Our team makes everything possible.
Hannes Edinger
FOUNDER & Managing Director
Hannes Edinger is an award-winning economist, a member of the Métis Nation, and the Managing Director of Big River Analytics. Hannes founded Big River Analytics Ltd. in 2011 with the mission of providing statistical and analytical capacity to benefit Indigenous governments across Canada. In addition to his work at Big River, he serves on the Board of the Pacific Institute of Mathematical Sciences and as a member of the National Stakeholder Advisory Panel for the Labour Market Information Council. He holds a Masters in Economics from Queen’s University. When he’s out of the office, Hannes is off chasing steelhead and salmon somewhere in the Pacific Northwest.
Rebecca Wortzman
Director of Operations
Rebecca is an economist with a keen interest in the social, historic and cultural contexts in which she researches. Rebecca's Masters in Economics and experience working for the BC Public Service focused on the economic and social impacts of natural resource development in Indigenous communities in Canada, with a particular focus on Indigenous women and girls. Prior to pursuing her Master’s degree, Rebecca worked in the non-profit sector in Toronto for organizations focused on collective impact and civic leadership, and food justice. Rebecca holds a B.A. with High Distinctions in English Literature and Economics from Dalhousie University.
Anabelle Budd
Director of Client Services
Anabelle Budd holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the University of Victoria and a B.A. in Political Science from McGill University. She is an experienced project manager, with a particular interest in communicating complex ideas simply through writing. As the Director of Client Services, Anabelle works with her team to deeply understand and support our clients’ objectives. Prior to joining Big River, Anabelle held roles in media, international organizations, non-profit organizations, and the public sector in Mexico, France, and Canada. Anabelle is fluent in Spanish, French, and English.
Spencer Britten
Senior Economist
Spencer Britten has worked with Big River Analytics since October 2012. He is a talented economist, econometrician, and programmer who works with a wide range of technologies. In his time at Big River Analytics, Spencer has worked with a wide range of clients to deliver a wide range of impactful services, including analyzing the health of salmon stocks, designing and analyzing population surveys, developing rational costing models for government programs, and projecting populations and labour markets. He holds a Masters in Economics from Queen’s University.
Alex Cebry
DATA Scientist
Alex holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of British Columbia and an Advanced Diploma in GIS from the British Columbia Institute of Technology. His focus is data analysis, data visualization, and is particularly interested in spatial problems. He has experience using R and Python to clean and analyze data, using QGIS and ArcGIS Pro for mapping and spatial analysis, as well as experience creating web applications using the ArcGIS JavaScript API, Dash Open Source and Stacker.
Marisa Fulper
Visual Designer
Marisa is eternally curious and asking big questions. Marisa’s experience working in an award-winning design studio has led to fluency in branding, editorial, web design, art direction, and infographics. They believe that design is about humanity and problem solving to create clear, accessible communication. Marisa holds a B.A. in Art & Design from the University of Michigan.
Riel Tétreault
Economist
Riel is a Métis economist whose interests and work focuses on Indigenous economics. He has a Master’s in Economics from the University of British Columbia and Bachelor’s in Economics and Contemporary Studies from the University of King’s College. Riel has experience working with Indigenous Nations and organizations to conduct research, engage communities, and assert the strength of Indigenous Peoples.
Megan Monkman
Analyst
Megan is a citizen of the Métis Nation of British Columbia and resides on the traditional territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən People. She grew up in Northern BC before completing her B.Sc. in Mathematics at Simon Fraser University in 2019. Megan is committed to continuous learning and is enthusiastic about taking on new challenges with curiosity. Her previous research experience includes diverse projects in both pure and applied mathematics, specifically in the enumeration and random generation of maps, and the role of regionalization of tissue in muscle mechanics. She believes that inclusive, accessible, and clear communication is essential to sharing knowledge. In her spare time, she raises funds to support and honour students with mental health conditions.
