BRIAN A. PUPPA

Executive Director, Legacy Project
Systems Design Engineer, Bioregional Weaver

"I've always been good at figuring out solutions. In high school, I won the Grand Prize at the national science fair with a wind generator I designed. I became an engineer. Then I realized the 'problems' we're facing aren't about simple 'solutions.' Working with systems complexity has changed the way I understand and engage with the world."

Brian Puppa began his career as an energy engineer, with a graduate degree in Systems Design from the University of Waterloo. His research led to the development of the Steam and Power Plant Optimization System (SAPPOS), which was later acquired by General Electric. He has presented at several conferences, including the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Association of Energy Engineers, and the Solar Energy Society of Canada.

As a Professional Engineer, in his position with the Residential and Commercial Energy Management Department at BC Hydro, he was involved with building energy modelling and was part of the team that developed the PowerSmart initiative. He was a consultant to Ontario Hydro for their energy-efficiency programs. While with Renewable Dynamics, Brian supervised the testing of a new wind turbine blade design at the National Research Council laboratories. He has also done research on solar thermal and photovoltaic systems.

"It just didn't seem to be enough," says Brian. "I remembered times I spent with my grandfather at the house he built himself on a lake in Northern Ontario. We'd go into the forest together or out on the water. I loved it there. I started spending more time exploring the complexity of ecological relationships."

He shifted focus to ecological design – with an interest in arboriculture, hydrology, and geology – and bioregional weaving.

As Executive Director of the Legacy Project, a research and social innovation group, Brian handles project management while working on systems research and implementation.

"The way forward," explains Brian, "doesn't lie solely in technology. It's incredibly complex and interconnected, which is why we need more focus on cultural and ecological regeneration."

He is Co-Steward of Bioregional Earth, as well as part of the core team leading 7-Generation work in the Greater Tkaronto (Toronto) Bioregion bringing together generations, community leaders, and organizations for ecological and social regeneration. As we see more and more effects of climate change, "we have to be working on resilience for transformation."

He values intergenerational connections as a dynamic for social change. He served as a member of the Program Committee of Generations United in Washington, DC. In 2012, he represented Canada at a special Intergenerational Forum at the White House.

He is also a certified Warm Data Lab Host (accredited by the International Bateson Institute in Sweden).

When he isn't at his desk, Brian spends his time taking care of the trees at the Legacy Project's bioregional idea studio, The Cedars, at the headwaters of the Beaver River in Toronto, Canada. He hopes that his work helps humanity navigate through this pivotal moment in human history.