Forty Under 40 2017

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Lead with purpose. Inspire by example.

Congratulations to the 2017 BIV Forty under 40 winners.

Experience and innovation come together at Fasken. We provide you with the best legal services for your unique and evolving legal needs. As your strategic business partner, we’re with you every step of the way. fasken.com

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2017 Choosing Forty under 40 winners is challenging, judges say | 6 Forty under 40 gala | 9

2017 WINNERS Arif

Marko

Greg

Saber

Abdulla | 11

Dekovic | 22

Gutmanis | 34

Miresmailli | 45

Luke

Christopher Derickson | 24

Jeff

Tamer

Aulin | 12

Hanman | 35

Mohamed | 46

Pepe

Susan

Bryn

Lindsay

Barajas | 13

Dolinski | 25

Hyndman | 36

Nahmiache | 47

Alexa

Daryl Ee | 26

Andy

Jack

Kokaji | 37

Newton | 48

Natalie Boll | 15

Brian

Nathan

Tea

French | 27

Lusignan | 38

Nicola | 49

Dave

Carter

Andrea

Sharan

Brett | 16

Gilchrist | 28

MacLeod | 39

Oberoi | 50

John

Suzanne Gildert | 29

Kevin

Kostya

Bromley | 18

Mazzone | 40

Polyakov | 51

Devon

William

Jaclyn

Ali

Brooks | 19

Granleese | 30

McPhadden | 42

Pourdad | 52

Sarah

Genesa

Andrea

Ryan

Bundy | 20

Greening | 31

Mestrovic | 43

Yada | 53

Chastity Davis | 21

Matthew Gruben | 32

Hao

Daniel

Min | 44

Zitting | 54

Blain | 14

Photography by Chung Chow

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Forty under 40 is published by BIV Magazines, a division of BIV Media Group, 303 West 5th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C., V5Y 1J6, 604-688-2398, fax 604-688-1963, www.biv.com.

Copyright 2017 Business in Vancouver Magazines. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or incorporated into any information retrieval system without permission of BIV Magazines. The publishers are not responsible in whole or in part for any errors or omissions in this publication.

2017-11-23 4:01 PM

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2017

JUDGES SEE INCREASINGLY HIGHER CALIBRE OF NOMINEES, GREATER INDUSTRY DIVERSITY Business leadership, depth of involvement in community weighed in selection of winners in this year’s Forty under 40 awards

BY BRIGITTE PETERSEN NEWS@BIV.COM

E

ach year, Business in Vancouver’s Forty under 40 awards celebrate outstanding leaders who are rising stars in B.C.’s public, private and non-profit sectors.

Five judges were tasked with choosing this year’s top 40 out of 157 applications from impressive entrepreneurs and managers who have risen up the ranks at a relatively young age in a wide range of industries.

Iain Black, president and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, has participated as a judge for the last four years.

“This year’s selection of nominees is more diverse, in terms of both background and industries, than in previous years,” said Black, adding that the high calibre of nominees is making the judging process more challenging each year.

The process involved two days of advance reading and

reviewing to rank nominees. The judges then gathered for half a day to compare notes and to select the 40 award winners.

Black, who received a Forty under 40 award himself when he was 28, said he looked for “true business achievement that is unusual at any age, but really rare in someone under 40.”

Winners were selected for their business achievements, experience, innovation, vision, leadership and community involvement. While judges first considered each individual’s professional success, they also looked for community service experience and participation in trade groups, mentorship programs and involvement on not-for-profit boards.

When considering professional and entrepreneurial achievements, judges looked for significant business accomplishments, past distinctions and awards, professional designations, memberships or licences and educational qualifications.

Besides looking for outstanding professional innovation and industry and team leadership, judges also singled out leaders

Congratulations Susan Dolinski BCLC congratulates Susan Dolinski, who was selected as a 2017 Business in Vancouver Top Forty under 40 award recipient.

Susan joined BCLC in 2007 as a director, and just five years later was appointed to the Executive team. Susan’s strategic leadership has spearheaded BCLC through a number of high profile events and key initiatives which have directly enhanced public support and understanding of BCLC.

Susan Dolinski VP Social Responsibility and Communications, BCLC

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THE 2017 JUDGING PANEL Kirk LaPointe Editor-in-chief, Business in Vancouver; vice-president, Glacier Media

Almira Bardai Co-CEO and co-founder, Jive PR + Digital

Iain Black President and CEO, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade

Jennifer Murtagh Chief strategy officer, BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre Foundation

Manny Padda Membership chair, EO Vancouver; founder, New Avenue Capital

JENNIFER MURTAGH |

CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER, BC WOMEN’S HOSPITAL & HEALTH CENTRE FOUNDATION

All my expectations were blown away by the calibre of nominations who caused industry disruptions.

Candidates’ power and influence were demonstrated through board appointments, professional growth and roles in making key decisions. Business and community involvement was measured by nominees’ participation as board members of industry associations, in professional mentorship programs and on non-profit boards.

This was Jennifer Murtagh’s first year judging the awards.

“All my expectations were blown away by the calibre of nominations,” said Murtagh, who recently left her role as Minerva BC’s CEO for her new position as chief strategy officer at the BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre Foundation. “The diversity of experience, innovation, leadership and community outreach was nothing short of extraordinary.”

For Murtagh, the judging process was “extensive and intensive,” and reviewing application packages took about 20 hours.

“It is very challenging because one nomination is just as good as the next, so you really have to thoroughly read all the supporting documents to make good judgments.”

@CBCVANCOUVER @CBCNEWSBC

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2017

ALMIRA BARDAI |

CO-CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, JIVE PR + DIGITAL

There are people who are literally changing the world on this list

Murtagh said she often found it challenging to compare corporate executive roles with those of entrepreneurs.

“That’s why the deliberation meeting with the other judges comes in so handy because it is a very healthy … discussion that informs your decisions,” she said. “I made a few changes to my selections in that meeting based on feedback and discussion with the other judges.”

Murtagh, who was a Forty under 40 winner in 2014, looked for nominees who demonstrated they were “positively impacting the community in a significant way.”

“In my mind, being successful in your career isn’t enough,” she explained.

Almira Bardai, co-founder and co-CEO of Jive PR + Digital, said she was also impressed with this year’s nominees, especially those making strides in artificial intelligence and other groundbreaking technologies.

“It was mind-blowing what these high achievers are doing in Vancouver,” said Bardai, who won a Forty under 40 award last year and acted as a judge for the first time this year.

Bardai said references were vital in providing insights into each nominee’s character.

“It was impressive to see how many people are involved in community service,” she said. “There are people who are literally changing the world on this list.”

This was also Manny Padda’s first year as a judge. For Padda, who was also inspired by this year’s nominees, reducing the number to 40 winners was the greatest challenge.

“It came down to the wire to pick those final few,” recalled the founder of New Avenue Capital.

For the 2015 Forty under 40 winner, “seeing a well-rounded individual who had excelled in multiple areas, not just financially,” was important.

Kirk LaPointe, Business in Vancouver’s editor-in-chief and vice-president of Glacier Media, also participated as a judge.

“The calibre of the nominees is stronger all the time, reflective of the province’s growth and promise,” LaPointe said. É

Sponsor’s Message

Homes that put people first.

Congratulations to this year’s winners!

The young professionals selected for this year’s BIV Forty Under 40 are among the forward thinkers and pioneers leading Vancouver toward a bright future.

They had to work hard, make sacrifices, and stay true to their vision to get here. And now, recognition of their ambition and creativity through these awards opens up exciting new possibilities—and sets the bar high—for all of us.

CONGRATULATIONS

HAO MIN

CEO, Bold Properties s

AND TO ALL THE DESERVING RECIPIENTS!

We at CHIMP (Charitable Impact) would like to congratulate this year’s winners. As a social enterprise working to empower people to act on their innate generosity, we know what kind of influence a single person can have on society— that’s part of what drives us to help individuals make an impact every day. With that in mind, we look forward to following the impact made by 2017’s Forty Under 40 in the years to come.

BOLD.CA

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2017

FORTY UNDER 40 GALA B

usiness in Vancouver’s annual Forty under 40 awards gala is a night of celebration that pays tribute to the achievements of B.C.’s young entrepreneurs, executives and professionals. Honourees are selected based on demonstrated excellence in business, judgment, leadership and community contribution, by a group of five judges,

2016 winner Ankit Sharma with family

most of whom are previous Forty under 40 winners. The 27th annual Forty under 40 awards gala on January 25, 2017, hosted a record 600 attendees. This year’s gala will be held January 23, 2018, at the Vancouver Convention Centre. For more information about the upcoming gala, go to biv.com.

2016 winner Beth Boyle of Longgame Holdings Inc. and Talk Shop Media Inc. accepts her award from Mark Hoag, partner, MNP LLP

2016 winner Anne Stevens of Aequus Pharmaceuticals accepts her award from William Westeringh, managing partner, Vancouver, for Fasken Martineau

Congratulations 2017 BIV Forty Under 40 winners Congratulations to the 2017 BIV Forty Under 40 award winners – an exceptional group of British Columbia’s young entrepreneurs and professionals who embrace and excel in today’s fast-paced and evolving business environment.

These individuals have proven they have what it takes to succeed, going above and beyond to demonstrate the professionalism, expertise and resourcefulness that every successful business professional needs in order to thrive.

The BIV Forty Under 40 award winners are leaders and role-models who bring their outstanding contributions to

their workplaces and communities. Their accomplishments raise the bar for others in the formative years of their careers, propelling business growth in BC. As one of BC’s leading law firms, Fasken recognizes that highly motivated professionals who are passionate about their work are essential to success in any organization.

To all the 2017 BIV Forty Under 40 winners, I wish you the best in your continuing success and once again congratulations!

William Westeringh, Q.C.

William Westeringh, Q.C. Managing Partner British Columbia Fasken

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Sponsor’s Message

Engaging Entrepreneurs to Learn and Grow EO Vancouver, Entrepreneurs’ Organization is, once again, a proud sponsor of the Business In Vancouver Top 40 Under 40 Awards for a 13th year.

As an international, world respected association of entrepreneurs, the EO Vancouver Chapter is pleased to have had many EO Vancouver members as winners of the 40 Under 40 Awards over the past ten years and we congratulate all the finalists for 2017.

As a global community of entrepreneurs EO has 12,000 members in 50 countries. Members must be the founder, co-founder, owner or controlling shareholder of a business with annual gross sales exceeding (US) $1 million.

EO offers members Direct Peer-To-Peer Learning, Once-In-ALifetime Experiences and Connection To Experts through member events and monthly Forum Groups. The Vancouver Chapter is one of the leading chapters in the world.

EO Vancouver also supports emerging entrepreneurs through the Accelerator Program, Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) and the awarding of Youth Scholarships presented annually at the 40 Under 40 Awards.

Congratulations to Business In Vancouver for their vision to profile the “best of the best” entrepreneurs in British Columbia at their annual awards.

Entrepreneurs’ Organization

EO Vancouver learning chair Cam Good presents a youth scholarship award cheque to cadet sergeant Ivy Kuang of the Vancouver Police Department cadet program

For membership information visit www.eonetwork.org or contact us at 604.622.7020

CONGRATULATIONS! CBC Vancouver is honoured to return as the exclusive broadcast partner of the BIV Top Forty Under 40 Awards.

Two young leaders from our newsroom, Dan Burritt and Lien Yeung, are your hosts this evening. They, along with this year’s winners, represent B.C.’s future and are part of a generation at the forefront of cultivating new ideas that will make an impact in our community.

Congratulations once again to this year’s accomplished winners, we look forward to covering your future achievements on CBC Vancouver News on digital, TV and radio.

Sincerely,

MCs Andrew Chang and Johanna Wagstaffe of CBC Vancouver welcome the crowd

— CONGRATULATIONS! BCIT Business congratulates alumni and faculty: Δ Sarah Bundy, Marketing Management Δ Chastity Davis, Marketing Management Δ Daryl Ee, Business Management Δ Genesa Greening, Fundraising Instructor We look forward to congratulating future BCIT Business graduates and faculty as Business in Vancouver’s Forty under 40.

Johnny Michel

Senior Managing Director CBC English Services British Columbia & Alberta

cbc.ca/bc

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@cbcnewsbc

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ARIF ABDULLA

o matter how much technology may transform the way it operates, the health-care sector will always be about improving the human condition.

That’s how Arif Abdulla, vice-president of global franchise development at Nurse Next Door Home Care Services, sees the advancements in his line of work.

“For us, it’s still very much about the human experience,” Abdulla said.

“Any time we look at technology, it’s at how … it [allows] for an even more human experience for our caregivers and our clients, not about a less human experience.”

After attaining his bachelor of arts in communications from Simon Fraser University (SFU), Abdulla was drawn to the budding Nurse Next Door brand for its heavy investment in people and community.

For a decade, Abdulla has led the company’s marketing and brand strategy, putting it on the North American franchise map and helping the company achieve annual revenues of $10 million.

Abdulla has refined his capabilities in the health-care and franchising realms, going on to receive his graduate diploma of business administration from SFU. “I’ve worn a lot of different hats [at Nurse Next Door]; I’ve been here for a long time,” he said. “I’ve helped build the business from one unit to almost 200 across North America, but it’s always been about that impact we’ve been able to make on people.”

Abdulla has his sights set on the international market. The brand has spread into over 150 markets across

Birthplace: New Westminster Where you live now: Mount Pleasant, Vancouver Highest level of education: Bachelors of arts, communications, from Simon Fraser University Currently reading: Exponential Organizations by Salim Ismail

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Vice-president of global franchise development, Nurse Next Door Home Care Services

CHUNG CHOW

North America and it continues to grow.

As the leader of franchise development, Abdulla said he is proud to help provide a greater range of options for those seeking in-home care services. “[What we do] is not transactional.

It’s about providing a service that is meaningful and impactful by spending time together.… We like to call it happier aging.”

Currently listening to: Frozen soundtrack (I have a threeyear-old) When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: In business – just didn’t know what Profession you would most like to try: Lawyer

I’ve helped build the business from one unit to almost 200 across North America, but it’s always been about that impact we’ve been able to make on people

Toughest business or professional decision: I had to narrow my scope of work giving up my first passion, marketing, in order to fully focus on sales and operations. I always tied success to an expanding scope. In hindsight it was the best decision for me, and the company, as it unlocked growth and opportunities

that probably wouldn’t have happened otherwise Advice you would give the younger you: Get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. It’s the only time you’re learning and growing What’s left to do: A lot. Top of the list is to take Nurse Next Door international

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LUKE AULIN

s co-founder and CEO of Vancouver-based digital marketing company Rtown, Luke Aulin is focused on helping local businesses succeed.

In his position since 2013, Aulin’s greatest professional accomplishment to date has been transforming Rtown from a home-based startup into a profitable business within two years. He now leads a staff of 22 people in B.C. and Alberta.

“It shows how quickly things can change if you surround yourself with the right people,” he said.

Aulin, a roundtable member of Acetech BC, has been practising entrepreneurship since graduating with a bachelor of commerce degree from the University of British Columbia. He embarked on many adventures before Rtown, including launching an online dating company and trying to start a print publication, both of which failed.

He later became a leader at Vancouver-based software company Faronics, where he became an “intrapreneur” and helmed two new business units before launching Rtown.

“A n intrapreneur to me is an employee who assumes the reputational risk, but not the full financial risk, by passionately pursuing new business opportunities inside an already existing business,” Aulin explained. “They are the A players who show up every day to make our businesses better.”

Aulin is focused on helping entrepreneurs succeed and is passionate about helping create job opportunities for others at Rtown.

“As an entrepreneur who has built a B2B [business-to-business] company with the singular purpose of helping local businesses succeed, I get to go to work every day living in line with my personal purpose,” he said. “I also love the mental gymnastics that come with

Birthplace: Kamloops Where you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Bachelor of commerce, University of British Columbia Currently reading: Actionable Gamification: Beyond Points,

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Co-founder and CEO, Rtown

CHUNG CHOW

entrepreneurship.”

Having had many mentors himself, Aulin regularly tries to help educate and inspire the next generation. Aulin, who lives with his partner in Vancouver, was a keynote speaker at Canada’s largest digital marketing event, the Change in the Making Conference held in Squamish. He is a world traveller who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in 2012 in support of an orphanage in Tanzania, and volunteered to help deliver clean water in Cambodia.

Badges, and Leaderboards by Yu-kai Chou Currently listening to: “Arpeggiator” by Fugazi When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Ninja

I get to go to work every day living in line with my personal purpose.

I also love the mental gymnastics that come with entrepreneurship

Profession you would most like to try: Travel photographer Toughest business or professional decision: Walking away from a dishonest investor not knowing if my business would survive a cash-flow pinch in three months. We did, and then flourished

Advice you would give the younger you: Know your personal why, know your own core values and know your numbers What’s left to do: Help local businesses succeed by making every town Rtown

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PEPE BARAJAS

othing excites Pepe Barajas more than opening a new business or launching a new eatery. Barajas has started seven companies including five restaurants, a catering business and a cleaning service. And that’s just the businesses he’s launched after moving to Canada.

While seven businesses across multiple industries may seem like more than enough for anyone to handle, Barajas, who is president and CEO of Infinity Enteprises Group, which operates the Mexican Corner, Tacos La Cantina and Clean Perfect Services, said he is happily looking forward to opening a new, full-service Mexican.

Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs in Mexico City, Barajas was steeped in an enterprise environment.

“Since I was a kid I was ru n n ing around offices and factories,” he said.

“At those very early stages, I was very passionate about basically anything that has to do with business.”

When he started launching his new businesses in Canada, Barajas was concerned that his first employees might share his entrepreneurial drive and would be tempted to leave to create their own businesses. He would later learn that people have different motives and strengths and that not everyone wants to invest their blood, sweat and tears into establishing their own successful business. He likened being an entrepreneur to being a hockey player, with the role requiring the same level of dedication, natural drive and talent.

Barajas’ Mexican heritage informs many areas of his life and work in Vancouver – including, he said, an ambition and a work ethic cultivated in a country where opportunities are more limited.

Coming to a new country and starting

Birthplace: Mexico City Where you live now: Whistler Highest level of education: Bachelor’s degree in marketing Currently reading: Nothing

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President and CEO, Infinity Enterprises Group

CHUNG CHOW

a business comes with several challenges, but Barajas said he feels he has a natural advantage in the business world.

“Coming from a country where I really need to fight my way through to make things happen, the competitive advantage for immigrants is that they’re more hungry,” he said.

“Smooth seas don’t make skilful sailors,” is a motto that Barajas has lived by, turning every challenge into an important lesson.

At those very early stages, I was very passionate about basically anything that has to do with business

Currently listening to: Whatever’s popular on the radio

Toughest business or professional decision: Letting managers go

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Entrepreneur

Advice you would give the younger you: Challenges are there to signify how bad you want something

Profession you would most like to try: Helicopter pilot

What’s left to do: To leave an honourable legacy and to continue to make sure that I am mindful through my leadership

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ALEXA BLAIN

s co-founder and chief operating officer of Vancouver-based asset management firm Deetken Asset Management Inc. (DAMI), Alexa Blain’s expertise lies in impact investing – the funding of companies or organizations that have a beneficial social or environmental effect – as well as in emerging and frontier markets.

A chartered financial analyst and a chartered business valuator, the asset management professional’s portfolio management experience includes company analysis and valuation and risk management, as well as her background as an investor.

Passionate about creating “great investment products,” Blain believes people should feel confident and empowered when investing.

“We should feel that our money matters, that we understand where it is going and how it will be used,” she said.

Blain, who lives in Vancouver with her husband and young daughter, joined boutique management consulting firm the Deetken Group in 2012 with the daunting task of building a new asset management division from the ground up, while still aligning with the group’s investing philosophy of fostering beneficial social and environmental change while generating attractive financial returns.

Over the next five years, Blain led the firm towards a series of critical milestones including registration with cross-Canada securities commissions, distribution of impact-oriented investment products and the launch of the Deetken Impact Fund.

B l a i n , DA M I ’s s e c o n d-l a rge s t shareholder, is also a director and a member of the company’s investment committee.

She gained hands-on operations

Birthplace: Victoria Where you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Master of financial economics, University of Toronto Currently reading: The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin Currently listening to: Reply All, Gimlet Media podcast

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Co-founder and chief operating officer, Deetken Asset Management Inc.

CHUNG CHOW

ex perience in the financial serv ices sector at DAMI, and through her leadership of a startup insurance company in sub-Saharan Africa.

Mentored by her investment banker and CEO father, Larry Blain, she previously held positions as associate portfolio manager for the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, insurance and investor relations manager for investment banking group African Alliance and investment banking associate at Macquarie North America.

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: A sleuth like Encyclopedia Brown Profession you would most like to try: I’d quite like Anthony Bourdain’s job Toughest business or professional decision: Leaving Bay Street to work in frontier markets. It felt reckless, but right

We should feel that our money matters, that we understand where it is going and how it will be used

Advice you would give the younger you: Mentorship is crucial, but ultimately the way you do business and your leadership style will look like no one else’s. Who you work with is as important as what you do.

Choose to work with people who bring passion, tenacity and integrity to your business and the rest will work itself out

What’s left to do: We spent a few years in startup mode; it’s exciting now to be in a position to rapidly scale up. I want to keep contributing to our growing business, creating new products that allow people to feel confident and excited about how they are investing their savings

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NATALIE BOLL

atalie Boll’s 18-plus-year career in film was inspired by a discovery she made in high school.

“I wasn’t the best actor,” she said with a laugh. But Boll, whose first production job was in lighting and set decoration while in secondary school, had a knack for curating talent and cultivating performances.

“What I used to do is just get all the actors that I knew together and do my scripts that I would write, or group together people and kind of make these small projects, and one of my instructors said to me: ‘Hey, you know, you’re really natural at producing.’”

Boll would go on to study film at Capilano University and theatre arts at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.

She shed small projects for big ones, earning production management and producing credits on projects with Corus Entertainment, the National Film Board and Food Network Canada, to name a few, and has also worked as a director.

“It’s a nice experience to be on the more creative side,” said Boll, who produced and co-directed the documentary Meet Beau Dick: Maker of Monsters, which premiered in 2017. “I like entertainment, but I also like information,” she said “And I especially like it when you can do both.”

Boll combines both in her role as propriétaire of Vancouver’s awardwinning Bauhaus Restaurant, which she opened in 2015 with her husband, German film maker and “extreme foodie” Uwe Boll.

“Owning a restaurant was completely new to us, but the chefs are very creative; they are artists,” said Boll. “You are co-ordinating so many artistic talents and so many people, although a

Birthplace: Kelowna Where you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Associate’s degree in film and television Currently reading: Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari

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Propriétaire, Bauhaus Restaurant

CHUNG CHOW

film has an end, and the restaurant keeps going.”

If Boll has a third passion outside of film and food, it’s giving back.

“The restaurant is like opening your table up to the community, and so it’s really important to be involved in things,” said Boll, adding that Bauhaus has contributed more than $30,000 to charity in 2017. Among the organizations she supports: the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre, Canuck Place and Mealshare.

Currently listening to: Jango 2017 summer mix When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: I wanted to work in film. I just didn’t know all the positions at that time Profession you would most like to try: Politics

I like entertainment, but I also like information. And I especially like it when you can do both

Toughest business or professional decision: To continue to work after having kids Advice you would give the younger you: Be more careful on what you invested your money in. I started a lot of projects and wasted a lot of money on things that did not have the right elements to succeed

What’s left to do: I have always been passionate about our environment and social justice.

There is so much happening that I feel I must be more active in these areas outside of personal life and businesses. I am not sure exactly how I will become active but working on my role in it all now

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DAVE BRETT

n today’s world, the fitness sector is ruled by an overabundance of choice, hot trends and digital pizzazz.

But Dave Brett entered the training game when a bricks-and-mortar building was one’s home page, and word of mouth one’s online rating.

“Griffins was the first boxing gym in the entire country to have a website ... so you could imagine how old-school the industry used to be,” Brett said.

“Now, if you don’t have Instagram, you are obsolete.… Members have the ability to book online, to try studios via drop-ins, to see the culture of your business through social media. It has changed a lot.”

But his passion and persistence has led Griffins Boxing & Fitness into the new era of digital. Brett said his purpose was always clear.

“I have known since I was young that I wanted to work with people and to help build them. It was after reading The Power of One that I knew boxing was my tool to do this.”

Brett first graduated from the University of British Columbia with a bachelor of science degree and, to add to his qualifications, he obtained his professional coach certification and a Level 3 designation from the Boxing Canada National Coach Certification Program.

When Brett opened his facility in North Vancouver, he preached an approach to boxing that broke with some of the sport’s widely held assumptions about training. It was this approach that garnered him national recognition. His two boxing programs, called Boxfit and Boxtech, and his inclusive approach to teaching boxing to people of all skill levels earned him a place on the short list for the North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce’s 2015 Young

Birthplace: Bulawayo, Rhodesia Where you live now: North Vancouver Highest level of education: B.Sc. from University of British Columbia (life sciences), certified Canadian coach, NCCP national level coach

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Owner and head coach, Griffins Boxing & Fitness

CHUNG CHOW

Entrepreneur Awards.

Now, Brett owns the largest boxing and fitness gym in the country. The company is projected to reach annual revenues of over $1.5 million and has almost doubled in size in the last two years.

The boxer turned businessman is also an avid supporter of breast cancer awareness research and gives back locally by providing troubled youth with an avenue to build their skill in the ring.

Currently reading: Bryce Courtenay, The Power of One Currently listening to: AC/DC, Hells Bells When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Race cars or be a doctor. But knew I would always build a business

I have known since I was young that I wanted to work with people and to help build them

Profession you would most like to try: Venture capital investments

doubt to back off earlier, and to go for the dream by hiring the best people

Toughest business or professional decision: “Letting go” so the business could grow – but this was the best decision, too

What’s left to do: So very much

Advice you would give the younger you: Tell the internal bully/

2017-11-22 11:25 AM

Arif Abdulla

Christopher Derickson

William Granleese

VP, Global Franchise Development Nurse Next Door Home Care Services

Councillor, Westbank First Nations Partner, Alderhill Planning Inc.

CEO, Portfolio Manager Antrim Investments

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2017-11-22 11:25 AM

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J

JOHN BROMLEY

ohn Bromley strives to create a “culture of giving” in Canada.

The 39-year-old entrepreneur has founded three successful charitable giving and community engagement companies. As founder and CEO of his most recent venture, Vancouver-based Chimp – the name is a portmanteau of “charitable” and “impact” – Bromley established the first giving platform built for donors. The donor-advised fund is geared toward everyday philanthropists, and has raised more than $220 million for charity.

“I’m most passionate about changing people’s perceptions and behaviours related to giving,” said Bromley, who lives with his wife and two young sons in Vancouver.

He launched Chimp in 2012 to democratize access to donor tools and engage people of all ages and income brackets in philanthropy by opening free giving accounts, which act as donors’ private foundations.

