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push past the comfort zone and come out on top By Adrienne Dyer, Athena McKenzie, Shannon Moneo, Alex Van Tol

Starting a new business can knock even the most enthusiastic entrepreneurs out of their comfort zones. But as Peter F. Drucker wrote,” “In every success story, you will find someone who has made a courageous decision.” That’s true for each of this year’s 10 to Watch winners. Just two examples are Studio Robazzo who, despite their youth and business inexperience, took a big risk to create a company that changes the way we think about design, and Dr. Jennie Christensen whose scientific innovation contributed to a discovery that changed the exploration history of the North. At Douglas, we celebrate each

of our 10 to Watch winners for their courage to leave the comfort zone. Each year, our judges review scores of nominees, choosing those businesses who demonstrate sound business models, scalability, talent and market potential. Some of the Island’s most successful businesses have been 10 to Watch winners: SendtoNews, Pretio Interactive, Rumble, Flytographer, Stocksy United and Indochino are just a few. A 10 to Watch Award is a strong vote of confidence from the experts — and as every new business owner knows, having people who believe in you goes a long way toward giving you courage to succeed and grow.

10 to watch Judging Panel Clockwise, left to right: MIKE THOMPSON associate professor, management consulting, Royal Roads University | DR. REBECCA GRANT associate professor, University of Victoria, Peter B. Gustavson School of Business | DeiRdre Campbell president and chief development officer, The Tartan Group | DANIELA CUBELIC owner, Silk Road Tea | JOHN JURICIC owner, Harbour Digital Media

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