Draft:Coro Strandberg

Coro Strandberg was raised in Burnaby, British Columbia. She is one of four siblings born to a Danish immigrant who moved to Canada in the 1950s.{{cite web |title=Strandberg, Coro |url=https://www.sbcbc.ca/index.php/events/our-speakers/61-strandberg-coro |website=Scandinavian Business Club of British Columbia |access-date=14 May 2025}} She holds Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) degrees from the University of British Columbia.{{cite web |title=Annual Congregation for the Conferring of Degrees |url=https://graduation.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2012/11/congreg_1985_spring_3.pdf |website=The University of British Columbia |access-date=16 May 2025}}

In the late 1980s, Strandberg was elected as a director of Vancity Credit Union, one of Canada’s largest community credit unions, becoming its youngest board member at the time. She later served as Chair of the Board, where she contributed to developing Vancity’s social mission and advancing its reputation as a leader in corporate social responsibility and values-based banking. She was a founding trustee of Ethical Funds Inc., the founding chair of the Vancity Community Foundation, and helped launch the Vancity Capital Corporation.{{cite web |title=Coro Strandberg |url=https://www.riacanada.ca/company-profile/coro-strandberg/ |website=Responsible Investment Association |access-date=8 May 2025}}{{cite web |title=Board of Directors |url=https://www.csef.ca/our_people.php |website=Canadian Social Entrepreneurship Foundation |access-date=12 May 2025}}

Strandberg has held roles in the public sector, including serving as Social Policy Director and Green Economy Policy Advisor for the Government of British Columbia from 1995 to 2000, where she developed sustainable development and green economy strategies.{{cite web |title=Board of Directors |url=https://www.csef.ca/our_people.php |website=Canadian Social Entrepreneurship Foundation |access-date=12 May 2025}}

She was also the first Social Planner for the City of Surrey from 1990 to 1993, focusing on community development initiatives.{{cite web |title=Board of Directors |url=https://www.csef.ca/our_people.php |website=Canadian Social Entrepreneurship Foundation |access-date=12 May 2025}}

In 2004, Strandberg founded Strandberg Consulting, a firm that advises businesses, governments, and industry associations on sustainability strategies and governance.{{cite web |title=About Coro |url=https://corostrandberg.com/about/ |website=Strandberg Consulting |date=24 August 2010 |access-date=8 May 2025}}

Her consulting work has focused on integrating corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations into organizational decision-making and operations.{{cite web |last1=Destination Canada |title=Corporate Sustainability Pioneer Coro Strandberg on the Importance of Doing Good While Doing Well |url=https://associationsnow.com/2022/07/corporate-sustainability-pioneer-coro-strandberg-on-the-importance-of-doing-good-while-doing-well/ |website=Associations Now |date=21 July 2022 |access-date=8 May 2025}} She is recognized for her expertise in sustainability leadership, transformational business practices, and the development of social purpose business models.{{cite news |last1=Aziz |first1=Afdhel |title=The Rise Of Canada's Purpose Economy : An Interview With Coro Strandberg |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/afdhelaziz/2024/10/29/the-rise-of-canadas-purpose-economy--an-interview-with-coro-strandberg/ |access-date=8 May 2025 |work=Forbes |date=29 Oct 2024}}{{cite news |last1=Moore |first1=Dene |title=Sustainable pay incentives are a growing trend in corporate Canada |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-sustainable-pay-incentives-are-a-growing-trend-in-corporate-canada/ |access-date=14 May 2025 |work=The Globe and Mail |date=7 July 2022}}{{cite web |title=2015 Consultants & Enablers |url=https://clean50.com/honourees/coro-strandberg-2/ |website=Clean50 |date=15 September 2014 |access-date=14 May 2025}}{{cite web |title=2012 Consultants & Enablers |url=https://clean50.com/honourees/coro-strandberg/ |website=Clean50 |date=7 June 2013 |access-date=14 May 2025}}

