PATTERN STRATEGY GROUP

At Pattern Strategy Group, we help governments, organisations, and communities align people, purpose, and action.

Our case studies highlight real initiatives that turned complex challenges into shared strategies — strengthening local economies, inspiring collaboration, and driving sustainable growth.

DEVELOPING A REGIONAL OUTDOOR RECREATION ECONOMY

🧭 Strategy & Alignment • 🤝 Partnership Development

Service Snapshot:
What we do now: Sector alignment and cluster strategy for emerging industries
Where this model was proven: Sea to Sky Outdoor Adventure Recreation Enterprise (SOARE), developed while leading economic strategy work at the District of Squamish
Why it matters: Regions stop competing internally and start showing up as one coordinated industry — which unlocks funding, credibility, and long-term growth

Context

The Sea to Sky corridor—renowned for its mountain culture, active lifestyle, and global reputation for outdoor recreation—wanted to strengthen the industries that fuel that reputation: adventure technology, gear and apparel design, manufacturing, and adventure media.

These businesses were growing independently, but without a shared strategy or framework, opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and investment were being missed.

This work reflects Pattern Strategy Group’s core service: helping regions move from “everyone doing their own thing” to “we have a coordinated strategy, funding, and voice.”

The initiative as described was led by Pattern Strategy Group’s founder while working with the District of Squamish. The collaborative model now informs how we support industry clusters and economic development organizations.

Approach – How We Built Sector Alignment

While with the District of Squamish, work focused on building a coordinated strategy to connect and grow this emerging cluster.

The result was the Sea to Sky Outdoor Adventure Recreation Enterprise (SOARE) — an initiative co-designed with regional partners to unite entrepreneurs, businesses, educators, and investors around a shared vision for a globally competitive outdoor-recreation economy.

The initiative brought together entrepreneurs, businesses, educators, and investors around a shared goal — to grow a globally competitive outdoor adventure enterprise cluster.

Key Actions Included:

• Convening leaders from adventure tech, equipment design, apparel manufacturing, and adventure media to identify shared challenges and market opportunities.
• Bringing together local businesses, post-secondary institutions, research partners, and investors to connect innovation with workforce and skills development.
• Conducting sector research to map the region’s supply chain, market reach, and infrastructure needs.
• Establishing a governance and funding model to coordinate public and private investment.
• Developing a sector roadmap emphasizing innovation, workforce development, and sustainable manufacturing practices.

Outcome – What Happened When the Region Got Organized

The SOARE strategy initially secured over $1 million in seed funding and established a long-term roadmap to position the Sea to Sky corridor as Canada’s hub for outdoor adventure enterprise.

Early initiatives included:

• The creation of the Sea to Sky Adventure Innovation Lab, supporting startups in adventure gear design and technology.
• Collaboration with apparel and gear manufacturers to explore sustainable production practices.
• Partnerships with media and marketing firms to amplify the region’s adventure industry story and attract talent and investors.

Impact – Why This Matters for Other Regions and Sectors

SOARE showed how clear strategy and collaboration can turn regional strengths into a thriving, innovation-driven economic cluster.

The framework continues to guide investment, policy, and workforce development across the corridor—helping local companies compete globally while maintaining the region’s authentic adventure identity.

Initiative launched via the District of Squamish and continues to inform Pattern Strategy Group’s approach.

“SOARE gave our sector structure and visibility. For the first time, there was a clear picture of who we were, where we wanted to go, and how we could grow together.”
— Local adventure gear manufacturer, Sea to Sky Corridor

POSITIONING SQUAMISH FOR INVESTMENT AND SUSTAINABLE GROWTH

📍 Investment & Positioning • 🌱 Values-Aligned Growth

Service Snapshot
What we do now: Values-aligned investment strategy and positioning for communities
Where this model was proven: Invest Squamish, led while serving as Economic Development Officer for the District of Squamish
Why it matters: Communities can attract the right kind of growth — clean, future-focused, locally beneficial — without losing who they are

Context

Squamish is one of Canada’s fastest-growing communities—attracting entrepreneurs, investors, and residents drawn to its location, outdoor lifestyle, and opportunities for innovation.

With rapid growth came a challenge: how to attract the right kind of investment while staying true to community values.

The District of Squamish needed a clear, evidence-based strategy to promote investment that supported sustainable growth and local priorities.

Approach – Building an Investment Story That Fits the Community)

As Economic Development Officer, Kate Mulligan led the creation and launch of InvestSquamish.ca—a trade and investment platform designed to showcase Squamish’s strengths and align growth with community priorities.

The goal was to tell Squamish’s economic story in a way that reflected both its opportunity and its identity.

Key actions included:

• Developing the Invest Squamish brand and website, highlighting opportunities in innovation, clean technology, and sustainable manufacturing.
• Creating sector profiles, workforce data, and investment briefs to support business attraction and expansion.
• Launching an online site selector tool to connect investors with available lands and properties.
• Building partnerships with provincial trade agencies and local business organizations to coordinate outreach.
• Launching a Squamish Ambassadors Program, aimed at sharing Squamish’s Investment story, integrating sustainability and livability messaging to ensure growth aligned with community values.

Outcome

The initiative positioned Squamish as an investment-ready community with a clear, credible story about sustainable growth.

