BC’s Path to Universal Child Care
Episode S04E07 – Building on Momentum: Creating Scalable, Community-Led Child Care Spaces
Recorded live at the ECEBC Conference – May 8, 2025

Guests: Bridgitte Alomes (Natural Pod), Rory Richards (NUQO Modular)
Hosts: Nora, Crystal, and Gyda

In this inspiring live episode, recorded at the ECEBC Conference in Richmond, we return for Part Two of our conversation with Bridgitte Alomes of Natural Pod and Rory Richards of NUQO Modular.

Together, we explore how their powerful collaboration is addressing the urgent need for high-quality, sustainable, and community-rooted child care spaces—especially in underserved communities. Building on our first conversation, we dive into the real-world lessons, challenges, and momentum that have emerged as their work evolves.

Topics covered include:

New projects and partnerships since their initial collaboration

Leadership and transformation in early learning

Navigating timelines, funding, and government processes

Designing with equity, sustainability, and Indigenous leadership at the core

Scaling their model to meet the diverse needs of communities across BC and beyond

What’s fueling their hope and determination as they look ahead

Whether you're a policymaker, child care provider, designer, or advocate, this episode offers tangible insights into how bold, values-driven collaboration can shape the future of child care.

🔗 Resources & Links:

Natural Pod naturalpod.com

NUQO Modular nuqo.ca

🎧 Listen to Part One: S04E05 – Designing with Purpose: A New Vision for Early Learning Environments

Don’t forget to follow the podcast and share it with colleagues who care about creating an inclusive, equitable, and sustainable child care system.

Tune in to Episode 6 in Season 4 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast. Today we welcome you back to our podcast with our special guest: Sharon Gregson, the provincial spokesperson for the $10aDay Child Care Campaign, working with the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC.

In this episode, we discuss the current state of childcare in BC, highlighting that only 10% of childcare programs are officially $10-a-day programs, leaving 74% of children without access to licensed childcare.

We encourage you to visit their websites to explore the many resources available, and urge you to get involved by becoming a member of the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC. Whether you’re a parent, an educator, or an advocate, there are ways to get involved —whether by signing petitions, joining community actions, or simply staying informed about the latest developments in child care policy. Child care is not just a personal issue; it’s a societal one. A well-funded, high-quality, and accessible child care system benefits everyone —helping families thrive, supporting early childhood educators, and strengthening our communities and economy. The progress we’ve seen in recent years has been the result of decades of advocacy, and it’s clear there is still more work to do.

Sharon Gregson is the provincial spokesperson for the successful $10aDay Child Care Campaign working with the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC. She was twice elected as a Trustee to the Vancouver Board of Education. She represents British Columbia on the Board of the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada (Child Care Now), and previously on the Child Care Human Resource Sector Council and Canadian Child Care Federation.

Sharon is a feminist with a demonstrated history of working across sectors with stakeholders, including non-traditional allies, in child care public policy. She is skilled in campaign strategy and campaigning, government and stakeholder relations, and in working with traditional and social media. She was nominated for a YWCA Women of Distinction award in 2018 for her work on the successful $10aDay Child Care Plan and for developing Indigenous cultural competency resources for the ECE sector. Business in Vancouver (BIV) named Sharon in the Power 50 in Vancouver in 2022 - and one of the top 500 most influential business leaders in British Columbia in 2022 and 2023. She received the King Charles Coronation Medal in 2025.

She is a past Director of the Early Years at a large unionized agency in East Vancouver managing human resources and child care operations, and she co-chaired the Vancouver Joint Childcare Council of public partners and non-governmental organizations. Sharon is also an ethical vegan and supporter of credit unions!

We are grateful to have Sharon Gregson on our podcast once again, and we are delighted to her share more about her work within the childcare sector.

Tune in to Episode 5 in Season 4 of our BC's Path to Universal Child Care Podcast. Today we welcome you back to our podcast with our special guests: Bridgette Alomes, the CEO and founder of Natural Pod, and Rory Richards, the President & CEO of NUQO.

In this episode we dive into the latest innovations shaping early childhood education and child care. Gyda guides this conversation with two incredible women entrepreneurs —Bridgitte Alomes, founder and CEO of Natural Pod, and Rory Richards, founder and CEO of NUQO. These two B Corp-certified companies are partnering to tackle one of the biggest challenges in child care today—access to high-quality learning environments. With demand for child care spaces surging and over half of families in B.C. struggling to find care, their collaboration couldn’t come at a better time. NUQO brings expertise in modular, culturally grounded construction, while Natural Pod specializes in sustainable, non-toxic, and durable school furniture. Together, they’re streamlining the process—from funding applications to fully furnished classrooms—ensuring that communities, especially those underserved, get the support they need.

Bridgitte Alomes is the CEO and founder of values-based learning solutions company Natural Pod, a local BC business. Natural Pod strives to enhance the well-being of students by addressing the needs of learners and educators from early childhood into elementary and beyond in educational environments. Bridgitte is a thought leader in the design of learning spaces that encourage the development of agency, foster collaboration and promote open-ended play and has given talks around North America on sustainable furniture including a TED Talk on space and intention. Her focus is on the creation of inspiring spaces for learners and educators regardless of location, pedagogy or demographic.

Rory Richards is the President & CEO of NUQO Modular, a female-led, proudly Indigenous construction company recognized for its sustainable and culturally grounded approach to modular building. Rory's dedication to affordable, culturally appropriate Indigenous design and her unwavering community-first approach, exemplify the spirit of true leadership. Rory remains a dedicated advocate and a passionate voice for a number of important issues, including Indigenous housing and affordable childcare. Committed to community empowerment, NUQO partners with top architects and partners to deliver high-quality, environmentally responsible, and culturally significant child care and other building solutions.

We are grateful to have Bridgitte Alomes and Rory Richards on our podcast, and we are delighted to them share more about their work with the early childhood education and child care sector.