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Karina Birch
Rocky Mountain Soap Company, CEO
Karina Birch is the co-owner and CEO of Rocky Mountain Soap Company, a Canadian natural beauty brand headquartered in Canmore, Alberta. Since acquiring the company in 2000 with her husband, Cam Baty, she has transformed it from a small local shop into a nationally recognized enterprise. Today, Rocky Mountain Soap operates over a dozen retail stores across Canada and maintains a 25,000 sq. ft. workshop in Canmore, where all products are formulated and manufactured in-house
Karina holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of Alberta and completed the Owner/President Management (OPM) program at Harvard Business School in 2017. Her leadership style emphasizes authenticity and resilience, fostering a company culture that values creativity, environmental stewardship, and community engagement. Under her guidance, Rocky Mountain Soap has remained committed to using only natural ingredients, with a focus on sustainability and ethical production practices.
Beyond her business endeavours, Karina is actively involved in philanthropic initiatives. She supports organizations such as Fast and Female and Spirit North, which aim to empower girls and Indigenous youth through sports and physical activity . Karina's dedication to both her company and community has made her a prominent figure in Canada's natural beauty industry.
Workshops
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Philip Lozano
Be Local YYC
Manager of Be Local YYC, with almost 10 years of experience working in social enterprise, with a focus on community and grassroot initiatives
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Tonya Surman
Centre for Social Innovation, CEO
Tonya Surman is a leading Canadian social entrepreneur and founding CEO of the Centre for Social Innovation (CSI). She’s known for creating visionary ideas, collaborative models, and spaces that drive systemic change. Tonya co-developed the Constellation Model and the Community Bond, which has raised over $10M to support social purpose real estate. Under her leadership, CSI has supported 6000+ changemakers. She also founded Social Innovation Canada, uniting innovators nationwide. Tonya is an award-winning leader recognized by Ashoka, the Trillium Foundation, and others.
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Adrienne Furrie
Adrienne Furrie Beauty
Professional makeup artist and beauty brand founder with over 20 years of experience working in beauty, fashion, and business
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Michelle Lee
Mount Royal University
Coordinator of StartWork at MRU, supporting refugees and newcomers through inclusive employment and social innovation
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Laura Keating Elske
People & Planet Consulting
Decision strategist, facilitator, and community builder with expertise in structured decision-making
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Kira Hunt
Adaptive Ecosystems
Landscape technologist, biomimicry researcher, and artist with a broad range of knowledge that includes urban planning, ecology, biology, design, machining, and mapmaking.
moreKarina Birch
Rocky Mountain Soap Company, CEO
Karina Birch is the co-owner and CEO of Rocky Mountain Soap Company, a Canadian natural beauty brand based in Canmore, Alberta. Since taking over the business in 2000, she has grown it from a small shop into a national brand with over a dozen retail locations and a 25,000 sq. ft. workshop where all products are made in-house. Karina is known for her authentic leadership and commitment to sustainability, natural ingredients, and community. She is also a strong supporter of youth-focused initiatives like Fast and Female and Spirit North.
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Barb Rallison
Institute for Community Prosperity / MRU / StartWork
Social innovator, community economic development leader, and impact investor with deep roots in Moh’kinsstsis and Métis-settler heritage, working at the intersection of systems change, equity, and place-based prosperity.
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