WHO WE ARE

WHO WE ARE

OUR STORY

Supporting impact sector organizations to adopt enterprising approaches that
strengthen communities and the social economy.

Vision: Scale Collaborative envisions a thriving, connected and abundant social change sector.

Mission: Scale Collaborative helps organizations transform through coaching, consulting, programs, and capacity building, and creates system-level change by increasing access to resources and capital.

Scale Collaborative Directors

ABOUT US

Founded in 2014, we initially set out to support community-level initiatives to scale up for greater impact. We quickly found that many initiatives were met with uncertainty due to changing funding models and a lack of resources and capacity to scale. We shifted to explore how non-profits could become more independent, resilient, and impactful. Financial independence and diversification are key to resilient organizations that are able to scale and increase impact.

We support leaders, organizations, and public institutions to incorporate enterprising and impactful approaches to strengthen local communities and the social economy. We’ve written countless grants, managed complex teams, developed social enterprises, acquired real estate, and negotiated corporate partnerships. Our team has a track record of entrepreneurial thinking and doing, and strengthening the organizations that have hired us or participated in our programs. We’ve done it all – just like many non-profit leaders. We love this sector and we see the opportunity for change everywhere.

Since we started, we have worked with hundreds of organizations through our Thriving Non-Profits program and sector support initiatives, convened the Social Enterprise Catalyst, became delivery partners of the British Columbia Social Procurement Initiative, and launched Thrive Impact Fund, the first British Columbia-focused impact investment fund. In June 2019, Scale became the owners of theDock – Centre for Social Impact, a community space for social entrepreneurship, coworking and community gathering, innovative programs, and events. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Scale partnered with community allies to support 50+ non-profits and charities through ‘Survive & Recover’ with a focus on financial resilience.

OUR IMPACT

Scale Impact Report 2021

2022 was a breath of fresh air—COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, many people opted to work in-person again at theDock – Centre for Social Impact, Thriving Non-Profits and the British Columbia Social Procurement Initiative expanded to new communities, and Thrive Impact Fund made investments into impactful social enterprises. It was a year of developing new projects and programs, and the evolution of others.

Read the Scale Collaborative 2022 Impact Report to see how we supported social impact sector growth and impact.

2021 was a busy year for Scale as we welcomed seven new team members, expanded our programming and initiatives, and launched Thrive Impact Fund.

Read the 2021 Scale Collaborative Impact Report to see how we supported social impact sector growth and impact.

Scale Collaborative 2021 Impact Report

OUR TEAM

Our team brings a wide range of impact sector expertise to support your organization at any stage of your journey

KRISTI RIVAIT
KRISTI RIVAITDIRECTOR, PARTNERSHIPS & PROGRAMS
Kristi Rivait (KR) is a social entrepreneur with over ten years of executive-level experience. Kristi was the Director of Fund Development for Vision Vancouver for the 2008 municipal election. From 2010-2014, Kristi was the Executive Director of Oaklands Community Centre where she acquired real estate, started a social enterprise and doubled the organization’s revenue. In 2014, Kristi co-founded Scale Collaborative with Kristi Fairholm Mader. Kristi brings years of experience managing cross-sector partnerships, from local campaigns to national level networks.
KRISTI FAIRHOLM MADER
KRISTI FAIRHOLM MADERDIRECTOR, INNOVATION & INITIATIVES
Kristi Fairholm Mader (KFM) has always worked in the social impact sector. After returning to school to complete a business degree, Kristi began exploring social enterprise and enterprising approaches to social change and founded several social enterprise initiatives, including The Cleaning Solution. In 2014, Kristi co-founded Scale Collaborative to support the growth of the social economy sector on Vancouver Island and beyond. Within Scale’s family of organizations, KFM is the Managing Director of Thrive Impact Fund. She also is the Project Manager for the BC Social Procurement Initiative. Kristi lives in Victoria with her husband, 2 children and a very lazy husky.
LEE HERRIN
LEE HERRINDIRECTOR, COACHING & CONSULTING
Lee has worked in management and leadership roles in both public sector and non-profit environments for over 20 years. Lee also has more than 20 years of experience serving on boards of directors including 15+ years chairing non-profits. In any setting, Lee is always focused on identifying opportunities for growth and greater impact. He has deep experience with social enterprise development, social purpose conversion of community businesses, acquiring and developing social purpose real estate, and developing organizational strategies for impact.
ROB FISHER
ROB FISHERPROGRAM MANAGER
Originally from London, UK Rob has over fifteen years of experience managing, developing and delivering programs for federal and provincial governments. He has worked in the fields of immigration, public safety and business engagement in the UK, US and Canada. Now keenly focused on building community capital in the non-profit and social enterprise sector, Rob works with local businesses, non-profits, social enterprises and government organizations to help build the resiliency and capacity required to address the issues faced by our communities today.
JAMIL BHIMJI
JAMIL BHIMJIFINANCIAL ANALYST AND IMPACT COORDINATOR
Jamil recently completed his Bachelor of Commerce, during which he started a student-led investment fund. Previously, Jamil has worked in public accounting and with a Victoria-based sustainable start-up. He brings skills in conducting due diligence analysis, risk analysis, impact assessments, and building tailored financial models. In his spare time, Jamil enjoys spending quality time with friends and camping.
FERNANDA MARTINEZ
FERNANDA MARTINEZBRAND COORDINATOR
Fernanda was born and raised in Puebla, Mexico and has lived in Canada since 2020. She has an undergraduate degree in graphic design with a specialty in editorial design and an MA in communications. Fernanda has over seven years of project management experience in the printing sector, where she sharpened the creative skills she employs as the Brand Coordinator at Scale Collaborative. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, creating digital illustrations, and finding inspiration in the beautiful British Columbian scenery.
JACQUELINE ROSS
JACQUELINE ROSSMARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
Jacqueline has over a decade of marketing experience in the retail sector and is now on a mission to ignite change in Canada’s social impact landscape. She dedicates her expertise to Scale Collaborative’s family of organizations, with dynamic marketing and communication strategies. She’s also engaged within her community, frequently volunteering her time with several neighbourhood organizations. A recent transplant from Toronto, ON, Jacqueline came to Victoria, BC to be near her family. She loves exploring Vancouver Island, whether it’s a tucked-away beach, a cozy café, or a stunning hiking trail, and is always in search of hidden gems.
CECILIA LUNA
CECILIA LUNAPROGRAM ASSISTANT
Originally from Mexico, Cecilia (Ceci) has lived in Canada since 2021. She is a marketing professional with four years of project management and customer support experience in the health sector. She holds a Diploma in Business Administration from the University of Victoria. Ceci also volunteers with local non-profit organizations that are supporting other newcomers. When she is not working, she enjoys dancing and eating.
SARAH ADAMS
SARAH ADAMSIMPACT ENGAGEMENT LEADER
Sarah combines a masters of business management, with 25 years in research, analysis, and process improvements in the private and public sectors. She spent seven years in the software industry, with roles in implementation, release management, product management, and senior leadership. Sarah believes people can creatively address critical challenges when given an opportunity to clearly see reality, think widely, and experiment. She brings this approach to Scale, working with BC non-profits to increase impact. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring the rivers, forests, mountains, and beaches of the Comox Valley.

JOIN OUR TEAM

We are currently hiring for the following positions: