Kat is passionate about social change and how it can be promoted through journalism and Net-based community. In addition to being Editor of Beyond Robson (ie, the best Vancouver blog on the planet), she works for a foreign policy citizens' engagement project called Canada's World, copy-edits for The Tyee and is Co-Founder of media/artist collective Fresh Media and youth activism blog VELOCITY. As a typical Polisci graduate from UBC, Kat is obsessed with politics and has several personality traits in common with Behemoth the demon cat from Bulgakov's Master and Margarita. In her free time she searches for plastic rats and creepy and/or hilarious photos on the Net.

Jake is a writer living in Vancouver. He is interested in urban planning, with a focus on sustainable architecture, design, and public space, and is an avid cyclist and public transportation user. Sometimes he scares himself by becoming overly excited about by-law changes and sidewalk widening. In his free time, he enjoys reading in parks around the city, playing with his cat Dinosaur, cooking increasingly elaborate meals, eating cookies, and browsing the city's plethora of used bookstores. Although he loves Vancouver, he will be moving to Toronto in the summer of 2010 to pursue a Masters in Urban Planning at the University of Toronto. He hopes to return.

Jenn is a freelance writer born and mostly raised in Vancouver. She is passionate about music, literature, health and wellness, eco-friendly products, travel, food, HBO shows and brussell sprouts. In her previous life she yakked about traffic on the radio from an airplane high above the city; she now edits a health care publication during the 9-5. Jenn has been published in the Toronto Star, The Province, Hospital News and BC Lion's Game Day magazine. She spends weekends perusing local thrift stores, catching live tunes, pedalling around on her ancient vintage bike and happily scouting out Vancouver's best hot wings with her kiwi lover.

Sean doesn't like cars, corporate media, factory farming, the GDP, TV, republicans, corn, Korn, yoga wear, yoga, people who do yoga, yoda, Voda, homophobes, xenophobes, people who stand on the left of the elevator, who feed birds bread, who walk on the bike path, who try and get on the skytrain when you're getting off. Probably lots of other stuff. Oh, and America. Almost forgot. Sean likes cats. His cat's name is Pino. He is orange and he is poopy.

Let's face it; Marie is in love with music and the Internet. After playing Royal Conservatory piano for eleven years, she realized that her passion didn't lie in the piano and quickly discovered it lied in the art of online music journalism instead (see her music blog here.) When Marie isn't writing about music or working as the Online Communications Director for OpenMedia.ca, you can find her flailing on the dance floor at local concerts and DJ shows in Vancouver. She is also known for her unhealthy obsession with necklaces, chocolate bars and coffee. At the end of April, Marie will be finished her Communications degree at SFU.

Jordan is passionate about art, fashion, music, and design. After spending eight years working in jobs he wasn't interested in, he has now broken free to do things he loves. Aside from spending a great deal of time studying publishing at Langara, he is also Co-Founder of Greymanner, a fashion blog dedicated to bringing readers cutting-edge perspectives about the fashion industry. Jordan also enjoys riding his bike, listening to records, going to shows and buying new clothes.

Josephine Anderson is a young documentary filmmaker and writer. She harbours an addiction to Radio Lab, enjoys a good dip into Blogotheque, and regularly joins Vancouver's senior citizens at Aquafit. Don't laugh. On a whim she recently picked up the cello. Pieces mastered to date include 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' and 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.' More seriously, Josephine is committed to telling stories that make a positive difference by engaging people in meaningful discussion. She holds a B.A. in English Literature from UBC and is a graduate of Capilano University's Documentary Film Production program.

After years of debating professions within various fields, Alyssa has finally embraced her need to fulfill her fashion pursuits. With a deep appreciation for all things aesthetically pleasing, it is only fitting she is Beyond Robson's 'Fashion Store' columnist. As her side project, she works on creating fashion editorials as a Co-Founder of Greymanner. Aside from being a fashion enthusiast, Alyssa is a lover of dogs, trips taken on a whim, and Hong Kong-style breakfasts.

Jeff was a recipient of the Woodlawn Dental Center's 'No New Cavities' certificate for six consecutive years from 1994-1999. He is a writer, comedian, filmmaker, and self-proclaimed member of the liberal media intent on destroying traditional values. Jeff has lived all across this continent and represents an unlikely consolidation of Southern ignorance, Northeastern elitism, and gloomy cynicism via the Pacific Northwest. His interests include movie trivia, exploring the Kentucky bourbon trail, existential dread, international variations of popular television shows, food, wine, and cheese -- which is, incidentally, a type of food.

