
This Commerce Life We catch up with Sonia Strobel, Co-Founder & CEO Of Skipper Otto - Canada's Largest Community-Supported Fishery
We catch up with Sonia Strobel, Co-Founder & CEO Of Skipper Otto - Canada's Largest Community-Supported Fishery
Skipper Otto has cracked the code on sustainable, traceable seafood in Canada. Co-founder and CEO Sonia Strobel joins us to share how their community-supported fishery model has grown to serve 8,000 members across the country—and why they finally made the leap into home delivery.
In this conversation, Sonia walks us through the careful, deliberate expansion that's defined Skipper Otto's growth: from community pickup locations at 100+ partners nationwide to launching home delivery in Ontario, Quebec, BC, and Alberta. She explains the logistics challenges they solved (spoiler: dry ice is key), why they operate their own boat in False Creek, and how pre-purchasing shares in the catch guarantees living wages for 45 fishing families while ensuring customers get the freshest, most sustainable seafood possible.
Whether you're curious about alternative food systems, direct-to-consumer distribution, or building a values-driven food business that actually works, this episode offers a masterclass in patient, purposeful scaling.
TOPICS DISCUSSED:
- The community-supported fishery model and how it works
- Expanding from pickup locations to nationwide home delivery
- Solving frozen delivery logistics across Canadian climates
- Operating their own fishing vessel and processing facility
- Building trust through complete supply chain transparency
- Balancing growth with quality and sustainability values
Visit skipperotto.com to learn more about their membership model and home delivery options.
Thank you to Field Agent Canada for supporting the podcast https://www.fieldagentcanada.com/
