Meet The Team
Once upon a time, Andrew recognized a need for a new style of climbing gym in Vancouver, BC. Having a genuine love for the climbing community, Andrew worked for 3 years developing the first Hive location in the heart of Vancouver and he is proud to share the realization of his vision for community-focused climbing & fitness facilities in BC and Manitoba.
Climbing, Education, and Community are the central pillars of everything Andrew brings to the Hive and he works constantly to take the Hive Climbing Community to new heights. The success of The Hive Vancouver led Andrew to open The Hive North Shore and, a couple years later, The Hive Surrey. These new locations brought an opportunity for the community to embrace a more well rounded level of fitness, and Andrew brought this pillar of Health and Wellness into the foundations of The Hive.
Keeping up with the growing climbing scene, Andrew is excited about the sharing the joys of climbing with as many people as possible, with new locations in Winnipeg and Port Coquitlam expanding access to climbing into new communities. Andrew can be found at all levels of the business – as the ‘King Worker Bee’ he happily helps out with setting, keeps up with the community, and continually strives to offer a 5 Star Experience to everyone who walks through our doors.
Growing up in rural Ontario, Shayne spent much of his youth outside, dabbling in climbing here and there but mostly his spare time was spent paddling a canoe. Years later and after a few trips to The Boiler Room in Kingston, the fire was lit and climbing became a new passion.
Shayne is thrilled to be a part of the awesome community that continues to grow in and around The Hive. He aims to provide the ultimate experience for everyone that walks through our doors.
“Climbing has given me so much; I love being able to give back, and share the joys of climbing with so many. Contributing to the growth of a positive community around climbing is something I can work proudly towards everyday.” When he’s not directing operations, you’re likely to find Shayne enjoying the rock outdoors, in Squamish or abroad.
Andreas has been climbing since he was 9 and loves the open minded community it attracts. He strives to keep fit climbing and loves being in an environment where he can teach and continually learn.
Moving to BC from Ontario in 2012, Andreas has many years of setting experience and loves the creativity that comes with it, as well as the freedom it allows him to pursue his hobbies – like reclaimed woodworking, hiking and travelling. Andreas is excited to use his talents and experience Canada-wide, setting for competitions across the country. We are proud to call him our Head Setter and always look forward to seeing the fresh and fun movements he brings to The Hive’s canvas. He hopes you are enjoying his teamwork and the ever changing problems; “See you on the wall!”
Routesetting questions or interested in setting? Email andreas@hiveclimbing.com
A friendly face and a kind soul, Naz is always looking to make life better for the Hive’s staff. He can be found bonding with the Hive team over travel and food, but also enjoys time with friends and family.
The team is still working on getting Naz climbing, so if you happen to catch him in climbing shoes, please cheer him on!
Bernie came to The Hive originally as a part time, temporary HR consultant. She felt so welcomed and inspired by a team of managers who truly wanted to “make life better” that she did not want to leave! Her business degree and professional HR designation gives her the right stuff when it comes to helping the Hive with growth and organizational development. After Bernie’s first fall assessment was completed by Hive North Shore GM, Kyle Wall she felt like a natural, albeit amateur, climber and is known to schedule private sessions with instructors to introduce friends and family to what she thinks is such an empowering sport.
As a person devoted to not only her profession, but also her three kids, Bernie really feels like she has hit the jackpot.
“Working for The Hive allows me to contribute to a company with genuine, responsible goals and still maintain my busy, active Mom-life.”
We think Bernie is pretty fantastic, too; we hope she gets the chance to climb more often, and look forward to a time when her kids can join and make it a family activity!
It is no coincidence Brad’s climbing career started with the doors opening at The Hive. He wandered in, looking for a new hobby, and within no time he was hooked. Over the last three years Brad has been fueling his addiction within, and on, The Hive’s walls and is excited to be part of the team.
Years spent working in the restaurant industry have given him a boatload of experience in dynamic work environments, focusing on guest experience. A competitive curler in Ontario and British Columbia, his experiences both on and off the ice have taught him the importance of teamwork, training and community within a recreation environment. All these traits, paired with his love of climbing and all things outdoors, makes him amped to share what The Hive has to offer with climbers and non-climbers alike.
Kate grew up climbing trees in Ontario, but through highschool and college was all about the arts and had little interest in sports or fitness beyond riding her longboard around the city. When she found climbing after college, everything changed! In one adventure to BC, like so many other settlers here, nowhere else really felt like home.