Lindsay, hailing from Toronto, ON, subsists almost entirely on caffeine in its various forms. She is a university drop-out, holds a honors degree in esthetics and cosmetology and attends classes at Langara in the English department. She enjoys heavy metal, alternative and punk rock, reads more than just about everyone, loves anime but doesn't own a TV, plays entirely too many video games and loves tattoos. She also happens to be vegetarian, and deathly allergic to all seafood.

This magnificent bastard hails from Merritt, BC - a bastion of progressive politics in the BC interior that has helped ensure Stockwell Day electoral landslides since 2000. He gained a lot of valuable skills growing up in Merritt, most notably how to move away from Merritt. He enjoys skateboarding, good beer, punk and indie rock, anxiety attacks, writing about himself in third person, and talking about talking to cute girls but mostly standing there. Currently he is floating in the post-university abyss, but soon he will be pursuing a career in social work. He will be writing about Vancouver's underground music scene and BC micro-brews. He is excited to stop complaining about the city and start contributing instead.

Agnes drinks a lot of tea but no coffee. She considers herself to be a film buff even though she hasn't seen some pretty seminal films. Agnes spent a year in England working for an ancient institution of higher learning and is currently pursuing an MBA at UBC. She is hoping to figure out this whole social media thing and land a sweet internship for the summer (if you know of any companies looking for a marketing intern, send them her way please). She likes to write and also likes making new friends, so please do drop her a line if you are so inclined!

Steve is a photographer who documents the Vancouver music scene. A true night owl, you can find can find Steve all around town at local music venues or various spaces shooting shows. When he's not at a show he's watching foreign films, going for road trips down the I-5 (usually going to a show), playing Age of Empires, lamenting the fact that he has far too many jackets to any other pieces of clothing in his wardrobe, eating jelly bellies or wikipeding random topics of interest (probably about music or going to a show).

Melanie is a happily uprooted prairie girl who loves coastal life. She is a photographer, writer and sometimes model who is passionate about new experiences, fearless women, ice cream, sunshine, a guy named Ryan, trying to learn how to snowboard, and basking in the vibe of other artists.

Victoria Revay is the Media Ace for Vancouver social gaming lab Ayogo Games. Previously, Victoria's worked in broadcast journalism and writing and producing news for Global TV, City TV and CTV, as well as trying her hand at entertainment publicity while living in Los Angeles and New York. Victoria has also been a Manager and Editor of citizen journalists at Now Public and Vancouver City Editor for sweetspot.ca. Besides blogging, she also contributes to Blackbook Magazine, blackbookmag.com, travelmuse.com, Western Living and Momeo Magazine. Victoria holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of British Columbia, as well as a Broadcast Journalism diploma from the British Columbia Institute of Technology.

Matthew is a young man with an English degree and a phlegmatic disposition. He enjoys interfacing with other people very much, and is interested in writing and architecture. A new contributor to Beyond Robson, Matthew is covering city news and arts.

Leanne is a Vancouver-based writer who started her career at the tender age of 7 when she created a magazine for her Barbies. Since then, she's studied creative writing at Douglas College and is finishing up her Communications degree at SFU. She spends her time with her 3-year-old son, studying, writing at the Cultch, and baking -- the latter of which can be
read about at How Sweet It Is.

As a Care-Aide by day and a moonlighting writer, Katie paints the town by nightfall with her pen poised and eager to discover the world of art and theatre! Currently, she critiques theatre plays and writes a column for Katie Loves, while finding new opportunities as the Arts and Culture Columnist with Beyond Robson. Katie grew up in the farmland of Matsqui Flats, Abbotsford and finds the racing city of Vancouver an intriguing scene. She loves to read, write, camp, and adores the Mary Tyler Moore Show. She tries to live her life in positivity and values her friends and family. Cheers to all who log onto Beyond Robson!

A fashion, style, music and pop culture enthusiast, Niki is the fashion events columnist at Beyond Robson. A graduate of the University of Victoria, she now works at fashion, beauty and lifestyle PR firm, the Vanguard, putting her degree in social psychology and certificate in public relations to good work. In her spare time she peruses the web for the latest and greatest in the fashion industry, and writes her own fashion and style blog, A Haute Mess. Niki is a die-hard Canucks fan, a beach bum, loves traveling, and will challenge anyone to a game of Mario Kart (and win).