Leadership
by Listening
“I will never underestimate the art of listening to our community — it has helped us achieve a great deal with a small team in a short time.”
— Emilie de Rosenroll, Group CEO, South Island Prosperity
Seven years ago, South Island Prosperity Partnership began with just two employees working out of a shared space at Ogden Point. We had a passion for regional economic development and a bold vision from the start, supported by a powerful coalition of 29 public and private stakeholders — municipalities, First Nations, private sector, industry and business associations, and nonprofits.
Since those Ogden Point days, SIPP has expanded our membership to 70+ and our team has doubled in size in just this last year alone. We’ve also hired three executive directors, launched two new major arms — the Indigenous Prosperity Centre (IPC) and the Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies (COAST) — and earned international awards for our work.
Back then, we couldn’t have imagined where we would be today because we didn’t have a specific end goal in mind — we followed a meaningful process to engage with people to set our future direction. SIPP’s growth has been organic, focusing on emerging needs and opportunities. This has led to a collaboratively-designed model that is achieving genuine impact.



And it’s being noticed outside our region. SIPP’s model was recently the subject of a one-year Community Economies pilot launched by the Shorefast Foundation with the Canadian Urban Institute, Community Foundations of Canada and the Coady Institute. The impact of SIPP’s collaborative model is also now the subject of a Case Study by the Centre of Social and Sustainable Innovation at UVic’s Gustavson School of Business.
SIPP is a credit to the whole region. The strengths we’ve developed over the years are the strengths of our members because they know that while it might seem faster to go it alone, we will all go that much farther when we do it together.
Throughout SIPP’s 7-year history, there have been many changes. But one thing that hasn’t changed is our core belief in the power of listening — and of incorporating what we hear — to every part of this incredible, diverse region so we know that what we do creates a lasting impact.
We are grateful to live and work on the territories of the Coast Salish and Nuu-Chah-Nulth peoples, who have thrived for millennia as the innovators, traders and stewards of these lands. We deeply value this connection.
These are the Lək̓ ʷəŋən speaking peoples (Xwsepsum [Esquimalt] and Songhees Nations), the W̱SÁNEĆ peoples (SȾÁUTW̱ – Tsawout, BOḰEĆEN – Pauquachin, W̱ JOȽEȽP – Tsartlip, W̱SIḴEM –Tseycum Nations, and MÁLEXEȽ – Malahat Nations), Scia’new Nation (Beecher Bay), T’Sou-ke Nation, and the Nuu-chah-nulth speaking peoples of the Pacheedaht Nation.
2022-23
SIPP’s Impact at a Glance
Our Members are
Economy Builders
70
90
Our Impact
Stewarding Regional Economic Recovery
- Through grants and investments, for every municipal $1.00 invested into SIPP, we turn that into $8.00 of non-municipal—Federal, Provincial, Industry—funding invested into key economic recovery projects (by 2024).
- Hired four new team members and created three new Executive Director positions
- Launched four flagship initiatives emerging from Reboot recommendations — IPC and COAST, Rising Economy and Victoria Rising
- Created the MicroStart web portal and marketing campaign with the University of Victoria and Royal Roads University, attracting 1,400+ students to micro-credential reskilling and upskilling with an 85% completion rate
- Evolving microcredentials into a program for Next Generation Climate Leadership (skills development to address clean energy transitions, adopting clean technologies etc.) with support from Coast Capital Savings
Our Impact
Building B.C. into a Blue Economy Leader
- Announced $2M in funding from B.C.’s Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund (in collaboration with IPC)
- Helped catalyze a 70% year-over-year increase in B.C.’s. ocean and marine tech startups, giving B.C. the highest rate of net new startups in Canada
- Mentored 13 B.C. entrepreneurs through COAST Venture Accelerator Program (CVAP) and the Ocean Startup Project and awarded funding to 6 startups
- Collaborated with 130+ COAST associate members to establish facilities, programming and projects to support growth in Pacific Canada
Our Impact
Supporting an Indigenous-Led Vision of Prosperity
- Announced $2M in funding from B.C.’s Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund (in collaboration with COAST)
- Confirmed multi-year funding from Vancity and CIBC, as well as significant sponsorship from Shorefast Foundation
- Launched an Indigenous Intellectual Property study funded by the Innovation Asset Collective using Cowichan/Salish sweater as a focal area
- Worked with regional stakeholders to develop the Indigenous Business Directory, featuring more than 50 South Island Indigenous businesses
Our Impact
Attracting Business and Talent to Greater Victoria