While traditional fundraising raises money for charities, it has failed to develop a culture of giving, according to Bromley, who is committed to reversing a current decline in giving in Canada.

“Giving is important because it’s a form of expression of who you are. It should be tied to something you care about.”

Including work outside of Chimp, Bromley has played a role in more than $1 billion worth of charitable giving.

He assists with national corporate and community giving programs and also advises and invests in startups.

Bromley previously spent four years working in corporate finance as a senior associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers and RBC Capital Markets in Montreal.

Birthplace: Prince George Where you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Bachelor of commerce, McGill University Currently reading: Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari Currently listening to: Altruism: The Power of Compassion to Change Yourself and the World

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Founder and CEO, Chimp

CHUNG CHOW

He moved back to Vancouver in 2005 and learned the facilitation side of the charitable and non-profit sector. In 2006, he became vice-president of Benefic Group, which he founded with his father and mentor, Blake Bromley, a pioneer in charity finance and law.

John Bromley, who has sat on many charity and non-profit boards and is an active mentor, also previously founded Peer Giving Solutions, a webbased tool to help charities raise more money, in 2009.

by Matthieu Ricard (audio book) When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: I wanted to be a philanthropist. I realize now I didn’t really know what the term meant at the time Profession you would most like to try: I’d be a teacher, probably for high school or adult learning

Giving is important because it’s a form of expression of who you are. It should be tied to something you care about

Toughest business or professional decision: As someone who comes to entrepreneurship through subject matter expertise, it was tough to let go of developing solutions for multiple segments. We originally launched with solutions for charities, companies and donors, but recently made the decision to focus specifically on the donor experience. Choosing that focus was the right

decision for Chimp and, in my view, it is what is most required if the social economy is to flourish Advice you would give the younger you: A dollar spent in preproduction is a dollar saved in post-production What’s left to do: Empower more everyday people to think, act and feel like philanthropists

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DEVON BROOKS

Entrepreneur, Sphere, Babe Rally

AGE “

31

henomenal” doesn’t even begin to do justice to one of Devon Brooks’ earliest and most formative experiences.

How do you top spending Grade 11 sailing to more than 35 countries around the world?

“I actually got off that ship and slept and cried for about a week and a half straight,” said Brooks, founder of Blo Blow Dry Bar, Sphere and Babe Rally.

“You don’t recover from an experience like that. All it does is just plant this insatiable curiosity in you to continue to uncover the world and the people in it,” said Brooks.

Brooks has turned that curiosity into a string of successful entrepreneurial ventures. Her first was persuading the owner of Pure Nail Bar to let her set up an eyebrow and makeup stand in her Los Angeles storefront. Brooks kept the clients in the salon’s waiting area happy, and offered the owner a cut.

For Brooks, who hadn’t yet turned 18 at the time, it would be just the first of many successful ventures.

One of her biggest was formed at the London College of Fashion. After two years of brainstorming business ideas with her mother – and co-entrepreneur – Judy Brooks, she developed a business plan for Blo as part of a class assignment. It launched in 2007 as a modern blow-dry hair salon, and the brand has since expanded to more than 95 locations across Canada, the U.S. and the Philippines. (Not surprisingly, she got 98% on the class assignment.)

Brooks’ latest ventures include Babe Rally, a platform she hopes will be a thoughtful, dedicated space for survivors of sexual trauma.

She is a lso work i ng on a d ig ita l platform called Sphere that offers

Birthplace: Vancouver Where you live now: Whistler Highest level of education: BA (Hons) in communication at London College of Fashion

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individuals digital coaching and guidance experience. The idea came to the wife and mother of two while lying in bed at night, reading through emails and text messages she knew she wasn’t going to be able to thoroughly answer, despite genuinely wanting to advise and support others.

“My life started to look different,” she said. “I just sort of looked at myself and my computer and my phone and I realized that over the last decade I’d become a coach.”

Currently reading: Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari Currently listening to: FKA Twigs When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: An artist

You don’t recover from an experience like that.

All it does is just plant this insatiable curiosity in you to continue to uncover the world and the people in it

Profession you would most like to try: Politics Toughest business or professional decision: Leaving my first company, Blo

Advice you would give the younger you: If a system needs to be broken, break it What’s left to do: Oh, absolutely everything. I’m just getting started

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F

SARAH BUNDY

or Sarah Bundy, her motto – delight, innovate, grow and give back – is more than just a business philosophy; it is the culmination of the fundamental personal principles upon which she has built her company.

Bundy, founder and CEO of Richmond-based All Inclusive Marketing (AIM) often refers to that motto. She credits finding a network of people, including co-workers and clients, who share those values as a reason why her firm is now among the leading marketing companies in North America.

A big part of how she applies philosophy, she said, is to always keep her ears open to opinions and other voices, whether they are those of her staff, clients or the industry at large.

“You have to listen to your team because they are your front line,” Bundy said, noting co-workers’ first-hand experience in the market is crucial for a CEO’s decision-making process. “Being able to ask the right questions with the right people has been a huge factor in being able to get some of the most essential information that one would need to continuously provide value [to clients] and be best in class.”

She said getting the pulse of industry trends is also especially important, since the online/digital marketing space is constantly changing.

“There are so many moving pieces, so being able to build out a company that’s agile and quick about the type of information you have access to – that’s crucial,” Bundy said. “If you do all the talking, you are going to hit the ceiling eventually in terms of the type of information you can provide. But if you learn to ask the right questions and approach it with an open mind, then there is no glass ceiling on what you can do.”

Today, AIM has a long-running A-plus

Birthplace: Vancouver Where you live now: Ocean Park (South Surrey) Highest level of education: Technology diploma in marketing management from the British Columbia Institute of Technology

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Founder and CEO, All Inclusive Marketing Inc.

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rating with the Better Business Bureau and a five-star rating with Glassdoor.

The company has racked up numerous fastest-growing firm awards, and Bundy herself has become a sought-after speaker at industry events.

It is here where she plans to give back to the community at large. In addition to volunteering on the board of the nonprofit Performance Marketing Association, Bundy speaks at B.C. schools to inspire youth and mentors women in businesses and startups.

Being able to build out a company that’s agile and quick about the type of information you have access to – that’s crucial

Currently reading: The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck

Profession you would most like to try: Spa and travel writer

Currently listening to: Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac

Toughest business or professional decision: Leaving the corporate world to start my first business

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: A vet, a police officer AND a massage therapist

What’s left to do: Travel to 27 more countries on my bucket list (been to 29 so far), and start my spa and travel writing business

Advice you would give the younger you: Don’t burn bridges. Ever

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A

CHASTITY DAVIS

s owner of a West Vancouverbased social enterprise, Chastity Davis is focused on reciprocity, advocacy and building bridges between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

Having founded Chastity Davis Consulting six years ago, Davis is a soughtafter consultant and public speaker.

She has extensive knowledge of First Nations rights and title, and Canadian First Nations law, socio-economic and environmental issues. Davis has worked with more than 125 Indigenous communities and top companies in Canada and the U.S. Davis leads and manages federal and provincial environmental assessment regulatory processes for capital projects on behalf of corporations in First Nations communities. She has also helped several organizations understand the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report and its 94 calls to action.

The social entrepreneur attributes her success to her approach to life. As a woman of Aboriginal and European descent, Davis strives to incorporate her First Nations culture, traditions and values into her modern-day life.

“I am committed to being a change agent in both my personal and professional life,” she said.

Davis spends about half of her time in advocacy work. On the Minerva Foundation for BC Women’s board of directors since 2007, Davis has also chaired the provincial Minister’s Advisory Council on Aboriginal Women since 2015 and has been a member of that council since its inception in 2011. She co-founded the Professional Aboriginal Women’s Network and co-created the Uplifting Indigenous Families Fund, in partnership with the Vancity Community Foundation, to support Indigenous families of missing and murdered women and

Birthplace: Comox Where you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Master of arts in intercultural and international communication, Royal Roads University Currently reading: Looptail: How One Company Changed the World by Reinventing Business

by Bruce Poon Tip Currently listening to: Trust in the Heart, Krishna Das

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Owner and consultant, Chastity Davis Consulting

CHUNG CHOW

girls in Canada.

Davis strives to raise awareness about the importance of investing in the health and wellness of Indigenous women.

“I believe the single most urgent, and silent, issue facing Canada is the violence that Indigenous women face every day,” she said. “If adequate investment was made in the health, wellness and safety of Indigenous women in every province, territory and community, we would see an enormous and groundbreaking shift in all areas of this country.”

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Prime minister of Canada Profession you would most like to try: Host of an international travel television or Netflix show Toughest business or professional decision: The business and professional decisions that have been most difficult for me have been the ones that

I am committed to being a change agent in both my personal and professional life

involve saying no to what wasn’t 100% in alignment with my life’s purpose. Sometimes there have been lots of good reasons to say yes to business and personal opportunities that appear to have lots of benefits but aren’t in total alignment with my life mission Advice you would give the younger you: Take time to connect and listen to your heart. It will never lead you astray

What’s left to do: Expand my current business to have further reach and impact, continue to advocate for optimal health and wellness for Indigenous women, visit the remaining two continents that I haven’t yet visited (and lots of places in between), write a book on heart-centred leadership and become a mother

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M

MARKO DEKOVIC

arko Dekovic was born in Canada, but between the ages of two and 14 he lived in Croatia, before his family fled back to Canada to escape the war between Croatia and Serbia following the breakup of Yugoslavia and Croatia’s declaration of independence in the early 1990s.

His early experience imbued him with a deep interest in politics and international affairs, and shaped his decision to earn a degree in political science with a minor in international relations from the University of British Columbia.

His first job was in public relations for the industry group Brewers of Canada, but his interest in politics eventually led him into the public service sector and a job working for Conservative cabinet ministers David Emerson and James Moore.

In 2006, he became the senior regional adviser when Emerson was minister of international trade and foreign affairs. While with Emerson’s ministry, he worked on two major files – the 2010 Winter Olympics and the $1 billion AsiaPacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative.

Exciting though the Olympics were, Dekovic said he actually found the AsiaPacific initiative to be the most interesting and challenging.

It involved consolidating the Lower Mainland’s three port authorities into one and getting municipalities, TransLink and provincial and federal governments to co-operate and help fund the initiative.

“I ended up being more excited and spending more time on the gateway,” he said. “I saw the Olympics as something that’s going to come and go, but the gateway thing is something that’s going to stick around and fundamentally change the economy.

“That was definitely a big file and

Birthplace: Vancouver

CHUNG CHOW

seeing it come together was tremendously important and ultimately ended up being successful.”

From 2012 to 2015, Dekovic worked for the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority as manager of government affairs and strategic communications. Two years ago, his experience and interest in transportation issues led him to Global Container Terminals, the Vancouver-based container terminal operator, where he is vice-president of public affairs.

Where you live now: Coquitlam

Clothes on Your Back, Gas in Your Car, and Food on Your Plate

by Rose George

Highest level of education: BA in political science, UBC

Currently listening to: 2Cellos

Currently reading: Ninety Percent of Everything: Inside Shipping, the Invisible Industry That Puts

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Vice-president of public affairs, Global Container Terminals

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Teacher

I saw the Olympics as something that’s going to come and go, but the gateway thing is something that’s going to ... fundamentally change the economy

Profession you would most like to try: Race car driver Toughest business or professional decision: Moving from public sector to private sector

Advice you would give the younger you: Take the risks and make bold moves while you can What’s left to do: Road trip to Disneyland with the kids

2017-11-22 11:25 AM

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—— BCIT Burnaby Campus

40 Under Forty 2017_00 2.indd 23

2017-11-22 11:25 AM

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2017

CHRISTOPHER DERICKSON

AGE

38

Partner, Alderhill Planning; councillor, Westbank First Nation

W

hen a municipality writes a community plan, it typically looks at things like land use, transportation and sustainability.

When a First Nation develops a community plan, it’s a very different approach – one that places less emphasis on land use than on culture, language, history and social issues.

There isn’t a whole lot of expertise in that field yet, so Christopher Derickson recently partnered with two other First Nation community planners to found a new consulting firm, Alderhill Planning, which is helping other First Nations across Canada develop their own comprehensive community plans.

In addition to being a partner in Alderhill, Derickson is also a band councillor for the Westbank First Nation.

Thanks to its own planning, Westbank has experienced a reversal of the more typical trend of band members leaving the reserve for work. Band members have been returning to Westbank to take advantage of economic opportunities and new housing options.

“We have an enormous amount of economic development happening on our lands, and the opportunities for employment are there for our members,” Derickson said, adding that he is particularly proud of what he calls “one of the most progressive housing programs in Canada for First Nations.”

Born in Vancouver, Derickson spent most of his childhood in Alberta, where his father worked. When he was 11, his parents moved back to the Westbank reserve, which his father belonged to.

Derickson’s parents had always been heavily involved in community politics, a passion he has inherited from them. He earned degrees in both political science and law from the University of British Columbia and, while still in university,

Birthplace: Vancouver Where you live now: Westbank, West Kelowna Highest level of education: MBA in Aboriginal and business leadership, Simon Fraser University

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was hired in 2007 as Westbank’s community planning co-ordinator.

He later ran for band council in a byelection, where he won a seat and was re-elected two more times. During this time, he completed an executive MBA in Aboriginal and business leadership at Simon Fraser University.

In addition to developing Westbank’s own community plan, Derickson helped write the community planning handbook for the B.C. region for Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Canada.