Tamara Baunsgaard
Economist
Tamara is an economist interested in the intersection of race and gender in the design and implementation of labour, housing, and education policies, and is continuously searching for new ideas and solutions to problems of all magnitudes. She holds a Master’s degree in Economics and a Bachelor's of International Economics from the University of British Columbia. Tamara is based in Toronto.
Una Jefferson
Economist
Una is excited about using data analysis and applied econometrics to help communities make decisions that fit their values. She is particularly interested in environmental policy and causal inference from observational data. Before joining Big River, she was a climate change policy researcher at the Smart Prosperity Institute, a think tank, where she focused on energy, labour, and carbon offsets. She has an M.Phil. (with Distinction) in Environmental Policy from the University of Cambridge, where her research evaluated the effectiveness of voluntary climate change initiatives by large private greenhouse gas emitters in Canada, and a B.A. (Honours) in Sociology from McGill University. Una lives in Montreal.
Kevin Halasz
Data Scientist
Kevin joined Big River Analytics shortly after completing his PhD in pure mathematics at Simon Fraser University. He is interested in applying his knowledge of probability theory, linear algebra, and combinatorics to build models and extract insights from complex data sets. Born and raised in Santa Cruz, California, Kevin now lives in Vancouver, BC, where he spends his spare time exploring the Lower Mainland's myriad forests, reading science fiction, and writing poetry.
David Bergeron
DEVELOPER
David is a full stack web developer who strives to create diverse and attention-catching online experiences. He is enthusiastic about building systems, interfaces and graphics that are human-friendly, pleasing to the eye and usable. David graduated with honours with a diploma in Digital Media & IT (emphasis on Web Development) from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. David believes the internet should be both useful and beautiful, and he strives to do his part using the latest tools and technologies.
Shannon Edie
Data Scientist
Shannon is a data scientist currently working from Vancouver. She completed her Master’s in Biostatistics at the University of British Columbia, where she used animal movement models to explore navigational strategies used by Northern Fur Seals. Her passion lies in using her statistical skillset to tackle environmental and ecological problems. When she isn’t engrossed in R, Shannon spends her free time camping and falling more in love with the plants and birds of the Pacific Northwest.
Meghna Brahmachari
SENIOR ECONOMIST
Meghna is an economist with experience conducting research on various topics in public policy and applied economics. She has experience and a lot of interest in housing related issues. Her prior work includes consulting for the US federal government and conducting research at the International Water Management Institute in Gujarat, India. Meghna has a PhD in Economics from the Pennsylvania State University and a Masters and Bachelors in Economics from the University of Delhi.
Shawna Vokey
ANALYST
Shawna holds a Bachelor of Management Economics (with Distinction) from the University of Lethbridge. She believes that data analysis and interpretation are the most effective ways to develop new problem-solving strategies. Shawna has experience working for an Indigenous Nation as part of a team that identified economic priorities, provided equitable access to resources and opportunities and strived to create a self-sufficient Indigenous economy.
Jon Loeppky
ECONOMIST
Jon is an economist who is passionate about using economics and applied econometrics to support Indigenous Nations in expressing their sovereignty. He has experience conducting research on historical policies that impact contemporary Indigenous experiences, including the child welfare system and boarding schools. Raised in Northern BC, Jon now resides on the traditional territory of the Songhees, Esquimalt, and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples. He has familial ties to historic Métis communities in Alberta and is a citizen of Métis Nation British Columbia. Jon holds a Master's in Economics from the University of Victoria, where he also received a B.A. with Honours and Distinction in Economics.
Areez Gangji
Economist
Areez is an economist whose research has focused on how marginalized populations experienced COVID-19 differently from non-marginalized populations, with a particular focus on Indigenous Peoples in Canada compared to Canadian-born non-Indigenous peoples. Prior to that, he worked as a data scientist, led teams of data analysts, and managed projects at several tech companies, including Shopify and Corel. Areez holds a masters degree in Economics from Queen's University.
