2015
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Experience a Canucks game in a new way. Host business clients, or celebrate a special event with friends and family! Suites can accommodate anywhere from 12 to 70 people. Food and beverage orders can be tailored to suit any type of event. A select number of suites are available for Canucks home games throughout the season. Inquire today! Visit canucks.com/singlegamesuites or call 604.899.7423 for more information.
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Excellence is achieved in the details. Congratulations 2015 BIV Forty Under 40 Winners! Fasken Martineau is Vancouver’s largest law firm. We see legal issues in the context of our clients’ broader business issues. Our greatest satisfaction arises from our clients entrusting us with their most critical and pressing matters. Find out how we can assist you.
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2015-11-18 AM 2015-11-09 11:53 2:49 PM
Judges reveal what it means to be ‘killing it in business’ | 6 Forty under 40 at 25 | 8 2014 Forty under 40 winners | 10
2015 WINNERS Dave
Arnsdorf | 11
Sean Clark | 21
Carla
Sara
Aleem
Jay
Dilley | 22
Karina Hayat | 32
Meredith Powell | 42
Laura
Jessica
Raman
James
Ryan
Bandali | 12
Brooks
Guerrera | 31
Bergreen | 13
Dilley | 23
Katherine
Tyler
Douglas | 24
Iranzad | 34
Sage
Danna
David
Bruno | 16
Trevor
Adrian Fluevog | 26
Killam | 36
Cameron Burke | 17
Fruson | 27
Lalani | 37
Vipond | 47
Morgan Carey | 18
Geluch | 28
Joe
Jamil Murji | 38
Warren | 48
Warrick Chu | 19
Goward | 29
Ng | 39
Cody Green | 30
Padda | 40
Berry | 14
Berryman | 15
Alex
Clark | 20
Hollander | 33
Padidar | 41
Dunnage | 25
Seth
silver SPONSORS
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Kristine
Steuart | 45
Zachary
Ryan
Tones | 46
Tim
Amelia
Leon
Pook-Ping Yao | 49
Manny
Youssef Zohny | 50
Photography by Rob Kruyt except for Sage Berryman and Zachary Killam (submitted) and Warrick Chu (by Dominic Schaefer)
PLATINUM SPONSOR
Gold SPONSOR
Spong | 44
Jordan | 35
Farhan
Chris
Randhawa | 43
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 2015 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.
2015-11-18 1:13 PM
Sponsor’s Message
Congratulations
2015 BIV Forty Under 40 wInners! As platinum sponsor of BIV’s Forty Under 40 awards, Fasken Martineau congratulates BC’s exceptional young leaders. The recipients of this award push beyond the status quo in the fast paced and shifting business environment. They understand that excellence is achieved in the details. Dynamic and adaptable, these individuals have what it takes to succeed. They are entrepreneurial, contributing to the advancement of their workplace and the community at large. Their accomplishments raise the bar for others, propelling business growth in British Columbia and beyond. As one of British Columbia’s leading law firms, Fasken Martineau recognizes that highly motivated professionals who are passionate about their work are the key to the success of any organization. This is why Fasken Martineau introduced the “Emerging Executives” initiative, designed to propel emerging
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leaders both within our firm and in the business community into leadership roles as expeditiously as possible. Those who win a BIV Forty Under 40 Award are a true testament to how fostering their achievements will continue to keep BC business in the forefront of the world. On behalf of Fasken Martineau, I congratulate the winners and commend the achievements of all business professionals who are paving the way in Vancouver, across our province, and internationally. Well done!
William Westeringh, Q.C. Managing Partner Vancouver Fasken Martineau
William Westeringh, Q.C.
2015-11-18 11:53 AM
6 | Forty under 40 2015 published by Business in VAncouver
Forty Under 40 Judges reveal what it means to be ‘killing it in business’ Forty under 40 judging panel combed through more than 100 nomination packages to find Vancouver’s best young business people
By TYLER ORTON TORTON@BIV.COM
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ana Bradshaw admits she was somewhat naive when she sat down to review all 125 nomination packages submitted for this year’s batch of Forty under 40 contenders. The managing director at Holloway Schulz & Partners was recognized last year as a winner and was determined to give each nominee his or her due diligence. So, while keeping an eye on her newborn, in one sitting she combed through mountains of CVs and recommendation letters from Vancouver’s most impressive young entrepreneurs, lawyers and business executives. “That was like a 2 o’clock in the morning project,” Bradshaw said. “I feel sorry for last year’s judges because I know how much work it was. I know I sent them all thank-you cards but now I want to send them a bottle of wine.” Save for the two judges representing Business in Vancouver, the
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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 11th 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 2015. As a global community of entrepreneurs EO has 11,000 members in 48 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.
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judging panel was made up entirely of former Forty under 40 winners. Vancouver Board of Trade president and CEO Iain Black, Revision Custom Home Renovations co-owner Kevin Parenteau and Axine Water Technologies senior vice-president, commercial, Jeff Smith joined Bradshaw at BIV’s offices once everyone had examined all the nomination paperwork. “At the end of it, there were six of us in that room and there was a pretty darn good consensus of what people generally liked,” Parenteau said. “We all came from different places yet we all sort of had quite similar criteria or outcomes. I thought that was pretty unique in a way.” He said his own preferences leaned towards entrepreneurs who are doing things differently in conventional business while achieving considerable growth in their companies. “But also equally important to me was community involvement,” Parenteau said. So serving on a board that could be self-serving in nature didn’t
Entrepreneurs’ Organization
For membership information visit www.eonetwork.org or contact us at 604.622.7020
2015-11-18 1:13 PM
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The 2015 judging panel Todd Babick Vice-president, operations, Business in Vancouver Media Group Iain Black President and CEO, Vancouver Board of Trade Lana Bradshaw Managing director, Holloway Schulz & Partners Tyler Orton Reporter, Business in Vancouver Kevin Parenteau Co-owner, Revision Custom Home Renovations Jeff Smith Senior vice-president, commercial, Axine Water Technologies
CONGRATULATIONS! CBC Vancouver is proud to be the exclusive broadcast partner of the annual Business in Vancouver Top Forty Under 40 Awards. These awards have become a symbol of success, perseverance and excellence in British Columbia’s business community and we are honoured to be a part of this event. This year’s recipients bring outstanding contributions to their industries and communities and serve as inspiring role models to all those around them. Their philanthropic and community leadership is a shining example of our province’s dynamic social fabric. Like this year’s recipients, CBC Vancouver News strives for excellence and brings more local news to audiences with our new expanded service. We are adapting to our audience needs and delivering content on demand on multiple platforms. We take pride in connecting B.C.’s diverse communities and bringing stories that go beyond the headlines. Congratulations to the 2015 honourees - we wish them continued success in all their endeavours.
Sincerely,
Johnny Michel
Kevin Parenteau | Co-owner, Revision Custom Home Renovations
At the end of it, there were six of us in that room and there was a pretty darn good consensus of what people generally liked garner too many points from him. Instead, he had his eyes on nominees who gave a lot of their time to altruistic endeavours. Bradshaw saw it the same way. “It’s great if you’re killing it in business, but you’re not really giving back to your community. You’re not really helping out your province if you’re just on the one-way track,” she said. “It’s not even about money – it’s your time and your expertise. I think if you’re not really doing that, then to me you’re not really a role model.” But on the other side of the coin, she wanted to see some hard numbers from business leaders “who were excelling in business [and] could prove it either through gross margin, or growth or hiring.” Smith said growth numbers were important to him, too, but his goal throughout the judging process was to remain objective while assessing all the nominees by a common standard. “The test I used was, what is different because the person was there and did what they did?” he said. “It was really about the impact.”
Congratulations! The BCIT School of Business is proud to sponsor Business in Vancouver’s Forty under 40 Awards. BCIT grads are more than ready to make the most of their careers, and that’s why nearly 25% of this year’s Forty under 40 are BCIT alumni. Congratulations to this year’s winners from all the staff and faculty at the BCIT School of Business.
Senior Managing Director CBC English Services British Columbia & Alberta
cbc.ca/bc
@cbcnewsbc
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info 1 Ad Name: SoB BIV sponsorship 1516 2 Media: Business in Vancouver (Glacier) 3 PO#: A2015-0018N
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8 | Forty under 40 2015 published by Business in VAncouver
FOrty under 40 at 25
O
Jennifer Schaeffers, executive director, CKNW Orphans’ Fund, accepts her award
Danny Chase, president, Chase Office Interiors, accepts his award
n January 28, 2015, Business in Vancouver celebrated the 25th annual Forty under 40 Awards. The sold-out event, which continues to highlight the achievements of B.C.’s young entrepreneurs, executives and professionals, hosted a record-breaking 550 people for a gala dinner and awards ceremony at the Fairmont Waterfront hotel. Chosen by a group of five judges, including three previous winners, honourees were selected based on demonstrated excellence in business, judgment, leadership and community contribution. The night was MCed by CBC news anchors Renee Filippone and Andrew Chang and wrapped up with platinum sponsor Fasken Marti neau awarding two cheques for $5,000 in legal fees to 2014 winners Mark Melissen and Matei Ghelesel. Silver sponsor Entrepreneurs’ Organization Vancouver also awarded two $1,500 Youth Scholarship Awards to business students Jennifer Samiri and Briana James. Check out the profiles of our 2014 winners at biv.com or visit BIV’s Facebook page to see photos from the event. This year’s winners will be celebrated at at BIV’s 2015 Forty under 40 Awards gala dinner on January 27, 2016, at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel.
Left to right: Greg Malpass; Jeff Hall; Natacha Beim; Matthew Gruben; Cybele Negris, 2014 Forty under 40 judge; and Ted Lau | Dominic Schaefer, BIV files
with Andrew Chang &
Johanna Wagstaffe Senior Meteorologist & Science Reporter
Weeknights at 6pm
An hour
at
6 cbc.ca/bc
CBC Vancouver
@cbcnewsbc @andrewchangcbc @jwagstaffe
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Left to right: Sandra Richardson, Rasool Rayani, Justin Maxwell and Phil Hackett
Left to right: Sonja and Jeremy Tiffin with Fasken Martineau’s Sergio Custodio
Lana Bradshaw, managing director, Holloway Schulz & Partners, accepts her award
Student Jennifer Samiri accepts a $1,500 bursary from Entrepreneurs’ Organization Vancouver’s Dan Lionello
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Left to right: Arash Adnani, Adrian Wan and David Gens
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10 | Forty under 40 2015 published by Business in VAncouver
2014 Forty under 40 winners Arash Adnani, president, Blender Media Jennifer Archibald, chief financial officer, Cardiome Pharma Corp. Kristan Ash, director, home health, B.C., We Care/CBI Home Health Services Lana Bradshaw, managing director, Holloway Schulz & Partners Kevin Campbell, managing director, investment banking, Haywood Securities Inc. Luis Canepari, vice-president, information systems, Goldcorp Andrew Chan, CFO, Gener8 Danny Chase, president, Chase Office Interiors Bruce Constantine, president, Espro Inc. Lynn Cook, chief financial officer, U.S., Colliers International Luke Evanow, president/owner, Pacific Restaurant Supply Chelsea Ganam, clinical director, Monarch House Autism Centre David Gens, founder and CEO, Merchant Advance Capital Sunny Ghataurah, director, Applied Engineering Solutions Ltd. Matei Ghelesel, president and owner, Sonic Enclosures Ltd. Zeeshan Hayat, CEO and co-founder, Prizm Media Inc. Branislav Henselmann, executive director, Ballet BC Alex Holmes, partner, Oxygen Capital Corp. Peter Hudson, founder and CEO, BitLit Media Inc. Cameron Laker, CEO, Mindfield Group Matt Lennox-King, president and CEO, Pilot Gold Joey Lin, CEO/owner, Taipak Enterprises Ltd. Sarah Lubik, lecturer and director of Tech E@SFU, Simon Fraser University
Mark Melissen, managing partner, Wildstone Group of Companies Jeff Nugent, chief operating officer, Industry Training Authority Daniel Popescu, president and CEO, Harbourfront Wealth Management Sukhi Rai, president, RBI Group of Companies Drew Railton, managing partner, Caldwell Partners Rasool Rayani, owner, president, Heart Pharmacy James Reyes, VP, strategy and business development, Active Network Sharadh Sampath, head, department of surgery, Vancouver Coastal Health – Richmond Amit Sandhu, chief executive officer, Ampri Group of Companies Jen Schaeffers, executive director, CKNW Orphans’ Fund Greg D. Smith, president, CEO and cofounder, Anthem United Inc. Jeremy Tiffin, president and managing director, Horizon Recruitment Inc. Colin Topham, managing director, Agrocorp International – Canada Ray Walia, co-founder and executive director, Launch Academy Michael Ward, senior vice-president, development, and general manager, Grosvenor Americas
EO is a worldwide network of experienced entrepreneurs committed to personal and business enrichment as well as entrepreneurial mentorship and education. If you are the founder, co-founder, owner or controlling shareholder of a business with annual gross sales exceeding (US) $1 million, you qualify for EO.
Thane Stenner, Director Wealth Management, StennerZohny Investment Partners+ within Richardson GMP and past winner of Forty Under 40.
www.StennerZohny.com A multi family office serving high net worth investors and family office professionals.
Richardson GMP Limited, Member Canadian Investor Protection Fund.
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Justin Maxwell, chief operating officer, Angus One Professional Recruitment Ltd.
EO Vancouver Chapter
Congratulations to Youssef Zohny, 2015 Forty Under 40 winner, on this well-deserved recognition of your passion and commitment in all you do.