We have an enormous amount of economic development happening on our lands, and the opportunities for employment are there for our members

Currently reading: The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben

Profession you would most like to try: Full-time academic

Currently listening to: Stoney, Post Malone

Toughest business or professional decision: Dropping out of a master’s program and giving up a full fellowship to run for band council

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Police officer

Advice you would give the younger you: Don’t worry so much; chase your dreams What’s left to do: Complete my PhD

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S

SUSAN DOLINSKI

usan Dolinski has the challenging job of managing communications at British Columbia Lottery Corp.

(BCLC), where she is a vice-president who oversees about 80 people with five direct reports.

One of her recent successes has been to spearhead the GameSense partnership with Metro Goldwyn Mayer to cofund a $5 million project in collaboration with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the University of British Columbia to research how best to communicate responsible gambling practices and help provide support to problem gamblers.

Originally from Saskatchewan, Dolinski grew up in Prince George and worked at Canfor Corp. while she earned her BA in political science from the University of Northern British Columbia.

After graduation, she spent three years as Canfor’s community relations coordinator before seizing the opportunity to become communications manager at the B.C. governmentrun company Forestry Innovation Investment.

She came into her own at the BC Ambulance Service, where she started as the organization’s lone communications specialist, then built a team of five people before she left for BCLC. “My specialization over the course of my career has been two things: first, brand building, and second, issues and crisis management,” she said. “During the time I was at BC Ambulance Service, I was responsible for management’s response to the really sad and unfortunate death of two paramedics in the line of duty.”

Dolinski decided to leave the ambulance service once she felt that she had built the brand and helped paramedics establish relationships with the media,

Birthplace: The Pas, Manitoba Where you live now: East Vancouver Highest level of education: BA, political science, University of Northern British Columbia Currently reading: What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton Currently listening to: The War on Drugs, Bruce Springsteen on continuous loop

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Vice-president of social responsibility and communications, British Columbia Lottery Corp.

CHUNG CHOW

she said. Also, BCLC was a much larger organization and one that had very different challenges.

She started as director of government relations in 2007. Her role expanded to take on communications; then in 2012 she was promoted to her current role as a vice-president.

Outside work, Dolinski is active in the community and has been a board member for two years at the Vancouver Resource Society and at the Honour House Society for three years.

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: A TV reporter Profession you would most like to try: Become a pilot or brewmaster Toughest business or professional decision: Deciding to take a break from my career in 2003 to seize the opportunity to spend a year in Costa Rica with my sister and her husband

My specialization over the course of my career has been two things: first, brand building, and second, issues and crisis management

Advice you would give the younger you: As a young woman working in traditionally maledominated industries, I often worried about standing out too much. The moment you realize most people are more concerned with their own insecurities and not yours, it empowers you to let go and realize your potential

standard in responsible gambling because (a) it successfully increases healthy gambling practices among players and (b) through leading research, provides useful insight to industry to influence product and distribution decisions to reduce potential harm to players

What’s left to do: Establish GameSense as a global

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D

DARYL EE

aryl Ee began his transportation industry career as a delivery driver for his family’s business at the age of 17. Learning logistics by starting at the bottom and working his way up, he later moved into various roles including dispatch, operations, sales and management.

Ee has been president and CEO of Burnaby-based Speedee Transport, 18 Wheels Distribution and Rolls Right Industries since 1998, and has successfully funded, started and acquired various businesses i n recent years.

“I love growth,” Ee said. “If I could pick one area of growth I am most passionate about, it would be fostering people to grow and develop themselves.”

T h e 35-y e a r-old e n t re p re n e u r, who specializes in strategic planning and business development, earned his MBA at Trinity Western University in 2016, after studying strategic management, organizational behaviour and relationship selling at the British Columbia Institute of Technology.

Ee attributes his success to finding the right people to drive creative ways of improving the lives and businesses of those connected with the company.

His commitment to reducing unnecessary transportation, maintaining on-time delivery, fostering excellent customer service and solving problems earned Speedee the title of Coca-Cola Refreshments Canada’s Transportation Carrier of the Year in 2016.

An innovative leader and creative thinker, Ee is known for motivating people around him to turn ideas into reality.

Along with his team of full-time software engineers, Ee developed customizable software called Speedeego. The software, launched in 2016,

Birthplace: Vancouver Where you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: MBA, Trinity Western University Currently reading: American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company by Bryce G. Hoffman Currently listening to: “Fortunate Son,” Creedence Clearwater Revival

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President and CEO, Speedee Transport, 18 Wheels Distribution and Rolls Right Industries

CHUNG CHOW

helps the company and its customers collaborate, maintain real-time visibility, reduce costs, manage volatility and automate processes across the logistics chain.

Ee was inspired by his father and mentor, Eric Ee, who immigrated to Canada from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in the 1970s with less than $100, and started the company in 1976.

“He always taught me to help others and what strong, hard-working ethics really meant.”

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Ever since the first time I stepped into our family’s trucking operation, I was hooked. I knew from that moment forward that, if provided the opportunity, I would work as hard as I could to move up in the company to hopefully one day take over the reins

If I could pick one area of growth I am most passionate about, it would be fostering people to grow and develop themselves

Profession you would most like to try: Formula One race car driver Toughest business or professional decision: In 2009 when we went through an economic downturn and a port strike at the same time, we made a business decision to not lay off one driver during this time, which did put a heavy weight on our shoulders personally, but it was well worth it looking at the long term

Advice you would give the younger you: Seek mentorship early. No matter how many books you can read, courses you can take, schooling you can go through, nothing compares to having good mentors in life What’s left to do: To build our company to be the leader of logistics solutions on all planets in the universe

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BRIAN FRENCH

f at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again. These are words that Brian French, president of Peregrine Retail Design Manufacturing, knows all too well.

For French, his breakthrough moment came after his attempt to start his own company. After experiencing limited success with it in 2010, French had a better idea. Rather than starting from Square 1, why not buy a company and build it from there?

Two years later, French and his business partner, Tim Bell, bought Peregrine.

The plastic manufacturing company had been viable and stable enough to survive the onslaught of offshore manufacturing that affected large swaths of the industry at the time. However, French was convinced it was falling far short of its potential.

“We saw that it had this little niche that we thought we could expand on with some sweat equity,” he said.

That sweat equity came in the form of developing new processes and systems to help turn Peregrine from a small but profitable plastic manufacturer into Western Canada’s largest custom retail fixture manufacturer and design company.

Instead of manufacturing products from designs that French described as “napkin sketches,” he and his partner created and incorporated a custom design service component. It helped to expand the company’s ability to customize jobs and service a wider range of diverse customer demands.

Little did French know that he was developing a talent for restructuring and revitalizing existing businesses. Three years after buying Peregrine, French and his partner bought Stelmark Products Inc., a Burnaby-based millwork and signage company that had recently

Birthplace: Rossland Where you live now: North Vancouver Highest level of education: Bachelor of finance, University of Calgary

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President, Peregrine Retail Design Manufacturing

CHUNG CHOW

gone bankrupt.

Peregrine’s revenue and employee base have increased approximately 800% since its purchase. While it seems obvious now that French made the right decision, moving from drawing a stable paycheque as a PwC auditor to running his own venture wasn’t an easy choice.

“When you’re going to something that’s quite unknown and people are looking to you to keep their paycheque going, that was the biggest fear at the time,” he said.

We saw that it had this little niche that we thought we could expand on with some sweat equity

Currently reading: Business Adventures by John Brooks

Profession you would most like to try: Professional water-skier

Advice you would give the younger you: Be a little more patient

Currently listening to: Kings of Leon

Toughest business or professional decision: Taking the leap to buy Peregrine and leave a steady job

What’s left to do: Grow Peregrine and look for more opportunities

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: National Hockey League player

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H

CARTER GILCHRIST

aving started his first business before he even graduated from h igh school, Carter Gilchrist has an impressive history as a serial entrepreneur – and he’s not far into his 30s yet.

Gilchrist spent only three of the past 20 years working for companies he didn’t own and build himself. In high school, while his friends were working at fast-food restaurants, Gilchrist was in his bedroom, which doubled as the headquarters of his first business, developing websites for emerging businesses and professionals he met through his parents.

A few years later, after taking a threeyear detour at Bodog subsidiary Riptown.com Media – the only time he wasn’t his own boss – Gilchrist caught the entrepreneurial bug again and cofounded his second business, Fire450 Internet Product Development.

The key to Gilchrist’s multiple successes is confidence in his ability to learn, which he developed at a young age.

“I started saying yes to things I didn’t really know how to do,” he said. “I learned a lesson around the value of having courage and taking things on and saying yes to new opportunities even if you’re not quite sure how to handle it.”

That was the best education Gilchrist could ask for. While in post-secondary school, Gilchrist decided to take a oneyear intensive digital and interactive media program, allowing him to return more quickly to the classroom he enjoyed most – the real world.

Gilchrist founded his current venture, Unbounce, with five friends, and is the firm’s chief product officer. Unbounce is a digital marketing platform that allows marketers to create and

Birthplace: Oakville, Ontario Where you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Interactive media diploma from Vancouver Film School

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Chief product officer, Unbounce

CHUNG CHOW

launch websites without developers.

In the company’s early stages, Gilchrist boosted Unbounce’s customer base by 25% by developing an integrated platform. And he isn’t stopping there.

Unbounce is on a “take over the world” trajectory, Gilchrist said – only half-jokingly.

“I think there are a lot of problems out in the world that need to be solved,” he said. “I have not lost my passion for solving them, so I definitely think there is more opportunity out there.”

I learned a lesson around the value of having courage and ... saying yes to new opportunities even if you’re not quite sure how to handle it

Currently reading: In the Woods by Tana French

Profession you’d most like to try: Astronaut

envisioning the future that you want

Currently Listening to: Frank Zappa

Toughest business or professional decision: Quitting a safe job to start my own venture

What’s left to do: Global expansion

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Writer

Advice you would give the younger you: Spend more time

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SUZANNE GILDERT

obots, artificial intelligence, quantum computers – what sounds like science fiction to most people is just part of a normal workday for Suzanne Gildert, founder and chief science officer of Kindred AI. “We’re trying to build AI [artificial intelligence] that works in the same way the human brain does,” the British expat says of the Vancouver-based technology firm. “I’m interested in robots that actually have more of a mind of their own.”

The company has a broad research agenda to apply AI to any robot doing any task. But the overarching goal, according to Gildert, is to develop robots that can engage fluently in conversations with humans that can be applied in situations that require companionship, such as psychiatry or eldercare.

To get there, Kindred AI is focused on commercializing its research by developing robots that can work in ecommerce fulfilment centres, sorting items into individual orders for customers. “[This is] the easiest hard problem inside an industry to tackle,” Gildert said.

“But really the reason that we chose to commercialize is that we want to generate revenue to feed back into the mission of the company.”

The company has raised US$17 million in venture capital since its founding in 2014, and Gildert embraces the suggestion her efforts sound like the beginnings of a sci-fi novel.

“The cool thing about sci-fi is that the authors are very good about going into a great amount of detail about the universe,” said Gildert, whose passion for the genre pushed her to publish her own art book featuring imagery with a dark gothic flair.

“When you’re writing sci-fi you actually have to think about not just what

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the technology is but how it impacts the characters and how it impacts society.”

At Kindred, she uses a process she calls “science fictioning” whereby employees are encouraged to pen scifi stories explaining what the world would look like if their research ideas came to pass.

“It really makes you think through not just the challenges you might face technologically but from a society point of view, a regulation point of view or a security point of view.”

Birthplace: Bolton, Lancashire, U.K.

Currently reading: The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

Where you live now: Vancouver

Currently listening to: Amnesty by Crystal Castles

Highest level of education: PhD in physics. The title of my thesis was: Macroscopic Quantum Tunnelling Effects in Josephson Junctions. The work was exploring quantum effects in superconducting devices that could be used as new kinds of transistors in quantum computers

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Founder, chief science officer, Kindred AI

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: I always wanted to do something where I could combine science and art, as those were my two main passions. I hoped I’d get to work for a company that was doing cool research in computers and science

When you’re writing sci-fi you actually have to think about not just what the technology is but how it impacts the characters and how it impacts society

Profession you would most like to try: Working in the field of braincomputer interface research (applied neuroscience) Toughest business or professional decision: Leaving an established company and starting a new thing that no one has ever heard of Advice you would give the younger you: Don’t listen to the critics, just do what you believe in.

When you think something is

too early it is probably the right time. To make money you have to spend money. Work smart not hard, and stop trying to do everything by yourself What’s left to do: I’d like to solve the artificial general intelligence problem within the next decade and see humanlike robots living amongst us in society

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WILLIAM GRANLEESE

fter receiving his bachelor of business administration in finance from Simon Fraser University in 2000, William Granleese landed a job working for Toronto-Dominion Bank.

However, he soon found out working for one of Canada’s Big Five financial institutions was not for him.

“I quickly realized that the rigid organizational structure of large organizations combined with many other smart people working hard to get noticed would make it very difficult to effect change, add value and move up the corporate ladder,” he said.

Granleese, who completed his master of business administration in finance at Dalhousie University in 2004, decided on a different mantra for approaching his career.

“I realized I would have a much better chance at success in business if I were a big fish in a small pond.”

In January 2006, he was hired by Antrim Investments, a mortgage broker and lender firm based in Fort Langley.

He is now the chief executive officer.

“When I entered the private mortgage market the industry was growing rapidly and was very fractured with many small players,” Granleese said. But he knew after landing at Antrim that he’d found where he belonged. “This would be my pond,” he said.

Granleese said he incorporates two principles in approaching his career.

The first is being a glass-half-full type of guy. Granleese said his ideals line up with the company’s.

