PATHFINDERS

Growing up in Fiji, Naz Ali studied maps of places she'd never seen. Today, her location intelligence platform influences commercial real estate decisions across Canada. The transformation came through patient teaching—showing brokers and salespeople how demographic analysis predicts retail success and traffic patterns affect site selection. "I teach them on a daily basis," she says. Education, not just expertise, drives impact.

When departments asked Melanie for maps, she asked what they were trying to accomplish instead. Twenty-five years later, the City of Kitchener operates like a connected organism—water breaks trigger automatic work orders, tree planting uses equity algorithms, and every solution serves multiple needs. "GIS is a team sport," she says. The magic happens "in the middle" where systems connect.

A Moment of Uncomfortable Recognition Melanie Ray was scrolling through social media when the Me Too posts started flooding her feed....

From binge drinking and public speaking terror to teaching 550+ students worldwide, Ben Smith discovered that fear isn't an obstacle—it's a treasure map pointing toward your greatest potential. Growing up surrounded by meditation books and spiritual teachings, Ben spent years hiding his calling from friends who thought it was "strange." The turning point came when he realized that every fear was actually marking where he needed to go next.

After two decades working with underserved communities in Africa, Dr. Patricia Burlaud moved to Florida with a burning question: How do you create lasting change that goes beyond writing checks? Her answer came through discovering the "benefit cliff"—the devastating moment when a woman's promotion or raise suddenly eliminates all government support, leaving families worse off than before despite their hard work.

Andrea sat on her grandmother's worn couch in a small Romanian village, sunlight streaming through simple curtains. At barely school age, she was used to asking questions. But this time, her grandmother turned serious and asked her something unexpected.

Eight-year-old Sasha Nelson sat at her kitchen table with crayons and paper, writing a letter to President Bill Clinton. She carefully drew a picture of a rabbit being chased by a bulldozer—a scene from the construction site in her neighbourhood where she used to see jackrabbits and bobcats with her mother. The letter went unanswered, and the homes were built anyway. But that moment planted a seed that would grow into a life dedicated to what she now calls integration.

Andrew stood in the shallow end of a swimming pool watching a three-year-old girl tremble while sitting on the edge of the pool deck. Her parents had brought her to learn water safety, but she was frozen with fear. Over thirty years later, Andrew faced a similar scene in a meeting room in downtown Chicago, talking to youth who felt equally trapped, not by water but by their own thoughts and circumstances.

Some people see the problems in their communities and feel overwhelmed. Others, like Ali, see a call to action. "Our vision at PGL is to help create cities that are more sustainable, comfortable, and ready for the future." By developing a groundbreaking City Digital Twin platform, he is helping planners and architects rethink urban design from the ground up, ensuring that sustainability and livability are built in, not added later.

When Shari Hughson talks about wellbeing as the gateway to community built solutions, she doesn't mean fitness trackers and green smoothies. She means the ability to face a hard moment and say, "I'm okay. This, too, shall pass." For Shari, well-being isn't the absence of struggle—it's the mindset that you can figure things out.

For Michaela Tuell, a forester with Northwest Management, forestry is not just about trees—it’s about legacy, balance, and...

Dr. Karen Cross faced potential homelessness when her research supervisor left for Calgary three weeks before her program started. Years later, in an emergency room advocating for her grandfather's diabetic wound care, she watched another family have the same struggle without a medical advocate. 'Who's gonna fight for them?' she wondered. That realization led her to create Mimosa—handheld technology that helps healthcare workers detect skin problems before they become visible

“When you ask someone, ‘How do you want to feel in a year?’ you never know what the answer is going to be,” says Kay Lock Kolp, her voice...

Standing on the shore of Trieste, Italy, where the sea meets the sky, Leonardo Zangrando sees more than waves. He sees the deep, silent...

When Digital Maps Become Cultural Shields Dr. Donna Miranda-Begay stood on her tribal allotment land in Weldon, California, watching an...

Jamie Christensen was at another networking dinner when someone asked the inevitable question: "So, what do you do for work?" He could...

Mackenzie Belcastro is on a mission to help people wake up—not just in the morning, but to the fullness of who they are.

