Our Team
Jamie Simon
Jamie Simon joined Canopy as a Managing Partner in 2010 after working for Red Bull North America for ten years, which included initiating and establishing all sustainable business practices for Red Bull as the global corporation’s first Director of Sustainability. As Chief Project Manager for Canopy Strategies, she identifies programs that creates or support strategic business direction, increase profitability, restore the environment, and improve brand value for organizations, large and small. These skills are often demonstrated in Jamie’s ability to establish rapport and credibility, encouraging team interaction, and cohesion whether it’s with CEOs or professional athletes.
Jamie’s drive and enthusiasm make her a natural leader in building a positively motivated team that executes a successful venture. Jamie’s initiative is born from her history as a former Red Bull athlete and World Champion freestyle whitewater kayaker, which facilitated her deep connection with nature.
Jamie has a unique blend of experiences with 360 degree marketing plans, especially as they relate to consumer collecting and sports marketing, and corporate sustainability programming. After she clocks out, you can usually find her kayaking the nearest river, cycling, backcountry skiing, stand up paddling or spending quality time with her friends and family.
Nicole Dreon
As the newest member of the Canopy Strategies, Nicole Dreon is responsible for bridging the gap between client and consumer through the art of powerful storytelling. “A product or service that fails to tell a story, fails to engage a prospective client. A product with a compelling story should sell itself on its own.”
As a writer and photographer, Nicole has contributed written works and photo essays to such titles as ESPN.com, ESPN the Mag, ESPNW, The Adventure Sports Journal, Skiing, Powder, and Tahoe Quarterly. She has also used her abilities as a storyteller to lobby for social and environmental change.
Recently, she travelled to east and central Africa to record the stories of inspiring female athletes. By using the voice of female athletes, she told the powerful accounts of war, disease and poverty with a refreshing perspective. Since her return, she has raised money to pay the school fees for ten women soccer players in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
A lifelong skier and ambitious journalist, Nicole is a former East Coaster who now calls Truckee, California home.
Courtney Ludden
Courtney brings over a decade of integrated marketing communications experience to the Canopy Strategies Team. Having worked in-house, in-agency and as an independent contractor, she provides a unique and extensive understanding of sustainable business solutions as they relate to the overall marketing mix and heightened brand value.
Courtney has produced acclaimed work for a wide variety of industries, including: action sports, health care, law and legal services, non-profit and public services, organic products, sustainable lifestyle, food and beverage and travel and tourism. Her skill set includes copywriting, campaign strategy, creative development, art direction, sponsorship fulfillment, marketing management, branding and identity and design.
A native of Northwestern Montana, Courtney is a student of and advocate for the wild spaces in which she grew up. She believes strongly in aligning with brands that move the world forward sustainably, responsibly and creatively.
Crystal Yang
PR Guru Crystal Yang got her start in the offices of ESPN where she was a vital member of the press offices for ESPN’s X Games. She is an action sports, sports, health & wellness, fitness, PR and event communications professional with a proven track record of effectiveness. Her current and past clients and projects include Jose Cuervo Pro Beach Volleyball Series, ESPN X Games, Jamba Juice, Boarding for Breast Cancer (B4BC), Orphaned Starfish Foundation, Semper Ride, K-Swiss, SMACK Sportswear Inc, Taste of Brews, AWSM and Twisted Bindings. She is also contributing writer for ESPN HS and The Inertia.
Joanne Situ Allen
With over ten years of experience in conservation science and an established business philosophy of sustainability and diverse stakeholder engagement, Joanne Situ Allen brings a vast skill set to Canopy Strategies, LLC as an Associate.
She specializes in creative solutions and sustainability programs that enhance an organization’s value while leveraging the power of corporate, industry and community stakeholders. Joanne’s work with such organizations has resulted in credible, communicable and successful programs for cities, businesses, educational institutions and non-profits. Her other joys in life include spending time with family and friends, travelling, visual design, performing arts and culinary exploration.
Sandra Kwak
Bringing a dozen years experience, Sandra Kwak provides Canopy with an integrated perspective on strategy, marketing, company culture and finance. She has worked with organizations ranging in size from Mitsubishi to start-ups. Sandra identifies business drivers, new market approaches and cost-effective solutions with a demonstrated ability to execute. She was on the team at PG&E that implemented the ClimateSmart program, which offsets carbon emissions associated with electricity generation. She has been an analyst for Sustainable Spaces, a residential efficiency company, and for the finance department at the San Francisco Foundation.
After earning her MBA in Sustainable Business from Presidio Graduate School, she was on teaching teams for the courses Strategic Management and Culture Values and Ethics. She is also Co-Founder and President of Powerzoa and served as CEO of a software company producing the world’s first mathematically lossless video codec: SheerVideo.
Sandra’s other passions include art, music, cycling, and any combination thereof.
Leigh Rodwick