About us
Welcome friends,
My name is JoJo and I am the Executive Director here at SOARE.
I was born in Kolkata, India, and have since hopped and skipped my way through my home country, Canada, Indonesia, the United States, and Saudi Arabia. I had never considered myself as an outdoors oriented person until I moved to Vancouver in 2013. On the ancestral and unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations, I developed a strong love and passion for rock climbing.
Doing new things is hard, and SOARE will be no different; this society is not only new to me, but it is new to the S2S corridor as a whole. Thereβs going to be some steep trails to climb, uncertainty when the runouts get a bit long, and rocks and roots that look a bit too tumultuous to roll over. However, I am very much looking forward to the inspiring vistas up top, the rush and thrill when hitting that hold, and feeling of flow when the trees fly past you.
Letβs build something exciting, together.
Because together, the skyβs the limit!
Thereβs more than one route up the wall
In 2020, the District of Squamish endorsed its Emerging Sector Action Plan, with a focus on developing outdoor recreation. The goal - bolster the Outdoor Industry here in Squamsh and the Sea to Sky Corridor as a whole. The plan - create an on the ground organization that can work with local businesses and emerging organizations to support their growth and progress in the recreation technology sector. That was the thesis behind SOARE, and the starting point for us as a non-profit organization.
In the 3 years that followed, SOARE has been quietly working in the background, gathering funding, rallying support, and putting together an outstanding team of staff and advisors to spearhead this project. We are excited to bring this non-profit out into the light, and to the nearly 400 businesses and organizations in the S2S that form its thriving and continually growing Outdoor Industry. We hope that you will join us in this adventure, and help contribute to a more meaningful model of business.
Meet. Make. Advocate.
Board of Advisors
Jack is the Creative Director and Founder of Skeleton Crew, a brand and communications agency in the Sea to Sky corridor. As a keen mountain biker and snowboarder, his career in the creative industry has led him to work with, and foster a range of outdoor businesses and brands of all sizes.
Jack Finn
Deanna is a seasoned brand strategist in the outdoor industry, with over seven years of experience spanning North America and France. She has worked with top brands like L.L.Bean, HydraPak, Arc'teryx and Vail Resorts on brand development, campaigns, go-to-market strategies and creative/video production.
Deanna Dougan
Hamish is a sales manager and mediocre mountain biker, who is passionate about collaboration and outdoor products. Originally from New Zealand, Hamish now calls Squamish home, and is always trying to prioritize time outside with his wife and daughter.
Hamish Elliott
An avid skier and mountain biker, Josh is passionate about product-led business in the outdoor industry. In 2016, he co-founded gogglesoc, a brand that manufactures accessories from eco-conscious materials. The company has sold over two-million products and repurposed over 650K post-consumer plastic bottles in the process.
Josh Gray
Dustin is a financial professional and Chartered Accountant with more than a decade of experience; his expertise lies in supporting company growth through financial planning & analysis. As a keen outdoors-person himself, Angus is keen to help support the intersection between recreation and innovative businesses.
Angus Naismith