RGMP-085 StennerZohny_Ad_40 Under 40.indd 1
Sacha McLean, president and CEO, McLean Ventures Ltd. and the McLean Group of Companies
EO delivers a wealth of local and international benefits, programs and services to its membership including peer support through local monthly Forum groups, networking, exclusive learning events, and international programs. EO is an international network of over 11,000 entrepreneurs in 48 countries around the world. EO Vancouver Chapter is the premiere network for peer-to-peer interaction among Vancouver’s entrepreneurial community. For membership criteria and information please visit our website at www.eonetwork.org EO Vancouver Administration Office 604.622.7020
Entrepreneurs’ Organization
10/13/2015 4:17:13 PM
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Dave Arnsdorf Age
38
Co-founder and managing partner, Pomme Natural Markets
M
any sons might reflect on time spent with their fathers doing things found in a Norman Rock well painting, like fishing or playing catch. But Dave Arnsdorf’s fondest memories of g row i ng up w ith h is dad come from the two of them thumbing through the finance sections of various newspapers and the discussions that ensued. “[Those moments] definitely set me on my career path,” said the co-founder and managing partner at Pomme Nat ural Markets. Before launching the organic grocery chain in 2013, Arnsdorf cut his teeth as an entrepreneur co-founding the Neverblue marketing company in Victoria. The tech startup was bootstrapped from the beginning, and the 38-yearold helped build it to more than 100 employees and $50 million in revenue over four years. It still has offices operating in B.C., Hong Kong, London and Los Angeles. “It’s been almost a decade since my partners and I sold Neverblue [in 2008] and the company is still strong and vibrant,” Arnsdorf said, adding that many of the employees he hired are still working for the company today. “Large competitors, small competitors – virtually every one of them from that era is gone.” A fter selling Neverblue, he continued working in the tech sector as both an investor and an adviser to other companies before launching Pomme Natural Markets at a time he and his
Birthplace: Victoria, B.C. Where you live now: Victoria, B.C. Highest level of education: Bachelor of science, economics Currently reading: The Metronome Effect by Shannon Susko, The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
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business partners were all raising young families. “My wife had gestational diabetes during both of her pregnancies at this time, so that forced us to take a look at our eating habits,” Arnsdorf recalled. When the opportunity to invest in Pomme came along, he had already been deep in research about how bodies can be affected by food. He trusted the products Pomme would be selling, and the company seemed to be a natural fit. “I love what we’re doing right now because I think we’re making a difference in our world.”
Currently listening to: Babel by Mumford & Sons When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Rocket scientist working at NASA Profession you would most like to try: Astronaut or stay-at-home dad
I love what we’re doing right now because I think we’re making a difference in our world
Toughest business or professional decision: Deciding to buy out my business partners and take sole ownership of our real estate investment business
execution trumps perfect analysis What’s left to do: Everything
Advice you would give the younger you: Just do it. Perfection is the enemy of progress and
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12 | Forty under 40 2015 published by Business in VAncouver
Aleem Bandali Age
37
Senior vice-president and director, MNP Corporate Finance Inc.
A
s senior vice-president and director of MNP Corporate Finance Inc., one of Canada’s largest corporate finance companies, Aleem Bandali has run engagements of up to $30 billion in size. He has worked with large clients, including the U.S. Department of Energy, MGM Resorts International and Star wood Hotels and Resorts. Working behind the scenes to help them finesse acquisitions, mergers, divestments and other megadeals, he is a master of discretion, taking care not to reveal secrets from the boardroom. But there is one project he is happy to talk about. He was the lead on winning and delivering the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics athletes village project while working at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Vancouver. At times, the project was mired in controversy as it struggled with financial woes, but Bandali never doubted for a moment that the project would be a crowning jewel on the city’s landscape. He feels pride every time he drives past it. “I love it. I think it’s awesome,” Bandali said in an interview. He described his work on the project as being special. “You have a lot of different parties with interests that are not aligned at all. It was a clash of different interests, different personalities, but all with a common goal of trying to get the village built before the Olympics came along.” In some ways, the work he did on the Olympic Village was no different than the work he does behind the scenes helping companies to swing big transactions. Whether they are looking at their capital structure from a debt or equity point of view, whether they are
Birthplace: Matsqui, British Columbia (basically Abbotsford). Lived in Abbotsford until five and then grew up in Richmond Where you live now: In Cambie Village in Vancouver Highest level of education: JD (Juris Doctor) in law and an MBA – not sure which is a higher level
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looking to divest or to buy other companies, he helps guide them through the process. “It’s fun; it can have moments of grandeur,” he said, though “it’s often a lot of people and a lot of emotions.” Bandali estimates he puts in 12- to 13-hour workdays and often works on weekends. Yet he still wants to find time to work with charitable organizations, a growing passion of his. Among other organizations, he likes to devote his time to the Arts Club The atre Co. and to KidSafe, which provides safe havens for vulnerable inner-city children outside of school hours. He feels driven to help because he feels he has been pretty lucky in life so far. And besides, he said, “I think it makes sense.”
Currently reading: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt Currently listening to: I have over 900 songs on my iPod but some of my favourite artists are Usher, Taylor Swift, Alicia Keys, Lonely Island When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Lawyer (Matlock in particular) Profession you would most like to try: Politics
It was a clash of different interests, different personalities, but all with a common goal of trying to get the village built before the Olympics came along
Toughest business or professional decision: Moving back to Canada in 2008 after living in the U.S. for approximately nine years. It was difficult to leave a city where I had established a professional network and move back home where I had a very small professional network
quick to admit it when you have made a mistake. Be quick to capitalize on good opportunities as these are not as plentiful as you may think when you are younger What’s left to do: Too much! I still feel that there is a long way to go before I am satisfied
Advice you would give the younger you: Never be afraid to say “I don’t know” and always be
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Brooks Bergreen Age
37
Founder and CEO, HIT Technologies Inc.
W
hether he was setting up satellite communications in wartorn countries, creating his own film on Canada’s role in Afghanistan or designing and producing sophisticated protective casings for iPhones, Brooks Bergreen has constantly craved challenge. “You learn the most about yourself when you’re being challenged to your absolute maximum,” Bergreen said in an interview. “That’s the thing that really helps you grow as a person.” At the age of 21, Bergreen, who grew up on a farm in Saskatchewan, found himself in war-torn Kosovo setting up satellite communications systems for a non-governmental organization. At 24, he carried his work in satellite communications farther afield to Afghanistan, where he oversaw military projects valued at $40 million that were commissioned by the U.S. Department of Defense, the Canadian Department of National Defence, other NATO countries and NGO and media outlets. Attesting to his diverse talents, his resumé also includes the making of a film entitled Waging Peace: Canada in Afghanistan. Bergreen said he felt compelled to make the film to ensure that Canada’s role in this perilous country wasn’t misunderstood. He bypassed traditional media by making it available online and licensing it as an educational tool used by dozens of school boards across the country. Marriage to CBC journalist Sarah Galashan and the birth of their first child have kept Bergreen mostly on the ground in Vancouver. In 2012, he became founder and CEO of HIT Technologies, makers of a case for iPhones called the Hitcase, which protects the device while still
Birthplace: Calgary, Alberta, but home is our family farm in Bracken, Saskatchewan Where you live now: Burnaby. I like the parks Highest level of education: High school. Tried auditing a few university classes but it was too slow for me Current reading: The Golden Spruce by John Vaillant. I’m reading it for the second time. He’s a local Vancouver author
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allowing customers to use functions such as shooting video. The business has grown from just a few employees to more than 20, and Bergreen recently listed the company on the Toronto Stock Exchange with a valuation of $25 million. He got the inspiration for the product while joining Galashan when she was Whistler CTV bureau chief during the 2010 Olympics. He thought an iPhone, with better protection from the elements, would be ideal for shooting action videos while skiing or hiking. While his 40th birthday is still several years off, Bergreen has accomplished a lot in his life. And, constantly craving challenge, he says he looks forward to accomplishing a lot more in the coming decades.
You learn the most about yourself when you’re being challenged to your absolute maximum
and this is an incredible story written about B.C.
Earth from space, so I’ll say astronaut
Currently listening to: A local Vancouver DJ called Neon Steve. He’s on SoundCloud. You should check him out
Toughest business or professional decision: In some of the countries I’ve worked in, I had to put employees in harm’s way in order for us to do our jobs. They knew the risks and loved it as I did but it was tough every time we walked out the door. I always made sure to ask myself in the context of the mission if I could live with myself if one of
When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: I’m going to be an architect when I grow up. Maybe in my 60s Profession you would most like to try: I really want to see the
them died, and promised if the answer to that was ever no, I’d quit. Eventually I did Advice you would give the younger you: Don’t worry. Be happy What’s left to do: There are lots of great stories out there I’m still waiting to build and tell. I’ve got a young son named Bowe now and I can’t wait to start exploring the world with him. I can tell already that he’s ready for adventure
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14 | Forty under 40 2015 published by Business in VAncouver
Katherine Berry Age
38
Chief product officer and cofounder, Allocadia Software
I
n Katherine Berry’s books, there is no better school than the one of hard knocks. She and her twin sister, fellow Forty under 40 winner Kristine Steuart, made enough mistakes in the area of marketing in their past business experiences to learn a great deal about what works and what doesn’t. “We experienced the pain first-hand,” Berry said in an interview. “That’s always a good thing when you are building a company. When you have experienced it, you can speak to it. You are passionate about it.” One day, in their quest for better tools, the sisters walked into a little coffee shop and mapped out a plan for a new tech company that would sell marketing management sofware. And so Allocadia was born in 2009. With Berry as chief product officer, the company has grown to a point where it has more than 130 global customers, thousands of users, more than 60 employees across North America and triple-digit growth. The pair bootstrapped the tech company to $1 million before taking on investors. Today, Allocadia has projected revenues of $4.5 million for 2015. Berry said she and her sister complement each other. “I’m the more technical twin and Kristine is the more sa les a nd ma rketi ng tw i n.” Berry focuses on developing the product while her sister, who is CEO, is more involved with investor relations. Trying to measure the performance of marketing campaigns, which drive company revenues, can often lead to a jungle of spreadsheets and tangled systems that a re error-prone a nd don’t foster collaboration. But Berry said Allocadia software has blazing
Birthplace: Hull, Quebec Where you live now: Vancouver, B.C. Highest level of education: Master’s in media, development and democracy
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accuracy and takes care of the tracking, freeing marketing teams to focus on creative campaigns, which is what they do best. Describing the software, Berry said, “It basically allows marketers to manage their plans and their budget in a nice streamlined application with a user-friendly kind of interface.” Both sisters have young families that make their lives a juggling act, but Berry said they seem to be managing well. Berry’s partners say that even in the maelstrom of company and family demands, she is able to be warm, open and humble about herself – and at the same time is confident and assured about her company and product.
Currently reading: Voyager (Outlander series), Diana Gabaldon Currently listening to: A wide mix of all types of music When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: It changed all the time
We experienced the pain first-hand. That’s always a good thing when you are building a company. When you have experienced it, you can speak to it. You are passionate about it
Profession you would most like to try: None; I’m doing what I love! (I did, though, get my fill in the past with a variety of professions from teacher to flight attendant) Toughest business or professional decision: To jump in 100% and take the risk to build Allocadia
Advice you would give the younger you: Everything is easy once you know how What’s left to do: Continue to enjoy building a growing company and spending time with my family
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Sage Berryman Age
39
Chief operating officer, Ralma Group of Companies
W
hen Sage Berryman took over as chief operating officer of the Ralmax Group of Compan ies, she was charged with the task of supervising an eclectic arrangement of nine industrial entities operating in Victoria’s working harbour. The range of companies was wide and complex, including a recycler, a readymix concrete maker, an excavation and demolition firm, a metal fabrication shop and others. She admits that taking over the helm of such a diverse group involved a steep learning curve. But Berryman is no stranger to corporate challenges. Her executive experience includes multiple transactions of a total value of over $3.6 billion. Her largest single transaction was just over $1 billion. “You start to just get used to those numbers,” Berryman said in an interview. “My first smaller transactions were a couple of million dollars here and there. Eventually, when you are doing the larger transactions, you just become used to it and $200 million or $500 million can move in a month or so and it just feels normal. Your perspective adjusts.” She finds that sitting at the helm of a diverse group of companies suits her management style. “You are able to manage the risks and rewards by having some companies that are creating more cash flow in the short term and some that offer larger growth opportunities longer-term, so it really is that portfolio management part that I love.” Before mov i ng back to Victoria, Berryman was based in San Francisco as the West Coast general manager and
Birthplace: Clearwater, B.C. Where you live now: Victoria, B.C. Highest level of education: MBA in international business Currently reading: Zen and the Art of Motorcyle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
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senior managing director with global management consulting company FTI Consulting. When asked to name her proudest moment as a businesswoman, Berryman doesn’t hesitate to answer. “I had a very senior-level corporate job in San Francisco and it was a tough decision, but making that decision to leave that job and come back to Victoria full-time so that I could be with my kids a lot more often is probably the decision that I am most proud of,” she said. Her children are 15 and 13. “We work every day to leave a legacy, and I realize that my children are my legacy.”
You are able to manage the risks and rewards by having some companies that are creating more cash flow in the short term and some that offer larger growth opportunities longerterm, so it really is that portfolio management part that I love
Currently listening to: A hugely eclectic mix all the way from B.I.G. to Bach and beyond
if money didn’t matter, I said that I wanted to run multiple companies
When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: A doctor, then I realized that I fainted at the sight of blood; a lawyer, but then I realized I may have to defend guilty people I didn’t agree with, so then at 10, when asked what I’d do
Profession you would most like to try: Rally car driver Toughest business or professional decision: Leaving an amazing job in an amazing city to be home with my kids more
Advice you would give the younger you: You might not understand it all now, but trust me, it all works out as it should What’s left to do: So much ... how much time do we have to answer this one?
2015-11-18 11:53 AM
16 | Forty under 40 2015 published by Business in VAncouver
Trevor Bruno Age
39
President, Intrawest Resort Club Group and Intrawest Hospitality Management
T
revor Bruno loves to ski. Luckily, he works for Intrawest, a Vancouver-based resort developer with properties in Whistler, California and Mexico. “I get to go to some really great places,” he said. Bruno started his career working as a lawyer for a New York firm that specialized in mergers and acquisitions. He became acquainted with Intrawest, a Vancouver-based resort developer, while working on its acquisition by Fortress, a hedge fund. In 2007, he decided to move back to Vancouver and work for Intrawest. “When the financial crisis hit, we did a lot of restructuring at Intrawest and a lot of that fit really nicely into my skill set, so I moved through a variety of positions,” he said. “It was an interesting opportunity because it wasn’t a great time for the company but it was a good time for me – lots of flexibility in what I could do, and willingness to try different things.” Bruno ultimately moved out of legal and into business development, a role he found satisfying because, unlike working on merger and acquisition deals as a lawyer, he got to see the final results of business decisions. Experiencing two economic downturns, in 2002 and 2008, has shaped the way Bruno approaches business decisions. “You see the mistakes that people made when people think the good
Birthplace: Burnaby Where you live now: Burnaby Highest level of education: Bachelor of laws (UBC)– called to the bar in New York and B.C. Currently reading: The M-factor by Lynne C. Lancaster and David Stillman
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times are never going to end,” Bruno said. “You can really see what was great about the businesses and what caused them to grow, and my goal has been to enhance those parts and put discipline on those things that caused some of the challenges.” Bruno leads Club Intrawest’s charitable activities and is involved in Lina’s Dream Endowment Fund, which raises money for breast cancer research.
