In his new role as CEO of South Island Prosperity Partnership (SIPP), Aaron Stone is channelling his passion for sustainable growth and economic reconciliation into driving the region’s economy. After serving as the Mayor of Ladysmith, Stone saw the opportunity at SIPP as the alignment of head and heart—a chance to engage in meaningful work that reflects his values. Find out how he’s hitting the ground running and laying the foundation for strategic growth that will position the South Island as a leader in emerging economic sectors.
- What inspired you to take on this role?
It’s everything I love. When I decided I wouldn’t seek further elected office, I turned my attention back to other sectors. I wanted to find an opportunity that spoke to my values and skill set. Nothing really sparked my interest until the SIPP opportunity came my way. The most powerful motivators for me are the alignment between head and heart; SIPP represents that in spades. My work around economic reconciliation alongside environmental and economic sustainability is a passion for me, and there is no better vehicle to continue my career on that path than SIPP.
- What are some of your top priorities for SIPP in this first year
To take over the world [Laughs].
I’m in the fire hose to the face phase of learning and gathering information right now. One of my top priorities is connecting with the regional economic movers and shakers, particularly learning from all of our partners, what motivates them, where they see the region going and making sure that we’re working in service to our partners. We’re here to accelerate, innovate and deliver.
I’m in a listening and reflecting phase over the next few months. We’ll take what we learned to develop a strong strategic plan, so SIPP and the communities can lead the new, emerging economic sectors. We’ll make sure our workforce is ready and work with our Indigenous community members to make sure that they’re tooled up to benefit from opportunities on the horizon.
There’s so much exciting activity going on. SIPP’s branches will put the South Island in a position to succeed over the coming decades.
- What are some of the top growth areas you see for our region economically?
COAST is here because of the potential in the blue economy. With our natural and geographic assets, alongside our economic infrastructure here in the South Island, we’re primed to excel in this sector. I’ve long advocated for the island and want COAST to grow as an innovation hub influencing the entire country. What we’re modelling here is that an innovation hub, alongside VIATEC and the other tech groups within the region, is strong. I know that’s a big umbrella, but it’s where the growth will happen.
Folks must also realize that our traditional economic sectors will also experience growth with innovation. When we develop new product ideas and systems, traditional industries and skilled labour will be activated in support of the new economy’s development. We’ll continue to flex the economic muscles already here in the region and grow them even more.
I also can’t say enough about the opportunity of working collaboratively with First Nations. There’s such blue sky potential and capacity, especially regarding human resources and Indigenous ways of knowing and being. This can be activated through economic reconciliation and by driving education and opportunity development around the emerging economic sectors. The leadership Indigenous people have shown us from time immemorial will be foundational to our success in every venture we have. That’s a way to live our truth as we strive to be good agents and allies on the path to reconciliation.
- What projects are you most excited about for SIPP?
I’m excited about all of them. I don’t have a favourite child in the SIPP family.
COAST speaks to the innovator and tech entrepreneur inside me. When I was involved in internet companies 25 years ago, I thought there was an arc there that was waning. Of course, I wasn’t right about that. We’ve seen content development and aggregators like Facebook and social media drive that next level of innovation and success. But the blue economy and technology that looks to serve our humanity more holistically going forward is huge and will drive that tech innovation even further.
In terms of my values and my beliefs, the work of the Indigenous Prosperity Centre (IPC) is absolutely aligned. Other core pieces of initiatives like Rising Economy and the talent-attraction platform Victoria Rising speak to the more traditional economic development we must focus on here. These all work in concert together.
When working in the innovation space, you also work on traditional economic development sectors across the region. Through that, we can build areas like housing and medical services, which make a community truly vibrant across the breadth of our region. Economic development is at the heart of that. That’s our job. That’s my job. I know that we can deliver on it.
- What are some of your highlights about living in Victoria so far?
Walkability. You’ve got to walk the walk. Mainstreet economic development is what makes communities feel vibrant, and I get to experience it every day. I have all the goods and services I could possibly need in my four-minute walk to work. I’ve also always been nostalgically connected to our region’s heritage and history, and being in downtown Victoria, especially in Chinatown, allows me to geek out on that.
The area is such a feast for the eyes and the ears. If you love to enjoy good food and wine as much as I do, it’s also great for that. I’m enjoying the city’s vibe and love the urban interface. I love to be out in nature, and I’m going to really explore and enjoy that as well across the region.
