episode 017: Mark Brand

Mark Brand is a human always in service to others. The restauranteur has been behind Boneta, Sea Monstr Sushi, The Diamond, Persephone Brewing, and iconic downtown eastside diner Save on Meats but is well-known for his global work as a social entrepreneur. Born in Scotland, his childhood was an intensely nomadic one, moving from country to country. At 14-years-old, he got his first job making pizza and never looked back, moving to Australia with his dad when he was 19. There, Mark found happiness in the restaurant industry and as a hiphop, rap, and funk DJ - and it was also where he was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease. He then moved to Vancouver on a feeling and, for the last 15 years, rebuilt his life around restaurants and worldwide social impact: establishing A Better Life Foundation, cooking at the Vatican as executive chef for Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ Challenge, teaching innovation at USC, and working with on the United Nations Catalyst Team focusing on food waste, poverty, and the impacts of current systemic structures on the most marginalized. Resilience is a recurring theme in Mark’s life, and his story is a reflection of that. In this conversation, we dig deep into the idea of creating safety and boundaries in a chaotic environment, why his parents are his heroes, sobriety and the dark days he’s had to go through, why we shouldn’t look away from discomfort, projects he’s currently working on around the world, and more.