Meet the TOCW Newsletter Team
This week, we hand the Changemaker microphone to the team behind the TOCW newsletter: Elizabeth Cockle, Newsletter Lead; Nile Choi, Newsletter & Social Media Coordinator; and Andra Tarta, Newsletter Coordinator.
Q. How did you discover sustainability and climate action?
Elizabeth: Growing up, I was the weird kid whose mom packed my school lunches in milk bags she’d rinsed out, wrapped with a rubber band cut from the sleeves of old dishwashing gloves. The package got placed into an empty cookie bag, along with an apple and a recyclable juice box. That’s how passionate my mom was about reducing waste. Although this did not help me make friends — no cookies to share — as an adult, I am grateful to have absorbed environmental values at an early age.
Nile: Canada introduced me to sustainability as a way of life. There's a tranquil beauty to it that made the concept feel natural rather than overwhelming. For me, sustainable climate action is simple and accessible — you take care of what you love, at whatever role and level you can. It’s a lifestyle.
Andra: My passion for climate action felt abstract until I completed an internship in British Columbia, right at the intersection of climate change and health. By engaging with experts and community leaders alike, this internship made me realize how much power we each hold to champion sustainability, resilience, and mitigation in our daily lives — from our systems and the industries we uphold, to the local communities and neighbourhoods we cherish.
Photo: Andra in British Columbia
Q: Why did you join the TOCW team?
Nile: The opportunity came to me during a transitional period in my life, and something about the timing felt right. Being part of a meaningful, purpose-driven team has been a grounding experience. It's given me the chance to engage with sustainability and climate action at a broader level — seeing how these values translate into real community and organizational impact.
Elizabeth: I joined TOCW shortly after graduating from OnePointFive Academy’s Sustainability Consulting Accelerator, which covered end-to-end Net Zero strategy to decarbonization. The October 2025 kickoff was just over three months away and activity was ramping up. Getting involved helped me expand my network and continue learning as I help companies understand the business case for sustainable initiatives like decarbonization retrofits, sustainability certifications, and improved carbon accounting. This is a critical time for Canadian climate leadership, and it’s exciting to take part in these conversations.
Andra: I joined the TOCW team during a time where I was exploring post-graduation opportunities in the public health space. My field has a strong focus on cross-sectoral collaboration, and TOCW was a wonderful chance to expand my understanding of what this could look like in practice. In a short time, I’ve discovered a wealth of people, programs, and industry partners who care about co-creating a better future. Being part of that shared purpose has given me a clearer sense of where I can contribute moving forward.
Q: Where are you finding optimism right now?
Nile: I'm currently in Vietnam, and almost by coincidence, I found myself welcomed into a community of sustainability-minded leaders and international expats who are genuinely excited about the future. Being in that space fills me with hope. We live in a globalized world where people are eager to share ideas, innovations, and new ways of doing things — and that energy is contagious. As long as we keep looking forward together, learning from one another, I believe we're capable of so much more. Together, we are always better than one.
Photo: Indigenous Homestays
Andra: I’m choosing to find optimism everywhere in 2026. Sometimes it comes easily — seeing TOCW take shape, watching global leaders come together to learn from each other, making the choice to continue growing. On the other hand, keeping current with global news sometimes feels like a balancing act between optimism and realism. I still choose to find hope grounded in the collective action taking place every day — in the people uniting to support one another, and working to rebuild for each other.
Elizabeth: Playing with animals always helps, like these sweet squirrel monkeys in the Dominican Republic (a highlight of 2025). Closer to home, every changemaker we’ve interviewed for this series has been a source of optimism. Optimism makes things happen and there are so many people making interesting things happen in the climate space — turning spent barley grains into sourdough, investing in Canadian-made climate tech, preserving forests using traditional Indigenous knowledge. I am grateful for the opportunity to tell stories about proud Canadians doing good work!
Photo: Elizabeth w/monkeys