“Back in the 1960s, business people took courses on the power of positive thinking,” he said. “You’re going to get a lot of doors slammed in your face when you take your product to market. Even if you have an amazing product or service, most people are just too lazy to listen to

Birthplace: Langley Where you live now: Fort Langley

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the pitch. The key is keeping a positive attitude and keep persevering.”

Raised in Langley, Granleese said he has an image of one of his parents that has stuck in his head over the years, and which he applies to the business world.

“When I was a child I remember my mother cleaning the kitchen floors on all fours with her hands. Timing is very important in business, but nothing is as important as rolling up your sleeves and old-fashioned hard work to get the job done.”

Currently listening to: Deep House Summer, various artists

Highest level of education: MBA, finance

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: A businessman who wore a suit

Currently reading: My Years with General Motors by Alfred P. Sloan

Profession you would most like to try: Formula One racing

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CEO, Antrim Investments Ltd.

The key is keeping a positive attitude and keep persevering

Toughest business or professional decision: Realizing I can’t do it all Advice you would give the younger you: Life is a marathon; it’s not where you start but where you finish

What’s left to do: Receive the Order of British Columbia. I plan on using my skills to help work towards a solution to the homeless problem in B.C.

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GENESA GREENING

or most people, entering the family business usually means assuming a place in some well-oiled company.

For Genesa Greening, president and CEO of BC Women’s Hospital Foundation, following in her parents’ footsteps meant embarking on a life steeped in philanthropy.

“My parents were both in social service; they were both ordained ministers in the Salvation Army,” Greening said.

“I always knew I wanted to change the world even though I probably couldn’t articulate how big that world was when I was small.”

A desire for change carried her away from traditional schooling and helped her tenaciously achieve her goals without the benefit of post-secondary education.

Greening’s fundraising success spans over two decades. She has cultivated growth and innovation at a wide array of hospital foundations, nonprofits and social justice organizations worldwide.

Her expertise garnered her a role as an instructor at the British Columbia Institute of Technology for fundraising and not-for-profit management programs, a position she held for seven years.

Today, Greening leads a team of 22 at BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre Foundation. In just a year at the foundation, she has achieved 100% growth and a 250% rise in revenue projections.

“I’ve always been able to find somewhere where there is a gap and I’ve been able to utilize either my natural skill set or my ability to bring amazing people together,” she said.

Now, she is using those skills to improve the health of all women across the province.

“I hold the idea that we can really

Birthplace: St. John’s, Newfoundland Where you live now: New Westminster Highest level of education: High school diploma

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President and CEO, BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre Foundation

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change the tide on women’s health and that we have an opportunity to really work and see all women possess the best possible health care no matter what their socio-economic position or background.”

Mayor Gregor Robertson and Vancouver city council named Greening to the Mayor’s Task Force on Mental Health and Addictions as well as the Women’s Advisory Committee, where she served as the chair of the social inclusion and security subcommittee.

Currently reading: Rereading Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

I always knew I wanted to change the world even though I probably couldn’t articulate how big that world was when I was small

Profession you would most like to try: UN ambassador

Currently listening to: All things Nigerian music with my son

Toughest business or personal decision: Becoming a single mother

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: International justice lawyer

Advice you would give your younger self: What you value in yourself will become what others value

so don’t hold back or compare.

And never apologize for being capable What’s left to do: Fight for equality for all

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MATTHEW GRUBEN

atthew Gruben has always been an entrepreneur.

“I was, like, 13 when I started a landscaping company and built that up over four or five years,” said the founder and CEO of Vital Logistics.

At 18 he launched a restaurant menu advertising company, and then in university he started a social event planning company.

“I built a bunch of different little things along the way, and they were a lot of fun, but they were more just pay-your-waythrough-school type of stuff,” he said.

Over the past nine years, Gruben has founded multiple multimillion-dollar businesses including Vital Logistics, which is a global freight forwarding company with offices in London, Manila, Vancouver and Toronto.

About five years ago, Gruben also launched an outsourcing company in Manila that handles Vital Logistics’ back-end systems and also provides customer service, data entry and other services for other North American firms.

Before launching Vital Logistics, Gruben earned his international freight chops working at Purolator.

Purolator seemed willing to do anything to service the big companies.

However, “they didn’t really give much attention to anybody who was smaller or mid-sized.”

It d id n’t sit wel l w ith h i m, a nd sparked his next venture. He went solo and started building up a portfolio of smaller clients while partnering with large couriers like UPS. “We spent a lot of time helping [our clients] to break into other markets or to learn different things about distribution.”

Gruben has channelled his entrepreneurial experience into boosting the chances for success of other new

Birthplace: Toronto Where you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Entrepreneurial master’s degree Currently reading: Rocket Fuel,

by Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters

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President and CEO, Vital Logistics

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businesses. For two of the last three years he has served as chair of the Vancouver Entrepreneurs’ Organization accelerator program and has mentored more than 20 B.C. companies to expand their revenues to more than $1 million each.

Vital has been experiencing its own considerable growth.

“I think the key in handling that growth is systems,” Gruben said. “You want to get into a business where you have as many systems as possible.”

I think the key in handling that growth is systems. You want to get into a business where you have as many systems as possible

Currently listening to: “Paradise”

by Coldplay

company to start new business from scratch

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Professional hockey player

Advice you would give the younger you: Always take an inch and don’t watch little things pass by because they add up to miles of progress in the long run

Toughest business or professional decision: Leaving a Fortune 500

What’s left to do: Pass along my experience to the next generation of entrepreneurs in hopes they use it to learn and grow in their journey

2017-11-22 11:26 AM

Ready. Set. Business.

Cloud & Managed IT Services Managed Security Network as a Service

telus.com/business

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GREG GUTMANIS

reg Gutmanis found his way onto the Forty under 40 list via a previous winner. Gutmanis joined boutique investment banking firm Capital West Partners in Vancouver in early 2006. He then linked up with Sean Morrison, 2007 Forty under 40 winner, who is now CEO of Diversified Royalty Corp. (TSE:DIV). Gutmanis said he recognized the skill and talent that Morrison possessed and knew what to do.

“I decided to work with him and learn as much as possible,” he said. “Sean and I have now been working together for over 11 years through three different businesses, which includes Capital West Partners, Maxam [Capital Corp.] and Diversified Royalty Corp.”

Gutma n is sa id tea m i ng up w ith someone he clicked with on a professional level was one of the best career decisions he’s ever made.

“I think identifying smart individuals that I enjoy working with including mentors, peers and young associates, combined with being open-minded about the type of business I pursued from accounting to investment banking to private equity to publicly traded companies, have been key to my current path.”

Gutmanis is CEO and vice-president of acquisitions for Diversified Royalty Corp., and he holds a bachelor of commerce in accounting from the University of British Columbia (UBC). He previously worked for KPMG LLP as a manager for four years before joining Capital West Partners. He said working with people whom one genuinely likes is also high on his list when it comes to finding success in the business world.

“Work with people that you enjoy working with and respect,” he added.

Birthplace: London, Ontario Where you live now: North Vancouver Highest level of education: CA and CBV Currently reading: Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson

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CFO and vice-president, acquisitions, Diversified Royalty Corp.

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“Life is too short and too many hours are spent at work to do otherwise.”

He said his time at UBC learning the fundamentals, and then at KPMG – one of the Big Four auditors – was invaluable for acquiring a sound base of knowledge about the industry.

“Then, once the basic fundamentals are there, follow the people and not the company. Like many things in life, I learned this mostly with a good dose of luck and the benefit of hindsight.”

Currently listening to: Spotify, various artists When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: A doctor Profession you would most like to try: Heli-ski guide

Once the basic fundamentals are there, follow the people and not the company

Toughest business or professional decision: Leaving a lucrative investment banking job for a startup private equity fund Advice you would give the younger you: Mentors and mentees are very important; collect good ones

What’s left to do: Build Diversified Royalty Corp. into a bigger Vancouver-based success story, spend time with my kids, and, who knows, be open to an unpredictable future

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JEFF HANMAN

t may seem like a natural career trajectory to study political science at the University of Victoria and end up working in the legislature.

Jeff Hanman’s plan, however, was to go to law school.

“I guess to a degree fate intervened,” said the vice-president of corporate affairs at Teck Resources Ltd. It was 2001, and people Hanman knew were finding jobs within a newly elected provincial government. His first role was that of assistant legislative assistant.

“I was an assistant to an assistant. And at the time, one of my responsibilities was to clean all of the coffee cups and the dishes that were generated each day,” he explained. It was no small feat either: that year, the BC Liberal Party won an unprecedented 77 out of 79 seats.

“I got very efficient at washing dishes.”

That three-month summer work term turned into almost 10 years, during which Hanman held roles within the Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat, the Premier’s Office and the Ministry of Energy and Mines.

The succession of jobs led him out of the public sector and into one of B.C.’s biggest public companies, where this year he became the youngest executive on Teck Resources’ senior management team.

“When I was 15 years old I didn’t have a plan to be the vice-president of corporate affairs at Teck, but right from when I was young I’ve been involved in team sports, and I’ve always liked the idea of working with other people and being part of something bigger than myself,” Hanman said.

His commitment to that idea goes beyond his work with Teck. This year, he became the youngest person elected to serve as chair of the 116-year-old

Birthplace: Victoria Where you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: University of Victoria Currently reading: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Yuval Noah Harari Currently listening to: Johnny Cash, At San Quentin

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Vice-president, corporate affairs, Teck Resources Ltd.

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Mining Association of BC. He also serves as chair of the industry charity group Mining for Miracles and has helped raise millions of dollars for the BC Children’s Hospital, even during a significant downturn in the sector.

“I’ve been lucky to work with people who are really energetic and excited about what they do,” he said. “When you work in that kind of environment, you don’t really think about age. It just makes it an exciting, vibrant and youthful place to work.”

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: A lawyer, like my dad Profession you would most like to try: Construction worker. I’ve always liked building stuff with my hands Toughest business or professional decision: Moving from the public service to the private sector

I’ve always liked the idea of working with other people and being part of something bigger than myself

Advice you would give the younger you: It’s all about relationships.

You never know what relationships will be important in your life. As a result, they are all important What’s left to do: A lot. In the near term we are working hard to raise $3 million through Mining for Miracles in support

of BC Children’s Hospital.

Longer term, the mining industry has tremendous capacity to improve people’s quality of life, and I’m excited to play a role in helping liberate that potential

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BRYN HYNDMAN

ryn Hyndman, medical director of Qi Integrated Health, said her greatest professional advancement came out of a “career misstep.”

In 2005 she graduated as a naturopath from the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine in New Westminster, and shortly afterward moved with her husband to London, England, as he was completing his graduate studies.

It was there that Hyndman hit a professional wall.

“Naturopathic doctors are not licensed in England,” she said. “So 18 months later I found myself starting medical school in the Caribbean.”

The move proved fruitful, she said, as it would allow her to apply her knowledge of holistic medicine to her role as a family doctor. In 2011 she graduated from St. Matthew’s University medical school, and she now feels like she has two sides to her medical training.

Hyndman said Qi Integrated Health, which employs a staff ranging from physiotherapists and acupuncturists to Pilates instructors and doctors of traditional Chinese medicine to help patients get over ailments, has also gone through some situations where it was forced to pivot.

Early this year, at a time the company was struggling with some financial and leadership challenges, Hyndman attended a CEO forum breakfast, which she was initially reluctant to go to because she’d never taken a business course in her life, and also because she knew there wouldn’t be any fellow doctors there. But the meeting put her in touch with Rise, a human resources consulting company, which proved to be a game-changer for Hyndman and the staff at Qi Integrated Health, she said.

“We increased our level of trust in each other, established better ways of

Birthplace: Vancouver Where you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: MD Currently reading: The 9 Types of Leadership: Mastering the Art of People in the 21st Century Workplace by Beatrice Chestnut

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Medical director, Qi Integrated Health

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communicating interpersonally and throughout our organization, and clarified our company’s purpose and vision,” she said. “The icing on the cake is seeing the innovation and creativity that we manifested during the challenging times.”

Hyndman said it was tough to go through a period with the company in which there was “not enough cash, too few resources and limited skill sets.”

However, if she could go back and do it all again, she would.

Currently listening to: The Beatles, compilation album When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Waitress Profession you would most like to try: Pilot Toughest business or professional decision: Personal: with my

The icing on the cake is seeing the innovation and creativity that we manifested during the challenging times

husband’s support, a longdistance marriage throughout my medical school studies.

Business decision: taking majority ownership of the company.

Advice you would give the younger you: Make a business plan before launching your website and business! Don’t take

someone’s word for it. Do the homework, understand the numbers, and have weekly and monthly cash flow statements and projections What’s left to do: Scale Qi! Fifty clinics

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ANDY KOKAJI

ow’s this for a curriculum vitae grabber: Developed new stem cell and immunological applications used in a new therapy that defeats childhood leukemia.

To be clear, Andy Kokaji didn’t cure cancer. But he can boast about leading a team of scientists that developed applications that are now being used in a new immune therapy that cures acute lymphoblastic leukemia – the most common form of childhood cancer.

It’s just one of the more notable in a long list of accomplishments during Kokaji’s last nine years at Stemcell Technologies, where, as associate director of immunology, he leads four teams of scientists.

“He is a creative genius,” Stemcell founder and CEO Allen Eaves said of the company protege, who was promoted eight times in eight years.

Kokaji is credited with pushing Stemcell into a new field – the CAR T-cell immunotherapy market. This new approach uses a patient’s own T cells, genetically modified, to attack cancer cells.

That move helped land Stemcell’s largest licensing deal to date, with GE Healthcare, for the use of Stemcell’s EasySep and ImmunoCult products, which are used to create cells and genes for immunotherapy.