Tania So
Data Scientist
Tania has a technical background with a Masters in Software Engineering from the University of Calgary. Always curious and striving to find the balance between the arts and sciences, she believes that data provides the language that can unfold stories and weave elements of humanity into numbers. In her spare time, she can be found enjoying the outdoors or learning new skills and recipes.
Selena Adams
JUNIOR ANALYST
Selena is a Beedie Luminaries Scholarship recipient who has three years of experience in Indigenous Teacher Education at the University of British Columbia. She is from the Haida and Kwakwaka'wakw Nations which fuels her passions for education and cultural safety. The skills she has learned there has propelled her to working on projects such as Squamish Nation’s largest data sovereignty exercise in history, where she got to exercise her interests in research and community engagement through her role as an enumerator.
Ivan Gonzalez
Data Scientist
Ivan is a curious individual who is always eager to take on new data-driven challenges. He has a PhD in Applied Mathematics from McGill University. Ivan’s interests and expertise span across modelling and analysis of dynamical systems, optimization, and programming. Before joining Big River, he led research projects on optimizing the spatial allocation of resources and performed statistical analysis on large data sets of animal behavior to uncover trends and obtain long term predictions. Born and raised in Mexico City, he has called Montreal home for over a decade. He is fluent in French, English, and Spanish.
Lela Draganic
PRIVACY AND CYBERSECURITY CONSULTANT
Lela specializes in cybersecurity and privacy and holds a B.A. in International Relations and European Studies from the University of Nicosia and a Masters in Politics from York University. Prior to moving to Canada she spent a decade working in the non-profit sectors in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Cyprus, and then for IT companies based in Switzerland and the Netherlands. Now she specializes in governance and cybersecurity of AI, robotic processing automation, and privacy regulations. Lela loves educating people, organizations and companies about technology, and is a passionate supporter of women's sports privately.
Wendelin Giesler
Economist
Wendelin is an environmental economist, specializing in climatology and environmental impact assessments. During past projects, he has focused on demand analyses, policy reviews, and climate strategies. He completed a Master’s in Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of British Columbia - Okanagan, studying projected impacts of climate change on the local ski industry. Wendelin has always been fascinated by the outdoors in British Columbia and preferably spends his free time exploring the mountains and wildlife in the Kootenay-Rockies.
Vicky Gélinas
SENIOR Economist
Vicky holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from McGill University and is currently pursuing a master’s in Sociology at Université Laval, with a focus on the economic and social impacts of climate change events in northern Indigenous communities. Prior to joining Big River Analytics, she spent over a decade in the federal public service, at Statistics Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, where she worked on advancing data equity and developing innovative methods and products. Vicky is an avid learner with a keen interest in supporting Indigenous groups exercise self-determination. When she is not working or studying, Vicky can be found reading, enjoying the outdoors or travelling.
David Anderson
FULL STACK ENGINEER
David is a full-stack developer specializing in Next.js web applications. He believes one of life’s greatest joys is building something and seeing your creation make people's lives better. With nearly a decade of development experience, David views himself primarily as a problem solver. He thrives on tackling challenges with tech-driven solutions in both business and life. When not solving problems, he enjoys training for races and exploring Ontario’s provincial parks.
Callyn Melville
Executive Assistant and Office Manager
Callyn has always been driven by a deep-seated passion for understanding people, which she has nurtured through her degree in Psychology and ongoing studies in Human Resource Management. She feels incredibly privileged to call Vancouver home, where she has spent the last four years working within the nonprofit sector with First Nations organizations and communities. Callyn is currently pursuing her Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) designation in BC & Yukon. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys long walks along the Fraser River or finding a secluded spot for a swim in the sea.
Matt Kell
ComPtroller
Matt is a CPA with over 20 years of experience providing financial leadership to a wide variety of clients in the engineering, technology and construction industries. When he isn’t crunching numbers, you can usually find him at the campsite or on the golf course.