- Hosted numerous international business delegations from markets such as Norway, Portugal, the U.S. and the U.K.
- Entered pre-launch phase of Victoria Rising, a regional cross-sector business and talent marketing initiative launching in Fall 2023
- Facilitated 12 sector committees and 6 sector focus groups and engaged with 400+ community members across Greater Victoria to ensure an authentic regional brand
- Consulted with municipal representatives region-wide to create community profiles showcasing local business assets and opportunities
Our Impact
Collaborating with Municipalities
- Hosted 120 attendees, including 50+ mayors and councillors, at Local Leadership Day 2022 to explore key issues affecting the region
- Convened 10 Municipal Partner Committee meetings to keep an open dialogue with local elected officials
- Completed 7 direct council presentations and hosted 1 All-Council Orientation session
- Assisted several municipalities with economic development planning, including Esquimalt, Sidney, Saanich and Victoria
Our Impact
Showcasing Thought Leadership
- 600+ Rising Economy Conference participants in 2022
- 1,400+ Overall attendance SIPP’s video podcasts — Rising Economy, Ideas & Impact, COAST Talks and the Indigenous Prosperity Podcast
- 25 Networking events hosted by SIPP, IPC and COAST
Our Impact
Broadening Engagement
- Group CEO Emilie de Rosenroll was selected to present at the 2022 OECD International Conference on SMEs and the Urban Fabric in Trento, Italy
- SIPP presented at the Victoria Foundation’s Vital Signs launch, IMPAC5 International Marine Protected Areas Congress, Financial Management Institute of Canada (Victoria) Conference, Business Improvement Areas of BC Conference, Indigenomics SHE Conference and Royal Roads Student Sustainability Conference
- SIPP participated in the Victoria Industry Arts & Innovation District Working Group, presenting on Indigenous Economic Reconciliation and Innovation Districts in the Post-Pandemic Economy
- SIPP was invited to become a member of the UVic Strategic Planning Advisory Committee (SPAG) to update the University’s new multi-year strategic plan
Our Impact
Gaining Recognition for the Region
- SIPP CEO Emilie de Rosenroll was named as a Western Canada finalist for RBC’s Women of Influence Awards 2022
- SIPP completed its involvement as one of 4 prototype communities in the Communities Economies pilot launched by Shorefast Foundation with Community Foundations of Canada, Coady Institute and Canadian Urban Institute
- SIPP and its branches received media coverage in the Times Colonist, Douglas magazine, Financial Post, CHEK News, CTV, Ottawa Citizen, Vancouver Sun, Capital Daily, Yahoo Finance, the Vancouver and Victoria Tech Journals, Victoria News and more.
Our Impact
Focusing on Sustainable Solutions
- Partnered in the Accelerating Community Energy Transformation (ACET), a UVic-led initiative to help small- to mid-sized communities achieve their unique clean-energy goals
- Published Turning the Tide: Accelerating BC Leadership in Green Marine Transportation led by VI3Hub. The report emerged from a Decarbonization Design Lab hosted by SIPP at Rising Economy 2021.
- Through COAST, we are engaging in mapping the regional blue economy ecosystem and setting an ESG baseline
- Through IPC, we are engaging with First Nations on marine stewardship around major issues like climate change, pollution and invasive species
Our Strategy
SIPP continues to focus our energy and resources on fulfilling the goals established in the four pillars of our Rising to Resilience Three-Year Strategic Plan, now entering its final year.
Our four priority areas are:
Our Strategy in Action
Pillar 1 – Committed Leadership & Public Engagement
SIPP hosted our 3rd annual Rising Economy Conference in November 2022. This 3-day in-person and virtual event attracted businesses, government and community leaders to explore solutions to major challenges like housing shortages, climate change, economic diversification and the impact of AI. The 2022 conference hosted A-list speakers, including Shachi Kurl of the Angus Reid Institute and Dr. Jennifer Gardy of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Pillar 1
Rising Economy Conference
That first Rising Economy conference has grown into a full-fledged thought leadership initiative that includes the Rising Economy conference (now entering its 4th year), Local Leadership Day, the Rising Economy podcast and monthly CHEK News spotlights featuring local people and organizations on the rise.
By bringing leaders and changemakers together to explore key issues, Rising Economy continues to positively and actively impact the regional agenda for a more resilient, innovative, sustainable and equitable (RISE) economy.
The future is on the RISE!” — Jonathan Do, Vice-President, Commercial Financial Services, Vancouver Island, RBC
“Spectacular speakers, great venue, wonderful food and atmosphere. [Rising Economy is a] 5-star experience!” – Patrick Robbins, Senior Client Relationship Manager & Market Lead, Scotiabank