Born and raised in Edmonton, Kokaji earned a bachelor of science degree in molecular genetics and a PhD in immunology from the University of Alberta.

“I hired him into the research and development department in 2008, before he had officially graduated from his PhD, to be sure he wasn’t scooped up by someone else,” said Stemcell’s chief science officer, Terry Thomas.

Kokaji admitted he is sometimes torn in his work between being a manager

Birthplace: Edmonton Where you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: PhD in immunology Currently reading: On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee Currently listening to: Hot 8 Brass Band, Dave Matthews Band, Hawaiian reggae

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Associate director of immunology, Stemcell Technologies

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and being a scientist.

“As a scientist, your identity can be rooted in your personal body of work or discoveries,” he said. “After so much education and training, switching to managing others doing the work you would rather be doing yourself took some adjustment. However, seeing others grow their scientific curiosity and acumen has become incredibly rewarding.”

When he isn’t in the lab, Kokaji is in the kitchen.

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: At a relatively young age I decided that I should do medical research in some form or the other

Seeing others grow their scientific curiosity and acumen has become incredibly rewarding

continuing to focus my career at the lab bench or taking on more management responsibilities

Profession you would most like to try: Michelin inspector (professional eater)

Advice you would give the younger you: Pay more attention at Japanese school, follow your instincts, surround yourself with people smarter than you

Toughest business or professional decision: Deciding between

What’s left to do: As a scientist, every time we discover

something it creates more questions that need to be explored. Gaining knowledge and understanding of the world we live in will be a lifelong journey for me

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NATHAN LUSIGNAN

n 2009, Nathan Lusignan founded Point Blank Creative with his childhood friend Jorah Porteous. While the video production company has become successful, Lusignan said looking back on the initial phase he may have missed a step in the process of launching a corporate venture.

“Starting a video production business without a background in video or business,” he said. “Definitely a misstep, and a step.”

During the company’s first few years, Lusignan – who got his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of British Columbia in 2008 – wore many hats including managing director, leading sales, managing projects and writing almost all of Point Blank’s videos and campaigns. The company has since nabbed such clients as Destination Canada, Greenpeace and Metro Vancouver.

By 2015 Lusignan, who previously worked for the City of Vancouver leading the Civic Youth Strategy, concluded that Point Blank Creative needed to refocus its energy on delivering communication services to the social sector. One of Point Blank Creative’s campaigns features a retro video game stylized series of short clips for the BC Federation of Labour. In the clips, an animated Christy Clark traverses a single screen world much like Super Mario Bros., destroying jobs and collecting coins in the process. Lusignan said creating original videos like this requires a few things.

One of them is “recognizing a need or an opportunity and bringing the right group of people together around it,” he said.

“Also, surround yourself with people smarter than you, but always trust

Birthplace: Vancouver Where you live now: Vancouver (I did leave this city ... once) Highest level of education: BA in political science

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Founder, Point Blank Creative

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your instincts.”

Lusignan’s reworking of Point Blank Creative has allowed it to bring attention to such issues as abuse of call centre workers, help the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation secure a $2.2 billion commitment to transit funding from the provincial government and also work with the Alberta New Democratic Party to break fundraising records. The company also quadrupled revenue.

Surround yourself with people smarter than you, but always trust your instincts

Currently reading: Preparation for the Next Life by Atticus Lish

Profession you would most like to try: Hot sauce maker

Currently listening to: Sizzla

Toughest business or professional decision: Hiring and firing.

Always

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Pavel Bure

Advice you would give the younger you: Be more direct during difficult conversations What’s left to do: Work less

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ANDREA MACLEOD

o Andrea MacLeod, manager of environmental programs at Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, one of the most exciting parts of her job is helping improve industrial proposals within the port authority’s jurisdiction to ensure that land is being put to its best use – and with the least harm to the environment.

“We work really closely with people who are proposing projects to make their projects better, find solutions and find ways to mitigate or reduce impacts to the environment,” MacLeod said. “I am really motivated by when we find solutions … when we work with someone and suggest changes to their projects that end up benefiting their group.”

MacLeod, an expert in federal and provincial environmental assessments, brings to her work a background that includes extensive academic achievement. A f ter g raduati ng from the University of Guelph in 2001 with a bachelor of science in biology, she went on to complete her PhD in wildlife ecology at Simon Fraser University (SFU) in 2006. Her thesis research at SFU is being applied today as part of the port authority’s proposed Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project, and her research has been published in multiple international peer-reviewed journals.

Motivated by her concern for the environment, she has worked with the wind industry to study wind energy development’s effect on birds and bats in B.C. Her interest in environmental issues is rivalled only by her persistence and appetite for hard work.

Her focus now is on the disappearing industrial land base in Metro Vancouver and in conflicts arising from pressure to develop those lands for residential housing.

Birthplace: Brantford, Ontario Where you live now: Burnaby Highest level of education: PhD in wildlife ecology Currently reading: Under Heaven

by Guy Gavriel Kay

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Manager of environmental programs, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority

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“It is going to be really interesting to see how we can make the best possible use of the industrial lands we have available, and finding ways for people to gain efficiencies on their sites – developing some innovative approaches to site development to ensure we are really maximizing the land we have.”

MacLeod has had her hand in highprofile local projects like the G3 grain terminal, Vancouver airport fuel delivery project and the port authority’s Centerm expansion project.

Currently listening to: Manager Tools podcast When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: An orthodontist Profession you would most like to try: University professor

It is going to be really interesting to see how we can make the best possible use of the industrial lands we have available

Toughest business or professional decision: To take time off work to travel for a year. I was in my early 30s and was worried it would really set me back Advice you would give the younger you: Take more post-secondary math classes – those subjects

teach you logic and problemsolving skills that are so valuable in business What’s left to do: Working with the team to make the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority the most sustainable port in the world

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KEVIN MAZZONE

evin Mazzone’s customer service experience as a retail sales clerk helped him land a job that became his career.

It was January 2007, when he was working at Holt Renfrew in Pacific Centre, and a regular customer, entrepreneur Susan Mendelson, came in and asked if he knew of anyone who might be interested in being her assistant at her catering company, Lazy Gourmet.

Mazzone knew little about catering but had built a bond with Mendelson, so he told her that he wanted the job.

He proved himself in the subsequent years, managing relationships with clients and staff, and, as Vancouver’s 2010 Olympic Games approached, he was promoted to general manager.

Business surged during the Olympics, and Mazzone oversaw about $1 million worth of business in a 17-day stretch.

“The Games cemented my passion for catering and events,” he said. “It wasn’t just about the food anymore. It was about creating experiences for guests.”

Annual sales have more than tripled to about $9 million in 2017, and Mazzone became an equity partner in the venture earlier this year.

Significant increases in business have come from getting contracts with first Simon Fraser University (SFU) and later University of British Columbia (UBC) for catering in those institutions’ downtown campuses. The contracts involve not only internal catering but also preparation of food for outside companies that book space at SFU or UBC facilities, Mazzone explained.

Outside work, Mazzone has been active as a volunteer at the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation since 2012, when he first started organizing that organization’s annual Passions galas, which have raised more than $500,000.

Birthplace: Vancouver Where you live now: Yaletown, Vancouver Highest level of education: BA, professional communication, Royal Roads University

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Partner, Lazy Gourmet

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He also helped launch an annual cocktail kickoff event for the Vancouver Pride Festival in 2014 – an event that has so far raised more than $85,000 for the Dr. Peter foundation. Other charitable work has been for the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada and A Loving Spoonful.

“One of my favourite things about Lazy Gourmet is that we employ a lot of people and we’ve been growing the company,” Mazzone said. “We used to work with 30 people closely in 2010 and now we have almost 140 people.”

Currently reading: Christy Clark: Behind the Smile by Judi Tyabji Currently listening to: “Line of Sight,” Odesza When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: A lawyer like my father

The Games cemented my passion for catering and events.

It wasn’t just about the food anymore. It was about creating experiences for guests

Profession you would most like to try: Private collection art curator Toughest business or professional decision: To give up a significant piece of business (more than $1 million) so we could regain

focus and plan for future growth Advice you would give the younger you: Anything is possible with the right team What’s left to do: As much as I possibly can

2017-11-22 11:26 AM

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Sponsor’s Message

Zajac Ranch is proud to sponsor BIV’s top Forty Under 40 and congratulates this year’s winners.

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On June 2, 2018, we will be holding the 6th Annual Zajac Nights fundraising gala in support of Zajac Ranch. At the event guests will enjoy a New York-New York experience with unique décor, selections of themed cuisine and beverages. U40 Presenting Sponsorship - A fantastic opportunity to promote your brand and the people behind it, why not nominate and reward someone within your organization who has gone above and beyond as one of our U40 Presenting Sponsors in 2018.

Celebrating a Leader Congratulations to Teck’s Vice President of Corporate Affairs Jeff Hanman on being named one of British Columbia’s Top Forty Under 40. www.teck.com

Sincerely, Carmen Zajac President 604-739-0444

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JACLYN MCPHADDEN

oming from a family of entrepreneurs, Jaclyn McPhadden may have been destined to start her own business – even if it wasn’t always clear to her.

McPhadden, co-founder of recycling consulting firm RecycleSmart Solutions, is an alumna of the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business, but she didn’t take the traditional MBA route. Before she earned her master’s degree, McPhadden’s concern for the environment motivated her to get a biology degree and to embark on a five-year expedition in the polar regions, including Antarctica. This experience ultimately helped inspire her to start a successful business career helping others reduce their environmental footprint.

“I saw climate change first-hand,” said McPhadden. “I saw what a pristine environment looks like and then coming back to an urban environment was a bit of a shock, and I just saw that there was a lot of opportunity for us to make a business.”

However, for McPhadden and her cofounding partner, Colin Bell, their business needed to be about more than just having a profitable bottom line.

“We were looking to build a business that we could come home at the end of the day and be proud of,” McPhadden said. “Specifically, we were looking to get into the green space, and so, RecycleSmart Solutions was born off our kitchen table in Squamish, B.C.” McPhadden noticed that many businesses were struggling to find information on how to manage waste more efficiently and save money, and she understood the opportunity in helping businesses find ways to do that.

While working full time as an office manager, McPhadden spent nights at

Birthplace: Saskatoon Where you live now: New Westminster Highest level of education: Master of business administration

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Co-founder and managing partner, RecycleSmart Solutions

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her kitchen table working out ways to get her new business of the ground. Not having any business training or experience, she thought her only chance to make effective change would be to go back to school and focus on business.

She developed a unique solution to the business community’s waste management problems. Rather than develop a company that focused on selective problems, she created a business that can help many companies tackle varying initiatives and issues.

We were looking to build a business that we could come home at the end of the day and be proud of

Currently reading: The Organized Mind by Daniel J. Levitin

Female version of Dr. Roberts from Danger Bay

Advice you would give the younger you: Don’t sweat the small stuff

Currently listening to: Anything on Spotify

Profession you would most like to try: Medicine

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up:

Toughest business or professional decision: Deciding to take on an active investor

What’s left to do: Convert every waste bin in Canada to a smart bin

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ANDREA MESTROVIC

lthough Andrea Mestrovic has had exceptional business success as a brand marketer and public relations specialist, she said her biggest accomplishment has been raising more than $1 million for various charities during the past decade.

Her fundraising has included being the event manager for Slurp & Swirl, which was an annual charity gala that raised more than $500,000 for the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund. Other work included being the creator and executor of Goldfish Pacific Kitchen’s Summer Splash annual charity event, which raised enough money for the Vancouver Native Health Society to build a new kitchen.

She and husband Tony Mestrovic have two children including a two-month-old newborn, who arrived after a pregnancy that saw Mestrovic take very little time off her work as a partner at Very Polite Agency.

“My husband is taking time off in the new year but I’m not planning to take time off,” Mestrovic told Business in Vancouver before her second child was born. “I’ll have a flexible schedule.”

Mestrovic immigrated to Canada at age 13 with her parents. After graduating from University Hill Secondary School and obtaining a BA from Simon Fraser University, she established her own company, Style Dome.

Outside of that company, she held jobs as an account manager at Shared Vision magazine and as a marketing manager at International Cellars Inc. She advanced to become director of marketing and corporate sales for Kanke Enterprises Inc. back when that company owned restaurants such as Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House and Goldfish Pacific Kitchen.

There was also a stint at Oak Bay

Birthplace: Dubrovnik, Croatia Where you live now: Yaletown, Vancouver Highest level of education: BA, major in communications Currently reading: Grit by Angela Duckworth Currently listening to: 4:44 by Jay-Z

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Partner, vice-president, brand strategy, Very Polite Agency

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Marine Group, for which she oversaw a substantial marketing budget as vicepresident of marketing and sales.

Her big break, however, came in December 2014, when she joined fashion house Kit and Ace as one of that company’s first 25 hires. Mestrovic left the company in late 2016, and, after a short stint as vice-president of marketing for the Mark Anthony Group, she joined three other former marketers and brand management specialists at Kit and Ace to found Very Polite Agency.

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Dentist Profession you would most like to try: Physicist. My husband has a PhD in medical physics; it’d be nice to be him for a day Toughest business or professional decision: Picking the right challenge, even if it is not the

[Choose] the right challenge, even if it is not the most exciting step forward. The wrong challenge forces you into misaligned, fear-focused decisions

most exciting step forward.

The wrong challenge forces you into misaligned, fear-focused decisions, and the result is lost time and energy Advice you would give the younger you: Take (calculated) risks.

Embrace change – it always results in new learnings and growth. Set goals often and write them down every time

What’s left to do: It’s a long list.