The Question That Changed Everything A veteran teacher stood up in a crowded meeting room, his six-foot-five frame towering over...

At just 23 years old, Mark Sanders has already moved countries, mentored youth, and sparked confidence in others simply by showing up as...

When Elena Iacono lost her father, the grief ran deeper than she expected. Yes, there was sadness, but also something more elusive—an...

A Single Post That Sparked a Global Movement It was March 7th, 2019—one day before International Women's Day. Julia Wagemann sat at her...

Steve Mark doesn’t just see maps—he sees connection. For nearly 15 years, he’s helped knit together a fabric of collaboration across...

Growing up in a rural farming community in Jamaica, Valrie Grant saw firsthand how geography could limit someone’s future. But she also...

In this episode of Pathfinders, host Jeff Lamb sits down with Shannon Foxx Day, a passionate advocate for GIS, leadership, and women in GIS.

James Britton is a leader in the Canadian GIS industry, known for his instrumental role in building and advancing GIS education.

When Julia Stamm steps into a room—whether it’s a boardroom, conference hall, or online gathering—she brings more than expertise. She...

“How do you describe GIS?” It’s the question that kicks off every Pathfinders interview, and Tim Nolan doesn’t hesitate. “I describe it...

In the latest Pathfinders podcast, GIS educator Joseph Kerski shares how geospatial tools are transforming education and change.

In this episode of Pathfinders, GIS expert Brendan Walashek shares his 25-year journey in the GIS industry.

When Ryan Garnett was seven years old, he had a simple mission: prove his dad wrong. His father worked night shifts for the City of...

When Frederic Blouin-Michaud talks about GIS—Geographic Information Systems—he doesn’t just talk about maps or data. He talks about...

Most careers don’t come with lifelong friendships. But for Duncan Rowe and Peter Vinstra, a shared love of maps, data, and...

“Not everybody wants to hear they’re doing it wrong,” Shawn Morgan admits, reflecting on his years as a GIS educator. “But the time to do...

When someone asks Greg Babinski what he does for a living, he usually starts with a game. “I ask if they’ve ever played Sim City,” he...

Most of us don’t think much about roads—until something goes wrong. But for Arif K. Rafiq, roads are not just concrete and paint. They’re...

When Peter Hettstedt tells people he works in GIS, their eyes often glaze over—until he explains how location-based data shapes...

Linda Stevens never planned on becoming one of the most influential voices in the world of geographic information systems (GIS). In fact,...

When Ron Cook tells people what he does for a living, he often gets puzzled looks. “I make maps,” he says with a smile. But there’s so...

Jeff pressed his face against the airplane window as he flew east from British Columbia in 2013. Below him stretched massive cut blocks—bare patches where ancient forests once stood. His stomach turned as the reality hit him: he had helped create this devastation. As a GIS analyst, Jeff had mapped these forestry areas according to policy, all perfectly legal and industry-approved. But seeing the scope of what his data had enabled felt like a punch to the gut.

When James Burn first stepped into the world of civil engineering, GIS wasn’t even on his radar. He was a geology grad working with test...

Nik Smilovsky’s journey into GIS didn’t start with a job title or a college major. It began in his grandmother’s den, staring at a map of...

When Karen Stewart tells people she works in GIS, most respond with a blank stare. So, she keeps it simple: "You know when you're using...

When François Laganière attended his first strategic planning session at Consortech, he wasn’t supposed to be at the table. “I was just...

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...

When Charles Altendorf graduated in 2011 with a geography degree, he had a dream—and no job. “I worked in a warehouse for six months,” he...

Kendrick O. Faison didn’t set out to change the game. He just kept showing up—curious, persistent, and committed to giving more than he...

At a high school party, Chris North was already that kid—the one who could stare at a map and get lost in the story of a place. “Long...

“I really like what you're doing with Pathfinders,” James Pardue said early in his interview. “Once I dug into the website and read it, I...

When Geoff Peat first stumbled upon GIS, it was by accident. He was out for a run during university, glanced through a window, and saw...

When Wendy Baldin tells people she works in GIS—Geographic Information Systems—she knows what’s coming: the blank stares, the confused...