– Patrick Robbins, Senior Client Relationship Manager & Market Lead, Scotiabank
Pillar 2 – Invest in Innovation Ecosystems
It’s been a year of strong momentum for COAST, Pacific Canada’s hub for the sustainable blue economy, as we pursue the goal of building B.C. into a global leader in the rapidly-growing blue economy, creating new sustainable, export-driven jobs and enterprises.
Pillar 2
Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies
This year, COAST engaged internationally in trade relations with Norway, Portugal, the U.S., and the U.K. to explore how Canadian SMEs can export or partner with innovators abroad. We also hosted an international networking event at IMPACT5, the 5th International Marine Protected Areas Congress.
Nationally, COAST deepened our engagement with Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, hosting the Supercluster’s national tour in Victoria in 2022. We also continued our partnership with the Ocean Startup Project (OSP) as the national NGO’s Pacific Coast partner. Supported by two Ocean Ecosystem Navigator positions funded by OSP, we work with early-stage entrepreneurs in ocean and marine technologies to deliver on OSP projects in B.C. This partnership has led to a 235% increase (year over year) in engagement from B.C. companies in OSP’s national programs. This successful partnership has also contributed to the creation of 15 new startup companies and 20 new jobs in B.C. after just one year.
With the 2023 hiring of Jason Goldsworthy as Executive Director, COAST continues accelerating its growth with an ambitious Catalyst Phase Plan to develop B.C. as a world-class innovation hub for ocean and marine technologies. We also launched COAST Venture Acceleration Program with VIATEC and Innovate BC to prepare new West Coast ocean tech startups for success.
“The COAST Mixer at IMPAC5 in Vancouver in January 2023 illustrated how far the Canadian oceantech community had come in the previous year…B.C. now has the second-largest marine startup community in the country, surpassing Newfoundland and Labrador. — 2022 Canadian Oceantech Data Report by Peter Moreira, Entrevestor

– Josie Osborne, B.C. Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, Spring 2023 funding announcement for COAST
Pillar 3 – Invest in Inclusion and the Future Workforce
The year has been one of foundation building for the Indigenous Prosperity Centre (IPC), a SIPP branch launched in 2021 to support Indigenous-led economic development on Southern Vancouver Island and across B.C. IPC is committed to self-determined, multi-generational prosperity that honours community well-being and values.
Pillar 3
Indigenous Prosperity Centre
With the 2022 hiring of Executive Director Christina Clarke, IPC continues forming deeper relationships and partnerships to cultivate Indigenous-led prosperity. To emphasize storytelling as an engagement strategy, IPC hired an Indigenous Communications Specialist in 2022 and launched the Indigenous Prosperity Podcast.
IPC is exploring systemic barriers and ways to support Indigenous businesses and makers. IPC initiated the Accelerating Indigenous Procurement project to streamline federal government procurement with Indigenous suppliers to test, refine and launch a modernized approach. We also collaborated with community partners to develop and promote the Indigenous Business Directory for the Capital Region. This year, another vital aspect of IPC’s work is our launch of the Intellectual Property (IP) study exploring systemic barriers to protecting Indigenous traditional knowledge.
To demonstrate and celebrate Indigenous leadership in the blue economy, IPC hosted the inaugural First Nation Marine Stewardship Flotilla in partnership with 9 First Nations. This Flotilla highlights First Nations’ importance in monitoring, cleaning and protecting the Pacific Coast and its waters.

— Susanne Thiessen, Assistant Professor, School of Public Administration, University of Victoria
Pillar 4 – Tell Our New Story
A regional economy that is resilient and innovative needs to address gaps and shifting demographics. Doing this means positioning Southern Vancouver Island as a favoured destination for companies, capital and talent to fulfill the need for a highly skilled workforce in the healthcare, construction and technology sectors.
Pillar 4
Victoria Rising
This is the impetus for Tell Our New Story, an initiative that emerged from a key recommendation in Reboot: Greater Victoria’s Economic Recovery Plan, published by SIPP in 2020. In this report, several Rising Economy Taskforce committees recognized the need for a regional promotion strategy for talent and business attraction to position Greater Victoria to meet post-pandemic challenges. Following an extensive process that included consultations with 12 sector groups, 6 focus groups, 10 member municipalities and 400 individuals representing a diversity of age groups, genders and cultural backgrounds, the new “Victoria Rising” platform will launch in late fall 2023.
This multi-sector, multi-community regional brand box and promotional platform for talent and business attraction includes a website, shareable brand assets and marketing tools. This collaborative effort of SIPP, VIATEC, the DVBA and others will position Greater Victoria and its subregions to attract the people, businesses and entrepreneurs drawn to our regional vision and the sector opportunities that align with it.