Currently listening to: Whatever is on the radio When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Doctor Profession you would most like to try: Something at Tesla. Elon Musk is doing exciting things there
You can really see what was great about the businesses and what caused them to grow, and my goal has been to enhance those parts
Toughest business or professional decision: The significant restructuring at Intrawest and the good people it affected Advice you would give the younger you: Remember to enjoy the ride; the journey is half the fun. You learn so much on the way, and be ready to pivot if you see an inflection point
What’s left to do: There is so much. At Intrawest, we need to continue to provide great experiences for our members and guests. As we continue to grow the business, it will be exciting to find new opportunities for expansion and to innovate our products and services
2015-11-18 11:53 AM
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Cameron Burke Age
39
Director, partners, Hootsuite Media Inc.
C
ameron Burke first met Hootsuite founder Ryan Holmes in “one incredibly awkward meeting” called because two worlds were colliding. It was about five yea rs ago, a nd changes to federal regulations were forci ng a face-to-face encou nter between the spheres of finance and digital media, affecting how public companies disclose and disseminate information in an increasingly interactive age. “It freaked everybody out because the two worlds couldn’t have been further apart at that time,” said Burke, now director of partners for the social media management platform. “How a compliance officer at HSBC would deal with employees on Face book, it was a huge chasm” – and one that compliance officers, regulators and private-sector innovators like Burke were trying to bridge, he said. In charge of overseeing business development for a digital communications company, Burke began looking for “best-of-breed” solutions that would help clients meet compliance requ i rements i n the age of socia l media. “It took a while to kind of figure out how these two things would work,” he said. “I was by no means looking in Va ncouver. I then ca me across Hootsuite.” A h i stor y g radu ate w it h a n u nabashed love of B.C. history in particular, Burke has been at the forefront of new technology that has reshaped business, and a tech business that has in turn has reshaped Vancouver. “Ten years ago it was really hard to raise money for a tech company in Vancouver. There weren’t the Ryan Holmes of the world.” Despite that,
Birthplace: Vancouver Where you live now: West Vancouver Highest level of education: BA, history, UVic Currently reading: All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr Currently listening to: Think You Can Wait by The National, The
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Burke managed to build several successful Vancouver-based businesses, including his own startup, Llesiant, a sophisticated cloud-based analytics company acquired by Bloomberg BNA in 2009. At Hootsuite, Burke continues to bridge the gap between major players across industries – from music to transportation to finance – much of whose business now takes place on social media. “T hese large global monsters are building really powerful, really successful businesses around it, and they need platforms like Hootsuite to base that off of,” he said. “Some incredibly intelligent people will come to you and look for guidance.”
Maker by Willie Nelson, Back in the Tall Grass by Future Islands; thousands of songs appropriate for a fishing trip, a dinner party, island dance party or a long bike ride When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Tugboat captain
Ten years ago it was really hard to raise money for a tech company in Vancouver. There weren’t the Ryan Holmes of the world
Profession you would most like to try: Comedy writer
think you are too young or inexperienced
Toughest business or professional decision: Whether or not to put my wife Sophie and our three little kids through another startup when a job was a far more logical choice
What’s left to do: Take a company public, write a book, catch a steelhead and skipper a boat to Haida Gwaii
Advice you would give the younger you: Trust your gut even if you
2015-11-18 11:53 AM
18 | Forty under 40 2015 published by Business in VAncouver
Morgan Carey Age
36
CEO, Real Estate Webmasters
R
eal Estate Webmasters (REW) has three pillars of success: innovation, customer service and “always being awesome.” “If we can’t have an awesome time doing something for a client, we don’t really want to do it,” explained company CEO Morgan Carey, who founded REW in 2004. “That resonates with people who are successful entrepreneurs, who really understand it’s about [return on investment] and quality of life.” Every year, REW drives billions of dollars in real estate sales for brokers and agents across North America. Carey’s customers get customized all-in-one web services that cater to industry-specific needs, something he says simply isn’t offered elsewhere. But a great return on investment isn’t something the Nanaimo native provides just to his clients. “Treating people how they should be treated as an employer I think is where we stand out,” Carey said. That philosophy has led the former “SEO guy” down some pretty unique paths. There’s the “REWpartment” he owns under Carey Real Estate Holdings where potential employees can stay when visiting Carey and his staff on the island. There’s also R EWsters, “the best restaurant in town” with a menu developed at Carey’s farm with a Red Seal chef, and where staff eat at a 50% discount. “I’ve been able to see some fantastic people graduate, have children, buy houses, grow up,” he said. “That’s what I’m proud of – you get to see people sort of come into their own.” Even w it h t he m a ssive success it’s seen, Carey’s business – valued
Birthplace: Prince Rupert, B.C. Current town of residence: Nanaimo, B.C. Highest level of education: Bachelor in liberal studies Currently reading: Good to Great by Jim Collins
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somewhere between $110 million and $130 million – is also just coming into its own. REW recently acquired FreeHouse Values.com and a lead generation company to expand the services it offers clients. Its partnerships, including one with real estate mog ul and Shark Tank personality Barbara Corcoran, have also raised the company’s profile. Carey himself was named in 2015 on the Swanepoel Power 200 list of the most powerful people in real estate, and he expects that if REW’s rapid growth continues, the company will be a billion-dollar business in four to five years.
Currently listening to: Anything from City and Colour and Tragically Hip to Katy Perry because of my daughter When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Kind
I’ve been able to see some fantastic people graduate, have children, buy houses, grow up. That’s what I’m proud of – you get to see people sort of come into their own
Profession you would most like to try: Lawyer
What’s left to do: Take over the world
Toughest business or professional decision made: Firing a friend Advice you would give to the younger you: Do things right the first time
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Warrick Chu Age
32
Founder and CEO, Qoola Frozen Yogurt Bar
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hen Warrick Chu founded what is now the 21-location Qoola Fro zen Yogurt Bar in mid-2008, he did not want to simply open a yogurt store. He wanted to change the way people ate. Focused on offering organic products that did not contain genetically modified ingredients, he knew that his pricing would have to be higher than that of competitors who used cheaper raw materials. His concept found traction almost immediately, and it led to the addition of three stores within the year. “A lot of people were contacting us so we signed a deal in 2009 for the first franchise to open later that year,” Chu told Business in Vancouver. “We started opening about three to four new franchises each year and it just took off from there.” Born in Manila, Chu bounced around as a child, attending 11 schools in six countries. He achieved a bachelor of science in commerce at Santa Clara Uni versity in California and then moved to New York to work at what is now EY. He moved to San Francisco in 2006 and was part of a seven-person Gold man, Sachs & Co. team that managed more than US$2.7 billion in assets for high-net-worth individuals, families and foundations. A stint as co-CEO of an energy-sector startup in 2008 was short as the company foundered, but the failure didn’t extinguish Chu’s entrepreneurial zeal. He founded Qoola the same year. Outside work, Chu is active with his TWQ Foundation, which aims to be “the guiding light for foster children” through teaching, connecting and helping them to live healthy lives, he said.
Birthplace: Manila, Philippines Where you live now: Richmond, B.C. Highest level of education: B.Sc. in commerce, accounting and finance Currently reading: Hyper Sales Growth by Jack Daly Currently listening to: Alternative rock, Coldplay, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness,
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Other philanthropic endeavours that Chu is active with include raising money for The Lipstick Project, which provides manicures and beauty services to people who are at the end of their lives. He also raised money for Habitat for Humanity Philippines after the Southeast Asian archipelago was devastated by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. Qoola’s annual systemwide sales top $10 million from 21 locations across Canada including one store that is corporately owned. Chu plans to launch his first location in Washington state next year through a joint venture. “We want to learn about the U.S. market by having a corporate store first,” he said. “Then we can start opening franchises.”
The 1975, Chicane and Death Cab for Cutie When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Doctor, until I realized I was terrified of blood Profession you would most like to try: Tennis player, although I am currently in no way, shape or form able to do it Toughest business or professional decision: To expand out of province
We started opening about three to four new franchises each year and it just took off from there
Advice you would give the younger you: Eliminate outside influences and trust yourself that you know what’s best. Make firm decisions faster and don’t look back. Enjoy the journey What’s left to do: Be in a stronger financial position to be a 24-7 “undercover superhero” (the second “O” in Qoola stands for “open-hearted and genuine outreach” – striving to be
undercover superheroes) impacting many more lives than I am now, as often as possible. If – God forbid – any type of major calamity hits, I want to be able to get in a plane with my entire company and friends without any hesitation, rent a big truck, buy out a couple of grocery aisles and deliver it to the people who need it most while performing a concert for them (I’m not singing, though!)
2015-11-18 11:53 AM
20 | Forty under 40 2015 published by Business in VAncouver
Alex Clark Age
37
Co-founder and chief software architect, Bit Stew Systems
A
lex Clark is living proof that not all roads for high-tech entrepreneurs necessarily lead to Silicon Valley. Born and raised in Southern California, Clark launched his first start up there but now lives in Vancouver, where the company he co-founded, Bit Stew Systems, has become a leader in data integration in the Internet of Things space and has raised more than $20 million of venture capital. Clark wrote his first video game code when he was 12. He considered going into aerospace engineering, but after entering San Jose State University, he switched his major to computer science. That didn’t last long, though, because he kept getting so many freelance codewriting gigs that he never finished his degree. At the age of 27, he became chief technology officer at Navio Systems Inc., which was in the digital commerce space. While at Navio, he wrote a program to address the company’s own systems integration problems, and then set about developing a program for wider applications. In 2007, he partnered with Kevin Col lins (now Bit Stew’s CEO), a fellow Californian who was living in Vancouver, to form their own software company. “We bootstrapped it ourselves, by doing consulting work on the side,” Clark said. Bit Stew helps companies in the industrial Internet manage and analyze massive amounts of data from multiple connected devices. Since smart meters are essentially like small Linux computers, one of the company’s first large customers was BC Hydro. That brought Clark to Vancouver for what he thought would be a temporary move. Some of the company’s other large customers in the power and utilities
Birthplace: Fresno, California Where you live now: Downtown Vancouver Highest level of education: Some college – probably too much not to have a degree
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space include Pacific Gas and Electric Co., Southern California Gas Co. and General Electric. Two and a half years ago, Bit Stew landed $5 million in financing led by Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:CSCO) and Yaletown Partners. In May 2015, the company drew another $17 million in a Series B round, led by GE. The company now has 120 employees and continues to win accolades, including making Forbes magazine’s top 100 analytics companies list. Although Silicon Valley is still the mecca of high tech, Clark said there is no need for Bit Stew to be there. Last year, he became a Canadian citizen. “And I plan on staying for a while,” he said.
Currently reading: Reddit ( I really need to read more proper books) Currently listening to: Anything except country music When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Cartoon animator
We bootstrapped it ourselves, by doing consulting work on the side
Profession you would most like to try: Test pilot
won’t regret it if you do. Only if you don’t try
Toughest business or professional decision: Leave home, friends, family and comfort to start a business in Canada
What’s left to do: Nothing. Well, except everything. This is only the beginning (of the middle part)
Advice you would give the younger you: Don’t be afraid to fail. You
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Sean Clark Age
35
Chief revenue officer, Shoes.com
Y
ou wou ld th in k that someone launching an online shoe company would own shoes. Sean Clark had no inventory at all when he founded Shoeme.ca in January 2012 in the basement of his parents’ Dunbar-area home. If someone bought a pair of shoes on his website, he would go to a retail store, buy the shoes and then package them up to send to his customer. It was not the best business model. “I wanted to test whether there was demand for selling shoes online,” he explained. Clark used Shopify to build an online store for a monthly fee of $68, and, in a situation that exemplifies the adage “build it and they will come,” he reached a $1 million annual run rate for sales by the end of his first year. The next year that jumped to $5 million. In building the company, Clark drew on his experience heading what was then known as Coastal Contacts’ Australian operations in 2010 and 2011. He increased that company’s sales Down Under to $25 million from $3 million in little more than a year. He returned to Vancouver in late 2011 and was convinced that he wanted to found a business of his own, so he launched Shoeme.ca. He sold that company to what is now Shoes.com in mid-2014 for an undisclosed amount and stayed with the company to oversee business development. His move to Seattle during the first half of 2015 was to help improve communication between the hundreds of staff that Shoes.com bases in Seattle and those who work in its Vancouver head office. “I’m ultimately responsible for Shoes. com’s new business development,” he said. “We’re trying to create and
Birthplace: Montreal, Quebec Where you live now: West End, Vancouver Highest level of education: MBA from UBC Currently reading: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
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leverage technology and use new technology to reduce our returns and enhance on the website information about how shoes fit.” Clark’s start in the e-commerce sector was during an internship as part of his MBA at the University of British Columbia Sauder School of Business. He was a member of the Jericho Tennis Club along with Coastal Contacts’ then-CEO, Roger Hardy. Clark challenged Hardy to a squash match with the condition being that, if he beat Hardy, Hardy would grant him an internship. Clark lost, but Hardy offered the internship anyway. Outside work, Clark is active in philanthropic endeavours and spends time with his wife, Amanda, and their fourmonth-old daughter, Grace.
