Purposeful People

Andrew Greer is the Managing Director at Purppl. He’s been working in social enterprise and community development for 10+ years. He’s also the BC Interior Lead, board member, and co-owner at Thrive Impact Fund. In the past, Andrew held several roles with Accelerate Okanagan, supporting tech companies through entrepreneurial development programs in the Okanagan and throughout BC. He is also a former top Canadian sales manager for Xerox. He has diverse experience working in, starting, and serving as a Board member to nonprofits, co-ops, and social enterprises. As a specialist at Purppl, he likes to spend time with leaders on impact strategy, impact measurement, business model and revenue development, and governance structures.

Hilary Henegar is a brand, community and culture builder, who has spent the last 10 years building and growing businesses, not-for-profits and communities rooted in the sharing economy – from car sharing to crowdfunding to cinema to coworking. She is co-founder of Girl Gang, an online/offline professional networking community for women and non-binary marketers, communicators, creators and technologists. She and her young family live in the traditional, unceded lands and waters of the Quw’utsun people (Duncan, BC).

Brianna Ennis-Brown is passionate about supporting organizations to respond to pressing societal issues through impact-focused business strategy. As Service Lead & EIR for Impact Measurement and Organizational Sustainability at Purppl, she supports organizations to define impact measurement frameworks, co-create sustainable business models,  and embed social and environmental sustainability into core operations. She is an expert in sustainable business and is passionate about weaving long-term strategic goals into the day-to-day practices of organizations. She applies a range of impact, sustainability, and ESG frameworks into her practice, always starting with organizational goals and culture in mind. 

Brianna is also an instructor with BCIT’s Sustainable Business Leadership program, where she teaches impact and sustainability measurement & reporting and nurtures the next generation of sustainability leaders. Prior to joining Purppl, Brianna co-founded and managed Decade Impact, an impact consultancy focused on sustainability strategies for small and medium businesses. Brianna holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics from McGill University and a Master of Management from UBC Sauder. She lives with her young family on the traditional territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw and Coast Salish peoples (Squamish, BC).

Simi Lawoyin is a consultant to values-driven leaders, specializing in organizational design and capacity development. With extensive global experience spanning corporate, public sector, and nonprofit environments, Simi brings a human-centered, asset-based approach to organizational leadership and strategy. Her work has supported leaders in navigating complex transitions, strengthening leadership teams, and translating strategy into mission-aligned systems and structures. Simi is committed to restoring broken systems and removing inhibitions in the way of human flourishing.

Alyssa cofounded Unlimited Contracting, a social enterprise commercial and industrial maintenance and renovation company. Alyssa has also worked with Metro Community and collaborated in the launch of two of their social enterprises. Alyssa’s specialty is coming alongside leaders to create clarity and align staff with the organizational vision, provide a structure for strategic decision making and progress evaluation, and develop financial models that support long-term sustainability.

Colin is the Executive Director of SCREDO – the regional economic development office for the lower Sunshine Coast. His background includes leadership of Gibsons Public Market and Potluck Cafe. He has worked with RADIUS SFU, Ecotrust Canada, the Strathcona Business Improvement Association and the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. He supports our clients with advice on social enterprise, community capital, impact measurement and public policy.

Thi Dao (she/her) is a social purpose leader dedicated to strengthening the capacity and resilience of organizations driving social change. Her work spans strategy, partnerships, and engagement, focusing on bridging sectors and building collaborative infrastructure to tackle challenges such as technology poverty and long-term support for mission-driven work. 

Currently, Thi leads engagement strategy at Technology Helps, where she works alongside nonprofits and community partners to build and strengthen organizational capacity through practical support, including digital transformation, operational planning, and cybersecurity readiness. Previously, she led partnerships at Future of Good, working across Canada’s social impact ecosystem, leading programming and sponsorship for initiatives such as the Social Finance Forum, Changemaker Wellbeing Summit, and AI for Social Impact Academy. As a board member with Purppl and co-host of Connect Money Impact, Thi continues to convene and support leaders across sectors, grounded in a belief that real impact comes from cross-sectoral partnerships and relationships — the ones that run deep and don’t come overnight.

With a background in social innovation and community building, Thi brings an empathetic and collaborative approach to every table. She believes small wins can spark deeper transformation and systems change, and hopes to continue advancing equity through partnerships, policy, and community-driven action.

Brian McKenzie is a committed leader with over 20 years of extensive experience in non-profit sustainability, social enterprise, SMEs, public corporations, and start-ups. He excels in converting organizational objectives into actionable, long-lasting strategies with significant impact. As the founder of The Connective, Brian collaborates with agencies, non-profits, and tech start-ups to fuel their growth through innovative and meaningful approaches. Brian also co-founded Reframe Concepts, which specializes in social-purpose real estate development. He has previously held senior leadership positions at a FinTech, a digital learning platform for sports education, and a non-profit leadership institute. As an Entrepreneur in Residence at Purppl, Brian focuses on leadership development, marketing and storytelling, strategy, and performance measurement.

Charity is a speaker, coach and product development visionary. Over the past 15 years, Charity has been instrumental in starting scaling successful businesses in gaming, healthcare, and even microbrewing. She helped propel the world’s largest virtual world for kids from startup to over 300 million global users, and has worked alongside the world’s most innovative teams including Pixar, Lucasfilm, Disney, Marvel, IBM, and Lenovo.