— Tim Moonen, Co-Founder & Managing Director, The Business of Cities
About SIPP
Who We Are
South Island Prosperity Partnership (SIPP) is Southern Vancouver Island’s mandated economic development agency. Launched in 2016, SIPP is a public-private partnership of 10 municipal governments, 9 First Nations, 3 post-secondaries, major employers, nonprofits and industry associations.
As stewards of Greater Victoria’s economic development strategy, we collaborate across sectors and municipalities to open doors to opportunity, accelerate innovation, drive the creation of household-supporting jobs and grow regional economic and social prosperity for current and future generations.
SIPP has several arms focused on creating a resilient, innovative, sustainable and equitable (RISE) economy. These include the Indigenous Prosperity Centre, the Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies (COAST) and our emerging Community Economies Hub.
Our Member Ecosystem
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT
SIPP partners with 10 municipal governments on the South Island in a collaborative regional approach to economic development that benefits each community.
FIRST NATIONS
We partner with 9 South Island First Nations to help build economic capacity and collaboratively support Indigenous-led economic development through the Indigenous Prosperity Centre.
POST-SECONDARY
SIPP’s educational partners include the University of Victoria, Royal Roads University and Camosun College, with whom we collaborate to strengthen and highlight our region’s innovation and learning culture.
PRIVATE SECTOR
SIPP’s business partners are economy builders and leaders in sectors from transportation and tech to finance and urban development.
THE PUBLIC
SIPP collaborates to build an innovative, diversified and inclusive economy, with a high quality of life and household-sustaining jobs for our children – and their children.
NON-PROFITS & ASSOCIATIONS
SIPP collaborates with NGOs and business associations to foster economic development initiatives that benefit the entire community and contribute to a better quality of life.
Our Members
SIPP’s 70+ members are a dynamic cross-section of municipal and First Nation governments, businesses, and industry and community organizations throughout Southern Vancouver Island. Our members value being part of an economic development organization committed to attracting opportunities to strengthen the economy across the South Island region and creating the conditions for a resilient, innovative, sustainable and equitable future.
Our Vision
We envision Greater Victoria as a globally fluent and resilient metropolitan city-region, full of potential and open to transformation.
We are a fusion of cultures and geographies, rooted in the traditional lands of the Coast Salish peoples and connected to the rest of Canada, the Pacific Northwest and the world. Our region collectively takes bold steps to nurture a more innovative, diversified, inclusive and sustainable economy.
Our Values
What People Are Saying About Us
“We believe SIPP is making a difference in our community by leading the diversification of our economy — and creating a more resilient economy. We are proud to collaborate with SIPP on projects including the Vital Victoria data hub and the Shorefast Initiative to build a strong community economy.”
— Sandra Richardson, CEO, Victoria Foundation
“We believe the architecture for collaboration SIPP has developed holds important learnings that are relevant to communities across Canada.” — Zita Cobb, Shorefast Foundation Founder & CEO
“The University of Victoria has been a part of SIPP since the beginning, and it has become a vital organization for our region. At UVic, we strive to connect more deeply with our community, and SIPP provides us a unique platform and an opportunity to do just that. It also provides a forum to work with partners, explore bold ideas, build on successes and develop forward-thinking, innovative solutions, ensuring the economic and social prosperity of our region.” — Kevin Hall, President, University of Victoria
“We joined the South Island Prosperity Partnership because we found significant alignment between Vancity and SIPP’s commitment to economic growth with a social lens … through SIPP, we were able to forge important connections with local residents, businesses and community organizations, municipalities and the Indigenous communities that call the South Island region home.” — Michelle Laviolette, Director, Indigenous Banking Strategy, Vancity
“Joining South Island Prosperity Partnership offered Hazelwood a unique opportunity to engage with other South Island businesses, First Nations and community leaders. As members, we have a unique opportunity to collaborate and play an active role in the long-term success of our region.” — Tom Richey, Business Development Manager, Hazelwood Group of Companies
“SIPP’s unique approach to economic development – forming an alliance of municipal governments, First Nations governments, industry and business associations, institutional partners, nonprofits, and private businesses – provides a comprehensive view into the needs of the community. This partnership opens the door to better collaboration and collective focus on our shared goal to increase prosperity throughout Greater Victoria. — Marshall Berkin, Vice-President of Industry Solutions, TELUS Business
“We joined SIPP for a simple reason: building prosperity is not a spectator sport! We believe in the important work it takes to build vibrant communities, and joining SIPP is one of the ways we contribute to that cause. We find that the relationships among the actors — and the robust conversations we are part of — fuel our contribution further. We live here and we want the South Island to feel great for all, so our motivation started high and has only gone up.” — Ehren Lee, Strategy Consultant for Urban Systems
“One of the driving forces behind SIPP is enabling our members to build a life in the Greater Victoria Area. Supporting the families and households that make up the Defence Team of CFB Esquimalt underpins much of what we do at the Base, and we look forward as an organization to contributing to this worthy and essential effort.” — Capt(N) Jeff Hutchinson, Base Commander, CFB Esquimalt
Thought Leadership

