In this episode of TIABC's Voice of Tourism, Walt Judas welcomes Starr McMichael, owner and president of Starrboard Enterprises, for a conversation spanning decades of tourism innovation on southern Vancouver Island. Starr shares her journey from cleaning the heads on the historic Princess Marguerite turboelectric vessel to building the Truffles Group and becoming a governance leader with her Institute of Corporate Directors designation from the Rotman School of Business. She reflects on co-founding the IMPACT Conference, now entering its ninth year, which brings together cleantech innovators, Indigenous leaders, and tourism professionals to advance regenerative business practices. Starr discusses the power tourism professionals have to drive change, the importance of including local communities in business decisions, and why she believes the conversation around regenerative tourism is still evolving. Her philosophy of leading with gratitude shapes both her board work across multiple organizations and her approach to building a more sustainable tourism industry.
