MARK BRAND
SOCIAL IMPACT ENTREPRENEUR
At the heart of everything Mark Brand builds, from kitchens to classrooms, from stage to street, is a commitment to dignity, equity, and radical hospitality. His work continues to challenge systems,
shift culture, and feed people in every sense of the word. Through projects like A Better Life
Foundation and Upward Mobility Kitchens, that impact extends far beyond food
Upward builds kitchens, cafés, and community-powered meal programs that create access, opportunity, and care. Every meal made
supports a more just and inclusive
food system.
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A Better Life Foundation creates food security through dignified, scalable systems. From
daily meal programs to national policy
work, ABLF builds infrastructure that
feeds people and fuels change.
CONVERSATIONS THAT LEAD TO ACTION
BUILDING COMMUNITY
IS KEY
Offering an engaging, bold, brutally honest portrayal of hunger, homelessness and addiction today in our communities, Mark brings his message around the world
to break biases, create everyday advocates and build communities
around issues we need to solve, now.
At the heart of his keynotes, teaching, design thinking, and facilitation, is a
focus on changing the landscape and helping others
explore sustainable business models.
"If the community is unwell,
we are unwell"
LISTEN IN
TOOLS FOR RESILIENCE
A podcast about hope, resilience, and leaving the planet a
better place than we found it. It’s a home for conversations
with incredible people who are change makers,
disrupters, and experts in their fields.
POPULAR EPISODES
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DESIGN THINKING
A NON LINEEAR PROCESS
A certified Ten Directions Integral Facilitator, Mark helps teams and communities move through complex challenges using actionable dialogue and systems-level thinking.
From private workshops and stage interviews to large-scale panels, his facilitation draws on emergent practices in design thinking, systems innovation, and a commitment to
holding space for honest, thought-provoking conversations.
His time at Stanford’s d.school and as an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California reinforced a core principle: process is everything. Mark’s downloadable
Design Thinking package outlines the tools he brings to every room.
THE TIMELINE
2010
SAVE ON MEATS
2013
A BETTER LIFE
2015
AND BEYOND
2020
UPWARD MOBILITY KITCHENS
Mark reopened the historic Save On Meats in the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Territories, otherwise known as Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Under his leadership, it became a platform for radical hospitality, social enterprise, and community hiring that redefined what a restaurant could be in one of the most marginalized postal codes
in Canada. “We weren’t just serving food. We were building a model of care
that proved dignity and impact can live on the same plate.”
Mark launched A Better Life Foundation to deepen that impact. We started serving daily meals, built scalable food programs, and created the Meal Token initiative.
All rooted in the belief that everyone deserves dignity, access, and care.
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Stepping onto global stages. Mark spoke at TEDx Vancouver, Singularity University’s Global Summit, C2 Montréal, and dozens more across the world, from Sydney to New York.
"That window opened doors to show not just what I do, but why I do it. Storytelling
became a second toolset. One I carry with me everywhere I go."
Upward Mobility Kitchens emerged in response to the urgent need for dignified, community-powered food systems, built to serve those most impacted by systemic barriers.
What began on the West Coast has since expanded to the East, with
new roots in Mi’kma’ki, also known as Halifax.
"We reopened The Nook on Gottingen Street as Upward Kitchen & Café. Built brick by
brick, hiring folks with deep ties to the community, and creating meals
that nourish more than just the body."
TODAY
Leading the expansion of Upward East operations, Mark now oversees a school lunch program that feeds thousands of students daily. He anchors Upward Café in downtown Halifax (Mi’kma’ki) as a hub for nourishment, connection, and care. He is also building
Upward Farms, a new project focused on food sovereignty and sustainability.
“Alongside all of this, I continue to speak, teach, and facilitate across
the world, helping others build systems of service
rooted in dignity and radical hospitality.”
