About us

WE MAKE PREMIUM CONTENT

TO AMPLIFY YOUR IMPACT

About Us

We make Premium Content

to amplify your impact

A women-led content agency and Certified B Corp, Forge & Spark supports purpose-driven brands with genuine, effective content and social media marketing.

Better content happens when you bring great people together. And (ahem) we’ve got the best. Our practiced and practical team members have truckloads of empathy and years of deep experience in content strategy, content marketing, and social media. 

And we choose to work with the best, too. That’s you. Our clients are leaders and brands who share our belief that—along with achieving financial successbusinesses can improve the state of the world, or their slice of it. These are the stories we choose to tell in our work. 

A proud Certified B Corp, we lead with purpose ourselves, living the highest social and environmental standards for the benefit of people as well as the planet. It’s how we do business. We’re also a proud member of the Pledge 1% movement, donating our time to further the UN SDGs of gender equality, quality education, and sustainable cities and communities.

Values we live by.

We put our values into practice. These values guide us in choosing each project we work on and in delivering consistently premium work and results. We believe that if we take good care of each other, we’ll all be better off, too. 

Creative Excellence

We revere, celebrate, and deliver unique, premium-quality work.

Firm Kindness

We treat our team members, clients, audiences and partners with care, respect for their rights and needs, and empathy.

Resourcefulness

We apply our wits, will, and experience to deliver the best and smartest solution for our team, clients, and partners.

Collaborative Strength

We join our clients to become a team, believing that together we are much more than the sum of our parts.

Integrity

We represent authenticity, respect of others' time, talents, and perspectives, give credit where it's due, and learn openly from our mistakes.

Phonies_Phonies extended 12By_Growwwkit_

Ways you can work with us...

You’re unique, and we celebrate that! We offer a few options for working together. What works best for you?

STRATEGIC ROADMAPS AND PLANS

When you’re ready to get results, but not sure how to get them, we can help. We can work with you and your team to audit and refine what you’re doing, or we can start from scratch. Either way you’ll get a plan or roadmap to lay out your goals, audiences, content and/or operations — plus the confidence that you’re doing content the right way for you. 

LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIPS

When you’re a fit, you know it. Right? We get to know the ins and outs of your business, brand, team, and content in Discovery and Strategic Planning. Then we get extra close when we set up your content operations and deliver your first batches of content. We become family when we start to surprise and delight each other with content that truly sparks joy—and pride for us all. 

COURSES & TRAINING FOR YOUR TEAMS

Once you create the strategy, you — along with your teams and stakeholders — have to figure out the right way to work the strategy. Whether you need a few consulting sessions where your team can ask questions or want to create the perfect IG Story template, we can help. We also offer a suite of content marketing courses that you or your team can take online any old time at all. 

To support your content marketing project

we create a customized team that includes some of the phenomenal folks below.

Our Team

Shannon Emmerson
Founder & CEO

With 20+ years experience in digital publishing and marketing for B2B, B2C and agencies, Shannon knows that it’s all about people sharing stories.

Inspired by: Small acts of courage.

Lisa Manfield
Editorial & Story Director

Lisa’s speciality is in crafting compelling and high-conversion content, whether for your website, blog, landing pages or your marketing and sales collateral.

Dreams of: Content that inspires positive change.

Lara Kroeker
Creative Director

An Emily Carr University Communication Design graduate, Lara combines her talent for aesthetics with a deeply practical tech savvy.

Believes in: Glue guns and glitter.

Colby Spencer
Director of Operations

From her 15+ years working both agency and client side in a multitude of roles, Colby has a knack for implementing process, organizing systems and bringing order to disorder.

Inspired by: Brainstorming new ideas to existing problems

Sara MacKay
Visual Designer

Sara is a graphic designer with a penchant for entrepreneurship (and tasty cocktails). She specializes in digital design and is obsessed with all things social media.

Dreams of: Seaside passionfruit mezcalitas with a bowl of fresh guac.

Carli Van Stolk
Content Strategist & Producer

With her master’s degree in communications and 7+ years of experience under her belt, Carli combines her education, experience, and seemingly endless amount of ideas to help optimize your brand’s digital marketing.

Dreams of: Exploring faraway places.

Taryn Hardes
Content Strategy Director

Taryn is a writer, editor, and content planner. She loves to read and craft digital content, and is often found giggling at her phone.

Inspired by: People who have a desire to unplug.

Hanna Clark
Social Media Strategist & Producer

Hanna specializes in crafting compelling digital content. She finds inspiration in the power of human connection and storytelling.

Passionate about: Mental health advocacy and all things wellness.

Mewmew Srihiran
Digital Marketing Manager

As a UBC Sauder School of Business Co-op student, Mewmew is looking to expand her horizons in the field of digital marketing. Mewmew supports our team and clients with digital marketing coordination, client research, and content production.

Wakes up to: Coffee and good food.

Bronwyn Wilson
Project Manager 

Passionate about social media strategy and execution, Bronwyn has worked with the Vancouver Aquarium and alive Magazine, and assisted international businesses to find growth opportunities in the Canadian market.

Believes in: Always smiling, compassion, and getting outdoors.

Kirsten Rodenhizer
Senior Editor & Strategist

Kirsten is an editor, writer and content project manager who is passionate about helping clients bring their stories to life across platforms.

Inspired by: Finding the right words to connect with any audience.

Elim Kwok
Digital Marketing Director 

Passionate about sharing knowledge with others and digital communications, Elim has for 15+ years supported brands like 7-Eleven, Cactus Club Cafe, and Vega.

Best ideas are found: On the mountains with coffee

Kelsey Westbrook Project Manager

When not sailing BC’s coastal waters on her aptly named sailboat Zig-Zag, Kelsey is a Project Manager with 10+ years of PM experience across the digital marketing landscape. She is a champion of process and believes most problems can be solved with the right Excel spreadsheet.

Dreams of: Days spent at sea, as far away from cell reception as possible.

Esther Mutinda
Project & Content Coordinator

Esther supports F&S from Mombasa, Kenya, providing our clients with top-notch research, project coordination, copywriting, and social media support.

Passionate about: Digital literacy and helping others learn.

Zohra Shahabuddin
Content Marketing Coordinator

Zohra is an international student currently pursuing a Master of Publishing (MPub) from SFU. She likes challenges and loves to explore the realm of content marketing. Zohra supports the F&S team with social media, research, content creation and coordination.

Passionate about: TikTok, accessibility, and Chai.