Our team makes everything possible.

Hannes Edinger

FOUNDER & Managing Director

Hannes is an award-winning economist with specific interest in applied econometrics and data analysis. His areas of expertise include data modelling, acquisition, forecasting, and report writing. He has a broad statistical skill set in a wide variety of data types including biological, chemical, climate, behavioural, and economic data. He holds a Masters in Economics from Queen’s University.

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.

Lindsey Cox

Senior ANALYST

Lindsey specializes in qualitative research design and analysis and holds an M.Sc. in Development Management from the London School of Economics and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of British Columbia. She is an experienced relationship-builder and works closely with Indigenous groups, organizations, communities, and non-Indigenous political entities, such as federal, provincial, and municipal governments across Canada. Lindsey lives on Gabriola Island, on the unceded territory of Snuneymuxw First Nation.

Marisa Fulper

Visual Designer

Marisa is eternally curious and asking big questions. They are from Ann Arbor, Michigan and now call Toronto home. 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 holds an M.A. and a B.A. with honours in Economics from the University of Victoria. His research interests include the effects of historical policies on Indigenous economies and communities, gender and household economics, and applied econometrics. Jon is a Citizen of the Métis Nation of British Columbia and currently resides on the traditional territory of the Songhees, Esquimalt, and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples.

Greg O’Neill-Walker

EA & OFFICE MANAGER

Greg holds a B.Sc. degree in Outdoor and Environmental Education from Liverpool John Moores University. He is passionate about sustainability and enabling outdoor recreation for all. He has spent the majority of his professional career working in ecotourism. In his free time Greg can be found mountain biking or exploring the Pacific Northwest is his campervan with his family. Greg lives in Squamish on Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) territory.

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.