Tune in to Episode 5 in Season 4 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast. Today we welcome you back to our podcast with our special guests: Bridgette Alomes, the CEO and founder of Natural Pod, and Rory Richards, the President & CEO of NUQO.

In this episode we dive into the latest innovations shaping early childhood education and child care. Gyda guides this conversation with two incredible women entrepreneurs —Bridgitte Alomes, founder and CEO of Natural Pod, and Rory Richards, founder and CEO of NUQO. These two B Corp-certified companies are partnering to tackle one of the biggest challenges in child care today—access to high-quality learning environments. With demand for child care spaces surging and over half of families in B.C. struggling to find care, their collaboration couldn’t come at a better time. NUQO brings expertise in modular, culturally grounded construction, while Natural Pod specializes in sustainable, non-toxic, and durable school furniture. Together, they’re streamlining the process—from funding applications to fully furnished classrooms—ensuring that communities, especially those underserved, get the support they need.

Bridgitte Alomes is the CEO and founder of values-based learning solutions company Natural Pod, a local BC business. Natural Pod strives to enhance the well-being of students by addressing the needs of learners and educators from early childhood into elementary and beyond in educational environments. Bridgitte is a thought leader in the design of learning spaces that encourage the development of agency, foster collaboration and promote open-ended play and has given talks around North America on sustainable furniture including a TED Talk on space and intention. Her focus is on the creation of inspiring spaces for learners and educators regardless of location, pedagogy or demographic.

Rory Richards is the President & CEO of NUQO Modular, a female-led, proudly Indigenous construction company recognized for its sustainable and culturally grounded approach to modular building. Rory's dedication to affordable, culturally appropriate Indigenous design and her unwavering community-first approach, exemplify the spirit of true leadership. Rory remains a dedicated advocate and a passionate voice for a number of important issues, including Indigenous housing and affordable childcare. Committed to community empowerment, NUQO partners with top architects and partners to deliver high-quality, environmentally responsible, and culturally significant child care and other building solutions.

We are grateful to have Bridgitte Alomes and Rory Richards on our podcast, and we are delighted to them share more about their work with the early childhood education and child care sector.

Tune in to Episode 4 in Season 4 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast. Today we welcome you back to our podcast with our special guest: Viveca Ellis, the Executive Director of The Centre For Family Equity.

Viveca is a founding member of the organization; in 2014, she banded together with other lone mothers impacted by poverty and lack of access to legal aid, housing, and child care, to mobilize grassroots leaders and advocate for public policy solutions to lone-parent family poverty in BC. The Centre for Family Equity is a membership-based organization of low-income parents and caregivers across BC. Through research, advocacy, and legal action, they work to address family poverty with a focus on affordability, livable incomes, labour market access, and resilience. Their initiatives, including the Parental Mental Health Initiative, directly support parents impacted by gender-based violence.

In past roles, Viveca has worked for the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition as the founder and coordinator of the BCPRC's Community Action Network, then led the Coalition through the pandemic as Interim Community Organizer until her departure to create the first staff role at what was then the Single Mothers’ Alliance in 2021.

In 2017, Viveca was nominated to the Minister's Advisory Forum on Poverty Reduction to design BC's first poverty reduction strategy and resulting legislation. In her spare time, Viveca can be found trying to keep up mountain biking with her 15-year-old son and paddling her canoe on BC's remote lakes and rivers.

We are grateful to have Viveca Ellis on our podcast, and we are delighted to have her share more about her work for the community.

Listen now at BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast Season 4, Episode 4: Viveca Ellis or wherever you get your podcasts.

Tune in to Episode 3 in Season 4 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast. Today we welcome you back to our podcast with our special guest: Joan Gignac, from the Sagamok Anishnawbek Nation, an Early Childhood Educator for 34 years who has been dedicated to advancing and promoting Aboriginal Head Start and First Nations Head Start philosophy and programs in BC and Nationwide.

We are honoured to welcome back Joan Gignac from the Aboriginal Head Start Association of BC for part two of a deeper conversation about the LOVIT Way (Learn, Observe, Value, Inspire, Transform).

The Aboriginal Head Start Association of BC has been a cornerstone for early childhood development in Indigenous communities, fostering holistic growth through culture and language. Joan’s extensive experience as an Early Childhood Educator and her dedication to advancing early years programming have made her a vital advocate in this field.

We are grateful to have Joan Gignac on our podcast, and we are delighted to have her share more about the LOVIT Way and Aboriginal Head Start programs in BC.

Listen now at BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast Season 4, Episode 3: Joan Gignac or wherever you get your podcasts.