Strandberg served on the board of the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, a provincial crown corporation, from 2018-2025.{{cite web |title=Five new directors appointed to BC Lottery Corporation board |url=https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018AG0081-002039 |website=BC Gov News |date=19 October 2018 |publisher=Government of British Columbia |access-date=8 May 2025}} Strandberg was also a member of the Government of British Columbia’s Emerging Economy Taskforce, established in 2018 to help shape and inform the future of the province’s economy.{{cite web |title=Emerging Economy Task Force to guide B.C.'s economic strategy |url=https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018JTT0031-001369 |website=Government of British Columbia |date=10 July 2018 |access-date=16 May 2025}}

She is a member of the Office of the Auditor General of Canada’s Sustainable Development Commissioner Advisory Panel and of the Sustainability Steering Committee for the Canadian Standards Association (CSA Group). She has participated in advisory roles for national and international sustainability initiatives, including the ISO Working Group on purpose-driven organizations.{{cite web |title=Coro Strandberg |url=https://www.smu.ca/cuba/presenters/coro-strandberg.html |website=Saint Mary's University |access-date=14 May 2025}}

Strandberg was a co-founder and advisor to the United Way BC Social Purpose Institute, which supports businesses in defining and implementing social purpose strategies.{{cite web |last1=Waddock |first1=Sandra |last2=Strandberg |first2=Coro |title=5 Ways Companies Can Transform to Social Purpose |url=https://nbs.net/5-ways-companies-can-transform-to-social-purpose/ |website=Network for Business Sustainability |date=5 April 2022 |access-date=14 May 2025}} Strandberg also co-founded and chairs the Canadian Purpose Economy Project (CPEP), an initiative aimed at fostering a purpose-driven economy in Canada. The project seeks to engage various stakeholders to create an enabling environment for social purpose businesses to thrive.{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://purposeeconomy.ca/about-us/ |website=The Canadian Purpose Economy Project|access-date=8 May 2025}}

In an interview with Forbes, she emphasized the role of business as a force for good and described the Purpose Economy as “the next evolution of capitalism.”{{cite news |last1=Aziz |first1=Afdhel |title=The Rise Of Canada's Purpose Economy : An Interview With Coro Strandberg |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/afdhelaziz/2024/10/29/the-rise-of-canadas-purpose-economy--an-interview-with-coro-strandberg/ |access-date=8 May 2025 |work=Forbes |date=29 Oct 2024}}

A social purpose business, as defined in her work, has an enduring core reason for being, has a societal ambition and a desire to make the world better, and links its financial agenda with its societal agenda.{{cite web |title=Social Purpose Business Definition |url=https://corostrandberg.com/publications/social-purpose-business-definition-and-social-purpose-business-case/ |website=Strandberg Consulting |access-date=14 May 2025}}

Strandberg was recognized as Canada’s top Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) consultant by Canada’s Clean50 in 2015 for her leadership in sustainability consulting.{{cite web |title=Coro Strandberg |url=https://sustainablebrands.com/is/coro-strandberg-1 |website=Sustainable Brands |access-date=14 May 2025}} In 2024, she received the Joyce Borden-Reed Distinguished Contribution Award for her innovation and leadership in governance from the Governance Professionals of Canada, where she also serves as a faculty member.{{cite web |title=GPC announces this year's recipient of the 2024 Joyce Borden-Reed Distinguished Contribution Award! |url=https://www.gpcanada.org/Public/Public/News/2024_Joyce_Borden-Reed_Distinguished_Contribution_Award.aspx |website=Governance Professionals of Canada |access-date=14 May 2025}}

Strandberg has authored numerous publications on sustainability governance, ESG integration, and social purpose business models. Her work includes frameworks and toolkits for boards, associations, and companies seeking to embed sustainability into their operations.{{cite web |title=About Coro |url=https://corostrandberg.com/about/ |website=Strandberg Consulting |date=24 August 2010 |access-date=8 May 2025}}

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