Currently listening to: Robot Heart When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Living the dream Profession you would most like to try: DJ or professional tennis player
I wanted to test whether there was demand for selling shoes online
Toughest business or professional decision: Leaving my corporate job and moving into my parents’ basement suite at the age of 31 to start Shoeme.ca
What’s left to do: Positively impact the environment through business
Advice you would give the younger you: I wouldn’t tell him anything; ignorance is bliss
2015-11-18 11:53 AM
22 | Forty under 40 2015 published by Business in VAncouver
Jay Dilley Age
36
President, Hawkair
J
ay Dilley says he “fell into” the aviation business after doing management consulting for several different businesses. “I went up north and was chatting with an executive at one of the airlines, and he said, ‘We can talk about all of the problems. I know I need someone to fix problems,’” he said. “That got me excited because I was so used to giving people solutions but not seeing the execution.” Dilley moved from Edmonton to Yellowknife to work for northern airline Arctic Sunwest. His first job was airline charters manager, but he quickly moved up to be director of business operations, then moved to Terrace to join Hawkair. “We’re trying to build on the culture that we have and look at how do we become a trendsetter in the industry,” Dilley said of his goals for the company. One of the ways Hawkair is breaking new ground is by targeting a big problem: the low numbers of female pilots, executives and maintenance personnel in the male-dominated airline industry. Fewer than 5% of airline executives are women, only 4% of pilots are women and fewer than 7% work in maintenance. “Generally when I go to an industry event, there are men and then there are grey-haired men,” he said. Employees in Hawkair’s Women in Leadership program try out different jobs and are paired with mentors outside of the company. The company
Birthplace: Thunder Bay, Ontario Where you live now: Terrace Highest level of education: Master of science in management or chartered financial analyst designation
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also works with employees to fill any gaps in education or training. Dilley’s goal is for his successor to be an employee from Hawkair’s Women in Leadership program. “Growing up, I’ve got two younger sisters,” he said. “I’ve got my mom who worked, my grandma who worked and my dad a very strong influence. I grew up and just thought everyone was equal. “I have a young daughter now, and I don’t believe that there is a difference or that there should be a difference.”
We’re trying to build on the culture that we have and look at how do we become a trendsetter in the industry
Currently reading: Misbehaving by Richard H. Thaler
Profession you would most like to try: Hedge fund manager
Advice you would give the younger you: Travel the world
Currently listening to: Tosca Fantasy by Edvin Marton
Toughest business or professional decision: Going through the global economic slowdown and having to perform an RIF
What’s left to do: Make the business world an equal place for my daughter
When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Hockey player
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Laura Dilley Age
33
Executive Director, PACE
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hen Laura Dilley started working with PACE, an organization that delivers social services to sex workers in Vancouver, the nonprofit was squatting in a condemned building in the Downtown Eastside. “It was in such bad repair that it was uninhabitable,” Dilley said. The organization had just one source of funding – the City of Vancouver – and had been operating without an executive director for several years. It was down to two employees. But Dilley, who had studied education and had worked with homeless people in Ottawa, was inspired by the work PACE was doing and decided to take the job. PACE is a peer-driven organization, which means the frontline workers have themselves been sex workers. The non-profit offers help with a wide range of issues, including safety, housing and getting a job. PACE has also been active in advocating for reform of Canada’s prostitution laws to decriminalize sex work. “I love the peer-driven model, and PACE has been around for 22 years, and I thought what a travesty to let this fall by the wayside,” Dilley said. Dilley and her team aggressively pu rs ued f u nd i n g a nd worked on communicating that the work the organization does aligns with public health research. PACE was able to get funding from the B.C. government, the Vancouver Foundation and Green Shield Canada. The nonprofit has also found a permanent home in the Downtown Eastside, a
not-insignificant challenge because the area faces increasingly higher property values and rents. “Many of the women who work at PACE had been homeless, so they have some really compelling stories about when they first came to PACE [and] were accessing services, then they started to volunteer, then they got a 10-hour-a-week position, then they worked their way up and built skills,” Dilley said. “Now we have 10 employees, they’re off the street, they’re working 9 to 5.”
Birthplace: Thunder Bay
Currently listening to: Fiver
Where you live now: Vancouver
When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Actor
Highest level of education: MA, education Currently reading: In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje
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Profession you would most like to try: Botany
I love the peer-driven model, and PACE has been around for 22 years, and I thought what a travesty to let this fall by the wayside
Toughest business or professional decision: Starting a new position in which I had six months to turn things around Advice you would give the younger you: You do not have to compromise your values to
promote positive change and achieve success What’s left to do: Continue working to address social inequities
2015-11-18 11:53 AM
24 | Forty under 40 2015 published by Business in VAncouver
Tyler Douglas Age
38
Chief marketing officer, Vision Critical
T
yler Douglas is the chief marketing officer for a company that does noth i ng but th i n k about marketing. Douglas built the company’s market i ng tea m f rom t he g rou nd up during a time of huge disruption for the business, which had once been about “making things pretty” to appeal to consumers, but now is about interpreting huge amounts of data and speaking to customers through a variety of social media to drive strategy direction. “The marketing technology inside Fortune 500 is evolving very fast, faster than it ever has,” he said. Douglas started his career by founding a tech startup one year after graduating from university. The company, IronPoint Technology, made website content management and work flow software and was later acquired by a San Diego-based company called Ac tive Network. Douglas, who stayed on after the acquisition, helped the company grow from a $30 million business to a $350 million company with nearly 3,000 employees. Douglas’ marketing team is now around 35 people, and he has worked to “to reshape the story of the company and even the strategy of the company by telling a more purposedriven narrative about the purpose of what we do in the market,” helping to
Birthplace: Calgary Where you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Bachelor of business administration (BBA), finance and marketing Currently reading: JFK’s Last Hundred Days by Thurston
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transform the company from a market research company to a market technology company. Douglas’ ambition is to grow Vision Critical from a $100 million company to a $1 billion company. “For us, helping companies rally around the people, humanizing the enterprise, is the greater purpose,” he said. “It’s more than just data.”
For us, helping companies rally around the people, humanizing the enterprise, is the greater purpose
Clarke; Switch, by Chip Heath and Dan Heath; and The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Profession you would most like to try: Foreign correspondent/ journalist
Currently listening to: Eddie Vedder
Toughest business or professional decision: Many, and they always seem to be about the challenge of saying no to good opportunities in order to stay focused on the great ones
When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Lawyer
Advice you would give the younger you: Be intentional, especially with your time and relationships What’s left to do: Learning, exploring, growing; scaling up
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| 25
Danna Dunnage Age
38
President, B.C., Gordon Food Service
U
nlike many Forty under 40 winners, Danna Dunnage’s entire career has been essentially with one company. She has worked her way up to the position of Gordon Food Service’s (GFS) president for B.C. and oversees an operation that includes 900 staff and sales closing in on $1 billion. Dunnage joined GFS, which delivers food to restaurants, hospitals and universities, at age 20 just after completing a bachelor of arts degree at Simon Fraser University. Her ambition was to become a news anchor, but a boyfriend’s aunt urged her to get involved in sales and recruited her to work at what was then Neptune Food Service. Dunnage quickly moved up from taking telephone orders for key accounts to working in relief when territorial sales representatives were on vacation. She secured her first permanent territory – Surrey and Delta – in May 2000. She more than tripled sales in that region to $2.4 million within a year and a half. Dunnage then jumped to a larger territory in the Tri-Cities and then to downtown Vancouver. In each of those places, she was awarded the prestigious corporate Winner’s Circle award – something given to the top 10 sales representatives in the province as well as the top two sales managers. She became district sales manager for downtown Vancouver in 2005 and stayed in that job until just after the 2010 Winter Olympics. She was a Winner’s Circle recipient again in three of those years. More promotions followed. She became the regional sales manager for the Lower Mainland for a brief period and then was appointed director of sales for
Birthplace: Vancouver Where you live now: North Vancouver Highest level of education: Sales and marketing diploma, BCIT Currently reading: 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do by Amy Morin and Goodbye Sarajevo by Akta Reid and Hana Schofield
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the entire province in May 2011. Her promotion in April to the role of GFS’ B.C. president is notable because it was the first time in the Michiganbased company’s history that a woman held the top job in a province or a state. “We’re really going to press hard in the next fiscal year coming up to hit $1 billion in sales,” Dunnage said. “Within two years, we’ll definitely close in on that mark.” Outside work, Dunnage has been on the board of the British Columbia Res taurant & Food Services Association for the past several years. She is also active with the Women’s Fo o d ser v ice For u m a n d a t te n d s events held by the Women’s Executive Network.
Currently listening to: Pop music such as Imagine Dragons, Fitz and the Tantrums, Ed Sheeran and One Republic When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: News anchor Profession you would most like to try: Personal trainer and spin instructor
We’re really going to press hard in the next fiscal year coming up to hit $1 billion in sales. Within two years, we’ll definitely close in on that mark
Toughest business or professional decision: Letting one of my managers go because of performance issues when that person was a deep personal friend for 14 years and saying no to a job as president of a company in another province because the timing was not right
Welcome failure because you never learn more than in those moments. Don’t be afraid to take risks. Welcome change. And most of all, be kind, be fair and have fun What’s left to do: Travel and making a positive impact on my people and customers
Advice you would give the younger you: Be true to yourself.
2015-11-18 11:53 AM
26 | Forty under 40 2015 published by Business in VAncouver
Adrian Fluevog Age
34
Chief operating officer, Fluevog Shoes
A
s COO of Fluevog Shoes, Adrian Fluevog oversees 175 employees and an operation that includes 20 stores across North America as well as more than 70 wholesale accounts with shoe retailers around the world. Though only 34 years old, Fluevog first started in the shoe business 20 years ago, when he helped his father, company founder and owner John Flue vog, in the stores. He did not really apply himself to the business, however, until 2001, after a yearlong trip to Australia. Fluevog Shoes had an opening for a director of wholesale accounts, and the younger Fluevog jumped at the chance. He doubled the company’s wholesale sales in each of the next five years but still yearned to do more with his life. “I decided that if I was going to do anything in life, I should get an education,” he said. He left the company and went back to school for two years, starting in 2007, just before the global economy crashed. Fresh with a diploma in marketing management and entrepreneurship from the British Columbia Institute of Technology, he joined the marketing company Red Rocket Creative Strategies as head of business development “I remember the struggles,” he said. “It was hard times.” Toward the end of 2010, he returned to his father’s company in a move that was a “big deal” given his sometimes rocky relationship with the senior Fluevog, he said. “I didn’t leave on a 100% positive note, so for him to rehire me was huge,” he said. Fluevog’s new role was retail development manager for the company, which then comprised 10 stores. He sketched
Birthplace: Vancouver Where you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Diploma in marketing management entrepreneuship Currently reading: Subscription to The New Yorker keeps me
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out a business plan to prove that expansion was viable. Two years later, the company had 15 stores and Fluevog was promoted to COO. Fluevog’s father remains involved in the business and is in charge of shoe design, but the younger Fluevog’s job is to oversee “everything else.” Outside work, Fluevog spends time with wife Alexis and their two sons. He also cycles as much as he can and runs triathlons, such as the Mosquitoman Triathlon in Yellowknife this summer, which he won. “Not too many people take part in that triathlon,” he said to play down the accomplishment. Then, with a laugh, he added, “One good thing was that I beat my brother-in-law.”
I decided that if I was going to do anything in life, I should get an education
busy and Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden
Profession you would most like to try: Backcountry guide
Currently listening to: Tame Impala, Into the Jungle and the Internet radio station Beats 1
Toughest business or professional decision: Following in my father’s footsteps
When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Everything
Advice you would give the younger you: Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you; you have to make them happen
What’s left to do: Build a worldwide Fluevog empire one pair of feet at a time
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Seth Fruson Age
33
President and CEO, GuardTeck Security
Y
ou wouldn’t think wrestling and security share a lot in common, but as the 2000 national champion of “the hardest sport in the world,” Seth Fruson can tell you otherwise. “You’re in the middle of it and it sucks and you’re like, ‘Man, this is horrible, why am I doing this? This is the most uncomfortable I’ve ever been,’” said Fruson, president and CEO of Guard Teck Security. Being uncomfortable and working 20-hour days, four days straight, is part of the job for Fruson’s staff at one of B.C.’s largest security firms. Over the past decade, Fruson has built GuardTeck into the only company in Western Canada he says can provide the level of security necessary for an event the scale of Squamish Valley Music Festival. With 410 security professionals needed to pull it off seamlessly three years in a row, it’s the largest security deployment in B.C. history, next to the Olympics. “That is where me and my team – and I want to emphasize team – dig deep, put in huge hours and embrace the uncomfortableness,” Fruson said. “And I would actually compare that experience exactly to sport.” Live music venues and festivals make up only 20% of the work GuardTeck does. The majority is dedicated to corporate clients, including malls and post-secondary institutions. Despite operating in a highly competitive market, “the company’s growing at such an alarming rate,” said Fruson, who spends a lot of his time and energy buckling down and leading by example.
Birthplace: Lethbridge, Alberta Where you live now: Langley, B.C. Highest level of education: Some post-secondary Currently reading: The Go Giver, by Bob Burg and John David Mann. It’s a book I have read many, many times Currently listening to: Mumford & Sons. Since seeing them live it
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“Our success lies in our people,” he said. “There’s zero confusion there. We’re really like a person business that does security on the side.” Fr u son got i nto secu r ity to put himself through a business degree he says he never took seriously. But after quickly rising through the ranks at a small security firm, he saw an opportunity to do things differently and ventured into business on his own. “I always thought to myself, ‘If I grow a million-dollar business I’ll be happy.’ And for us to do close to 10 [million] at the end of this year to me is a milestone I’m incredibly proud of.”
Our success lies in our people. There’s zero confusion there. We’re really like a person business that does security on the side
really changed my appreciation for them, and Ty Dolla Sign
around small-business support, development and education
When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: I grew up farming and really enjoyed it; it was something I would continue if it was feasible
Toughest business or professional decision: I struggle with the small decisions; the big decisions I find easy to make. I struggle daily with the three things that occupy my time: work, family and fitness, and balancing them all
Profession you would most like to try: I would do a business built
Advice you would give the younger you: Have confidence in what you do. Confidence is the intangible that separates people when all else is equal What’s left to do: Realign our strategic objectives and just continue to ride the wave of growth that we know we have coming
2015-11-18 11:53 AM
28 | Forty under 40 2015 published by Business in VAncouver
Joe Geluch Age
33
President, Naikoon Contracting Ltd.
