WHO WE ARE
WHO WE ARE
OUR STORY
Scale provides support for impact sector organizations to help them 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.
OUR IMPACT
In 2023, we invested in growth in several areas, including doubling the size of theDock, launching the Thriving Non-Profits self-paced program & online Community, taking Connect Money Impact to Okanagan, Thrive Impact Fund reaching the target raise of almost $5M, and having Scale Collaborative achieve BCorp status. This year’s report dives into the diverse and transformative initiatives we’ve supported, alongside the remarkable efforts of our partners.
Read the Scale Collaborative 2023 Impact Report to see how we supported social impact sector growth and impact.
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.
OUR TEAM
Our team brings a wide range of impact sector expertise to support your organization at any stage of your journey
Kristi Rivait (KR) brings 20 years of leadership experience in the non-profit sector, including 10+ years as an Executive Director. Kristi is an expert at operational transformation, diversifying revenues, and partnerships that create systems-level change. Kristi co-founded Scale Collaborative to support the empowerment of the impact sector. She inspires and coaches leaders on how to find the right revenue for their missions, shifting their internal culture from a scarcity approach to abundance thinking. Inside the Scale family of organizations, KR is the Director of Partnerships and Programs and the Board President of Thrive Impact Fund.
Kristi Fairholm Mader (KFM) has always worked in the social impact sector. After 10 years as a youth worker, she returned to school to complete a business degree, with a focus on social enterprise. Kristi founded and supported several employment social enterprises, and was Director of Social Enterprise for Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network. In 2014, Kristi co-founded Scale Collaborative to support growing a thriving social change sector. Within Scale’s family of organizations, KFM is the Managing Director of Thrive Impact Fund and Scale Institute Society.
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.
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.
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.
Stephanie has a diverse background in the social purpose sector, having served as an Executive Director, and held previous roles in communications and community engagement. Coupled with her experience as a Board Director, she brings valuable insights into the sector’s challenges and opportunities. Stephanie is dedicated to strengthening non-profits, helping to build capacity, and amplify their impact. She is also an advocate for environmental sustainability and local food systems, and previously ran her own business teaching home gardening and resiliency building skills. She’s often found working in her garden, or stocking up at the local farmers market.
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.
Janell is a systems wizard and community facilitator with more than 15 years of experience managing people and systems in the environmental, social impact, and food security sectors. She has worked and lived in a variety of cooperative settings and intentional communities since 1996. To her role at Scale, she brings her devotion to cultivating robust and thriving communities, streamlined organizational systems, and synergy amidst complexity. She loves traveling, reading, and cooking with locally sourced ingredients. Originally from California, she has happily called Victoria home for over 12 years.
Clélie joined the Dock in 2021 and has been working as a bookkeeper with non-profit/ for-purpose businesses & organizations for over a decade. She excels at setting up and maintaining financial & administrative systems. By reducing the distraction of financial and compliance issues to a minimum; the passionate leaders Clélie works with are free to focus on bringing their vision to life. Clelie loves getting outside with her family and teaching about interdependence, regenerative culture, cordage and fiber arts.
Pierre Wijdenes is an accomplished professional with a robust academic background in both business and engineering, bringing a wealth of industry experience to the team. Having earned his PhD in Engineering from the University of Calgary, he co-founded a deep-tech company with a specific focus on health and societal impact. With expertise in capital raising, risk analysis, and business planning, Pierre stands out as a strategic and operational leader who is unwaveringly dedicated to fostering innovation and social value.
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.
Lisa combines a degree in Child and Youth Care with more than 20 years of dedicated non-profit experience. Lisa worked her way up in Carya (formerly Calgary Family Services) from front-line to supervisor, to Managing Director of Multigenerational Resilience and Community Development. Lisa excels in developing programs, engaging stakeholders, and finding creative solutions. Her commitment to driving positive social change, and background in leadership and change management make her well-equipped to assist organizations in navigating the complex non-profit landscape.
Erica brings more than 20 years of experience working with social impact, philanthropic and public sector organizations to deliver impactful programs, innovative funding models and evidence-based policy solutions. She also brings specialized expertise in arts, culture, heritage and creative industries sectors. Erica brings multi-faceted expertise in policy research, program development and evaluation, strategic communications, marketing, stakeholder engagement, organizational capacity building and change management.
A skilled social policy research leader and facilitator, Mary has worked with clients across Canada to create impactful research for over 20 years. A past and present member of numerous non-profit boards, in her role with Scale Mary leads cross-disciplinary research in pursuit of the right information to help non-profit organizations achieve their visions. Mary holds an M.A. in Leadership and is passionate about operationalizing BIG ideas. When she’s not talking strategy, you’ll probably find her with her family or on horseback in the woods.
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