Simon Jackson

Simon Jackson, 29, founded the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition at the age of 13 in the quest to unite the voice of young people to save British Columbia’s endangered white Kermode or spirit bear. 

Through the Youth Coalition, Jackson helped raise international awareness about the plight of the spirit bear – helping make the issue the most supported conservation initiative in Canadian history and having it recognized by Time Magazine as one of the most critical environmental issues facing our planet. 

Jackson gained the support of such high profile figures as Dr. Jane Goodall, J.K. Rowling, and the Backstreet Boys in the process that helped make the Youth Coalition the world’s largest youth-led environmental movement with a global network of more than 6 million in over 70 countries. 

Today, two-thirds of the spirit bear’s last intact habitat has been set aside for protection as part of what was the largest land protection measure in North American history, while one third remains threatened.

To help protect the remaining habitat, Jackson co-founded Helade Productions to produce, along with the same team responsible for the Lion King, a Hollywood CGI animated movie – The Spirit Bear – slated for worldwide theatrical release.

Jackson has received several honors for his work to save the spirit bear, including a being awarded a YTV Achievement Award, being selected as one of the top 25 Up and Comers by MacLean’s Magazine, receiving one of 20 full scholarships for community service from TD Canada Trust, and, most notably, being honored as one of Time Magazine’s sixty Heroes for the Planet – one of only six young people selected from around the world.  His life’s work was the inspiration for a movie of the week – CTV’s award-winning Spirit Bear: The Simon Jackson Story – which aired across Canada on CTV and internationally through film festivals and on the Disney Channel.

Jackson is the full-time, volunteer Chairman and President of the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition and the Executive Producer and Spokesperson for The Spirit Bear CGI movie. Additionally, Jackson sits on the board of directors of ten organizations and social ventures, is public affairs commentator for CBC and the Huffington Post, and is a motivational speaker with Speakers’ Spotlight.

• 1. THE POWER OF ONE

  Time magazine's Hero for the Planet, Simon Jackson, is the founder and chairman of the six million strong, Spirit Bear Youth Coalition and Executive Producer of the forth-coming Hollywood animated movie, The Spirit Bear. Through almost two decades of working to save BC's endangered white Kermode or spirit bear, Simon has become a model of the power of one. In the telling of his unique story - the focus of a recent made-for-TV movie - Simon illustrates how he overcame roadblocks, sceptics and even bullying in school to help make the spirit bear one of the world's foremost environmental issues. The lessons he learned and the insight he gained is not just the recipe to save the spirit bear, but a blueprint for anyone - especially youth - to take a stand for a better world. Simon's message is inspirational, motivational, and educational: Not only will you want to catch the spirit to save the bear, but you'll be a believer in the power of one.

• 2. ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION

  Environmental awareness is at an all-time high, but meaningful progress at the decision making table is painfully absent. Simon Jackson offers a compelling and thought-provoking vision for an environmental revolution: multi-partisan public engagement that pushes for business innovation. Bridging nearly two decades of experience as an environmental advocate, Jackson pulls no punches in critiquing what has gone wrong with the environmental movement and what needs to happen to create a non-ideological, pro-environment consensus in Canada and internationally. Jackson proposes a positive, tangible vision of balance that understands the human condition without negating the ecological bottom line and how that can be the key to mobilising the public and creating an incubator for successful green business innovation. Rather than campaign against a person or policy, Jackson will challenge you to take a fresh look at the environmental debate and create a new movement for change that makes sound economics the root of true sustainability.

• 3. POLITICS 101 FOR ADOCACY CAMPAIGNS

  Politics and advocacy campaigns rarely see eye-to-eye. With a deep understanding of both the political world and the non-profit sector, Simon Jackson bridges his nearly two decades of experience in the realm of government relations to help non-profits and businesses better understand the dynamics at play in the policy making process. Combined with the insight he has gained as a CBC public affairs commentator and from leadership roles in political campaigns, Jackson offers his opinion on how to shape the public agenda and create meaningful change without creating political enemies. Simon's views on navigating issues through complex political waters offer businesses and non-profits innovative ideas for collaboration and engagement that can be the receipt for any issue's success.

• 4. YOUTH MOBILISATION

  Youth are a fascinating and largely misunderstood demographic that provide major challenges for businesses, advocacy campaigns and voter turnout. Through his efforts that created an international network of more than six million youth in the quest to save the spirit bear, Simon Jackson has become an expert at youth engagement. Jackson has successfully applied his model for youth mobilisation in the business, non-profit and political sectors and, in the doing, has developed a series of critical strategies that can help make youth meaningful participants in any vision. By breaking down what works and what doesn't work, Jackson offers audiences a step-by-step blueprint for increasing youth participation in any campaign.

• 5. CAMPAIGN BUILDING

  Simon Jackson offers future leaders - and those who work with them - the opportunity to gain insight into the high level strategic thinking that created the world's largest youth-run environmental organisation, the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition and the campaign that helped create North America's largest, consensus land use plan. Drawing from his experiences, Jackson presents his tool kit for action while providing perspective around what works and what doesn't work when building a campaign. And through an intimate dialogue, Jackson will work to trouble-shoot potential projects and help audience members create their own plan for action. (This topic can be a speech, a training seminar, or an ongoing mentorship program)

• Your sessions on The Power of One touched a chord with many of our teachers and were significant to the program's success.
  North Central Teachers' Convention Association, of the Alberta Teachers' Association
• Simon was a hit. People were impressed by his message about the "Power of One" and his insights as to how to involve youth at college in successful social action.
  Centennial College