J
oe Geluch’s home-building career started when he was just six years old and spending his summers up in Haida Gwaii. His first gig was on the job site of the company he now owns, cleaning up the Masset courthouse and helping out his dad. G eluch pu rchased Naikoon Con tracting – n a med a f ter t he most beautiful provincial park he says he’s ever seen – from his dad in 2010 and relaunched it in North Vancouver. It’s since expanded to focus on luxury homes throughout the province, but the company hasn’t forgotten its roots. “We got awarded the contract to rebuild the exterior building of the same courthouse, so that was kind of neat to be the second generation working on the same project 30 years later,” he said. In a short amount of time, Naikoon has become one of the most experienced and accredited green home builders in the province. This year, the company took home seven Georgie Awards – the Oscars of B.C. homebuilding – and seven Ovation Awards, including the coveted title of custom homebuilder of the year. For Geluch, success comes down to building a better project, being innovative and “creating art” with homes. And if home building is an art, Naikoon’s masterpiece is without a doubt the internationally renowned Midori Uchi. Completed in 2014, it’s the only home Geluch knows of in the world to be R-2000 certified by Natural Re sources Canada, and to have achieved L E E D Pl at i nu m a nd B u i lt Gre en
Platinum ratings. It also produces more energy than it consumes. “I was spending day and night just dreaming and designing and creating this project,” Geluch said. “What it ended up as was exactly as intended or better. It couldn’t be better.” Next up for Naikoon and its president is to maintain steady growth and remain on the lookout for “creating ways to do some cool stuff with housing.” On whether there’s another Midori Uchi in the works, Geluch says he’s got a few tricks up his sleeve. “When you do something like that and it’s successful, you want to try and do it again, or do it better,” he said, laughing.
Birthplace: Masset, Haida Gwaii, B.C.
Currently listening to: ’90s hiphop
Where you live now: North Vancouver
When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Exactly what I am doing right now
Highest level of education: Trade school, Red Seal carpenter, BCIT Currently reading: Something about building science, and BIV newspaper of course
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Profession you would most like to try: Oh so many... probably a real estate broker
I was spending day and night just dreaming and designing and creating this project. What it ended up as was exactly as intended or better. It couldn’t be better
Toughest business or professional decision: Each time we decide to grow a little more, it’s a tough and sleepless decision. So far, so good Advice you would give the younger you: Do whatever it takes to save and invest more capital into real estate and development projects. Take
care of yourself and be healthy and active What’s left to do: Stick with the game plan, stay surrounded with amazing and smart people. Continue building the diverse portfolio of worldclass-type projects. See where the wind blows us
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Chris Goward Age
38
Founder and CEO, WiderFunnel
C
hris Goward, the founder and CEO of marketing firm WiderFunnel, summons the examples of Richard Branson and Gandhi to make a point that there’s more than one template when it comes to being a successful leader. “Every leader has their own style,” said Goward, who is lauded as a pioneer in the way that modern marketing campaigns are assessed. G owa rd lau nched WiderFu n nel in 2007 with the idea of improving business for clients through rigorous website testing and a system for improving conversion rates. Before long the company had gained heavy-hitter clients like Tourism British Columbia, Telus (TSX:T) and Vancity. WiderFunnel’s client list also includes the likes of Google (Nasdaq:GOOG), eBay (Nasdaq:EBAY) and Electronic Arts (Nasdaq:EA). Goward also works as a mentor and coach for other entrepreneurs. He’s a busy guy, which spurs the question: how does a person like him not get spread too thin? “I think that’s a challenge that every entrepreneur faces,” Goward said. “Especially at a company that’s not [composed of] hundreds of employees. What I’ve done just to be as effective as I can is to focus on the things that I’m best at, and trust the team to do what they’re best at.” He said he tries to give his staff the freedom to make decisions, but also the responsibility that goes along with those decisions. “I try to give people enough rope so they can do what they want, but not so much that they can hang themselves.” Goward said his leadership style has evolved over the years. “I guess I would describe it as open, authentic
Birthplace: Inuvik, N.W.T. Where you live now: Vancouver, B.C. Highest level of education: B.Comm. in entrepreneurship Currently reading: Certain to Win: The Strategy of John Boyd Applied to Business by Chet Richards; The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday; How the Body Knows Its Mind by
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communication, and somewhat participatory. I believe good ideas can come from anywhere in the organization.” When Goward got started, the ad industry was selling “smoke and mirrors,” he said. “Agencies were trying to win awards for cleverness rather than trying to improve results for businesses.” Goward’s work through WiderFunnel and other projects has helped to bring testing into the industry to prove whether or not a marketing campaign is working. “Everything we do for our clients is tested, statistically and significantly, to find out whether these ideas actually improve their business results,” he said. “At the end of the day that’s all that matters.”
Everything we do for our clients is tested, statistically and significantly, to find out whether these ideas actually improve their business results. At the end of the day that’s all that matters
Sian Beilock; The Soulmate Experience by Joe Dunn and Mali Apple
Profession you would most like to try: Weekend jazz musician playing my sax
Currently listening to: v2.0 by GoGo Penguin
Toughest business or professional decision: Every day in the first few years, wondering if it would ever feel stable or if this was the month it would stop working
When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: I always wanted to be in business, from my first lemonade stand
Advice you would give the younger you: It’s all about good people.
Trust your intuition. Reward yourself along the way. Good lawyers are worth it. Never compare with others. If you’re not happy, change something What’s left to do: So much! I really feel like I’m just beginning to figure out some useful things in life and business
2015-11-18 11:53 AM
30 | Forty under 40 2015 published by Business in VAncouver
Cody Green Age
30
Founder, co-CEO, Canada Drives
C
ody Green talks like the manager of a professional sports team. The founder and co-CEO of the quickly expanding Canada Drives says things like: the “common purpose” and the “common goal” when discussing his staff. He talks about “keeping the team moving in the right direction.” It makes sense. The former car salesman says his boyhood dream was to play baseball for the Toronto Blue Jays. Instead, he founded and helps run his Vancouver-based company, an online service that allows customers to complete a credit application at home and then find out which kind of vehicle and which kind of finance plan they qualify for. It saves them the hassle of shopping around for a car they like only to find out they don’t qualify for the financing plan. Green started the company in 2010 after working as a car salesman. More than 500,000 people have applied for financing through Canada Drives. “There were a few realizations I had when I was working at the car dealerships,” he said. “As a single person, no matter how good you are at sales, there’s only a finite amount of hours in a day that you could actually engage with people and help customers out. There was only so much time I had.” He said the car sales industry was slow to catch up with digital technology, and that caused inefficiencies in sales when customers would choose a car only to get rejected based on credit. Green said the industry should operate the other way around. “The financing aspect was really important,” he said. It turned out to be the key determining factor in which car people ended up buying. Canada Drives has been expanding at a rapid pace, its staff growing from
Birthplace: Salmon Arm, B.C. Where you live now: Vancouver, B.C. Highest level of education: Diploma, music Currently reading: The Devil’s Casino by Vicky Ward
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about 10 people to nearly 100. “The things you do when you have 10 people don’t work when you have close to 100 people, so you have to fundamentally change as a leader,” Green said. “When there is a handful of people working for you it’s really easy to keep everyone accountable, keep everyone on the same page. Culture becomes one of the things you have to address, and making sure that everyone is still moving in the same direction like they were when there were only a few people.” Learning how to delegate, while keeping everyone engaged, has been the key to his leadership. He said common strategies and goals have to permeate through every aspect of the business.
Currently listening to: Alternative (Broken Bells) When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Play for the Toronto Blue Jays
The things you do when you have 10 people don’t work when you have close to 100 people, so you have to fundamentally change as a leader
Profession you would most like to try: Still play for the Toronto Blue Jays Toughest business or professional decision: Expanding our staff from six people to more than 100 in a little over a year
Advice you would give the younger you: Trust your instincts What’s left to do: The automotive and financial landscape in Canada is changing so quickly. The goal is always to stay ahead of the curve and continue to innovate
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Carla Guerrera Age
39
Vice-president, planning and community development, Darwin Properties
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hen you’re handling massive land development projects like Carla Guerrera does on a daily basis, you need to figure out how to get a lot of important people to say “yes” to your ideas. After handling more than $600 million worth of such projects in Toronto, Vancouver and across B.C., the vicepresident of planning and development at Darwin Properties feels that she knows how to get the responses she seeks. “Every single person who touches a real estate or land development project comes with their own lens and their own set of ideals,” she said. “It’s about first and foremost having a clear vision, and making sure that you’ve consulted with and met with all of the stakeholders of a project.” Large development projects touch a lot of people, she said. “They need to understand where you’re coming from and see that you’re communicating some of their goals and objectives with your vision.” And any development project must run a gauntlet of review, approval and opposition. “I think once we can get really clear about what a city and a community wants to see on a specific site, we can usually put together a project that helps to align to those goals and objectives,” she said. “A lot of times it’s rooting through the weeds a little bit to get clear on what municipal staff or council or community members really want to see with a specific property that we have under development.” Guerrera says her most important lessons have been born out of mistakes on projects, or ideas that have
Birthplace: Belleville, Ontario Where you live now: North Vancouver Highest level of education: Master of urban planning from Queen’s University Currently reading: The Big Leap by Gay Henricks Currently listening to: Julia Finnegan’s debut CD Thoughts Collide. A brilliant 17-year-old
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broken down. Collaboration, communication and clarity are the pillars of any big project, she said. “Oftentimes, in my experience, when teams fall down or projects fall down, it’s usually about one of those things that are breaking down.” W hen ref lecting on her success, Guerrera points to her ability to find assets i n appa rent wea k spots of projects. “Being able to take those gnarly edges of a project … and then turn them into what’s really the most celebrated component or aspect of a project is something that I’ve really done consistently in all of my work,” she said. “It’s finding that golden nugget.”
singer-songwriter who happens to be my talented niece When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: I didn’t have a desired career path, but I was exceptionally environmentally and community-focused for my age. I knew I wanted to focus on creating better communities for us to live in Profession you would most like to try: Psychologist
Being able to take those gnarly edges of a project … and then turn them into what’s really the most celebrated component or aspect of a project is something that I’ve really done consistently in all of my work
Toughest business or professional decision: Quitting law school at UBC after first year to pursue urban planning Advice you would give the younger you: First, get to know your strengths – your genuine assets that set you apart – and trust in them. Second, surround yourself with inspiring people who can mentor you as you move through the phases of your
career. I am so incredibly grateful to those who have invested their time and energy to provide guidance and mentorship over the years What’s left to do: My work has inherently been focused on mitigating climate change impacts in our built environment, but our industry could do more to really tackle this major challenge
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32 | Forty under 40 2015 published by Business in VAncouver
Karina Hayat Age
37
President, co-founder, Prizm Media
W
hen Karina Hayat, the president and co-founder of Prizm Media, was a child in Guatemala, she envisioned herself growing up to be a woman who worked in a lab coat – maybe even as a doctor. After immigrating to Canada as a political refugee and studying biology, Hayat eventually did find her calling, and it had a connection to health care. Initially launching Prizm Media in 2001 as a health and beauty product ecommerce site, Hayat eventually found a problem in the online market that required a fix. “We realized there were a lot of issues with the industry, specifically in the online marketing,” she said. “There was a lot of fraud going on.” She said the company opted to redirect its focus onto generating leads for health-care companies selling products aiming to curb obesity, diabetes and other health problems. “We help those who have already been diagnosed with chronic conditions securely connect with doctors and pharmacies,” Hayat said. Without any formal business training or mentorship and with scant capital, Hayat had to learn on the go. “There were no programs that taught you Internet marketing; there weren’t any of those courses at school,” she said, looking back on the early days of the business. “So we had to self-learn the entire process.” Hyatt said “pure grit” was enough to overcome challenges. “Whenever a mistake was made, whenever we didn’t succeed with something, we didn’t give up.” She said even though Prizm isn’t a pharmacy or health-care provider, it does help to connect those with health problem s to t he ph a r m acies a nd
equipment they need on a daily basis. “This allows us to improve the delivery of health care every single day, and we’re making an impact every single day.” Hayat said she comes by her persistence honestly. Her father, a teacher, had to work two jobs to make ends meet and rode scholarships through his university education. Her mother was a surgical nurse who, becase she didn’t have enough money for schooling, spent five years volunteering at a hospital in exchange for formal education. Her parents’ experiences and her upbringing have “everything to do” with her success today, Hayat said, adding that her husband (and partner at Prizm), Zeeshan Hayat, has also been a “guiding light.”
Birthplace: Guatemala City (El Limón)
Profits (Greg Crabtree), Don Quixote (Miguel de Cervantes)
Where you live now: Vancouver
Currently listening to: Maria Callas, El Gordo, Outlandish, Calvin Harris, Ella Fitzgerald
Highest level of education: Second year biological sciences at Douglas College Currently reading: In Pursuit of Principle and Profit (Alan Reder), Execution Without the Drama (Patrick Thean), Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big
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When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: An inventor with superhero powers Profession you would most like to try: Opera singer and doctor
This allows us to improve the delivery of health care every single day, and we’re making an impact every single day
Toughest business or professional decision: Taking on the challenge of starting a business while working two part-time jobs and going to college full-time despite my lack of experience or capital Advice you would give the younger you: Don’t overanalyze missed opportunities. Don’t worry so much about what people think. Take care of your soul and family first. Be
content regardless of the outcome. Live for the pursuit of impact and embrace the journey What’s left to do: Transforming the way health care is delivered to patients for the purpose of improving health outcomes
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Jessica Hollander Age
33
Director of marketing, Carruthers & Humphrey
S
ome people just can’t sit still. Enter Jessica Hollander, director of marketing and communications at Carruthers & Humphrey, a well-established Vancouver cosmetic dermatology clinic. From flipping homes on the volatile Vancouver market to consulting on passion projects (Red Crown pomegranate juice, for example) to chairing galas for the Children’s Wish Foundation (she’s a board member and marketing adviser for the foundation’s B.C. and Yukon chapter), Hollander has never been one to back down from a challenge. Chalk it up in part to being the child of ambitious parents. “I grew up with two very entrepreneurial parents who were both executives,” said Hollander. “I went to work with my mom when I was nine; she put me to work in various business settings.” Yet she felt a pull toward other disciplines too. “Art was always a big part of my life,” she said. It wasn’t until high school that Hollander discovered her perfect nexus between art and business, and a future marketing and communications executive was born. Hollander has made remarkable progress since studying marketing communications management at the British Columbia Institute of Technol ogy (BCIT). Between 2012 and 2014, while working for Jostle Corp. as director of marketing, she expanded the company’s customer base from five to hundreds in over 120 countries worldwide. In 2013 she began work with the Children’s Wish Foundation. She attributes some of her success to the opportunities provided her during her time working at Roland Canada, which supported her through her studies at BCIT. But the lion’s share can be
Birthplace: Richmond, B.C. Where you live now: Vancouver, B.C. Highest level of education: Marketing communications, BCIT Currently reading: The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz Currently listening to: Sunny by Bobby Hebb and Barcelona by Giulia y los Tellarini
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pinned to her personal growth. “It really comes down to knowing your values, intrinsically, and knowing what makes you happy outside of the professional noise,” she said. “I really care about making an impact.” That’s not to say she eschews the values of good business. “I love making people money. But at some stage, you want to do something that has a more profound impact.” Hollander is also bridging a relationship between Emily Carr University and the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation. She’s helped create a five-year scholarship fund connected to a benefit event that sees internationally renowned designers create a unique dining experience for benefactors.