I’ll give you the first three that pop into my head: live in France for a short stint with my family, write a book and launch Very Polite Agency’s Hong Kong office

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HAO MIN

he most valuable business advice that Hao Min ever received came from a conversation with B.C. real estate mogul and famed philanthropist Bob Lee. “Lunch is cheap,” Min recalled Lee saying, reflecting on the importance of constantly talking with others in building a strong business. “Always have lunch with others. Never eat alone….

What I learned is … don’t be cheap in hiring. Even as a startup, don’t worry about having the newest computers; it’s about finding the right people, because that’s what’s going to pay off in the long term.”

The advice has apparently served Min, founder and CEO of Vancouver’s Bold Properties, very well. In the six years since the company’s founding, it has amassed a portfolio of nine major projects in Metro Vancouver, in addition to a number of custom home developments. The total value of those developments is more than $435 million.

More important than those dollar figures is Bold’s thriving team of more than 30 people – something that is key to the company’s success, Min said.

“One person can only do so many things,” he said. “It’s always about the team, and the way I see a company – the analogy I use with my team members – is that this is like an art gallery. We provide the materials, the canvas and the creative freedom for the artists to paint. You have to let the team members express what they want – based on the direction in which we believe we are going.”

As personnel plays such a crucial role for Bold, Min said he and his management team have developed specific attributes they look for in candidates.

This was a process not without its hiccups; Min noted that some hires in the

Founder and CEO, Bold Properties, Bold Construction, SmartWorks Homes

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company’s beginning years were less than optimal, which helped shape the company’s current hiring strategy.

“The most crucial attribute that we look at is whether a person is looking to grow with the company,” Min said.

“Attitude and passion are the first things we look at. Then we look at professionalism; is the person organized? Does he or she have the right skills? Are they able to collaborate with others, and can they be leaders? I want to create leaders in the company.”

Attitude and passion are the first things we look at. Then we look at professionalism; is the person organized?

Does he or she have the right skills?

Birthplace: Hubei province, China

Currently listening to: In a Time Lapse by Ludovico Einaudi

photographer travelling all around the world

Advice you would give the younger you: Hire great people

Where you live now: Vancouver

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: An entrepreneur operating an international business

Toughest business or professional decision: There are many. The toughest one is to grow your team strategically at the right time. Always, making a good hire is tough and critical to the business

What’s left to do: Develop a landmark building to be remembered for generations and travel around the world with my family, and also get more involved in the local community

Highest level of education: MBA at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business Currently reading: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

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Profession you would most like to try: A professional

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SABER MIRESMAILLI

hen asked about his most important career move, Saber Miresmailli is unequivocal.

“My biggest career step was migrating to Canada,” said the Tehran-born entrepreneur who immigrated to this country in 2003 to study plant science as a graduate student at the University of British Columbia. By 2009 he’d completed his PhD in chemical ecology at the school, and in 2005 he became a Canadian citizen.

“The proudest moment of my life was when I pledged my allegiance to this wonderful country that I now happily call home,” he said. “I give most of the credit for my success to Canada and Canadians who invested their trust in me and provided an environment where a dreamer like me could thrive and grow and become the person who I am today.”

Miresmailli is the founder and chief executive officer of Ecoation Innovative Solutions Inc., a member of the provincial Minister’s AgriFood Advisory Committee and a member of the United Nations Climate Technology Centre & Network. Ecoation is a North Vancouver company that uses artificial intelligence to help monitor crop stress.

It works with growers of high-value crops, with a focus on the earliest possible detection of pests, diseases and deficiencies that affect crop value.

Miresmailli’s work and life are governed by a set of five rules that he developed and which are posted at his office. The first three are related to success (do your best; never give up; and maximize every opportunity) and the last two deal with his company’s industry specifically. Miresmailli said it’s important to honour food and food producers, and also strive to make the

Birthplace: Tehran, Iran Where you live now: North Vancouver Highest level of education: PhD (plant signalling and behaviour); post-doctoral studies on bio-energy crops

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Founder and CEO, Ecoation Innovative Solutions

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world a better place through one’s work.

One thing Miresmailli doesn’t focus on is regret. Asked if he could go back and change anything about his career path, he’s once again straight to the point.

“Nothing,” he replied. “I would not be here without going through my life journey. My past is full of mistakes.

I am not perfect. I paid high prices for some of those mistakes, but I also learned lots of valuable lessons.”

The proudest moment of my life was when I pledged my allegiance to this wonderful country that I now happily call home

Currently reading: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

Profession you would most like to try: Dance choreographer

Currently listening to: “Te extraño”

by Diego El Cigala

Toughest business or professional decision: Deciding that I didn’t want to purse a tenure-track academic career path anymore

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Archeologist

Advice you would give the younger you: Go easy on the instant noodle!

What’s left to do: Pay it forward

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TAMER MOHAMED

ioengineering is still a few years away from the point where a doctor can extract kidney cells from a patient, plug them into a 3D bioprinter, hit “print” and wait for a new human kidney to be built.

But that day will come, said Tamer Mohamed, co-founder and CEO of Aspect Biosystems, which developed a 3D bioprinter that uses live human cells to build living human tissue.

Aspect’s RX1 bioprinter is already being used to create respiratory tissue for pharmaceutical trials instead of using animals for testing. And earlier this year, the company entered a partnership with Johnson & Johnson to use its bioprinter to produce meniscus – the rubbery disc in the knee that can cause debilitating pain if damaged.

“We’re working with them to produce a personalized meniscus tissue that would be implanted in the body,” Mohamed said.

A med-tech wunderkind who cofounded Aspect when he was just 24 and still in university, Mohamed has spoken about bioprinting at TEDx and his company has won a number of accolades, including Metabridge’s Most Promising Startup in Canada and Startup Canada’s Innovation Award.

Mohamed earned a bachelor of science degree in biomedical engineering and a master of science degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of British Columbia.

In 2013, while he was still completing his master’s degree, he co-founded Aspect. One of the more difficult decisions he has had to make was forgoing his PhD studies to expand his company.

Moha med is a l most as proud of the company’s business model originality as he is of its bioengineering breakthroughs.

Birthplace: Vancouver Where you live now: Richmond Highest level of education: Master of science in electrical and computer engineering, UBC

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“I think everybody would agree that printing tissues is scientifically amazing and could have a lot of impact, but it’s a whole other thing to figure out how are you going to monetize this,” he said.

The company’s revenue comes not only from selling its RX1 bioprinters to researchers, as well as human tissue products, but also from its rights to the tissues that those other researchers develop, which will provide future revenue streams on any products that become commercialized.

Currently reading: How Google Works, Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg Currently listening to: “A Sky Full of Stars,” Coldplay When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Engineer

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CEO and co-founder, Aspect Biosystems

Printing tissues is scientifically amazing and could have a lot of impact, but it’s a whole other thing to figure out how are you going to monetize this

Profession you would most like to try: Astronaut Toughest business or professional decision: Leaving academia and starting a company

What’s left to do: Have a positive impact on patients’ lives with transplantable 3D-printed organs

Advice you would give the younger you: Don’t be afraid to fail

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LINDSAY NAHMIACHE

indsay Nahmiache has had many successful public relations campaigns but one she will never forget involved an 800-pound mule, a freight elevator at Vancouver’s TD Bank building and an outbreak of hives.

She was escorting the animal up to a media event when she realized that she must be allergic to donkeys.

While she laughs about it now, the allergic reaction was not pleasant.

It is all in a day’s work for Nahmiache, who is one of two owners at Jive Communications.

What started as a partnership with fellow entrepreneur Almira Bardai in February 2009 has evolved to be a practice that has offices in Toronto, Los Angeles and Vancouver and a total of 18 staff and five contractors.

Clients include Telus Corp., Virgin Radio, Vancouver International Film Festival, Granville Island Brewing and many other brands.

Her success has netted her recognition from various publications. The Financial Post ranked her as one of Canada’s most powerful women in 2013, while more recent honours include Enterprising Women magazine naming her one of 2016’s 100 enterprising women of the year. Profit magazine put her on its 2016 list of the Canadian Business W100, which shortlists Canada’s top female entrepreneurs.

Nahmiache grew up in Metro Vancouver and then went to American International University in the U.K. for an accelerated BA (honours) in media communications.

She parlayed an internship at E! Entertainment Television into a gig in Mumbai, India, in 2005. There, she worked as director of sales and marketing for Contiloe Films Pvt. Ltd. She remembers working on projects to

Birthplace: Toronto Where you live now: Split between Los Angeles and Vancouver Highest level of education: BA in business communications with a double minor from the American International University in London, U.K.

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Principal, Jive Communications

SUBMITTED

reformat MTV shows for an Indian audience.

She began to get homesick so she returned to Vancouver in late 2007 and created Jigsaw Communications in December of that year.

A little over a year later, she joined with Bardai to create Jive.

“We have a phenomenal team at Jive,” she said. “We always have. We’re all female staff. That wasn’t done on purpose but we have a wonderful team that is very much like family.”

Currently reading: Non-fiction: Power vs. Force by David R. Hawkins; fiction: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn Currently listening to: Various music by Jim M. James (he has soul and purpose that is infectious) When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: I wanted to be a

We’re all female staff.

That wasn’t done on purpose but we have a wonderful team that is very much like family

businesswoman. I used to tell my parents that I was going to buy and sell companies Profession you would most like to try: Private investigator Toughest business or professional decision: To expand internationally and open a U.S. office. It was a big risk but also has big rewards

Advice you would give the younger you: Learn your numbers and always watch them. Don’t leave it up to bookkeepers and accountants What’s left to do: Learning to intertwine motherhood with being an entrepreneur – my already crazy life is about to get crazier!

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JACK NEWTON

ack Newton has no hesitation about resorting to a longtime habit when he needs some reprieve from the meetings, conference calls or the omnipresent glow of computer monitors lining his Burnaby office.

“I’ve run every day for 20 years,” said the 39-year-old CEO of Clio, a cloudbased service that makes the management of legal practices cheaper and simpler.

Newton said running is a meditative process that is key to maintaining worklife balance at a company that made Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 list in 2016 following 314% revenue growth over five years.

“It’s the one part of the day I’m alone.”

Beyond the office, Newton and wife Tonia Newton take their three children camping on Vancouver Island whenever they can.

That sort of tranquillity is a far cry from when Clio was getting off the ground – a period the Edmonton-raised entrepreneur describes as “the nuclear winter of finance” otherwise known as 2009-10.

Clio had the seeds of a financial springtime in its possession, but Newton and co-founder Rian Gauvreau didn’t know it because it was buried in the company’s spam filter.

After pitching every angel investor they could find in Western Canada, the pair were frustrated with the feedback they were getting.

Everyone liked the idea of creating a company that could provide management tools to small law practices to help them reduce costs, recalled Newton.

But the problem was that everyone was afraid the financial system could fall apart in the meantime.

While the co-founders were trying to squeeze water from stone, German

Birthplace: Toronto Where you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Master of science, computer science (machine learning thesis) Currently reading: An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield

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CEO, Clio

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investor Christoph Janz came across a blog post detailing Clio’s business model and immediately fired off an email to the company.

The message sat in the company’s spam folder for two weeks.

“He was even more interested because of the delay,” Newton said.

Not getting a reply to his email, Janz sent off a second message. Gauvreau came across it only after getting bored while on hold during a phone call and deciding to dig through the spam folder.

Currently listening to: Skin and Bones by Foo Fighters When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Fighter jet pilot Profession you would most like to try: Doing academic and applied research in machine learning

I’ve run every day for 20 years. It’s the one part of the day I’m alone

Toughest business or professional decision: Whether to continue on my academic career trajectory (pursuing a PhD in machine learning with Geoff Hinton at the University of Toronto) or to pursue my interests in industry

Advice you would give the younger you: Go with your gut. It’s right way more often than you think What’s left to do: To truly transform the practice of law, for good, and to build an enduring, human and highperforming company that drives that transformation

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TEA NICOLA

enacity has always been part of Tea Nicola’s character. She realized that earlier than most when she and her mother escaped Bosnia as refugees in the early ’90s to start a new life in Canada.

She was only 16.

“W hen we had to leave our home because of the wa r, it was not by choice,” said the CEO and co-founder of WealthBar Financial Services, an online investment system she created with partner Chris Nicola in 2012.

Tea Nicola attributes her drive to succeed to those early experiences as a refugee, saying it gave her a persistence that might not have otherwise come to the fore.

“It was a factor in that I beca me somewhat like a dog with a bone when it came to everything from basically helping my mom get out in 1990 to lots of things.”

One of those things was her career and her company. The first of its kind in Canada, WealthBar is an online financial planning service tailored to middle-class investors.

After just over two and a half years, the service is available countrywide and has $150 million in assets under management.

N i c ol a s t u d i e d a s a n e n g i n e er, but had been working on and off in wealth management while studying at Queen’s University.

“A fter I graduated it was kind of tough to get a job as an up-and-coming engineer,” she said. “I had the experience in finance so one of those first jobs that I took was at Sun Life and then I went back to engineering, and then back to Sun Life, then back to technology.”

She finally decided that the path forward would be to combine her finance

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experience with technology.

“What actually excites me is how much reduction in fees we can pass on to the consumer by using efficiency of the technology.”

Nicola is proud of her system but also proud of the team she has built through rigorous recruitment and maintained by prioritizing social events.

“Everybody who works here really likes working here. That’s something that’s really important to me and Chris.”

