Our Team

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

Keith Ippel

CEO & Co-founder

With over 25 years experience as a leader in technology & 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

Chief Operating Officer

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.

Leah Penrose

People Operations Manager

Leah (she/her) is the first People Operations Manager at Spring! She brings with her experience of having created the People Department at one of Canada’s Top 25 Fastest Growing Companies and a passion for life-long learning, authentic leadership, and thriving employee experiences for true belonging. Leah holds the International Coaching Federation ACC level for her certified organizational and team coaching, Human Resource Management Certification, Change Management Certification, and is a CPHR Candidate.

Gerri Barrera

Business Development Manager

With a love for art and nature, Gerri launched her first business as a wedding florist in Southern California. After six years of leading small service and retail businesses, she pursued an MBA in search of a community that valued practices that are both impact-driven and scalable. At Spring, she combines a mix of strategic planning and entrepreneurial hustle to reach and support all stakeholders in the impact ecosystem.

Luan Tolosa

Senior Program Operations Manager

Luan Tolosa is an entrepreneur, advisor, and passionate believer that anything is possible. She started her career in commercial real estate and after completing her MBA and Certificate in Social Impact, she started her own entrepreneurial journey with her first company SEWT, and as a consultant helping other entrepreneurs realize their vision. At Spring, Luan helps impact-driven entrepreneurs succeed through the leadership of Spring projects and programs from design to delivery to evaluation.

Mari Mathews

Program 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.

Josephine Kwan

Program Manager

Josephine believes we all have the power to write our own story which is why she is passionate about helping others discover their potential. As the founder of Flow 2 Freedom Apparel and with over a decade of commercial real estate and consulting experience, she will assist entrepreneurs at Spring to navigate through the process and growth of their own business journeys.

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.

Allison Gibson

Program Manager

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 Manager 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.

Tina Ippel

Operations Manager

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!