Luncheon Report
Mariel introduced our guest speaker Sharilyn Amy, after which she congratulated her on having just received a Canadian Government Women of Influence 2019 - Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award.
Sharilyn spoke to us about the beauty and ecology of Peninsula Valdés, the building of the award-winning Océano Patagonia eco-Hotel, and about the problems she and her partner have had to face with bribery and corruption.
Sharilyn has an avid interest in the regional ecology, especially the coastal area. She noted that Argentina is actually doing quite a good job protecting the area’s whales and marine animals; although 1/3 of them are still at risk. She talked about the 180 bird species in the wetlands of the Peninsula and the importance of the plant communities of the Patagonian Steppe. We watched a short video on whales and learned about the importance of the whales in
protecting the complex ecology of the ocean. For example, whales are vital for fertilizing the surface water, increasing the number of fish, krill and plankton, reducing the CO2 in the air we breathe, and helping to regulate the climate.
Lastly, Sharilyn talked about some of the difficulties they have been faced with trying to be transparent within a deep-rooted system of corruption and bribery. She explained that small businesses like theirs are easy targets. Harassed continually and expected to pay bribes all the way through the system, they have stood their ground and found trustworthy people in the justice system who have helped them move forward. They have also used many types of media including national television news programs.
Luncheon Announcement
Sharilyn Amy launched a humanitarian career in 1996 with the Canadian Red Cross.
Her career quickly expanded from managing communications in Western Canada to an international career in disaster response communications and embassy relations. Her international missions saw her work in the slums of Bangladesh, the flooded regions of China, and Geneva, Switzerland to manage information operations more globally. This time in humanitarian relief work forever changed her views on our personal social responsibility. Returning to Canada to raise her family, Sharilyn worked nationally to help expand a child abuse prevention and anti-bullying program. She then established Go-To Group, a consultancy that focused on social enterprise development, thought leadership and facilitation in the non-profit and non-government sectors. Specializing in Community Economic Development, her goal was to support the most vulnerable of our society in a way that honoured their human dignity and challenged the ‘status quo’ of current assumptions in the sector.
After 12 years of making an impact in the Canadian NGO landscape, Sharilyn moved with her two children to Argentina. There, she developed and now runs an award-winning eco-hotel in the heart of Peninsula Valdés, a UNESCO World Heritage site and wildlife reserve. This boutique hotel, Océano Patagonia, was built with investments in the latest technology available to reduce its environmental footprint, and always with an eye to social sourcing that supports the economic development of small family business and local communities. In addition to commercializing the hotel, Sharilyn and her business partner are working tirelessly to improve business transparency and fight corruption in Argentina. Sharilyn also provides consulting and coaching support to women-led small business, from start up to business optimization.