Meet the Team

Karen Farley (they/their) – NoSUP Canada Founder

Startup Founder. Sustainability researcher. Green policy developer.

Karen dreams of a world where food with plastic-free packaging is affordable and available in supermarkets for all Canadian shoppers.

Karen is a sustainability management researcher at the University of Waterloo. Their research focuses on the gap between consumers’ intentions regarding plastic-free food packaging and what they actually purchase when shopping for food in supermarkets. Turning research into action, Karen founded NoSUP Canada in October 2021 to drive the Canadian food industry to introduce more plastic-free food in supermarkets. 

Karen previously founded ventures in food production in Taipei, Taiwan and systems development in Toronto, Canada. Karen also develops policies around green innovation and just labour.

Vanessa Pereira (she/her)

Sustainability champion. Purpose-driven. Business school alumna.

Vanessa is a business school graduate who embarked on an exchange to Singapore during her undergraduate career and found her passion for climate action and sustainability. She recently co-led an initiative in partnership with a cycling advocacy group that focused on advocating for equitable access to active transportation options in the suburban areas of northwest Toronto.

Vanessa is excited to work towards a plastic-free world alongside Karen!