About GINKGO

christian-mahlstedt-about-us

Message from the President


Founded in 2010, Ginkgo Sustainability Inc. was born out of a love for the environment and a passion for sustainable business. We are driven by our mission to connect the living and built environments through the installation of living roofs and the installation and manufacture of living walls.

Since our founding, our GingkoRoofs division has installed living roofs throughout Ontario, from the Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care in Midland, to Exhibition Place in Toronto and the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo. Our GingkoWalls division seeks to replicate the success of GingkoRoofs and is looking to establish a strong foothold in the living wall market.

In the coming years, we aim to continue being the leading living roof installer in Ontario and to position our living walls division at the forefront of the industry. We believe we can achieve these goals through our dedication to high-quality workmanship, our clients, sustainable and ethical business practices, and product research and innovation.

Our team has the depth of experience in the green building industry to realize our clients’ projects with excellence and efficiency and to accomplish our business’ long-term objectives. We also strive to expand our knowledge through continuous industry learning and study, with the Green Roof Professional accreditation program being one example.

With over 250 green roofing projects completed since 2010 and the development of our GingkoWalls division, we invite you to join Ginkgo Sustainability in connecting the living and built environments.

Christian Mahlstedt
BA, MBA, GRP, LEEDAP
President

Our Staff


  • Christian Mahlstedt bio picture

    Christian Mahlstedt

    BA, MBA, GRP, LEED

    President

    Christian is the Founder and President of Ginkgo Sustainability. Before he established GINKGO, Christian worked for a Kitchener-based roofing contractor’s green roofing division. Prior to his foray into business, for reasons unknown, Christian completed a degree in Philosophy. When he is not quoting, working with clients and suppliers, or getting his hands dirty on a roof, you may find him running an obstacle course or spending time in the wilds of southwestern Ontario.

  • Carrie Power bio picture

    Carrie Power

    BSc

    General Director

    Carrie joined in June 2019 as GINKGO's Customer Success Manager. Since then she has taken on the position of General Director and is using her previous corporate experience to quarterback the growing GINKGO team. Outside of work Carrie can be found hanging out with her kids, catching up with friends, or planning her next visit to Ireland (and beyond).

  • Jenny Moore bio picture

    Jenny Moore

    BSocSci

    Director, Delivery

    Jenny joined GinkgoRoofs in 2014 as a Green Roof Technician, moved into a Project Manager role in 2015, and is now GINKGO's Director of Delivery. As Delivery Director, Jenny works with clients and suppliers and helps manage GinkgoRoofs crews. Jenny has worked in many different industries, and countries, and prior to GINKGO, worked as a welder. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her dog and travelling.

  • Fai Hui bio picture

    Fai Hui

    BA in Economics & Philosophy (UofT) and LLB (UBC)

    Operations Manager British Columbia

    Fai brings a wealth of industry knowledge and hands on experience to the team. He worked on the repairs and green roof maintenance of the Olympic Village and the Broadway Tech Centre in Vancouver. He is currently working towards his Green Roof Installers and Maintenance Professional (GRIMP) designation.

    An advocate and educator for sustainability and its multiple benefits, he has attained RHS Level 2 Horticulture, IFOAM Organic Inspectors and BC IPM Pesticide Applicator certifications.

  • Bailey Wiebe bio picture

    Bailey Wiebe

    Greenspace Managment Dip.

    Technical Sales Manager

    Bailey joined GinkgoRoofs in the Spring of 2016 as a Green Roof Maintenance Technician and shortly thereafter moved into the Maintenance Manager position. As Manager of the Maintenance Division, Bailey co-ordinates daily operations and performs green roof maintenance. Bailey has extensive horticultural experience and operated her own landscaping business before coming to GINKGO. When not on the roof, the Manitoba native can be found spending time with her dozy dog, watching baseball, and travelling.

