Ian Walker
Ian Walker grew up in the Niagara region of Ontario and learned about business at a young age working in his family’s Industrial business that was founded in 1889. After University he moved to Vancouver and co-founded Left Coast Naturals, an organic food manufacturer and distributor. Knowing nothing about the food industry but with a passion for sustainability, Ian and his business were early pioneers in the organic food industry in Western Canada. Today, Left Coast Naturals is a Natural and Organic Food Distributor operating in Western Canada selling to 1200 stores and is Canada’s largest Organic bulk foods distributor. They also manufacture the Hippie Snacks brand of better for you plant based snacks. Hippie Snacks is sold across North America in over 3000 stores. Left Coast Naturals has won many sustainability awards and has won the best Small and Medium employers in Canada award numerous times. Ian himself has won the E&Y entrepreneur of the year in 2018 for Social Impact Businesses. As a strong believer that business has a responsibility to lead the way to a positive and sustainable future, he is committed to a triple bottom line philosophy (People, Planet and Prosperity). He lives in North Vancouver with his partner Louise and their 4 kids spending their time on outdoor adventures and making the most of the north shore.
