial Finance on the MBA program at UBC. Richard has lived in Squamish for 24 years, was President of the Pirates Swim Club, coached and refereed soccer, and was part of the organizing teams for the Test of Metal and Bob McIntosh Triathlon. He sponsors the Eureka Scholar for the top science student at Howe Sound Secondary School. His education includes a Bachelor of Metallurgy from Sheffield University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Stephanie Rose
VP, Corporate – Rotoliptic Technologies
Steph is the Corporate Vice President at Rotoliptic Technologies, a local engineering company. With a proven business growth and development track record, she brings a passion for sustainable innovation to her role and her community.
Having recently completed her MBA at the University of Victoria, Steph combines her educational insights with her extensive professional experience. She excels in crafting strategic visions that drive market presence, foster collaborations, and optimize operational efficiency. Steph has called Squamish home for the last 5 years.
James Hillier
Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
James is an avid outdoorsman grateful for the legacy of excellence and adventure in Squamish. He believes in creating long-term partnerships with a positive future. With skills from a career in commercial real estate, he is keen to contribute towards the achievement of community goals in keeping with local values. He has worked in public accounting, government finance, and real estate finance. James graduated from the University of British Columbia and is a designated CFA and CPA, CA.
Tiffany Shen
Founder, Business Consultant at Lost Cairn Consulting
Purpose Driven Business Consultant, Lost Cairn Consulting
Tif! Shen guides leaders and organizations with impactful strategies for business development. She uses her diverse background in social entrepreneurship, agri-food, and consumer packaged goods as well as human-centred design and emergent strategy to deliver values aligned solutions for her clients. With over 13 years of experience in the business, she has honed in on her knack for finding innovative solutions that see the bigger picture while considering the impact of the journey there. She enjoys empowering people and their teams to build companies that make the world a better place. She continuously strives for a collaborative and inclusive environment.
Greg Tooke
Co-Founder, Light Trail Consulting
Over the last ten years building Light Trail Consulting, Greg has been focused on guiding companies, municipalities and non-profit organizations toward purposeful change, blending positive social and environmental impact with effective business success. Greg is committed to using his business as a force for purposeful growth in the community, as demonstrated by driving his own company to become a B Corp in 2015 as one of the first 100 companies in Canada to attain the certification.
In addition, Greg volunteers as a member of the board of our local B Corp community of companies to promote the better business practice and bringing together organizations that use the framework to build ongoing and sustainable improvements for people, communities, and the planet. Greg is also a Board member and past Chair of Brightside Community Homes, the largest not-for-profit housing foundation in Vancouver, providing homes to over 1,000 residents and building resilient communities for those who struggle to meet the demands of market housing.
Holden Bonwit
Self-Employed, Finance, Strategy, and Operations Consultant
Holden Bonwit is a strategy and finance consultant, focused on ventures with positive social and environmental impact. Supporting entrepreneurs, management teams, and investors over the past decade, Holden’s action-oriented approach relies on learning unique aspects of new environments quickly, mapping potential challenge points, and designing, testing, and validating solutions. His approach stems from his decade of mechanical engineering work and an MBA focused in early-stage finance. He’s taken successful products from concept to production, helped startups raise money, and guided investors to place capital. Holden is thankful to live, run, and kite in Squamish, with his wife and two young children.
Juvarya Veltkamp
Senior Advisory, C40 Cities
With a commitment to bring about positive change at the intersection of cities, industry, and climate action, Juvarya has 20+ years’ experience in economic development, sustainable cities, green buildings, purpose-driven business, and climate action. Juvarya is currently Senior Advisor with C40 Cities. In this role, she convenes the Green Ports Forum, a network of the world’s leading port cities and their ports working to cut emissions in half before 2030.
In 2021, Juvarya was recognized as one of British Columbia’s ‘People of Asian Descent to Watch’, and awarded the Capilano University’s Alumni Award of Excellence for her work in climate action. She earned an MBA in Finance from the University of British Columbia; a post-baccalaureate certificate in International Business and Chinese from Capilano University; and a BA (Hons) in Economics and Sustainable Development from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.
Ex officio representatives
The Team is joined by Members of Council, M.P. Patrick Weiler, and M.L.A. Jordan Sturdy in an ex-officio capacity.