Our Team

Meet the faces behind Spring who collectively bring a world of knowledge, experience, and passion to the entrepreneurship and impact communities.

Keith Ippel

Keith Ippel

Co-CEO & Co-founder

With over 25 years experience as a leader in technology and impact businesses, Keith has accelerated companies and ecosystems and raised over $30m in angel investment and venture capital. A global keynote speaker, teacher, and advisor, Keith leads Spring and focuses on our strategic growth and global ecosystem advisory work. Keith has been riding his bike to work for over 10 years now- rain or shine!

Caroline von Hirschberg

Co-CEO

Caroline brings fresh experience starting and scaling social ventures in the UK and Kenya. Along the journey of iterative product development to international product launches of renewable energy solutions, Caroline has learned the value of human centred design, the rollercoaster of managing international operations, the value of partnerships and how to raise funds from multiple sources! She’s now excited to share these insights with social entrepreneurs looking to grow their impact.

Avary Kent

Chief People Officer

Avary Kent is a serial Social Entrepreneur with deep expertise in bringing ideas to life. She co-founded Conveners.org where she first met the team at Spring. Avary is a world-class experience designer and she is excited to build a strong team culture and expand the reach of Spring's incredible programs.

Allison Gibson - Food Innovation Program Manager at Spring Activator

Allison Gibson

Chief Design Officer

Allison is a social enterprise strategist and entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in the hospitality industry. As Director of Impact & Operations at Paintbox Catering & Bistro and Program Operations Director at Spring, she prioritizes creating opportunities for marginalized residents of under-serviced communities with a focus on those on an entrepreneurial journey or facing barriers to meaningful employment.

Mari Matthews

Mari Mathews

Director, Impact Investing

Mari began her career working internationally for 10+ years in the ski & tourism industry. In Oslo, Norway she co-founded Outtt raising over 4 million NOK and driving the company to over seventy thousand monthly active users and 40+ paying customers. Now back in her hometown of Vancouver, Mari devotes her time to helping entrepreneurs navigate raising capital for early stage growth.

Graham Day, Investment Director at Spring Activator

Graham Day

Chief Investment Officer

Graham has extensive experience working with social enterprises in executive roles. Most recently, he worked as CFO with Sistema.bio—an award-winning company delivering renewable energy solutions to smallholder farmers in developing countries—where he raised over $15m in financing to fund the company's expansion across four continents. At Spring, he is thrilled to expand and enrich the impact investing ecosystem in Canada and help propel amazing businesses to new heights.

Tina Ippel

Operations Director

After a 10-year hiatus to homeschool her daughter, Tina is now the Spring team's Operations Manager. Her prior experience includes working as a Financial Analyst for a consumer food company and a pottery shop entrepreneur serving West Coast potters. Tina loves order and actually thinks that math is elegant and fun. We promised not to hold that last part against her!

Rhea Alleyne

Marketing Manager

Rhea has extensive knowledge of brand marketing and is passionate about developing effective content marketing, digital and social media strategies. With over 6 years of B2B marketing experience delivering profitable solutions to drive brand awareness, attract leads and sustain relationships with existing customers. Rhea has always had a keen interest in making a social impact and being a part of the Spring team has allowed her to work with like-minded people to bring impactful projects together.

Carlos Lopez Sandoval

Partnership Manager

Carlos is passionate about entrepreneurship and social impact. He has experience in entrepreneurial support, project management, marketing, business development, and business education in the non-profit and private sectors. Prior to joining Spring, he worked at Small Business BC developing initiatives to connect the small business community in BC. Back in his home country of El Salvador, he led a social impact initiative aimed at developing soft skills in high school students through an experiential 12-week curriculum in entrepreneurship.

Zavosh Zaboliyan

Entrepreneur Program Manager

Zavosh is a visionary serial entrepreneur driven by impact. With experience in launching and growing businesses, he has worked across a number of sectors. He has consulted many founders to accelerate their growth and advised venture capital firms on their onboarding thesis and fundraising strategies. He cares deeply about solving world problems through technologies that can improve lives and creating sustainable growth. In his free time, Zavosh enjoys meditation and spending time in nature.

Kristen Perry

Managing Director SIC

Prior to joining Spring, Kristen built and led a non-profit organization focused on developing high-potential post-secondary entrepreneurs and was a Venture Manager at the Creative Destruction Lab. She has a background in ecosystem development, incubation programming, and operations for entrepreneurs, mentors, and investors. Kristen holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen's University with a Certificate in Social Impact.

Davina MacPhail

Davina MacPhail

Investment Program Director

Davina began her career in microfinance impact research before expanding into banking to deepen her understanding of traditional financial institutions. She has worked in India, London, Paris, Taiwan, and Cambodia, having developed and fundraised for a social enterprise in the latter. Before coming to Spring, Davina worked for a social impact investing fund investing in social enterprises in Europe and Africa.

Heena Narula

Director of Customer Experience

Heena is an Engineer by qualification but a passionate Educator at heart. With a solid headstart at a prestigious fellowship with Teach for India, she was fortunate to understand the challenges that plague the public education system and then work in different capacities to provide quality learning experiences for the under-served children across the country. She enjoys designing transformational learning experiences for adults. At Spring, she leads instruction design for all our programs.

