BRIAN A. PUPPA

Executive Director, Legacy Project
Systems Design Engineer, Information Analyst, Amateur Arborist

"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, graduating with a MASc in Systems Design from the University of Waterloo. His graduate 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 with trees and exploring the complexity of ecological relationships."

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

He is currently part of the core group leading 7-Generation work in the Greater Tkaronto (Toronto) Bioregion bringing together generations, community leaders, and organizations for ecological and cultural regeneration. As we see more and more effects of climate change, "we have to be working on mitigation, adaptation, and seeds all at the same time."

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