Highlights:

• Strengthened coordination between local, regional, and provincial partners.
• Support for new investment projects in clean technology and the light industry.
• Led to local business exposure and expansion to new international markets
• Created a repeatable narrative structure that any community can use to talk about investment without losing sight of livability

Impact

Invest Squamish redefined how a small community presents itself to investors—not just as a place to do business, but as a place to build a future.

The platform continues to shape how Squamish attracts investment that strengthens its economy while protecting what makes the community unique.

Initiative launched via the District of Squamish and continues to inform Pattern Strategy Group’s approach.

“Invest Squamish helped us tell our story in a clear, credible way. It showed that growth and community values don’t have to compete—they can strengthen each other.”
— Local Business Leader, Squamish BC

TURNING CANADIANS INTO STORYTELLERS

📣 Narrative & Engagement • 🌍 Public Participation

Service Snapshot
What we do now: Narrative strategy and public engagement models that invite people in, instead of talking at them
Where this model was proven: 35 Million Directors, delivered as part of Destination Canada’s communications and stakeholder relations leadership team
Why it matters: When people help shape the story, you don’t just get attention — you get trust, pride, and momentum

Context

When Destination Canada wanted to refresh how the world sees Canada, it looked beyond advertising to something more authentic.

The goal was to give Canadians themselves the chance to shape the national story — to show what the country looks and feels like through the eyes of its people.

Approach – Designing Participation, Not Just Promotion

As part of the communications and stakeholder relations leadership team, Kate Mulligan helped design and deliver the 35 Million Directors campaign — a first-of-its-kind crowdsourced storytelling project that invited every Canadian to become a “director” of Canada’s story.

Key actions:

• Coordinating collaboration across creative, digital, and policy teams to keep the tone and message consistent.
• Designing and leading qualitative research to test concepts and guide message development.
• Managing national contesting and public engagement to invite submissions from across the country.
• Partnering with tourism organizations, airlines, and media partners to promote participation and reach diverse audiences.
• Supporting the production of the final video — a montage of stories showing Canada through thousands of individual perspectives.
• Overseeing briefing materials and communications with senior executives and federal partners during launch.
• Supporting national outreach and media engagement to invite submissions from Canadians across every province and territory.

Outcome – What Happens When People Help Shape the Story

The campaign generated unprecedented national engagement and international recognition.

Highlights:

• Over 65 000 video submissions from Canadians across the country.
• The final film premiered globally, reaching millions of viewers online and in theatres.
• Won multiple marketing and creative awards for innovation and authenticity.
• Strengthened national pride and set a new benchmark for public participation in tourism marketing.

Impact – Why This Matters to Organizations Today

35 Million Directors transformed the relationship between Canadians and their national brand.

By inviting people to tell their own stories, it turned the tourism brand into a shared story — one that continues to influence how Destination Canada approaches storytelling and audience engagement today.

Today, Pattern Strategy Group uses this same participation-first approach to help organizations earn trust, not just attention.

Project delivered during tenure with Destination Canada; it continues to shape Pattern Strategy Group’s approach to narrative strategy and stakeholder engagement.

“This campaign changed how we think about marketing Canada.
Kate’s steady coordination and understanding of stakeholder needs made a complex, nationwide project run smoothly and feel personal.”
— Former Senior Leader, Destination Canada

DESIGNING A CIRCULAR ECONOMY ROADMAP FOR A GROWING COMMUNITY

🧭 Strategy & Alignment | 🤝 Partnership Facilitation

Service Snapshot
What we do now: Strategy development and alignment for sustainability and economic transition initiatives
Where this model was proven: Circular Economy Roadmap initiative, led while guiding strategic economic development at the District of Squamish
Why it matters: Big ideas like “circular economy” only move forward when people, priorities, and partners are aligned behind a shared path to action

Context

As one of Canada’s fastest-growing communities, Squamish faced a dual challenge: rapid population growth and an urgent need to reduce waste and emissions.

The District’s Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP) called for a new approach to how the community used resources — one that linked environmental responsibility with local economic opportunity.

The Circular Economy Roadmap emerged as a strategy to connect businesses, residents, and governments around a shared vision for a low-waste, high-value economy.

Approach — Turning Ambition into Collective Action

While with the District of Squamish, Kate Mulligan helped lead the first phase of the Circular Economy initiative — guiding the development of the community’s inaugural Circular Economy Roadmap.

Rather than focusing on technical waste or materials management, the work focused on building the structure and buy-in needed to act.

Key actions included:

• Framing the circular economy as a shared opportunity, not a technical problem.
• Convening local businesses, institutions, and government departments to define focus areas and priorities.
• Mapping economic and operational connections between sectors to uncover leverage points.
• Securing the District’s first round of circular economy funding to kick-start implementation.
• Embedding circular principles into existing economic and planning strategies.

Outcome — A Roadmap With Momentum

The roadmap provided a clear, actionable framework that continues to guide Squamish’s transition toward a circular economy.

Highlights include:

• Established the region’s first coordinated roadmap connecting climate goals and economic policy.
• Secured over $1 million in combined public and partner funding to advance early projects.
• Identified pilot initiatives in construction materials reuse, repair economy, and industrial collaboration.
• Positioned Squamish as one of BC’s early municipal leaders in strategic circular economy planning.

Impact — From Concept to Coordinated Change

This initiative showed that progress on circularity depends less on technical expertise — and more on clarity, collaboration, and leadership.

It remains a model for how Pattern Strategy Group supports clients tackling sustainability transitions. We help teams align around a shared vision, secure buy-in, and move from discussion to action.