why Spur?

Hilary believes that impactful engagement means including – and genuinely making space for – diverse experiences and perspectives. An expert facilitator, engagement practitioner and storyteller, she has a knack for designing thought-provoking campaigns and facilitating constructive community dialogue, especially when the stakes are high.

She is a multi-award-winning strategist with a decade of industry experience. She specializes in public sector projects and has worked with all levels of government on diverse and progressive initiatives across the health, education, infrastructure and transportation sectors.

Hilary is a perfectionist, extrovert and empath. This means her clients feel assured, engaged and understood.

Hilary lives on the stolen and unceded territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations. She takes an intersectional and anti-colonial approach to facilitation and project design, recognizing the immense privilege of working on and learning from these lands.

Natalie believes in the power of stories. She loves how they inform us, persuade us and connect us. She is passionate about unearthing compelling narratives that inspire positive action. An expert in strategic communication, Natalie excels in multi-channel campaigns and complex initiatives that aim to engage diverse audiences.

Over her 12 years of experience, Natalie’s work has earned attention locally, provincially, nationally and internally. She specializes in work in the non-profit and social impact sectors and has also collaborated with all levels of government on education, health and transportation initiatives.

Natalie is an uninvited guest on the unceded territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations. She aims to approach her work with cultural humility. She is committed to continually learning, unlearning and relearning what it means to approach her work in ways that advance decolonization and reconciliation.

Zaqir believes in the beauty of simple systems. He sees every outcome as the product of a creative system, and constantly strives to build better structures for more dynamic means. A renaissance-man of the agency world, Zaqir brings a multi-faceted approach that spans creative, development, business analysis, and leadership to connect with his clients and teams.

Over the last decade, Zaqir has worked with governments, charities, education, and retail organizations to develop campaigns, brands, and digital systems. His work has ranged from shaping service design engagements with provincial and federal governments to ad strategy for national brands. He’s built and led multiple marketing, creative, and business analysis teams, and gets a lot of his energy from helping folks grow in their work.

Zaqir lives on the traditional territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations, and continuously seeks to better engage, learn, and un-learn through his work.

Dhaneva is a facilitator, intercultural educator and communication and engagement expert committed to building inclusive, equitable and just organizations. She works at the intersection of climate and equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and is committed to leveraging the opportunity before us to meaningfully address some of our equity and reconciliation challenges. She has worked with and in all three levels of government and supported many national initiatives in transportation, climate, environmental stewardship, reconciliation and EDI.

Originally from Ontario, now living on the traditional and stolen lands of the K’ómoks Peoples on Vancouver Island, she believes that communities know what they need best, that no single sector holds the monopoly on solutions, and that our duty as professionals and as people is to prioritize (un)learning.

Henry believes in connecting people to services and organizations through caring, needs-centred engagement and communication. As an immigrant and member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, he brings perspectives from the private sector, unions, and not-for-profits, along with municipal and federal government experience from across New Zealand and Canada. 

Over his career, he has focused on municipal, national and community issues by centring the needs of people and the growth of communities in communication, whether that is through growing digital literacy and access to technology in under-serviced communities, giving space to Indigenous stories through award-winning podcasts or celebrating the work of the crews in BC’s film industry. Henry loves the intersection between urban infrastructure, clever design and the benefit and energy that brings to communities pitching in and growing together. Working on a Heritage Minute within a year of being in the country is a career highlight for Henry (even if he didn’t realize what it meant at the time).

Henry occupies the unceded territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.

Alexa is a passionate social justice advocate. She believes in the value of lived experience and sees meaningful engagement as a tool for amplifying diverse voices. As an equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) strategist, she is committed to advancing action-based outcomes with and for equity-deserving communities. 

Alexa has expertise in community-driven research, strategic project design and engagement with diverse audiences. She is skilled in data analysis (both quantitative and qualitative), report development, and writing to inform policy and social change. She has been recognized in academia and the non-profit sector for her ability to bridge research with advocacy. Alexa applies her intersectional lens to city-making and community building as part of the Board of Directors for Women Transforming Cities. 

Alexa resides on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations. She is grateful to be on these lands and is dedicated to applying a decolonial and anti-oppressive lens to her work through continuous (un)learning and self-reflexivity.

Stephanie is a graphic artist who is passionate about working at the intersections of design and social good to influence positive social change. As a skilled illustrator with a keen understanding of, and appreciation for, aesthetic best practices, she consistently brings forth impactful, relevant design solutions with a careful consideration of the platforms on which they will live.

With over eight years of design experience, a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design from BCIT and Bachelor’s Degree in Business & Marketing from the University of the Fraser Valley, Stephanie earned her stripes working with international brands like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Tesla. Specializing in graphic design, graphic design,  illustration, brand development and visual storytelling, she has worked for a variety of non-profit, public and private organizations such as Anne Arundel County, BC Ferries, the City of Calgary, the City of Edmonton, Metro Vancouver, Young Women in Business and Harbour Air.

Stephanie lives and works on the traditional lands of the Stó:lō people, including the traditional territories of the Leq’á:mel, Semá:th, Kwantlen, Sq’éwlets, Máthexwi, and Katzie people.

Jaclyn is a Vancouver based graphic designer, web designer, and illustrator specializing in visual identity design and branding. She enjoys working with a diverse range of clients to solve complex design problems through visual storytelling, and to uncover compelling brand narratives.

Jaclyn’s approach to design is uniquely informed by her Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from UBC’s School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), as well as a Bachelor’s degree in agricultural sciences. Her combined background in science and design gives her a unique perspective on visual problem solving. She has had the opportunity to create compelling graphics for a variety of clients and projects, from non-profit campaigns to large transportation initiatives like the Surrey Langley SkyTrain Station project.

Jaclyn lives and works curiously and respectfully on the traditional and unceded lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) peoples.