IPC Podcast
The Indigenous Prosperity podcast explores the opportunities projects and businesses within South Vancouver Island’s Indigenous economy — and the people and Nations leading the way to Indigenous-led prosperity.

Rising Economy Podcast
Rising Economy is an exciting new podcast series featuring local and global thought leaders and change-makers whose transformative ideas and bold insights are shaping our economy and society’s future.

Coast Talks
Presented by the Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies, COAST Talks is a virtual speaker series that explores ocean-based topics, features thought leaders from Pacific Canada and around the globe, and creates a forum for exploring ideas as we develop our blue economy hub and cluster here in British Columbia.

Design Lab
During Rising Economy Week, SIPP and UVic’s VI3Hub co-hosted a Design Lab with 75 stakeholders and. Using a design-thinking process, the Lab explored ways to help BC Ferries’ accelerate towards its goal of fully electrifying its terminals and Island Class vessels. The result was Turning the Tide, a landmark report co-produced by VI3Hub and SIPP.

Executive Leadership Roundtables
Hosted by our CEO, this curated dinner series bring members together to share ideas and explore issues affecting our region.

Canada’s Leading Economists
SIPP periodically invites economic thought leaders, including chief economists of leading financial institutions, to present on emerging trends in the Canadian economy.
Commitment to People and the Planet
At SIPP, we are passionate about supporting an inclusive and sustainable culture and economy on Southern Vancouver Island. This begins in our workplace. In 2021, we joined Canada’s 50 – 30 Diversity Challenge to guide the growth of diversity in our organization and ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to grow, achieve and thrive.
By 2022, SIPP’s Board surpassed the goals of the 50 – 30 Challenge for at least 50% women and/or non-binary people and 30% people from underrepresented groups, including racialized and Indigenous Peoples. We are embedding these 50-30 diversity principles into SIPP’s Advisory Boards and Committees.
We are also deeply committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which recognize that development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability. We’ve prioritized incorporating the SDG values into every branch of our organization, including the Indigenous Prosperity Centre and COAST.
Our Board of Directors
Our members elect SIPP’s Board of Directors to reflect diversity and leadership throughout the South Island region. Directors are chosen based on their competency and skill in alignment with our commitment to Canada’s 50 – 30 Challenge.
Our 2022-23 Board of Directors:

Frank Bourree
Chair

Jennifer Vornbrock
Vice-Chair

Geoff Wilmshurst
Director

Dr. Susanne Theissen
Director

Sonterra Ross
Director

Lindalee Brougham
Director

Peter Cowan
Director

Anthony Payne
Board Director

Basma Majerbi
Director

Suzanne Bradbury
Director

Terry Gunning
Director

Kear Porttris
Director
Our Team
During the past year, SIPP’s team has doubled as we’ve expanded to include COAST and IPC plus a host of exciting new projects. To move with maximum innovation and agility, we embrace a cross-functional model that allows for increased collaboration, diverse perspectives and improved problem-solving. At the heart of all our work is heart — a passion for Southern Vancouver Island, the people who call it home and our future together.
Our cross-functional team includes:

Emilie de Rosenroll
Group CEO

Dallas Gislason
Executive Director, Community Economies

Christina Clarke
Executive Director, Indigenous Prosperity Centre

Jason Goldsworthy
Executive Director, Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies Economies (COAST)

Kieran Buggy
Director of Operations

Kerry Slavens
Director of Public Relations & Engagement

Mena Bhavsar
Events Manager (SIPP, COAST and IPC)

Amanda Wilson
Marketing & Communications Manager (COAST and IPC)

Benjamin Wagg
Digital Communications Specialist

Tarrin Sam
Indigenous Communications Specialist (IPC)

Ashutosh Sharma
Ocean Ecosystem Navigator (COAST)