When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Veterinarian. I was constantly bringing home wounded animals from school. My mom was great about it, until I showed up with a pot-bellied pig Profession you would most like to try: If I could spend my time exploring new places and tasting delicious foods, I would. I’d have to say a travel and food writer for Condé Nast
It really comes down to knowing your values, intrinsically, and knowing what makes you happy outside of the professional noise
Toughest business or professional decision: My most recent was an unplanned job change. I had opportunities arise in the spring, and not all based in Vancouver. It was a good opportunity for me to evaluate where I was, and what I wanted to work towards. I opted to make a move, challenge myself and explore a new industry. I couldn’t be happier with my decision
Advice you would give the younger you: Where you focus your energy is where you will grow – so be conscious of your thoughts and time. Being called “tenacious” is a compliment – so own it. The best relationships you build will come from being open and vulnerable – practise sharing. Most importantly, find your tribe. They will inspire, support and challenge you more than you can imagine
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34 | Forty under 40 2015 published by Business in VAncouver
James Iranzad Age
39
Founder and president, Gooseneck Hospitality
J
ames Iranzad, founder and president of Gooseneck Hospitality, operates three critically acclaimed restaurants with his business partner, Josh Pape. Gooseneck comprises Wildebeest, Bufala and Supermarine, a burgeoning trio of restaurants that has more than 90 employees and boasts revenues of $57 million. In an already uber-competitive industry, Iranzad has managed to carve out a strong share of a market dominated by chains that regularly post revenues of more than double Gooseneck’s. He does it, he said, by standing close to his values. “We make it a point to stay independent and to try new things,” he said. His values, if his restaurants are an indication, ref lect his personality. Each boasts a unique style, form and content on the plate, demonstrating passion for variety that bespeaks his studies in art history and Shakespearean literature at the University of Brit ish Columbia. “It’s an appreciation for beautiful things,” said Iranzad, who has been described as a renaissance man and a legend in the Vancouver restaurant industry. “[Restaurants] can be an amazing measuring stick of how society is performing at large.” He’s doing his part to prove Vancouver is performing well indeed. Wildebeest has garnered local awards for best new restaurant and best new design, and Bufala and Supermarine are already receiving critical acclaim. He attributes much of his success to the quality of his employees, staff he’s attracted by making his company what he terms “a great place to work.” It’s
Birthplace: Tehran, Iran Where you live now: Kitsilano Highest level of education: BA from UBC in art history and Shakespearean studies Currently reading: Trying Not to Try: The Art and Science of Spontaneity, written by my friend Edward Slingerland
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not an easy task while competing with companies that, with revenues of over $100 million, have deep pockets to secure and retain talent on the payroll. “I’m prov id ing a stimu lating environment where our staff can continue to learn and thrive,” he said. It doesn’t hurt that Gooseneck provides industry-leading employee compensation and benefits. Yet for a l l h i s success, I ra n zad understands the struggle faced by many restaurateurs in the city. He’s an active board member of the Vancouver Hospitality Foundation, a registered charity that helps people in the restaurant industry in times of need.
Currently listening to: Leon Bridges, Chet Baker, The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: A defence attorney and striker for Manchester United Profession you would most like to try: Writer
[Restaurants] can be an amazing measuring stick of how society is performing at large
Toughest business or professional decision: My toughest professional decision came at the beginning of my career, fresh out of my undergrad. It was deciding which single path to dedicate all that young energy and passion to, making sure I could be creative and fulfilled, and live
a happy life. While the path seemed daunting, the decision – ultimately – turned out not to be so challenging Advice you would give the younger you: Slow your roll, kid ... and buy more real estate
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David Jordan Age
39
Executive director, First Vancouver Theatre Space Society
D
avid Jordan, executive director of First Vancouver Theatre Space Society, which produces the Vancouver Fringe Festival, discovered his love for theatre during his formative high school years. But before the curtain would drop on his search for a stage to call his own, he travelled and studied around the world. Those high school years were formative in part because of opportunities that developed his abilities as a director and production manager. Jordan was double-timing – taking college preparation courses while remaining enrolled in his high school’s theatre class – when opportunity came knocking. “Our drama teacher had to go on leave for personal reasons at that time, and so I ended up co-directing our play for the drama festival,” said Jordan. “We took on a lot of responsibility.” The seed was planted, but Jordan had more work to do before the budding director within would be exposed to the spotlight. He did some of that work with an exchange program called Canada World Youth during which he lived in both rural Quebec and Tunisia. “Both of these immersive cultural experiences broadened my world view hugely,” said Jordan. He went on to get a bachelor’s degree in drama for human development from Concordia University in Montreal, and then to Ohio University for his master’s in directing. While living in Montreal, Jordan and his wife decided to move to Vancouver, where Jordan saw “a hotbed of new theatre directors and creators.” When he took over as executive director 11 years ago, the festival was facing a $100,000 deficit. Under Jordan’s direction, the festival has climbed
Birthplace: Prince George, B.C. Where you live now: East Vancouver Highest level of education: Master of fine arts, Ohio University, professional directing theatre Currently reading: The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck
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out of debt, nearly doubled attendance, doubled revenue and quadrupled sponsorship revenues. For his part, Jordan humbly defers much of the credit, professing he knew nothing about financial management and acknowledging his dependence on others. His role with the First Vancouver Theatre Space Society completed the circle that he had started to draw during those pivotal early years in the youth exchange program. “I was a strong, outspoken young man,” he said. His mentor called him on it. “She said to me, ‘Sometimes leadership comes by making space for other people.’ She taught me to value the power of a team.”
Currently listening to: Radiolab podcasts When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Actor Profession you would most like to try: Author of children’s books Toughest business or professional decision: In my first year, we
She said to me, ‘Sometimes leadership comes by making space for other people.’ She taught me to value the power of a team
had to close operations for a box office that served the theatre community. It was an important service, but we just didn’t have the resources at the time to right the ship once it began to leak – working capital, business plan or human resources. That decision affected a lot of
people both internally and externally. Although it was hard, doing that allowed us to focus on our core operations (the Fringe Festival) and grow sustainably from that place of scaled-back operations Advice you would give the younger you: Start with an audit and take accounting courses
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36 | Forty under 40 2015 published by Business in VAncouver
Zachary Killam Age
35
Founder and CEO, Play Taxi Media, One Taxi, Play Charging
I
f you’ve caught a cab in Vancouver lately – or any other major Canadian city – you may have amused yourself with a tablet-like touch-screen terminal that plays videos and lets you pass the time playing skill-testing games. You may have ca lled that cab in the first place using an app called One Taxi. And you might even have charged your smartphone in the cab using a complimentary device called Play Charging. All three of these innovations were created by the same 35-year-old entrepreneur – Zach Killam, founder and CEO of Play Taxi Media, One Taxi and Play Charging. K illam’s career as a serial entrepreneur began in university. He ran a vending machine company while pursuing a political science degree at University of British Columbia, and later earned a law degree. He spent three years as a lawyer specializing in business law, including mergers and acquisitions. With traditional media advertising going through a major disruption, Killam realized taxicabs were an ideal advertising “vehicle” because they have captive audiences. “What is great about the taxi is that you have someone captive for 15 minutes, on average,” Killam said. In 2008, Killam and his business partner, Steve Lowry, launched Play Taxi Media, raised $5 million in investment capital and secured international licensing agreements. The company is now valued at $25 million and has its touch screens in 1,400 cabs across Canada. The Play Taxi Media advertising network reaches 1.8 million people and delivers 100 million video impressions, nine million page
Birthplace: Vancouver Where you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Law degree, UBC Currently reading: The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster by Darren Hardy
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views and 12,000 hours of interaction time each month. In 2013, Killam launched One Taxi, which traditional taxi companies pay a licensing fee to use to provide some functions that are similar to what the Uber app provides. A year later, he launched Play Charging – a smartphone fast charger that cab companies can install in their cabs as a convenience for customers. Play Charging generates revenue through brand sponsorships from companies like Telus (TSX:T) and Just-Eat.ca. “Play Charging has been profitable from inception and won Canada’s most prestigious media award – the gold-medal Media Innovation Award in 2014,” Killam said.
Currently listening to: A lot of AC/DC When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: An entrepreneur Profession you would most like to try: Air force fighter pilot
What is great about the taxi is that you have someone captive for 15 minutes, on average
Toughest business or professional decision: Deciding to stop being a lawyer and start a company Advice you would give the younger you: Create an advisory board composed of people with direct knowledge of the industry you want to start a
business in. This will help you by leaps and bounds What’s left to do: Take a company to a billion-dollar valuation; get married; have kids; buy a larger sailboat; sail around the world
2015-11-18 2:50 PM
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Farhan Lalani Age
37
Founder and CEO, Market One Media Group
I
f Wall Street or Boiler Room is playing on a TV anywhere near Farhan Lalani, it’s going to be tough to drag him away from the screen. Growing up in a family where the capital markets were frequent fodder for dinner-table discussions, the 37-year-old said it wasn’t long before he was addicted to any movie featuring brokers. “That’s where my passion was,” said Lalani, the founder and CEO of Market One Media Group. His parents, who arrived in Canada as refugees from Uganda in the 1970s, paid for private schooling when he was young and kept him inspired to pursue his passions later on in life. He eventually turned that passion for broker films into a career in the markets during his 20s, first as an analyst and then as an investment adviser. But as the economy slowed in the late 2000s and early 2010s, Lalani’s passions drifted from the markets and toward marketing. “The companies are having a tougher time and there’s just less business being done,” he said. “It just became a difficult climate.” Lalani began helping companies struggling to find capital by getting them media attention through sponsored print pieces in newspapers like the Province. “Basically the floodgates opened. All these public companies said, ‘Hey, this guy’s in the paper. That guy’s in the paper. How do I get in the paper?’”
Birthplace: Toronto Where you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Bachelor of arts – double major in economics and psychology Currently reading: The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz Currently listening to: Human Nature – Michael Jackson
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he recalled. Lalani soon realized he could expand those opportunities for both Market One Media Group and its clients by focusing on national and digital sponsored content pieces running across different Postmedia publications and platforms. “It’s almost a pet project now to me to revolutionize how companies get their message out,” he said. “I always find if you’re passionate about what you do, you’re going to be successful.”
When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: No. 23 starting guard for the Chicago Bulls Profession you would most like to try: Hotelier Toughest business or professional decision: Leaving a successful job as a stock broker to venture out on my own and execute on
I always find if you’re passionate about what you do, you’re going to be successful
my vision of where I saw the future of digital media
in a two-year time frame and get there in 18 months
Advice you would give the younger you: Be passionate about whatever it is you are going to do with your life and reverse engineer both your personal and professional success. Determine what it’s going to take to be the best in your field
What’s left to do: Teach my newborn son everything I know
2015-11-18 11:53 AM
38 | Forty under 40 2015 published by Business in VAncouver
Jamil Murji Age
38
President and CEO, Inter-Urban Delivery Service Ltd.
J
amil Murji, president and CEO of Inter-Urban Delivery Service Ltd., appeared destined to be a numbers man. Even as a young boy he showed an uncanny proclivity for crunching data. “When I was in elementary school I did one of those surveys about what career I wanted,” he said. “Out popped ‘analyst.’ I didn’t even know what that meant.” He soon learned. After obtaining an undergraduate degree from Simon Fraser University in computer science he got an MBA from the Richard Ivy School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. After graduating he was faced with choosing which area of business he wanted to pursue. Never one to make decisions without careful research, Murji set to work investigating which career would best suit his abilities. He took 50 meetings with career professionals across a spectrum of jobs, grilling them on the details of their work and taking note of those elements that he felt would best suit his skills. He distilled the information and decided on a job conducting equity research for a big bank. Soon after, he found a position with BMO, where he stayed for nine years analyzing companies’ financial strategies and stock trends. But the dream of owning and running his own business never left him. With personal investment capital in hand he set out to find and purchase a business. Any area of business, he reasoned, would satisfy him. But he was very particular about the specific qualities of the business he would purchase. First, he wanted a business with a motivated seller, not an opportunistic owner, or one just testing the waters. Nor did
Birthplace: Calgary, Alberta Where you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: MBA Currently reading: Transportation Systems: A Canadian Perspective, published by CITT;
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he want a business with a significant problem. Secondly, he wanted a business that was scalable and that had a strong customer base in a niche market. “Over 10 months, I looked at 61 companies,” Murji said. With relentless drive, he read their books, analyzed their customer base and checked out their market segments. In the end, he decided on Inter-Urban. Since then, he’s expanded the company from 10 to more than 50 employees. With more than $6.5 million in revenue, an 11,000-square-foot warehouse and same-day service to the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley and Washington state, Inter-Urban has become a fastgrowing industry leader.