Olivia Hornby

Fund Manager

Olivia is a seasoned investment professional with over a dozen years of experience in asset management. Most recently, she was a VP at Goldman Sachs Asset Management in the Alternative Investments Manager Selection team. She has extensive experience working with institutional and individual investors. Her passion lies in connecting capital with purpose-led innovators.

Neema Rimber

Program Manager

Neema likes to think of herself as an amalgam. With a degree in Economics and International Relations from UBC where she was also a MasterCard Foundation Scholar, her academic background and values for support and engagement feed a keen interest in social impact and financial inclusion ventures, especially with underserved and equity-seeking communities. Her experience includes roles in impact measurement, competition policy and operations and logistics and she is excited to bring these intersectional experiences to support the Spring team as a Program Manager.

Lucy Cullen

Lucy Cullen

Program Manager

Lucy has worked in the hospitality industry for 10+ years, and founded two social enterprises in the food space. Before joining Spring, Lucy worked with Forward Food under Humane Society International/Canada which reduces the environmental impact of foodservice menus. She has been named Canada's Top 25 Under 25 Environmentalists twice, and Corporate Knight's Top 30 Under 30 in Sustainability. She is excited to help food entrepreneurs solve complex problems. In her spare time, Lucy enjoys writing and playing music on the piano and saxophone.

Tra My Pham

Program Manager

Tra My co-founded and scaled two startups in the retail sector. The first, Bisu Bisu, is a customizable accessories brand. The second, The Craft House, is an offline and online co-selling marketplace for e-commerce startups. At Spring, she finds a team with whom she can continue doing what she loves: supporting entrepreneurs along their journeys of product launches, pivots and growth.

Marlubi Gomez

Client Marketing Strategist

Marlubi has travelled the world wearing many hats such as actress, writer, marketer, journalist, and entrepreneur. Originally from Venezuela, Mar has developed a deep passion for human-centered design and how it can be used to transform the world through entrepreneurship. In Chile, she started her own modeling academy, helping young girls develop their confidence and self-esteem.

Mina Haghighi

Community Catalyst

Mina is entrepreneurially minded and passionate about start-up businesses. She supports entrepreneurs with fundraising and provides them with resources to successfully start their businesses. Mina is committed to building community and connecting like-minded individuals, She is passionate about providing education and access to resources for marginalized groups. She dedicates a portion of her time to volunteering and serving on boards of impact-focused organizations.

Adam Sperry

Program Associate

Adam is a classically-trained operatic tenor with over 10 years of formal training. His creative educational path has led to a spectrum of career experiences, including operations management, video game testing, residential and commercial renovations, and numerous admin positions with non-profits in the arts. Adam worked with the Covid-19 Help Hub in an effort to help those impacted by the pandemic. What started off as grocery shopping for those in isolation led to a deep passion for enacting social change.

Dil Bola

Program Associate

As a child of immigrants, Dil has always been very passionate about helping others. This led to her studying Political Science and World Religions with a focus in human rights at McGill University. She worked as a journalist for the university and for online publications both within Canada and outside of it. Eventually, she entered the tech industry as a marketing associate but wanted to return to her roots of helping create an impact which led her to Spring.

Selina Powszedny

Selina Powszedny

Program Associate

Selina has been passionate about protecting and caring for all beings since a young age. As a Program Associate at Spring, Selina supports the Investment Pillar to ensure the coordination, implementation and follow-up of investment programs run smoothly. She enjoys taking on challenges and learning new things, especially when she knows it is making an impact.

Gianina Yumul

Operations Assistant

Gianina has experience in account management, project coordination, marketing, events, and business development. She is a stalwart creative who is excited to grow with Spring. She holds a Bachelor's in Communication from the University of the Philippines and is currently taking up her diploma in Business Management at Langara College, Vancouver.

Portia Yip

Content Marketer

Portia believes everyone has a story worth telling. As a multi-passionate creative and entrepreneur, Portia loves supporting and empowering diverse businesses with their content. With over a decade of experience in many different fields (journalism, non-profit communications, screenwriting, digital marketing, copywriting and more) she looks forward to transforming ideas into flowy, impactful words that spark connection at Spring.

Somto Esomeju Employee Photo (1)

Somto Esomeju

Program Associate

Somto is a seasoned professional who has a passion for creating products that make a positive impact to society. Prior to joining spring, he worked as a product manager for some of the largest banks in Canada, sparking his hunger to make lives easier for customers and partners alike.

Christine Whiteside

Investment Network Consultant

A true startup enthusiast, Christine has worked with startups at all stages and industries. As an operator she is passionate about early stage companies, leading fundraising and business operations. Christine is a natural people leader and well-seasoned with the inner workings of corporate structure, having also spent some time in VC, she brings deep experience to founders and funders alike. She is excited to be joining Spring to further growth in the startup ecosystem in Canada and will be heading up Spring’s new Atlantic programs.