Birthplace: Banja Luka, BosniaHerzegovina

same time. Not much time for fiction these days)

Where you live now: Vancouver

Currently listening to: Even though my music interest ranges widely, my currently loaded Spotify album is Dystopia by Megadeth, which is one of my longtime favourite bands, and this is their new album

Highest level of education: Bachelor of applied science in mechanical and materials engineering Currently reading: Scaling Up by Verne Harnish, High Output Management by Andrew Grove and Principles of Influence by Robert Cialdini (I always read more than one book at the

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CEO and co-founder, WealthBar Financial Services Inc.

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: A tour guide

Everybody who works here really likes working here. That’s something that’s really important

Profession you would most like to try: Law, or more specifically, being a judge. Critical thinking and the art of argument has always interested me Toughest business or professional decision: Toughest decision was to abandon the manufacturing industry and my degree and to explore finance and technology.

I really love engineering and this was tough. However, I have no regrets and am

really excited about helping Canadians achieve their financial independence Advice you would give the younger you: Trust your intuition more What’s left to do: There is always much more left to do than has already been done. The horizon is always out of reach and new waters are always ahead. In other words, “the same thing we’ve been doing so far, Pinky!

Try to take over the world!”

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SHARAN OBEROI

efore launching OnActuate Consulting, Sharan Oberoi spent many years being parachuted into jobs as a consultant to deal with operation systems that were not working correctly.

“There are so many projects that are going sideways,” said Oberoi, OnActuate’s founder, managing partner and CEO. “A lot of people talk a lot and deliver less.”

Experiencing those IT problems firsthand motivated Oberoi to pick his own team, recruit clients and build products that wouldn’t fail.

Oberoi founded OnActuate in 2012.

It began “as a service for a commodity trading firm that was on a buying spree,” he said. “They would go and buy out a couple of companies every quarter.”

The parent company wanted its own systems in place but it would struggle to streamline the technology across multiple companies and platforms.

By 2016, the company had a staff of 130 in offices in Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore, Seattle and Delhi, and several major international clients such as Volvo, Nissan and McDonald’s.

OnActuate is what is known as a global systems actuator, providing IT services to companies around the world. Oberoi explains: “We help organizations like McDonald’s and big commodity traders to refocus their attention on their core business and leave the technology to us.”

The company’s systems are designed to manage a company’s inventory and supply chain.

McDonald’s, for example, was struggling with its digital transformation.

“We were able to showcase some of the smart solutions to them and were able to talk them into working with us,” Oberoi said. “We started small with

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McDonald’s but now we’re doing quite a bit of stuff.”

He takes pride in his company’s 100% client retention rate and his ability to attract and keep workers in Vancouver’s competitive tech sector.

“If you look around in the Vancouver tech community, everyone is struggling to find people,” he said. “We don’t have that problem. To be able to use the scale that we have, to be able to use our strength to deliver the technology solutions is a big strength.”

Birthplace: New Delhi

Currently listening to: KiSS Radio

Where you live now: Vancouver

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Doctor

Highest level of education: Degree in computer science engineering Currently reading: When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

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Founder, managing partner and CEO, OnActuate Consulting

Profession you would most like to try: University professor Toughest business or professional decision: Moving from being an

If you look around in the Vancouver tech community, everyone is struggling to find people. We don’t have that problem

employee to an independent contractor, to hiring the first employee. I am glad I made the leap Advice you would give the younger you: Start early What’s left to do: Loads. Have to continue OnActuate’s

expansion to Australia, Europe, Middle East and Asia and Latin America. Create OnActuate Foundation as a leading initiative for improving lives, eradicating poverty by providing education and better health care that’s accessible to everyone

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KOSTYA POLYAKOV

espite being one of the youngest accounting officials in all of Canada to reach the position of partner at a major global firm, Kostya Polyakov has not lost his self-deprecating sense of humour.

“I had multiple thoughts [when I first heard about making the Forty under 40 list], one of which was that they only got 39 applications, and that would be the only reason I’m in the 40.… It was very humbling – I was nominated by one of my clients, and I didn’t know it was happening until the very end – and to know that you are impacting somebody, that was a great feeling.”

Polyakov, currently leader of technology, media and telecommunications industries for KPMG in Greater Vancouver, reached partner status at age 33 in 2012 before being named to his current post in 2015. Now having advised multibillion-dollar firms and assisted in major initial public offerings and mergers and acquisitions in the local tech sector, Polyakov offers a unique perspective on the growing industry and the challenges it faces.

“What we’ve seen historically is that Vancouver is a city of serial entrepreneurs,” he said. “It’s a great place to start a company, and then the owner would want to sell and create another one. That sounds great – and it does have some positives to it – but people want to have long-term, sustainable companies here that grow and hire people. While the startup community is deep, there is a limited availability of mid-level financing if you want to ramp up.”

Polyakov noted that one crucial factor to address will be the $100 million BC Tech Fund launched by the province in 2016. He added that KPMG is trying to take the lead in implementing new technology into its offices – to

Birthplace: Kharkiv, Ukraine Where you live now: Richmond Highest level of education: Bachelor of commerce with honours, finance major, University of British Columbia

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Partner, technology, media and telecommunications industry leader, Greater Vancouver, KPMG

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encourage clients to think to innovate and evolve.

To that end, it has started using IBM’s Watson AI program to see how it can use that technology to service clients’ needs better.

“Rather than just providing our traditional services, what we are really excited about is to be able to talk to a business about how to innovate, to stay ahead of the competition,” Polyakov said. “That’s the future, and the truth is it’s fun to help businesses innovate.”

Currently reading: The Agent by Leigh Steinberg Currently listening to: “Knocking At The Door,” Arkells When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Archeologist

While the startup community is deep, there is a limited availability of midlevel financing if you want to ramp up

Profession you would most like to try: Sports agent (à la Jerry Maguire)

Advice you would give the younger you: Life is a marathon, not a sprint

Toughest business or professional decision: Whether to pursue a career in accounting

What’s left to do: Figure out how the profession will evolve in the future

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ALI POURDAD

efore Ali Pourdad co-founded P rog ressa , h e worke d i n t h e restructu ri ng a nd i nsolvency industry.

“I saw a lot of situations and people who were down and out and didn’t have a lot of solutions,” said the chartered professional accountant. “When 2008 happened and the banks tightened even further, it became quite evident that a lot of people out there didn’t have many options. For me, it was an easy decision to leave the accounting world and leave professional services, and try to make a difference.”

Pourdad started Progressa in 2013.

It’s a financial technology (fintech) firm that provides alternative loans that help clients consolidate debt and avoid expensive payday lenders.

With 13,000 customers and 110 employees in Vancouver and Toronto, Progressa’s loan origination platform expanded by over 300% between 2015 and 2016, with a similar figure expected in 2017.

When Progressa got started, it was one of about 30 fintech companies in Canada. Now there are between 300 and 400, Pourdad said.

Amid the industry’s growth and his own company’s gains, Pourdad learned that there’s a right way to grow, and a wrong way.

“The thing you learn the most is to manage other people’s money as well as you can because it might be the last money you ever get,” he said. “You need to manage it like it’s your own, and today Progressa has almost 100 shareholders, and so of utmost importance is making sure we’re good stewards of our investors’ capital.”

He said finding people who buy into the company beyond just monetary terms is also key to growth.

Birthplace: Vancouver Where you live now: West Vancouver Highest level of education: Chartered accountant (CPA, CA)

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Co-founder, Progressa

CHUNG CHOW

“I tried to just surround myself with as many strong, talented people as I could find,” he said.

Every entrepreneur needs to manage his or her business as if the next financial crisis were just around the corner, he said. “You might get caught with your pants down.”

Raising capital is something he’s most successful at when he displays his emotions in negotiations, he said, adding, “It’s not always going to be pretty.”

Currently reading: Tougher Boards for Tougher Times by William Dimma Currently listening to: “Youth” by Glass Animals When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: NBA basketball player

The thing you learn the most is to manage other people’s money as well as you can because it might be the last money you ever get

Profession you would most like to try: Definitely pro golf Toughest business or professional decision: To move our lending operations to Toronto in 2016 and in the process let go of approximately 25 people in our Vancouver office

Advice you would give the younger you: Surround yourself with people smarter than you as quickly as possible What’s left to do: Take a vacation without my email or phone.

Crossing fingers for 2018

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RYAN YADA

yan Yada may be more familiar w ith Business in Vancouver’s Forty under 40 awards than most people; his wife, Lara Kozan, who cofounded YYoga and Nectar Juicery, won the honour in 2013.

And while Yada is a top-level executive in a completely unrelated industry – mobile gaming – the North Vancouver native maintains, like his wife, a focus on wellness and holistic health, even in a sector not normally known for its awareness of healthy living.

“It’s something down the path that may converge [with mobile gaming],” said Yada, co-pilot and co-owner of FlowMotion Entertainment Inc. i n Va ncouver. “I th i n k rig ht now we can reach a lot of people, and at some point, I’m excited that we may be able to bring them, in addition to joy, which the games do, something that makes people feel better about themselves.”

A computer engineer by training, Yada didn’t start out as an entrepreneur. His resumé includes several project leads at major multinationals like Stantec, Ledcor Group and Hitachi before becoming co-owner of FlowMotion two years ago.

Today, the company has increased its revenue base 30-fold since its opening days, with monthly revenue expected to reach $1 million by the end of this year. But it hasn’t always been easy, Yada said, since FlowMotion started out as a maker of its own games before finding a strong niche of marketing products from other developers.

“We focus on owning what we do well, in areas we call ‘zones of genius’ internally,” Yada said. “For us, that’s marketing games where the creators don’t know how to create visibility for themselves. My business philosophy is

Birthplace: North Vancouver Where you live now: West Vancouver Highest level of education: Bachelor of applied science, computer engineering, University of British Columbia Currently reading: The Collapse of Parenting by Dr. Leonard Sax

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Co-owner, co-pilot, FlowMotion Entertainment Inc.

CHUNG CHOW

that we have to look at data that may be uncomfortable and be willing to move quickly. As a company, we’ve pivoted a dozen times because the industry is moving so fast.”

The goal now for FlowMotion, Yada said, is to focus more on games aimed at the female demographic. He noted t h at more women pl ay ga mes on mobile devices than men do, but the industry as a whole remains malefocused in its culture – something Yada hopes to change.

Currently listening to: Meditations

by Abraham Hicks When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Architect, dreaming up ideas for houses or new buildings Profession you would most like to try: Holistic health/wellness professional/practitioner

My business philosophy is that we have to look at data that may be uncomfortable and be willing to move quickly.

As a company, we’ve pivoted a dozen times

Toughest business or professional decision: Leaving a big company on my own terms – while not having a new job to go to, especially with a family to support Advice you would give the younger you: Believe in yourself and

be more confident; don’t let others’ opinions get to you What’s left to do: We are just getting started. We want to be the best in bringing games to the female casual gaming market – while making people feel better about themselves on a global scale

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DANIEL ZITTING

he toughest career decision Dan Zitting ever had to make was to sell his brainchild, Workpapers. com, to ACL Services.

“It was wild,” Zitting said on the phone from the U.K., where he was spending some time working with ACL’s London office.

“I figured … 80% or 90% of those tech acquisitions don’t work out at all,” said Zitting, who remains in charge of ACL’s product design, direction and strategy as its chief product officer.

“I expected this would be really hard and [thought], ‘Who knows if I’ll even make it six months?’ But it turned out right around the same time that ACL as a company was embarking on a transition in its leadership and culture.”

Zitting started his auditing career out of college with Ernst & Young.

“Since then it has turned out to be a good value set for me, and helped me to use those skills to identify fraud, corruption and those sorts of things,” he said. “I’ve been doing it ever since.”

Zitting started Workpapers.com in 2008. It’s a cloud-based audit management system. Two years later he sold the company to ACL. B u t h e s t a y e d o n a n d l e d AC L through what he calls the company’s “re-startup phase.”

The company had been in business for 25 years but was intrigued by the potential for change, Zitting said.

“How could we take 25 years of history and brand and customer base but lead with some really new and innovative technologies?”

“We turned over basically the entire senior leadership,” he said. The company also went from old-school outof-the-box software to all cloud-based.

“To m a ke t hat k i nd of d ra m at ic

Birthplace: Montrose, Colorado Where you live now: Coal Harbour, Vancouver Highest level of education: Master’s degree in accountancy, University of Notre Dame

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Chief product officer, ACL Services

SUBMITTED

transition, it took completely changing our brand and our culture.”

For Zitting, the key to surviving and thriving within the company that took over his firm was to maintain clear expectations.

Sometimes it’s about selling for as much money as possible, but sometimes there’s an opportunity to stay on to help a company grow and evolve, he said.

“Definitely be clear on the outcome that you’re wanting,” he said.

To make that kind of dramatic transition, it took completely changing our brand and our culture

Currently reading: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Profession you would most like to try: Bartender

Currently listening to: Plans by Death Cab for Cutie

Toughest business or professional decision: The decision to sell my company to my current employer

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Paleontologist

Advice you would give the younger you: No matter how good the

product/service/business is, put just as much (or more) energy into improving how you market and sell that product/ service/business as you do developing it What’s left to do: Just had my first kid so I’m excited to watch him grow up

2017-11-22 11:27 AM

Forty 2017under 40 January 23rd, 2018 | 6:00 pm-9:00 pm Vancouver Convention Centre

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or over 25 years, Business in Vancouver has highlighted the achievements of BC’s young entrepreneurs, executives and professionals by finding 40 outstanding professionals worthy of the Forty under 40 distinction. Winners are under 40 and have demonstrated excellence in business, judgment, leadership and community contribution. We invite you to join us for an evening of celebration as we honour these individuals at the 2017 Forty under 40 Awards gala dinner.

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2017-11-23 3:58 PM

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