  • Holly Horne bio picture

    Holly Horne

    BLA, GRP, CH

    Head of Design, Project Manager / Estimator

    Holly joined GINKGO in January 2018 and brings with her a degree in Landscape Architecture and over 15 years in the the landscape construction industry. Her wealth of management experience will be valuable as she aims to further develop and expand GINKGO’s market presence by capitalizing on her design and horticultural experience. When not designing green roofs, Holly can be found cycling around the city or enjoying a game of beach volleyball.

  • Donald D'haene bio picture

    Donald D'haene

    B.L.A.

    Project Manager / Estimator

    Joining the company in January 2017, Donald brings extensive project management and green roof experience to GINKGO. Donald is part of the Project Management and Estimating teams and helps manage GINKGO’s relationships with clients and suppliers. Coming from Belgium, Donald brings with him a collection of language skills and a love of chocolate. He also brings an educational background in Landscape Architecture.

  • Jordan Richie bio picture

    Jordan Richie

    BASc, GRP

    Project Manager / Coordinator

    Jordan began working with green roof systems while completing his undergraduate studies in engineering and has followed this interest throughout his career, as seen in his prior roles as Director of Education and Accreditation at Green Roof for Healthy Cities (GRHC) and as a Research Associate with Environment Canada, where he modeled the effects of living architecture on the thermal performance of buildings. In his position as Project Manager, Jordan works with clients and suppliers to implement living wall designs and participates in research and development projects.

  • Sasha Liston-Milnes bio picture

    Sasha Liston-Milnes

    Hon. BA, MSc

    Project Manager / Estimator

    Sasha comes to GINKGO from Calgary, where she worked as a Botanist at Green T Design. She brings with her an educational background in Plant Science, horticultural experience, and a commitment to the environment. Outside of work, you may find her exploring the city on her bike.

  • Asma Bashirivand bio picture

    Asma Bashirivand

    BA, MES

    Product Designer, Biophilic and Sustainability Consultant

    Connecting people to the natural environment is a passion of Asma's. Joining GINKGO in August 2020, Asma is sharing this enthusiasm through growing GINKGO's consulting practice by utilizing her knowledge of ecological principles and building design to develop biophilic and sustainable design solutions for our clients.

  • Joey Vilcius bio picture

    Joey Vilcius

    Queen's University, BA (Environmental Studies), Green Roof Professional (GRP) Accreditation 2022

    Project Manager/Coordinator

    Joey joined the GINKGO team in July 2020 as a Delivery Support Specialist and quickly grew into the role of Project Manager. Day-to-day, she coordinates Green Roof installations to ensure that they are on schedule, on budget and being installed as per their designs/specifications.
    Prior to GINKGO, she worked at a not-for-profit organization as a Program Manager running government conservation programs in the energy sector. Joey knew from a young age having a job with a positive environmental impact was essential. She graduated High School in Australia and travels a lot. When she's not travelling, she can be found at home with all her free time spent on adventures with her rescue dog.

  • Monique Lee bio picture

    Monique Lee

    BA Psych, BA Social Development, Dipl Social Work, Dipl Horticulture, CHT, Cert Arborist

    Maintenance Manager

    Monique joining GINKGO, has been an excellent addition to the dynamic and progressive team with her extensive background in the industry. Her career has had two major career paths- the first path included supporting hard-to-serve adolescents, people with various abilities and high behavioural issues. After more than 20 years in this high-energy field, she switched gears and began working in landscaping. At an RBG event in 2007, she began her new path with green walls and green roofs. Under the tutelage of Dr. Alan Darlington at the University of Guelph, she has 15 years of learning and maintaining the unique intricacies of plants growing vertically at high heights. Included in the roster of looking after green walls, she developed an understanding of hydroponics, biofilters, plumbing, repairs, installations and designs.

  • Erika Schiller bio picture

    Erika Schiller

    Honors BSc in Physics

    Maintenance Supervisor

    Erika joined Ginkgo in May 2019 as a Green Roof Maintenance Technician with over a decade of landscape maintenance experience and a physics degree under her belt. Erika then moved into a supervisor position and now looks after scheduling and coordinating the roofs, walls and grounds maintenance teams. Outside of work, Erika is a lover of food and can be found cooking or enjoying meals with family and friends. When she’s not enjoying food, she can be found settling in on the couch with her cats working on her next knitting project.

