Vancouver Island Leadership Conference 2025

The Vancouver Island Leadership Conference (VILC) hosts post-secondary students across British Columbia on Vancouver Island for an event of keynotes, workshops, and excursions to inspire future leaders. The VILC is student-led and faculty supported through the Office of Co-Curricular Engagement & Learning (OCCEL) at Vancouver Island University.

The theme of this year's conference is “Navigating Sustainability”, exploring the three pillars of sustainability: Environmental, Economic, and Social. This theme, along with the subthemes, aims to explore the pillars of sustainability in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the vital role of innovative initiatives in shaping a sustainable and thriving future. 

 

VILC Overview

Morning

• Breakfast
• Keynote Speaker - Kevin Jardine, BC Deputy Minister of Environment & Parks
• Activity 1
• Environmental Panel - Cascadia Seaweed / Jonny Bierman, Eco Escape Travel / Simon Reid, award-winner
• Lunch

Afternoon

• Keynote Speakers - Lisa Brinkman & Ting Pan, City of Nanaimo (ReImagined Nanaimo City Plan)
• Social Panel - Charlene Smith, 4VI / Chyanne Trenholm, Indigenous Tourism of BC / Judy Stafford, Cowichan Green Community
• Keynote Speaker - Sonia Strobel, CEO of Skipper Otto (B Corp Certified Organization)
• Economic Panels - Phil Shuttlewood, Plastic Bank of Canada / Colin Stansfield, Nanaimo Posperity Corporation / Sheena Robinson, Kw'umut Lelum Foundation
• CCR Talks
• Activity 2

Evening

• Closing Remarks
• Networking & Appetizers