Having worked in customer service with The Hive since year 1, Kate enjoys combining her creative background with her passion for The Hive, the community, and our sport, managing the events, marketing & communications for the business.
When she’s not thinking about the climbing community, you can find Kate touching rocks (on ropes or boulders), looking for a delicious snack, or gleefully riding her motorcycle.
Kate is an uninvited guest on these lands and grateful to share space in these beautiful, unceded traditional and ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations who have continued to inhabit and steward these lands every day since time immemorial.
Raquel, originally from Spain, moved to Canada in 2021 to work as photographer, and from the beginning, she fell in love with the country, the landscapes, wildlife and yes! the weather! Always an adventurous soul, after fourteen years she switched from horses to the climbing wall around four years ago. While working as a route-setter in the Hive’s North Shore location, Raquel now joins the communications team as a digital marketing specialist.
She is almost 90% of the time climbing in the gym, but if she’s not there, you can find Raquel biking on the North Shore, climbing in Squamish, or exploring around, always with her camera.
Fran is originally from the Philippines and grew up and different parts of the world, finally ending up in Alberta where she spent the majority of her life. She started out climbing through her university and then worked for a multitude of rock climbing gyms as well as in design, art, and marketing. In 2018 she then moved to Vancouver to pursue the mountains and her love of arts and culture, eventually joining the Hive and falling in love with the climbing community.
When she’s not at the gym, Fran is usually out having adventures with a pack of dogs, playing video games, or fiddling around with one of her ancient analog cameras.
Elisa’s climbing journey first began because of her brother’s dream of being a contestant on American Ninja Warrior, so for his Christmas present she brought him to the Hive. A few months later, her brother bought her climbing shoes for her birthday, and she’s been climbing at the Hive ever since! When she is not climbing, Elisa is playing, coaching, or watching hockey, or reading a good book which she then blogs about on her Instagram. She is excited to help bring events back to the Hive, and to help introduce new climbers to the Hive.
Despite growing up in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, Genny Mae didn’t start climbing until 2013, shortly before moving to Vancouver. She spent her summers growing up in southern Alberta camping, and hiking to look for dinosaur bones in remote areas. Genny Mae loves climbing for the community and the intuitive movement (or at least it feels intuitive to her gymnast-cheerleader brain). Plus, it’s the perfect, seasonally complimentary sport to skiing — mountain play all year-round!
Anyone who’s spent time with this ball of energy and fun knows that Genny Mae is passionate about being zero/low waste and loves baking & creating things in the kitchen as much as she loves being active.
North Shore Team
One of the few elusive born-&-raised Vancouverites, Kyle worked as a cook and a chef for almost 10 years before climbing invaded his life via Hive Surrey manager, Brad. Kyle wound up as our Vancouver manager after nearly a year of prodding by a couple of Hive folks, and a well timed job opening. He manages The Hive North Shore with enthusiasm, and we couldn’t be happier to have him on board!
The community resonates with Kyle because “I’m an obsessive kind of person who likes to dive head-first into my interests, similar to much of the climbing community. The sense of adventure provided by climbing is a huge part of why I love it so much”.
While he started off bouldering, Kyle has found his true love in trad climbing and has made some big progress in the last couple of years. Climbing granite cracks, cooking dinner for friends or enjoying a game of snooker, we love Kyle for his all-in, positive attitude.
Kallie is one of our gems at North Shore. She started out as a regular customer and climber – we loved her so much that we took her in! Easy going and organized, she is our go-to girl. She also is a talented Opera singer and is a music major!
Sarah has always been a climber at heart. As a kid she would climb everything; door frames, trees, and she was the monkey bar master. So it’s no surprise she found rock climbing and immediately got hooked.
Starting out as a desk staff back in 2016, she immersed herself in the community and quickly started to teach intro courses and help out the education team. She immediately fell in love with teaching and coaching and has continued to do so ever since.
After moving to Australia in 2019, she worked at a rope gym and got more teaching experience in the sport climbing department, which translated well into her next role which was Head Instructor of our Hive Heights location. You can now find Sarah at our North Shore location, continuing to expand and manage the education department there.
When not working, you can find her climbing outside in Squamish, paddleboarding, or hiking. Pretty much anything outside related!
Surrey Team
Not satisfied with the rainfall in Manchester, Ella moved to British Columbia in 2017, to live in the forest and work at one of Squamish’s outdoor education schools. After spending the summer hiking, belaying, and fixing grazed knees, she moved to Vancouver and began working at the Hive. Ella’s amazing care for each guest’s experience at The Hive has made her indispensable to climbers and team mates alike.