  • Napier Tremblay bio picture

    Napier Tremblay

    Honors BSc in Biology - Plant Biology Specialization

    Maintenance Estimator

    Napier joined Ginkgo as a green roof maintenance co-op student in 2016 and became a roof maintenance supervisor full-time in 2018. Since then, he's moved into estimating both new and old maintenance sites while still spending time leading and training the team on-site during the season. Outside of work, Napier can often be seen rollerblading to different craft breweries around Toronto, trying out new cookie recipes, or playing video games and Dungeons & Dragons with his friends.

  • Vincent Wong bio picture

    Vincent Wong

    BDes

    Project Manager and Estimator

    Vincent joined us here at GINKGO in January of 2022. He previously worked as an Estimator at a General Contractor, making him an excellent addition as our team's project manager and estimator. Outside of work, Vincent can be found hanging out with friends or enjoying the outdoors.

  • Rob Edwards bio picture

    Rob Edwards

    Project Manager

    Rob joined GINKGO in June 2020 as a Project Estimator. Rob's extensive 17 years of experience
    as a commercial and industrial roofing estimator made the transition to GINKGO smoother as one of our green roof estimators. Rob enjoys spending time with his family and new baby granddaughter during his downtime.

  • Kelley Di Fiore  bio picture

    Kelley Di Fiore

    Landscape Technician Diploma

    Designer, Project Manager and Estimator

    Kelley joined Ginkgo in July 2020 and has been an asset to all areas of our company. With her 25+ years of design experience, she helps bring branding and expertise to Ginkgo. However, Kelley mainly focuses on our grounds division and urban landscaping. She is the lead for all indoor and outdoor groundwork and planters. As a project manager, she oversees all stages of the project, from design to installation to maintenance and care. When not at work, Kelley enjoys travelling overseas but also to small towns in Southern Ontario for a weekend getaway, trying new recipes, and growing food in her little garden.

  • Sandy Dos Santos bio picture

    Sandy Dos Santos

    Horticulture Technician Certificate

    Living Walls Maintenance Supervisor

    Sandy joined Ginkgo in May 2021 as a roof maintenance technician who also supported grounds and living walls maintenance. She then fully transitioned into a walls technician position in Aug 2021 and is now a supervisor. As the walls maintenance supervisor, Sandy oversees all the maintenance of our living walls, estimates, and is in direct contact with our clients in order to create the best experience. Outside of work, you can find her enjoying her free time watching Anime and travelling.

  • Caitlin Wilton bio picture

    Caitlin Wilton

    B.A.

    Walls and Grounds Maintenance Technician

    Over 14 years of experience in the landscape and property maintenance industry. Caitlin's background is primarily in commercial and high-end residential buildings, focusing on their gardens, turf, and irrigation systems.

    Caitlin's knowledge extends to designing and installing seasonal outdoor planters and supervising site crews on projects from design to installation, to maintenance.

    Her current role as a walls and grounds maintenance technician is where she ensures longevity, aesthetic appeal, and the functionality of Ginkgo's installations.

    Outside of work she enjoys anything that keeps her outdoors, close to nature and her rescue dog.

  • Camila Johnson  bio picture

    Camila Johnson

    BA, Diploma in Landscape Technician

    Walls and Grounds Maintenance Technician

    Camila joined the team in the spring of 2022 as part of the grounds, planters, and green walls crew. She brings with her many years of knowledge about plant biology and propagation passed down from her parents and respected mentors while working in the family landscaping business in Bolivia.

    Over time, Camila and her sister assumed more responsibilities including estimating, sales, marketing, landscape design, preparation, and installation. Her extensive experience combined with stellar customer relations are valued assets for Ginkgo’s well-rounded team.

    During her free time, Camila likes to go out for walks and bike rides, and take in a concert. Closer to home, she takes care of her vast selection of houseplants.