Charity continues to mentor startups and social enterprise entrepreneurs around the world through organizations like TechStars and Purppl, while speaking and training on leadership and team culture across North America.

Kim Mangan’s passion for community has been a guiding force in her leadership and management roles for the past 25 years.  In her most recent role as the Executive Director of the Kamloops Music Collective she oversaw the growth and expansion of the organization by successfully implementing the strategic vision and goals as they were set out by its Board of Directors. Kim has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Simon Fraser University and she has years of experience in finance working for institutions such as CIBC and GE Capital Finance. Her service-oriented approach and drive to create new, meaningful opportunities and experiences that benefit underserved populations have had a lasting impact in the communities where she has worked. As an Entrepreneur in Residence she is looking forward to merging her years of experience with Purrpl’s innovative approach to building the capability and capacity of those she works with. Kim enjoys spending time with her husband and three kids, traveling to visit family in Australia, ice skating, cooking, and mountain biking.

Amy Moroni is a 5x founder and social impact entrepreneur, community-builder, creative, local economy advocate and full of hope. She is passionately committed to growing whole-hearted communities through entrepreneurship, social enterprise, food, art and culture. She does her best work in the process of gathering, visioning, change-making, collaboration and idea jamming.  She has specific experience in rural community economic development, small business, marketing, overall strategy, local food systems and agriculture, as well as retail business and social enterprises.  As a EIR at Purppl she would love to work with you to build your strategy or business plan, understand your highly audacious goals and creatively imagine how to reach them, or help dream up your next world changing social enterprise with you. She is a highly creative, insightful, collaborative and connected thought partner with a wide range of experience to bring to the table.

Meg is a seasoned change manager with over a decade of experience in progressive economic development. She specializes in helping clients balance the four pillars of sustainability: economy, environment, society, and culture, while extending existing resources and aligning revenue with impact. As Director of Strategic Initiatives with the Canada Plastics Pact, Meg works directly with industry, NPOs, and government to implement a circular economy of plastics in Canada. In previous roles, Meg worked closely with the City of Vancouver, specifically the Planning department and the City Manager’s Office, to improve opportunities for small businesses and increase economic resilience in the local economy. Meg helps build partnerships and collaborations to achieve more with less and establish strong, effective networks of values-aligned organizations. She enjoys leading Theory of Change activities, coaching leaders/executives, and guiding operations to align with an impact business model.

Darla Deguire is an Indigenous entrepreneur, consultant, and educator with over 20 years of experience advancing economic inclusion, equality, and reconciliation. A proud member of Muskoday First Nation in Saskatchewan, she combines her Cree and Métis heritage with expertise in entrepreneurship, business development, and community-driven processes.

As the founder of Cedar + Sage Development Strategies, Darla promotes Indigenous perspectives in organizational growth, professional development, and cultural understanding. She is a skilled facilitator, strategic planner, and mentor, recognized for her ability to inspire collaboration across sectors.

Darla is pursuing an MBA at Cape Breton University and serves on the boards of the United Way of Saskatoon and SaskTel Centre. She is passionate about fostering reconciliation, creating sustainable change, and empowering communities to thrive.

Gaelene is a seasoned senior operational leader and a Gallup-certified CliftonStrengths coach with a passion for cultivating engaged, motivated teams and strengthening organizations from the inside out. She specializes in operational planning, executive leadership transitions, and building resiliency within organizations. With deep experience in hiring, onboarding, performance management, and succession planning, Gaelene helps leaders navigate growth, change, and crisis with confidence. She also provides strategic support for funding and financial stability, ensuring organizations have the right structures in place to sustain their impact. Gaelene loves walking her dogs and experimenting on her friends and family with new recipes that sound interesting to try.

Suzanne Siemens is a CPA who supports purpose-driven organizations in strengthening financial strategy, improving operational systems, and aligning business models with impact goals. As co-founder and former CEO of Aisle (formerly Lunapads), she led the company through strategic growth and a successful exit, helping pioneer the $1B sustainable period care category. With over 30 years of experience, Suzanne brings a practical, mission-aligned approach to financial planning, organizational resilience, and leadership development. As an EIR at Purppl Suzanne enjoys helping founders and teams through transitions, building confident, values-led organizations that thrive.

Tannis is a collaborative leader that cares deeply about clients, community building, and social impact. Every client project is approached with a fresh perspective and an innovative strategy building mind set to provide customized solutions that create sustainable long-term growth in alignment with organizational values.

Tannis built a 15+ year career in IT team and project management for public and private organizations in the fields of oil and gas, utilities and healthcare and became a sought-after specialist in process redesign, change management, organizational efficiency and team building.  She has also built three award winning businesses from the ground up in the retail industry. Community leadership and involvement led to a successful campaign for public office,  and serving one term as a municipal elected official for the Town of Vermilion, Alberta. A passion for community building established through over a decade of executive nonprofit board positions, including a current board position as the Vice President of This Space Belongs to You, led to a new career path in the social impact sector, first as an employee, and now as a consultant specializing in collaboration/partnership development, social enterprise, resource optimization, marketing and communications, government relations, governance, and strategic planning.