One of Ella’s first experiences of climbing was in 2016; bouldering in the Peak District with a hot flask of tea and a packet of biscuits. Ella has worked as a ropes instructor in the UK and in BC, and is passionate about making the sport accessible to all abilities. Her favourite thing about climbing is the community – it’s a lovely way to meet like-minded people when travelling or moving to a new part of the world!
After making her mark at Hive Vancouver, you can now find Ella managing The Hive Surrey. If you have any comments or questions about the Surrey gym, Ella welcomes feedback via email or in person at the gym
With a strong desire to be physically active, Alvin started his climbing journey in 2016, on the Hive’s 4th birthday. He quickly developed an affinity towards the sport. To him, it felt like an analogy to life: Anything can work. The climbing space is versatile and supportive, but it’s ultimately between the climber and the wall.
Prior to working at the Hive, Alvin spent his evenings working with the Royal Canadian Air Cadet Program. There, he developed his leadership and coordination skillset, as well as his passion for youth development. Eventually, Alvin took a break from youth programming to finish his Education Degree at SFU. In the back of his mind, he knew he would eventually return to a instructional capacity, but only if it was a topic he’s passionate about. When the position of Education Coordinator arose, Alvin hopped onto the unique opportunity to join his education and developmental experiences with his passion for climbing.
You can easily find Alvin by following the laughter that echos through the gym or at a local brewery.
Vancouver & Heights Team
One of our favourite resident Brits, Ed is always a friendly face at Hive Vancouver!
Ed started bouldering indoors in London, in 2013. It wasn’t long before he started climbing outdoors, and this new passion sparked the move to Canada, to be closer to Squamish. Lucky for us Ed stayed in Vancouver, but he still spends as much time as possible in Squamish and lately has developed a keen interest in rope climbing.
Ed’s love of our community revolves around the diversity of people united by a shared passion for climbing. “Where else can you find paramedics, accountants, lawyers, students, brought together by a shared love of lifelong learning — it’s an incredible connector, really special.”
We couldn’t agree more!
Jonny hails from the United Kingdom and moved to Vancouver in 2015. He was first introduced to the Hive through a surprise membership gifted by his wife, and from that point on he never left. Although he enjoyed climbing in the UK, the passionate community and positive vibes that surround the Hive left an immediate and lasting impression, leading Jonny to join the team in 2018.
He has since held various management positions within The Hive, including as Education Coordinator and now as Assistant General Manager for the Vancouver bouldering gym. In this role he supports Ed with all aspects of day-to-day operations at our flagship location, and manages our brilliant customer service team.
Jonny is always on hand to connect with the community and sneak out onto the mats to say ‘hi’ to everyone whenever possible. Plus, he’s always looking for music recommendations and has a Lord of the Rings quote ready for any occasion.
We’ve never met anyone so psyched on climbing and playing in the mountains, and we feel it’s only fair to warn you: her enthusiasm is contagious!
Jurga (the J is silent!) grew up in the lovely flat lands of Lithuania, and started climbing “way too late” in her life. After finishing her degree in Information and Communication she went to explore what western Europe has to offer, and found out about this thing called rock climbing while living – ironically – in an even flatter country, the Netherlands. It was love at first climb, and soon grew from a hobby to a lifestyle. Years passed, climbing in a tiny basement gym in Vilnius and spending all her office-job holidays on climbing trips around Europe until Jurga decided to turn her life around and move somewhere close to the mountains… these mountains just happened to be on the other side of the world.
Ever since moving to Vancouver Jurga has been helplessly in love with the landscape of BC, and enjoying being a part of the climbing community in Vancouver and Squamish. If she’s not climbing on the Chief, you might run into her taking pictures somewhere in the forest, painting or reading a book in a hammock. She also keeps track of her Sea to Sky highway trips and says “hello” to the mountains every day.
Aiko has been working at a climbing gym for over two decades. While rollerblading the seawall in what is now Olympic Village, she walked into Vancouver’s first indoor climbing gym, and has been hooked ever since. She has worked at all 3 previous Cliffhanger locations, working every position, from cleaning and belaying to teaching and managing. Originally a gym rat, Aiko has sport climbed at numerous crags in North America, as well as topped out on over 50 of Mountain Projects Classics Climbs in Canada.
You can find Aiko behind the desk, climbing at all Hive locations and when she has time hiking the local mountains or climbing a multi up the Chief.
