Bridging the gap between circular economy innovation and the capital it needs to grow

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What does it actually take to get a circular economy venture funded — and what are investors really looking for when they back one? That intersection is where we’re gathering.  Curated by Sparx Publishing Group, this free breakfast event coincides with the RCBC 2026 Circular Economy Conference, held at UBC Robson Square in Vancouver on May 28, 2026.

Why this moment matters

The circular economy is gaining real momentum — and so is the capital flowing toward it. But bridging the gap between circular economy innovators and the investors who want to back them isn’t always straightforward. Founders navigate a fundraising landscape that wasn’t built with circular models in mind. Investors are developing new frameworks for evaluating businesses that look different from traditional ones. Both sides are learning. This is an open, peer conversation — not a presentation, not a pitch — where both perspectives share the table and we explore what the path forward looks like together.

What to expect

Olivia Hornby, Managing Partner and founding partner of Spring Impact Capital, an impact venture capital fund investing in innovative solutions in human and planetary health focused on early-stage Canadian founders, will bring the investor’s perspective — what she looks for in circular economy ventures, how she weighs impact alongside financial returns, and how the funding landscape for circular businesses is evolving. With nearly two decades in finance across Goldman Sachs Asset Management, RBC, Vancity, and boutique alternative funds, she brings a rare combination of institutional depth and impact conviction.

Paul Tournier, CEO and co-founder of Circular Rubber Technologies / Regenerativs, will share what it’s like to build and grow a zero-waste circular economy business — turning end-of-life mining tires into reclaimed rubber for new tire production — and what the journey to secure investment has actually looked like: the gaps, the breakthroughs, and what he wishes more investors understood.

Moderated by Hamish Khamisa, President and Founder of Sparx Publishing Group, the conversation will then open to the full room — surfacing real learnings from both sides of the table, and exploring what it takes to close the gap between circular economy innovation and the capital it needs to scale.

You'll leave with:

• A grounded view of what circular economy impact investing looks like from both sides of the table — the investor and the entrepreneur
• Real learnings from practitioners on what works, what doesn’t, and what the field still needs
• Practical ideas and connections to support your own work — whether you’re building, investing, or both

Hosted by UBC Robson Square at 800 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6E 1A7, Canada.