Kathryn Meers (geography)
For environmental studies and geography student Kathryn Meers (she/her), sustainability is not a value you hold, but a system you build. The summer after her third year at UVic, she began an entrepreneurial work term, spending four months growing her sustainability-focused business, StokedWorks Outfitters.
A UVic Changemaker Award runner-up
Kathryn is one of the runners-up of the 2026 UVic Changemaker Awards, which celebrate co-op students who have made significant contributions to their workplace, community and/or to their own personal learning.
Waste reduction in action
StokedWorks was built around the interception of a waste stream product: a recreational rock climber herself, Kathryn was aware that climbing ropes, which are made of durable, high-quality nylon, have a finite safety life. Once retired from use, these ropes end up in the landfill, even though the material itself hasn’t degraded enough for other uses.
By building a supply network with climbing gyms, outdoor retailers, and individual climbers, Kathryn created a consistent channel for that material to be handcrafted into functional products, including belts, keychains, dog leashes, and camera straps.
Addressing the UN SDGs
Her work term helped advance United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (UN SDG) 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, by repurposing material and diverting it from unnecessary disposal.
She also addressed SDG 13: Climate Action and SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth as she brought employees onto her team.
“The gap between caring about the earth and actually reducing environmental impact is filled with operational decisions, sourcing logistics, and the unglamorous work of making something that people want to buy,” says Kathryn. “Going through that process full-time gave me a practical fluency in sustainable business that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”
A values-first business model
By the end of her co-op term, StokedWorks was averaging $4,000 a month in revenue, demonstrating that this model has real commercial viability.
“What I took away from the term was a real understanding of what it actually takes to make sustainability work in practice,” she says.
“Having values is easy. Building sourcing networks, managing production and employees, coordinating logistics, and maintaining customer relationships while ensuring the end product is better than the conventional alternative is much harder.”
Kathryn is excited to continue to grow her company as she continues her studies.