Scaling Up by Verne Harnish; The Number by Lee Eisenberg Currently listening to: Kings of Leon; music podcast Private Sessions by Nuno Carvalho
When I was in elementary school I did one of those surveys about what career I wanted. Out popped ‘analyst.’ I didn’t even know what that meant
When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: A business owner
Toughest business or professional decision: Quit a lucrative job in finance to buy a business
Profession you would most like to try: University professor
Advice you would give the younger you: Persevere. If it were easy, everyone would do it
2015-11-18 11:53 AM
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Leon Ng Age
33
Founder, LNG Studios and the Real Estate Channel
W
hen Leon Ng first began working in the film industry as a production assistant, his parents were hesitant to give his career choice a ringing endorsement. “They were like, ‘Are you sure you want to be a starving artist?’” recalled the founder of LNG Studios and the Real Estate Channel. “After seeing how passionate I was about what I was doing, they were very supportive.” Granted, the 33-year-old is no longer a production assistant, which makes it easier for his parents to give their stamps of approval. When he was looking to start his own business in the late 2000s, Ng said there was a big gap to be bridged between the real estate market and 3D scanning technology used for viewing homes and businesses remotely. Because his passion was already in animation and gaming, he felt it a natural fit to offer 3D rendering services for both the exteriors and interiors of buildings. And Ng said it wasn’t a coincidence that he launched the services in Vancouver instead of Hong Kong, where he grew up. “Vancouver, especially in real estate, has experienced a lot of growth,” he said. “A lot of big gaming studios are from here, a lot of big film studios are from here. It was quite easy for us to find some good talent, and a lot of our clients were open to trying new things.” Going along with his background in video production, Ng also co-founded the Real Estate Channel when he was in his mid-20s. The channel, which broadcasts both via TV and online,
Birthplace: Singapore Where you live now: West Vancouver Highest level of education: Bachelor of arts in film studies, Queen’s University; diploma, New York Film Academy, Vancouver Film School Currently reading: The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
runs real estate listings and provides viewers with video tours of different listings. Ng’s passion for combining film and technology has been a constant throughout his career. But he also spends his off hours volunteering as a board member for organizations like the St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation and the Vancouver Asian Film Festival. “It’s a way to give back, and in some ways it was a very good learning process for me working with others who are in the same boat,” he said. “Instead of being the boss of your own company, you’re working with different people on the same level.”
Currently listening to: EDM Music (Calvin Harris); Acoustic (Jason Mraz, Ed Sheeran) When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Professional athlete or famous musician/artist Profession you would most like to try: Professional helicopter pilot (for now I will operate drones) Toughest business or professional decision: When first starting
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A lot of big gaming studios are from here, a lot of big film studios are from here. It was quite easy for us to find some good talent, and a lot of our clients were open to trying new things
out, I had to make the tough decision to either start my business in Vancouver or Hong Kong. Looking back today, I’m so grateful that I chose Vancouver Advice you would give the younger you: (1) Focus on one thing you excel at until you have established a strong base in your industry – you can’t be all things to all people. (2) Don’t diversify too quickly; again,
make sure you have a strong base first. (3) Don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions (even if you think they’re stupid) What’s left to do: We’re continuing to explore high-end 3D printing, virtual reality and app development in the coming years. In addition, we’re working on a community-driven project that allows Vancouverites to visualize the past, present and future of the city
2015-11-18 11:53 AM
40 | Forty under 40 2015 published by Business in VAncouver
Manny Padda Age
32
Founder and managing director, New Avenue Capital
M
anny Padda believes in the power of education. With an MBA from Queen’s University and a degree in private equity and venture capital from Harvard, Padda is still learning – he’s currently studying entrepreneurship and innovation at Stanford University. Following a stint at Korn Ferry, a large executive search firm, Padda founded PM Search Partners, a recruitment agency, and New Avenue Capital, a venture capital firm. New Avenue Capital has invested i n loca l Va ncouver sta r tups l i ke myBestHelper, ShareShed and G-Cup. But his passion for education has also led him to incorporate a strong charitable and social venture direction into his business. His goal is to build 1,000 schools to educate one million people around the world, which he says he is doing by investing in Change Heroes, a commercial social enterprise that helps non-profits raise money to build schools, and through his own volunteer work with organizations like Room to Read and Global Agents for Change. “They educate a million and build a thousand schools, that’s what … gave me more of a purpose for what I’m doing now,” he said. Padda sa id he made h is fi rst accumulation of wealth at age 26 after the success of PM Search Partners, but he quickly realized money can’t be the sole motivation for working and building a business. “I don’t think anyone should ever do
Birthplace: Duncan Where you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Queen’s University, MBA; Harvard, private equity and venture capital Currently reading: Berkonomics, Dave Berkus Currently listening to: 5 Little Monkeys, my toddler son’s nursery music
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anything just for the money. I think there should be a passion behind what you’re doing and why you’re doing it, and that’s what gets me up and going to the office every day.” Padda has built a culture of giving back into his businesses. “We have an awesome culture here in the office,” he said. “My wife comes in here all the time and says, ‘You have the best office I’ve ever seen.’ Everyone is so values-centric. … [The staff] all do different [volunteer] projects that give back to the community.”
When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: NBA starting point guard Profession you would most like to try: Astronaut Toughest business or professional decision: Leaving a large firm and steady income to start my own business Advice you would give the younger you: Believe in yourself – because if you don’t, what
There should be a passion behind what you’re doing and why you’re doing it, and that’s what gets me up and going to the office every day
reason does anyone else have to? Don’t take life too seriously. It’s about enjoying the journey and savouring the ride. As an entrepreneur you can take off any day you want. You just never know in advance what day that is What’s left to do: Continue my philanthropy goal of educating one million children and building 1,000 schools around the world. Further
develop New Avenue Capital’s four pillars (recruitment and professional services; venture capital; real estate and private lending; and social venture and philanthropy) and build a selfsustaining organization where I find myself unemployed because my team no longer needs me
2015-11-18 11:53 AM
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Sara Padidar Age
33
Co-founder and principal, Talk Shop Media and LongGame Holdings
W
ith the rise of digital technology has come the birth of a whole new swath of industries – online marketing and social media strategy, just to name a couple. Sara Padidar, co-founder and principal of Talk Shop Media, a Vancouver public relations firm with clients such as Bosa Proper ties, YYoga and TEDx, has watched her industry skyrocket. “Based on my experience, the pace of growth, the direction of growth, the rise and need for every company to think about their public relations strategy and their positioning and reputation, it is really directly related to the rise of digital technology,” said Padidar. “I started my career in the early 2000s, and at that time there was still a lot of traditional practices like faxing a press release, so it’s obviously come a long way since then.” Having worked with a wide variety of organizations including major players such as Toyota, Rio Tinto Alcan, the BC Securities Commission, Seventh Generation and the Vancouver White caps, she now serves as an instructor at Simon Fraser University for the public relations certificate program and for the University of British Columbia’s digital communications and planning program, offering over a decade of experience to the next generation. Padidar said part of her job now involves tempering expectations as digital communications become more inte-
Birthplace: Kitimat Where you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Bachelor of arts from UBC Currently reading: 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam, and before bed I read a lot of Curious George with my daughter
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grated into companies’ business plans. “We definitely aren’t seeing the hype that we saw five or seven years ago, where it was seen as a fix-all or this silver bullet of an option. But now what we’re seeing is companies looking to social media to help increase their credibility and awareness levels – and help drive some traffic as part of their marketing strategy. But really it’s just one piece of that pie.”
Currently listening to: Anything by Hunter Hayes or Drake When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Hair stylist Profession you would most like to try: Chef Toughest business or professional decision: Adapting from running a business on my own to entering into a partnership with two others. My business partners challenged my
We definitely aren’t seeing the hype that we saw five or seven years ago, where it was seen as a fix-all or this silver bullet of an option
practices and approach for the better, but it didn’t always feel comfortable. In the end I have become a better leader and more focused strategist. I have embraced the parts of the business I am good at and let go of the bits where others have more suitable expertise Advice you would give the younger you: Empower your team. Our most significant periods of growth at Talk Shop came after
we provided more autonomy and opportunity to our talented team What’s left to do: Lots! Expand our commercial real estate portfolio at LongGame, continue to lead in creative digital, media and influencer communications strategies at Talk Shop and further explore how we can work smarter and achieve more work-life balance within the agency
2015-11-18 11:53 AM
42 | Forty under 40 2015 published by Business in VAncouver
Meredith Powell Age
38
Co-founder, the Next Big Thing
M
eredith Powell admits feeling awestruck the first time she did a closing show during New York Fashion Week. “I didn’t grow up with any fashion connections at all. I started my first business with a loan from Gulf and Fraser [G&F Financial Group] out of my apartment in downtown Vancouver,” said the co-founder of the Next Big Thing, a non-profit group providing mentorship to young entrepreneurs. “To be in New York at the closing show with my collection going down the runway was truly a moment I will never forget.” After learning to code in the late 1990s, Powell began building websites for small business. But she was soon merging her passion for fashion and technology by getting into e-commerce. Powell founded a fashion distribution firm and brand management agency that led to partnerships with brands like H&M, Saks and Urban Outfitters. “It was a very natural fit. The fashion business is very similar to tech. It moves very quickly; it’s filled with incredibly ambitious, thought-leading people,” she said. “And I found at an early age I had a real nose for the next hot trend.” Powell said one of the few regrets she has is not becoming an entrepreneur sooner in life, waiting until she graduated from the University of British
Birthplace: North Vancouver Where you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Bachelor of arts, English literature and film (UBC) Currently reading: The Golden Compass trilogy by Philip Pullman Currently listening to: Tame Impala, War on Drugs, Kendrick
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Columbia in 1999. It’s one of the reasons why it’s so important for her to mentor the young entrepreneurs coming through the Next Big Thing or the Launch Academy incubator. “In everything I’ve done, I’ve given passionately. And I really believe that’s why I’ve had any of the success I’ve had,” she said. “I care so much, and on the flip side, I’ve really paid it forward.”
Lamar, Father John Misty, oldschool hip-hop When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Reporter for National Geographic Profession you would most like to try: Producer/creative director at Vice Toughest business or professional decision: To exit from my first
The fashion business is very similar to tech. It moves very quickly; it’s filled with incredibly ambitious, thought-leading people
company (Canadian scope) and found two new agencies focused on U.S./international market growth with nothing but a small bank loan secured against my car and condo
there right now. When I was younger I thought asking for help was vulnerable or weak. Now, I understand it’s exactly the opposite: sharing is smart business
Advice you would give the younger you: You are never alone. Talk to enough good people about the challenges you’re facing and you’ll always find someone who’s been there before or is
2015-11-18 11:53 AM
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Raman Randhawa Age
38
Vice-president, finance, operations, Goldcorp Inc.
W
ork as a chartered accountant in Vancouver for a firm like Ernst & Young, and chances are good you will end up doing some work for a mining company. That’s how Raman Randhawa, at the age of 27, ended up working for a pipsqueak upstart called Silver Wheaton when it was on the cusp of becoming Goldcorp Inc. (TSX:G) – now the world’s largest gold mining company by market capitalization. “When I got hired on, the office literally had 12 people in the head office at that time,” Randhawa said. It now has more than 200 employees in Vancouver, and 19,000 worldwide. Born in Richmond, Randhawa earned an administration degree from Simon Fraser University. After graduation, he went to work for EY, and there earned his chartered accountant designation. Randhawa worked as audit manager for Placer Dome – at the time one of Vancouver’s biggest mining companies. He caught the attention of Silver Wheaton founder Ian Telfer, who brought him on board right around the time the company was merging with Goldcorp. He has had half a dozen roles with the company, where he has done financial reporting, budget forecasting, mergers and acquisitions. “It was interesting to be part of a company that just kept growing from M&A,” Randhawa said. “Ian would just keep doing deal after deal, which would land on our plates.” In 2012, Randhawa was promoted to vice-president of finance and operations, making him the company’s youngest VP. He spent three years in Toronto as Goldcorp’s regional finance director for its Canada-U.S. operations. There, he realized that there were
Birthplace: Richmond, B.C. Where you live now: North Delta Highest level of education: Chartered accountant designation Currently reading: Winning by Jack Welch Currently listening to: Country music
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potential savings by consolidating its supply chain. “We’re all buying the same tires, we’re all buying the same cyanide from the same supplier,” he said. “So let’s get global contracts in place and have some global Goldcorp contracts that drive and leverage volume.” Goldcorp gave him the green light, and, by creating a global supply chain department, he was able to carve $120 million from the company’s costs annually. Randhawa’s career goal is to become a C-suite executive. “Ultimately I want to be a top executive at a large public corporation – ideally Goldcorp. I have a personal attachment to the company just because I’ve been there from Day 1.”
When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: A lawyer Profession you would most like to try: Investment banking Toughest business or professional decision: Financial management of the Canada-U.S. region through the 2008 global recession, which involved tough decisions with respect
Ultimately I want to be a top executive at a large public corporation – ideally Goldcorp. I have a personal attachment to the company just because I’ve been there from Day 1
to capital prioritization and allocation
balance between career and your personal life
Advice you would give the younger you: Work hard, play hard. Despite the natural tendency for professionals to work hard, it is just as important to remember to play hard, which would be taking time out for yourself, family and friends. The key to success is a healthy
What’s left to do: Reach an executive level. In addition, I recently joined the Mining for Miracles committee and I want to help grow that charity. Lastly, but most importantly, my wife and I are expecting our first child in November and I am looking forward to becoming a father
2015-11-18 11:53 AM
44 | Forty under 40 2015 published by Business in VAncouver
Ryan Spong Age
39
CEO, Food.ee
R
yan Spong and his business partner had been running a prefabricated buildings firm for three years when the bootstrapped entrepreneurs began facing cash flow problems due to a problem client. “We had to lay people off; we had to sell the assets,” said the CEO of Vancouver-based Food.ee, an online lunch delivery service. “People talk about success. The thing is, you don’t learn much from success … but with failure, you have a lot of time to sit around and think about what went wrong.” Spong began his own professional career with a lot of time to sit around and think. A s a n E ng l i sh l iteratu re g raduate still trying to figure out what he wanted to do in life, he got a job licking stamps at a stock brokerage in the late 1990s. He parlayed the mailroom job into a career in finance and later departed Vancouver for New York to work at Barclays Capital upon completing his master of business administration degree. The construction business came after he returned to the West Coast to pursue his wife-to-be, and for a year or two Spong had to digest everything that went wrong. But he applied those lessons to his next venture, the Tacofino Mexican food truck. The experience running a successful business in the food industry – Tacofino now employs about 100 people at about a half-dozen locations – eventually led him to Food.ee. “I was a restaurant owner with some fundamental problems with what the
Birthplace: Vancouver Where you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: MBA at University of Toronto Currently reading: Alistair McLeod, No Great Mischief
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options were for online ordering,” said Spong. Instead of having to deliver consumer orders at peak lunch hours, the CEO said he was drawn to a company that had a business model centred on delivering meals to offices. That means all orders have to be placed and prepared before lunch, allowing the restaurants to generate revenue during slow periods. “You’re sitting there as a 16-year-old or a 20-year-old or whatever, going, ‘You know what, if this was my joint this is how I’d do it and it would be better,’” Spong said. “Now as an adult I actually have this opportunity to play that dream out.”
