She's Got the Edge
A light-hearted Q&A with the people who make the Okanagan work


Mangla Bansal

Contributed - Nov 10, 2020 - Got the Edge

Photo: Contributed

With what business or organization are you involved? Sustainable Life App

What is your role with that organization? Founder and CEO

What’s your favourite thing about living in the Okanagan? Every. Single. Thing. I have lived in Vancouver or Burnaby for the majority of my life. The last five years or so, I just knew I wasn’t meant to be there anymore. I knew home was elsewhere, but I didn’t know where that elsewhere was. I got a job working with Shaw as their community producer, creating local documentaries, in 2019. I came to Kelowna one weekend and … I just knew. There was a frequency here and every bit of uncertainty I felt all of a sudden shifted to excitement. I am so grateful to call Kelowna home and wouldn’t have it any other way. I miss my family, but there’s Facetime and the holidays, so we’re good.

If you could have lunch with anyone in the world, who would you choose and why? That is such a hard question. On the one hand, I would love to have lunch with Oprah and Gayle and be their honourary third musketeer for a shared meal. But then there’s also Michelle Obama. Maybe she can teach me how to do one-handed pushups. And, of course, Beyonce! I want to share with her how hard I have been working learning the dance moves for Mi Gente and Power. Can I say all of the above? And if we take a group picture, can I be in the middle?

What’s your go-to happy place? The Kelowna Farmers’ Market and riding my bike. Nature is my happy place.

What are you most proud of? Building Sustainable Life App. It truly is my purpose in life. It’s a free app on Apple and Android that connects eco-conscious consumers with sustainable brands and businesses in their area. I created it to inspire #SupportSustainable in addition to the #ShopLocal movement. The app features green businesses, eco-products and services from many industries, including: eco travel options (hotels and tours), event venues, retail shops, grocery stores, local farms, cafés, restaurants, hair salons, spas and so much more! Our mission is simple: Sustainable Living Made Easy! I want to keep building it, even 10 years from now. I don’t want to stop until we reach a point in our human existence in which sustainable consumption becomes the forever norm. I know it’s a big, hairy, audacious goal, but I like to dream big.

What are the top three things on your bucket list?

1. Finally get to interview the Dalai Lama. The last time I had an interview scheduled his press officer called me to cancel the interview the night before because—and I later found this out—one of the high ranking monks in his monastery was discovered to be a Chinese spy. So yeah, that’s a big one for me.

2. Be able to do a yoga headstand called shirshasana and really OWN it.

3. Raise a beautiful child and work hard to make sure he or she has a safe future with a healthy and sustainable earth/life.

Latest movie or book? I watched the Social Dilemma recently on Netflix … sigh. I am reading a book called Our Peaceful Planet. I’m going to be interviewing the author Yasmin Davar on the Sustainable Life Podcast. So far it’s very insightful on the kind of internal and external healing we all need to do in order to live a sustainable life.

What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? Being born into a family that had the best grandmother ever. She was my everything, and I give her a lot of credit for the person that I am today. Great grandparents are the best gifts.

If today were your last day, how would you spend it? LOL. I will never tell!


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