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Job Opening

Program Associate

We're looking a new Program Associate located in BC. Someone who is excited to support a diversity of our programs that support impact focused entrepreneurs & investors. This is an opportunity perfect for someone who is exceptionally well organized and excited to support impact investing ecosystems around the world. If you love the energy of a start-up environment and the opportunity to learn and tackle a range of challenges this could be a wonderful opportunity for you.

Advisors & Entrepreneurs in Residence

Fatima Kamenge

Entrepreneur In Residence

Fatima is a serial Entrepreneur and strategy consultant committed to empowering people through business development and financial independence. She is the Head of Social Ausum, a consulting firm on impact sustainability and financial resiliency for mission based social enterprise. She also holds multiple leadership, volunteer, committee and board positions. She calls Toronto home, but was born in Burundi. Fatima is passionate about community engagement, art and social Entrepreneurship

Matt Knight

Entrepreneur In Residence

Matt’s focuses are operations, growth and strategy for purpose-based companies and leaders. He started his career in operations and supply chain management with roles in energy, construction, and consumer goods. He then shifted to management consulting for SMEs and start-ups. He has led start-ups in the medical/wellness device, fintech and food/beverage sectors. Matt is currently a VP of Strategy & Operations, Co-Founder and an impact investor. Matt lives in Edmonton with his family.

Mike Winterfield - Spring EiR

Mike Winterfield

Advisor & Entrepreneur in Residence

Top 40 under 40. 20 years in the tech industry specializing in services companies and SaaS products. 14 years in various executive roles, most recently President of Traction Rec and COO at Traction on Demand. Mike has spent the last decade scaling companies from start-up to $300M by building high performing teams committed to core values. Avid lover of nature and any form of outdoor activity or experience.

Pankaj Bagga

Entrepreneur In Residence

Pankaj is a serial entrepreneur and successfully started Yes POS, UK Robotix, Digital Fogg, iSmart Campus, and E2Matrix Lab. Pankaj stays on the cutting-edge of technologies and has a passion for innovation. Pankaj supports UBC Open Robotics, Founder Institute, VC Fund, E@UBC, York Institute, and Newcomers Women’s program as a Social Impact Mentor. Pankaj is passionate about investing in entrepreneurs, helping them build businesses, creating more jobs, and supporting them in living their Canadian dream.

Pravin Pillay

Entrepreneur In Residence

Pravin previously served as an Executive-in-Residence with VIATEC, a leading tech venture accelerator, where he facilitated the development of innovative impact-driven start-ups. Pravin is a venture capitalist who, given the right impact opportunity, is ready to roll up his sleeves and contribute to any executive team, taking it to its next level of performance. He currently serves as the Managing Director of Humanitas Smart Planet Systems - a venture capital firm investing in climate tech and social tech SMEs.

Paul Burgener

Entrepreneur In Residence

Paul is a serial tech entrepreneur. He is a materials engineer, a Fellow in Canadian Certified Management Consultants, and specializes in commercializing technology. Starting and growing businesses from a solopreneurship to a large team is not foreign to him. He has worked for the Canadian National Research Council as a technology advisor to support growth, sustainability and access to government funding programs for over 400 companies. He currently lives in Nelson, BC with his family in a multigenerational home they built.

Sana Kapadia

Sana Kapadia

Advisor

Sana Kapadia is a world changer, champion of diversity and systems change. A Top 40 under 40 winner, she drives strategy and impact at Spring with her rich global background in impact Investing, equity research, and social entrepreneurship. Currently living in Germany, Sana is a mum of two adventurous trailblazers (under 4!), reads voraciously, loves traveling and wants to scuba dive with her beach-loving husband.

Sara Wang

Entrepreneur In Residence

Sara is a nominee of the 30th Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards, and the founder of VIV Coaching, focused on Change Management, Strategic Development, and Leadership. Sara has been a management executive and consultant for two decades. She has worked around the world and helped organizations develop global markets in both corporate and non-profit settings. She’s volunteering as a knowledge philanthropist and mentor at local non-profit organizations such as Vantage Point, WeBC, the Forum, the Women in Leadership Foundation, and entreprenuership@UBC.

Stephen R. Deller

Entrepreneur In Residence

Stephen is an experienced business owner, entrepreneur, mentor, and instructor. As co-founder of Rx Direct Inc. he disrupted the pharmacy sector with management, brand strategy and merchandising innovations. As a medical products manufacturer, he has imported, sold and distributed products on both retail and wholesale platforms across North America. At Embers Ventures, he mentored 100+ entrepreneurs to successful launch and beyond. Stephen is known for his market savvy, innovation, client appreciation and hands on approach.

Tehmina A. Chaudhry

Entrepreneur In Residence

Tehmina is a passionate entrepreneur with deep experience working with startups. She has worked in Sustainable Food, Startup Advisory & Women Entrepreneurship. She has built strong relationships in the Global Entrepreneurial EcoSystem and is involved with a various international organizations. She runs a Community of Women Entrepreneurs in Pakistan with over 7500 members in addition to her venture INSTA Foods. Everything Tehmina does echoes her purpose of giving back to the community and to the world.

We acknowledge that we are headquartered on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō, and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples, and as a global team we’d like to extend this acknowledgement to all those who have historically stewarded and nurtured the lands we live, work, and play on today.