Connecting Environmental Professionals Vancouver is a non-profit, volunteer-led organization dedicated to creating opportunities for young and emerging environmental and sustainability professionals.
Our History
CEP Vancouver was launched in 2002 and has grown to a thriving network of over 1000 sustainability and impact professionals from across British Columbia. CEP Vancouver board members and volunteers organize valuable programming, events and professional-development opportunities including an annual mentoring program.
Our Vision
To accelerate and inspire Vancouver’s environmental and sustainability professional’s ability to impact change.
Our Mission
CEP Vancouver provides forums which empower and enrich environmental and sustainability professionals.
Our Principles
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Education - CEP contributes to the education and improvement of the community by providing learning and development opportunities such as networking with other environmental professionals, monthly meetings, speaker sessions, workshops, and discussion forums.
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Engagement - CEP facilitates engagement by establishing a forum for young and emerging environmental professionals to build relationships and find opportunities for leadership in their communities.
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Employment - CEP supports employment by connecting students and professionals with employers, circulating job opportunities, developing mentorship programs, and hosting workshops.
Meet Our Board
Theo Baker, President
Theo’s passion is transforming great ideas into realities with strong commercial success. He has a proven track record launching, incubating and managing game-changing brands across multiple sectors. Whilst focused primarily on the growth start-up space, he also has considerable advisory experience working with corporate, governmental and third sector organisations. Theo has a particular interest in how businesses can address climate and sustainability issues.
Leonardo Tenan, Co-Director of Events
For the past decade, Leo has been a dedicated bridge-builder, fostering connections within diverse communities. With a background in communications, he played an integral role in co-producing an array of cultural events in the vibrant city of Toronto, and harnessed his creative talents to craft compelling content that has made a positive impact on charities, non-profit organizations, and private enterprises alike. Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, he now calls Vancouver home, where he enjoys delving into the city’s tapestry of culture, community, and natural wonders.
Mandy Xiao, Co-Director of Events
Mandy works at a global firm that provides a variety of services in Sustainability and Climate Change. Her current work focuses on greenhouse gas (GHG) assurance and life cycle assessment (LCA). She has a Master of Engineering degree from the University of Toronto and is a registered Professional Engineer. She is also a LEED Green Associate and has obtained a certificate in Sustainable Business Strategy from Harvard Business School. She believes that decarbonization and climate action can only be achieved through a robust unison of technologies, finance, and policies. She serves our CEP Vancouver board with a passion in knowledge sharing and community building.
Mandy enjoys riding on a snowboard during winter. She loves connecting with people in person, having coffee chats or taking a short walk together!
Isabela Fikaris, Events Coordinator
Isabela is passionate about environmental sustainability and has an extensive background in creating unique experiences. She started in the performing arts and later gained valuable insights in hospitality, focusing on exceptional customer service. Now, while studying marketing and tourism, she aspires to make a positive impact on the travel industry by promoting sustainable and responsible practices, ensuring that travelers have enjoyable and eco-conscious experiences.
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Olimpia Cuesta, Director of Engagement
Olimpia is a bubbly ocean advocate who is passionate about the planet we call home. Her journey toward environmental self-realization was through her detachment from the life cycle of everyday objects. This awakening ignited her dedication for waste management—an area where she envisions making the most significant impact. With an undergraduate degree in marketing, Olimpia possesses a unique perspective as an environmental optimist. Her determined commitment to the environmental movement and eagerness to learn from her peers have enabled her to be part of the CEP board today.
Emily Lau, Director of Mentorship
Emily is a young professional who is passionate about creating a more sustainable future. Working in the non-profit sector, she supports young leaders to build capacity and foster connections to take action on the most pressing issues youth are facing today. She holds a Bachelor of Environment Studies from the University of Waterloo and she's interested in community engagement to empower communities to bring underrepresented perspectives to the forefront of climate action. Moving from Toronto in the past year, she's been spending a lot of time exploring Vancouver and is excited to call this place home.
Helena Knezickova, Mentorship Coordinator
Helena focuses on bridging the gap between community needs and the potential of local sustainable businesses to create resilient neighborhoods. Beyond her experience in sustainability in retail and food systems, Helena enjoys community engagement and is passionate about urban green spaces, human-wildlife coexistence, waste reduction and local production. She holds an advanced certificate in Sustainable Business from BCIT and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of British Columbia where she studied ethics and environmental ethics. Originally from Czechia, Helena calls home the traditional unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, sel̓íl̓witulh, and sḵwx̱wú7mesh nations in so-called Vancouver. When not working, studying or volunteering, you can find her browsing farmers' markets, hiking the mountains, nature bathing, or gardening.
Felipe Camara, Director of Communications
Felipe has a background in Public Relations, after working on several environmental education campaigns, he decided to shift his career towards a sustainability path. He obtained a Sustainability Management post-graduate degree, and a Master's degree in Environmental Science. His experience includes working with a range of environmental education, and research organizations. In addition to his role at CEP Vancouver, Felipe has worked as a journalist in Canada, and he currently works at a school for adults with austism as an Education Instructor.
Jérôme Ambrozy, Director of Finance
Jérôme is originally from Brussels, Belgium, and now lives in Vancouver. He has a decade of diverse experience in the startup, private, non-profit, and public sectors. He excels in program development, change management, and team leadership. In the last six years, Jérôme has focused on the impact sector. Notably, he has grown the visibility and profile of Europe's largest urban farm, "BIGH," which aims to make Brussels more food resilient. He has also worked for a business division of the Environmental Agency of the City of Brussels, focusing on environmental compliance to contribute to making the EU climate-neutral by 2050. He believes in the power of collaboration and sharing knowledge to combat climate change and strengthen social justice. Currently, Jérôme serves on the board by developing revenue strategies and partnerships. He also works as a Knowledge Philanthropist at Vantage Point, empowering the non-profit sector in British Columbia. Outside of work, he enjoys exploring the food scene and trying new cultural experiences with friends. He loves connecting with people at impact events or during outdoor activities.
Other CEP Chapters Across Canada
Connecting Environmental Professionals (CEP) is a national organization of local chapters dedicated to creating opportunities for emerging and established environmental and sustainability professionals. CEP was founded in 1997 in Toronto as Young Environmental Professionals (YEP Canada) and has expanded to include chapters in the National Capital Region (Ottawa-Gatineau), Calgary and, Vancouver. The organization completed its name change from YEP to CEP in 2013
Connect with your local CEP Chapter to join, find events in your area, and become part of a generation of leaders who are developing their environmental careers and contributing to sustainable communities.