Susan Chapelle has been both a patient and an advocate for the cannabis industry for over 15 years. As an elected city councilor for two terms as well as a candidate for mayor in Squamish, BC, Susan advocated for and put forward policy to reflect legalization, and to help those small businesses involved in the cultivation and dispensing of cannabis to retain their place in the economy. Susan is Director of Government Relations and Affairs with Pasha Brands and is excited to be utilizing all of her gained knowledge in politics, science and startups to help keep the small business economics of cannabis viable in a time of rapid industry growth and regulatory uncertainty.

As a business owner for over 30 years and an early adopter of innovation, Susan pioneered the first multidisciplinary health care clinic in Squamish, BC. Squamish Integrated Health maintains over 25 practitioners and serves the health of the community through evidence based treatments that have been developed and published in peer review journals.

Susan’s recent opening of Aligned Collective in Squamish as a space where people can work together across sectors to resolve economic and social issues, as well as move into smart city solutions will be an exciting use of her Community Economic Development education at SFU.

As an entrepreneur and community advocate, her completion of a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) at Simon Fraser University has helped her grow her skills in the world of startups and rural economics.
Susan is an advocate for healthy cities and was successful at moving the dial on access to rape kits for women in the province of BC. Her passion for evidence informed policy and community economic development has continued to inform her advocacy.

As a researcher, Susan has published extensively in the area of wound healing and mechanism of manual therapy as co-investigator with Dr. Geoffrey Bove, D.C, PhD at the University of New England. Work on a National Institute of Medical Science grant to study mechanisms of post-operative adhesion formation has been published in PLOS One Her recent publication on mechanism of repetitive strain injury has been published in PAIN. Her numerous publications and expertise on the subject of healing mechanisms, as well as cities and technology have offered her the opportunity to speak both locally and globally as a keynote speaker and educator.