Will Cadell: From the Forest to the Future

When Will Cadell explains what he does for a living, he skips the acronyms. “I say I put maps on the internet,” he laughs. “Because no one should describe themselves with an acronym that others don’t understand.” That instinct—to make complex systems relatable—has guided Cadell across continents, industries, and innovation frontiers as he’s built Sparkgeo, a global geospatial technology company rooted in Prince George, British Columbia.

Cadell didn’t plan to become a tech CEO. He studied electronic engineering in Scotland, then pivoted into environmental remote sensing. “Maps were always part of my psyche,” he says, recalling fieldwork days in rugged terrain and early coding stints that led to a job in forestry GIS in Canada. A sense of adventure drew him westward, but it was the joy of solving real-world problems through spatial thinking that made him stay.

In 2010, Cadell founded Sparkgeo with a simple mission: to help organizations use location-based data better. “We started by just putting maps online,” he says. Over time, that mission expanded. From consumer apps like MapMyFitness to wildfire modeling and flood analysis, Sparkgeo’s team of 50 now collaborates with global clients to tackle some of the world’s toughest challenges—including climate, agriculture, and infrastructure resilience.

But Cadell’s journey hasn’t been all peaks. “Sometimes I tell my wife, ‘I just need a win today,’” he shares. The 2023 tech downturn hit Sparkgeo hard, forcing him to rethink and restructure without losing talent.

“We broadened our horizons, opened up to new markets. That worked out well. But it wasn’t easy.”

It’s in this honest accounting of risk and resilience that Cadell’s true compass emerges. A seasoned climber, he compares life decisions to staring up a rock face. “From far away, it looks impossible. But once you get close, the next step becomes clear.” It’s a lesson he’s applied again and again—from moving to a new country to launching a product that didn’t succeed.

“We learned a lot. It was humbling. But I don’t regret it. I’d rather try than live with the regret of not trying.”

Today, Sparkgeo is helping organizations modernize their data systems and make smarter decisions with maps—and sometimes without them. “There are use cases for geospatial that don’t involve a map,” Cadell points out. “Like flooding. That’s not just about where the water is now. It’s about understanding how a wetland turned into a parking lot miles away changed the flow. Geography connects everything.”

What humbles him most now, he says, is watching his team thrive.

“I’m no longer the best coder in the room,” he admits with a smile. “But to have people commit to your vision—that’s a responsibility. You want to get it right.”

Will Cadell’s story is a testament to clarity, courage, and curiosity. From dense forests to satellite constellations, he’s helping people—and organizations—see the world differently, one map at a time.