Jim Button | I am here. The question is why?

As co-founder of Village Brewery and strategist at Evans Hunt Group, Jim leverages his
experience in marketing and building communities to create a more connected Calgary.

For 30 years Jim has been a leader in marketing and community building. At Evans Hunt Group,
a Calgary based marketing firm, Jim focused his attention on building one-to-one relationships
helping customers participate in the brands they engage with. He has also worked as Vice
President, Corporate and Community affairs at Big Rock Brewery, co-founded The Event Group,
and also worked at agencies including Venture Communications, MacLaren: Lintas, Cossette
Communications and JWR Advertising.

Over his career Button has served on countless not-for-profit boards and created many festivals,
conferences, and programs that are building a better city. Recent festivals include the traveling
food, beer and music festival Circle, as well as Best of Calgary and his latest project Disconnect
to Connect, where he and a small but mighty group work to build a movement to find a better
balance between technology, ourselves, others, and nature.

Jim is also living with terminal cancer — an adventure he documents on his website
gatherwithjim.com. And though cancer brings with it serious implications and challenges, Jim
and his family are learning life lessons and finding gifts along the journey.

His passion for community investment has been a common thread through his career and has
earned him a philanthropy award from the Canadian Association of Fundraising Professionals,
two “40 Under 40” awards with Avenue magazine, and an e-award for Community Service from
Alberta Venture magazine, the Calgary Chamber – Sherrold Moore Award for Community,
Community Builder of the Year award from the Alberta Small Brewers Association and most
recently a Magnificent Man designation from cc4ms.