Ricardo came to us a years ago from Brazil and quickly became an important part of our team across many different departments. We’re so stoked that he joined our crew!
Winnipeg Team
Kori was born in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba (west of Winnipeg) and grew up on a small grain farm. As Manitoba has very few rocks and very little elevation to gain, Kori’s first exposure to climbing revolved around childhood summer trips to Squamish while visiting Vancouver-based family.
When Kori moved to Winnipeg to attend the University of Manitoba in 2007, his interest in climbing grew while going to a small bouldering wall regularly at the university, run by the University of Manitoba Climbing Club.
After completing his Bachelor of Kinesiology in 2012, he turned his sights to outdoor climbing and began to make 3 hour weekend trips to Northwestern Ontario for sport and trad climbing. Along with his experience and expertise, Kori has a passion for movement and climbing and has been a mainstay in the Winnipeg climbing community for years.
After managing all climbing services at the U of M, Kori decided it was time to make his dream of opening a modern and spacious bouldering gym a reality. Through his partnership with The Hive owner and ‘King Worker Bee’ Andrew Coffey, Kori is thrilled to be bringing The Hive to Winnipeg and can’t wait to grow the community and get more people climbing!
Gillian is a ball of fun from her curls to her toes, and we’re so lucky to have her leading the education team in Winnipeg! You can find Gillian all over the gym, from handing out stickers, to putting holds on the wall, and designing fun challenges that build learning seamlessly into the fun-packed youth programs, and generally making life better any which-way we turn.
If you get a chance to learn from this clever lady, we highly recommend you dyno at the chance.
PoCO Team
Braeden has lived in the Greater Vancouver area for his entire life. Soon after completing his Bachelor of Music in the Secondary Education Stream at UBC, He was introduced to bouldering by a friend, and first experienced the sport at Hive Vancouver. Instantly he was in love with climbing and has been climbing ever since.
Curious about route setting, he applied to work for the Hive with the hopes of joining the soon to be Hive Surrey team. Coming from a supervisor and beer manager role at a high end liquor store, Braeden had extensive experience in delivering high standards of customer experience. Braeden was a member of the Hive because of the incredible community within it as well as the love of the sport, and wanted to bring his knowledge and skill set to help further develop a thriving climbing community.
You can often find Braeden climbing at the Surrey or Poco locations, clad in tank and tights. When he is not climbing or working, Braeden spends a lot of time as a Live Streamer, or enjoying the outdoors via snowboarding or skateboarding.
Our upbeat and vivacious Levi started out as an instructor and is now coordinating Education programs for Surrey! We love his energy (and his outfits). You will often see him sending your “reachy” boulder problems.
Coaches
Jeff comes to the Hive with an extensive background in high performance sport, more specifically Gymnastics. He was a very active coach producing several national champions while coaching both in private clubs as well as the Head Coach for the UBC Men and Women’s varsity gymnastics teams. In addition to coaching, he was a also a Lecturer in the School of Human Kinetics, teaching Movement Education, Developmental Gymnastics and Qualitative Analysis of Individual Sport and Dance.
While working at UBC Jeff was exposed to climbing on a small outdoor wall and was immediately hooked. He has now been involved in climbing for over 27 years and is known mostly for his work developing new climbs in Squamish where he and his friend Glenn Payan developed hundreds of new climbs for others to enjoy. Doing things in the opposite direction to most, he then gravitated towards indoor climbing and it wasn’t long before he was approached to work with competitive climbers, specifically in the areas of strength and flexibility development.
Jeff is very excited to be working with the Hive in the development of a happy, healthy, holistic competitive climbing program where all participants feel supported in striving to achieve their goals.
The lovely Leor coaches our competitive youth team, The Swarm from a place of vast experience in climbing and sport, both as an athlete and a coach. If you see this friendly face amongst a swarm of activity, give her a wave!
When she’s not leading our competitive youth in the gym, Leor can be found adventuring outdoors, enjoying all that beautiful BC has to offer.
Careers
Join Our Team!
Interested in joining our team? We are growing, and would like to hear from you!
The Hive is all about community, climbing & fitness, education, and health & wellness. We are constantly striving to offer a 5 star experience to each and every guest and member!
Being part of The Hive team requires an excellent work ethic and a positive attitude towards teamwork, cooperation, and communication. Every member of The Hive’s team must demonstrate a commitment to going the extra mile in making The Hive the best climbing gym ever. With the support of great people, working together in exceptional facilities, The Hive aims to redefine what it means to be a World Class Climbing Gym.