(fiction); Verne Harnish, Scaling Up (non-fiction) Currently listening to: Rick Ross (to get pumped up), War on Drugs (to chill out) When you were a child, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Batman
You don’t learn much from success … but with failure, you have a lot of time to sit around and think about what went wrong
Profession you would most like to try: Lawyer. I love debating, and I think it would curb this tendency at home Toughest business or professional decision: To leave Wall Street
10,000 hours getting good at it young. The rest will follow What’s left to do: To win this award at home, as decided by my wife and kids
Advice you would give the younger you: Do what you love; spend
2015-11-18 11:53 AM
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Kristine Steuart Age
38
Chief executive officer and cofounder, Allocadia Software
O
n meeting the management team at Allocadia, you could be forgiven for doing a double take. Chief executive officer Kristine Steuart and chief product officer Katherine Berry, who launched marketing performance software company Allocadia in 2010, happen to be identical twin sisters. Steuart said working with her sister is great, because even though they’re twins, they’re very different. “It works because we are complementary to each other, not because we’re the same,” she said. “There are areas she naturally went into, and then others I naturally went into, and so we make a great team together. It’s been like that since starting the company, and continues to be like this even as our roles have changed as the company has grown.” Steuart added this symbiosis doesn’t stop with her sister, but is something the company prides itself in when it comes to its entire leadership. “I also see other co-founder partnerships that work well when they have complementary skills too; you don’t have to be a twin to have this dynamic. The key is finding a partnership where you each bring something unique and strong to the table, and coming together means that you can do something together you just couldn’t do on your own.” Steuart said the end result is a service that lets more than 130 clients keep track of their marketing resources in great detail and in real time. She gave the example of brokerage
Birthplace: Hull, Quebec Where you live now: Vancouver, B.C. Highest level of education: Bachelor of arts at Simon Fraser University, communication Currently reading: Last business book: The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz (loved it). Last fiction book: The Girl on
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company Charles Schwab Corp., one of Allocadia’s biggest customers. “With Allocadia, Charles Schwab’s marketing users know exactly where they stand with their spend at any given point in time. “For example, when the chief marketing officer wants to know how much of the media team’s money is committed, a report can be generated quickly in Allocadia instead of querying different departments and budget managers and emailing numbers back and forth.”
the Train by Paula Hawkins (couldn’t put it down) Currently listening to: I listen to music a lot. One way to rest all the busy thoughts. I listen to all sorts of different things, from Taylor Swift to Aerosmith to Coldplay to Jay Z, etc. When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: I think at one point I wanted to be an astronomer
I also see other cofounder partnerships that work well when they have complementary skills too; you don’t have to be a twin to have this dynamic
Profession you would most like to try: I love tech, I’ve always been drawn to it. But if I had to choose … probably something that involved coffee or wine Toughest business or professional decision: There is a steady stream of tough decisions to make, but the toughest ones are when you’re building a team and have to make changes. Always the hardest
Advice you would give the younger you: Create something! Creating something that comes from you (anything: a project, an event, a campaign). It will feel great, you’ll learn a ton, and you’ll go far in your career What’s left to do: So much to do on the path to achieving our vision of a world where marketers make every dollar count
2015-11-18 11:53 AM
46 | Forty under 40 2015 published by Business in VAncouver
Ryan Tones Age
39
Senior vice-president, Western Canada, Kiewit
E
ven as a boy, Ryan Tones loved to build things. That early passion is still with him as he helms multimillion-dollar civil engineering projects like the Sea-to-Sky Highway and Port Mann/Highway 1 upgrade project. Born a nd ra ised i n Maple R idge, Tones had two uncles who were civil engineers, and when he was 14, he got his first job working in the lumberyard at Haney Builders Supplies, which exposed him to the construction industry. Following in his uncles’ footsteps, Tones studied civil engineering at Brit ish Columbia Institute of Technology for two years, and later earned an applied science degree at the University of British Columbia. In 1999, he was hired by Peter Kiewit and Sons Co., one of the largest construction contractors in North America. His work with Kiewit’s western Canadian division – which he now heads – took him all over Canada. He spent 15 years living in places like Castlegar, Calgary, Edmonton and Fort St. John. Frequent moves can be hard on a relationship, but Tones and his wife, Emma O’Neill, built their respective careers first before building a family. They now have two children, aged four and six. “She and I survived six years of longdistance relationships,” Tones said. When Kiewit won the contract to build the Sea-to-Sky Highway, Tones was brought back to the Lower Mainland as the project manager for $600 million worth of construction work in 2004. In 2009, he was part of the team responsible for $2.5 billion worth of work on the Port Mann/Highway 1 project, which involved about 2,000 workers.
Birthplace: Maple Ridge, B.C. Where you live now: New Westminster Highest level of education: Bachelor’s degree, applied science, civil engineering, UBC, 1999 Currently reading: Einstein: His Life and Universe, by Walter Isaacson; How Will You Measure Your Life by Clayton M. Christensen
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In 2014, Tones was placed in charge of Kiewit’s western Canadian division, and one of his first tasks was to relocate the headquarters from Edmonton to Burnaby, a decision based largely on logistics, since about 350 of the division’s 500 engineers and superintendents live in the Lower Mainland. He ascribes his relatively rapid move up the corporate ladder at a young age to simply being at the right place at the right time. “I started with an organization that was 100 people strong in 1999 and today it’s 500,” he said. “Because there’s been such growth you need to push up your next generation of leadership.”
I started with an organization that was 100 people strong in 1999 and today it’s 500. Because there’s been such growth you need to push up your next generation of leadership
Currently listening to: Home for a Rest by Spirit of the West, Sex on Fire by Kings of Leon, Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks and Haven’t Met You Yet by Michael Bublé
Profession you would most like to try: Sportscaster, but those jobs go to the ex-hockey players. So, either a professor or get involved in local politics to help lead change
When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Like most Canadian kids, a hockey player! Once I realized I couldn’t skate well enough, I wanted to be a doctor, then eventually an engineer
Toughest business or professional decision: The ones no one else wants to make. Stepping into a new geographic market, right-sizing the organization to changes in market conditions, and leading unpopular but
required changes in an organization Advice you would give the younger you: There are always ups and downs in life and in business. Stay true to your values, protect your reputation and take care of your people What’s left to do: Go to Egypt for 40th birthday, pass lessons on to my two boys, and help them establish a sustainable business venture
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Tim Vipond Age
33
Vice-president, corporate finance, Shoes.com
W
hen Tim Vipond joined the fastgrowing Shoes.com in March as the company’s vice-president of corporate finance, he immediately oversaw the completion of a $45 million, non-brokered private placement – the largest such private placement ever completed by a Canadian e-commerce company. Vipond had been working for the company’s owner, Roger Hardy, on a consulting basis. He helped Hardy get into the online shoe-selling business in mid-2014, by working on the transaction that saw Hardy buy both Shoeme.ca and Seattle’s OnlineShoes. com for an undisclosed amount. Other acquisitions followed. “We have a few more potential acquisitions in the pipeline, and I’m working on one seriously,” said Vipond, who came to the company with experience helping handle major corporate transactions. When he worked in strategy and corporate development at Goldcorp Inc., the gold miner made a $2.6 billion unsolicited bid to buy Osisko Min ing Corp. “We approached management several times to try to buy the business but they were not interested, so we bypassed management and the board and went directly to shareholders,” Vipond said. “We wound up being outbid so the deal did not close.” Vipond left his native Victoria in 2001 to earn his BA in sociology at Dartmouth College. “I was recruited by the school and went to play there for the va rsity [squash] team during all four years of my degree,” he said. Degree in hand, Vipond yearned to return to Canada’s West Coast. He
Birthplace: Victoria, B.C.
joined CIBC World Markets in Vancouver in 2005 to work as an investment banker. That led to joining Scotiabank Global Banking and Markets in 2007, when he managed portfolios of high-net-worth clients who, combined, were worth about $120 million. He left that job a few years later to pursue an MBA at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business. Outside of his current role at Shoes. com, Vipond has worked on side projects such as Mathers Pacific Capital Inc., which he founded in 2013. He still runs the venture, which provides practical training for students and financial professionals.
We have a few more potential acquisitions in the pipeline, and I’m working on one seriously
When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Wall Street executive
full-time for an MBA as I wasn’t sure if there would be a return on investment
Currently reading: Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek
Profession you would most like to try: Tropical resort owneroperator
Currently listening to: Mostly audio books
Toughest business or professional decision: Going back to school
Advice you would give the younger you: Buy Vancouver real estate. That, and do something entrepreneurial as early as you possibly can
Where you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: MBA
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What’s left to do: Many exciting initiatives at Shoes.com; bridge the gap between theory and practice through practical training at Mathers Pacific
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48 | Forty under 40 2015 published by Business in VAncouver
Amelia Warren Age
31
CEO, Epicure
I
t’s tough to figure out what you should and shouldn’t be eating these days. Daily diet fads, weight tips and meal tricks are a constant bombardment. Gluten, sugar, carbs, fat – are they good, bad or a little bit of both? For Epicure chief executive officer Amelia Warren, thinking critically about food started with an obvious teacher: her mom, Sylvie Rochette. In 1997 Rochette founded Epicure as a way to educate herself about what she was feeding her family. Warren said the idea was pretty simple, and remains so. “We believe healthy food needs to be delicious if people are going to eat well,” said Warren, who now oversees Epicure’s operations. “It needs to be delicious and wholesome and nourishing. It’s more about having the knowledge and the access to the ingredients to make sure the healthy food you’re eating is delicious too.” Epicure offers a wide range of products from cookware to spices, plus the chance to become a “social entrepreneur” by becoming an Epicure employee and hosting cooking classes. Warren said the company has tapped into the “millennial mom market,” with about 15,000 consultants across Canada who host people in their homes and help them learn about “clean eating.” “What we mean by that is it’s eating whole foods in a form as close to nature as possible,” she said. “Filling half your plate with veggies, limiting processed food and eliminating ultra-processed foods. So our line of herbs and spices as well as our time-saving cookwear
Birthplace: Victoria, B.C. Where you live now: Victoria, B.C. Highest level of education: Undergraduate studies in international development and women’s studies, plus an abundance of amazing educational opportunities through my involvement with YPO Currently reading: Daring Greatly, Brene Brown; Grit to Great, Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin
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really make it possible for people to make healthy meals – to go from raw to ready in 15 or 20 minutes.” Warren said Epicure was also one of the first direct-sales companies to join the Non-GMO Project, a non-profit group that promotes a food supply free of genetically modified ingredients. “It starts with the consumer’s rights to know what they’re eating,” Warren said. “So for us it’s about transparency, and quality and rigour in our sourcing practices and the quality of our ingredients.”
Koval; A Bone to Pick, Mark Bittman Currently listening to: Shake It Off, Taylor Swift When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Professional world saver (yes, I was an ambitious kid – my mom has always taught me that to whom much is given, much is expected, so it’s in my DNA to give back)
What we mean by that is it’s eating whole foods in a form as close to nature as possible. Filling half your plate with veggies, limiting processed food and eliminating ultraprocessed foods
Profession you would most like to try: I seriously can’t imagine doing anything other than what I’m doing now. if I had to pick: content director for TED Toughest business or professional decision: I wish I could pick just one! It’s my job to make tough decisions, and part of why I love what I do Advice you would give the younger you: You are only as good as your people; invest in building
and hiring a great team. You can’t control everything, but what you can control is how you perceive it. So choose to be positive, and choose to fail forward and see the opportunity in the setbacks What’s left to do: Everything! The more I learn, the more I see opportunity to do things new, different and better
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Pook-Ping Yao Age
38
CEO, Optigo Networks
P
ook-Ping Yao was one of those dotcom era wunderkinds who was offered a job with a Vancouver tech company six months before he even graduated from university. The company, semiconductor maker PMC-Sierra Inc. (Nasdaq:PMCS), treated him well, sending him to Israel to work with a new startup it had acquired and allowing him to move up the corporate ladder. But in 2012, after 12 years with the company, he decided to take the entrepreneurial plunge and strike out on his own, co-founding a startup focused on a space that still hasn’t fully evolved yet: the Internet of Things. “I always had in me the desire to be my own boss, to have my own company,” Yao said. Born in Belgium, Yao grew up speaking Flemish, French and Chinese. His family immigrated to Canada when he was five, and he grew up in Montreal. He owes his fascination and facility with technology to his uncle, who was a whiz with electronics. “I saw the magic of technology at a young age while watching my uncle fix TVs, radios and remote controls.” While still at PMC-Sierra, Yao saw that the machine-to-machine space would eventually hit a wall, as high-tech systems turned buildings into smart buildings. With friends-and-family seed financing, he and co-founders Daniel Ronald and Byron Thom founded Optigo Networks, with the idea of developing networking and security management systems for smart buildings. They entered a New Ventures BC competition, which gave them a crash course in running a startup. “We did not do well,” Yao admitted. But one of the judges, Jim Derbyshire,
Birthplace: Brussels, Belgium Where you live now: Coquitlam Highest level of education: Bachelor of science, mathematics and engineering, Queen’s University Currently reading: Zero to One by Peter Thiel Currently listening to: I use Songza tuned to ’90s hits or today’s pop hits
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saw the company’s potential, became a mentor and is now Optigo’s chairman. