When Mike Kennedy (BScF'03, MScF'06) was studying forestry at the University of New Brunswick, he was preparing for a typical career in Canada's vast forests – likely on the west coast, where many UNB graduates were being recruited to work. During his undergraduate years, however, Mike also became engrossed in economics courses, and one of his professors, Dr. Van Lantz, encouraged him to pursue the economics of forestry further in a master's program.

"I became very interested in the intersection of economic growth and sustainability," Mike remembers. "I spent some time with CUSO (an amazing Canadian organization) at a Costa Rican tropical research centre to understand how Costa Rica successfully reversed deforestation and significantly regrew its tree canopy by implementing a combination of policy changes, financial incentives, and community engagement. The experience further solidified my passion to study the tension between economics and environmental management."

Mike returned to Canada and, after graduation, worked at the Pembina Institute, a sustainable energy think tank, to study how tax and incentive programs could affect environmental practices.

Ultimately, the rural New Brunswicker's entrepreneurial passion lured him to go out on his own in 2010 to begin consulting in the forestry and energy sectors. He worked with municipalities and First Nations communities on natural asset planning, environmental management, and other needs, and faced a lot of data and inadequate software. It quickly became clear that there was an opportunity to build software products that could solve the problems his clients were facing.

Green Analytics Corp. was born, marking the beginning of a series of successful entrepreneurial ventures for Mike. He began pioneering sustainable resource management and environmental strategy development through digital product development, and at the same time began deep research in management information systems through a PhD at Washington State University. He was offered a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of British Columbia and developed the Urban Data Lab – which uses the entire campus as a living lab – to focus on deploying 5G communication systems and IoT technologies for environmental sustainability and machine learning. He continues to push the boundaries of knowledge and application in his field in the Data Analytics and Intelligent Systems Lab at UBC.

Since founding Green Analytics Corp., Mike has subsequently launched Green Metrics Technology Corp in 2017, the Carbon Guild in 2022, and Precision Livestock Diagnostics Ltd. in 2023. "These ventures span across various industries and leverage technology for environmental betterment. For example, in the building and housing sector, we create datasets that allow us to pinpoint where off-site manufacturing can be most efficient and be quickly granted permit approval. It speeds up the process and thereby ensures economic growth along with efficiency and sustainability."

"Growth and sustainability are absolutely reconcilable. We are seeing companies leaning into sustainable practices while also continuing growth trajectories. At the end of the day, it's all comes down to data. And with data-driven solutions, there are meaningful trajectory changes."

Mike's passion for innovation now has him leaning into Artificial Intelligence to uncover practical, technology-driven resources that help reduce energy, water, and financial costs associated with operating and managing built and natural assets. "At the Data Analytics and Intelligent Systems Lab, we're developing AI applications tailored for urban sustainability, with the aim of scaling these solutions across metropolitan landscapes to foster economic productivity and growth in a decarbonizing economy. AI is such an effective tool to use with large amounts of data. The data from clients – for example, from sensors or satellites – is now cleaned, structured and visualized extremely quickly by AI. That gives us back the time to leverage our training to recognize patterns, discover insights, and communicate them effectively. The difference in the time we have to do that now compared to ten years ago is night and day."

Mike says that while technology is changing businesses and industries extremely quickly, the skills he learned at UNB allow him to adapt and ask the right questions. "My job didn't exist when I was in school, but my forestry education – both the technical and social skills – has greatly benefitted me. A multidisciplinary education has allowed me to create a career I'm passionate about on my own terms, with the confidence and skills I need to be successful."

Yet Mike says he's only just getting started. "The culture we've been able to build with our clients and colleagues is amazing. My personal mission is to continue to strive to improve the efficiency and ethical use of environmental and natural resources."

Mike does this while balancing family life with two kids. "Enjoying time with family while doing fulfilling work is why I became an entrepreneur. I'm extremely proud of both of those aspects of my life."

And he's optimistic for the future. "There's momentum building in Canada to want to grow and move into the future in a responsible way. We have all the resources that any country could ever dream of, and we can move forward to address social and environmental challenges along with growth. I'm excited for our future."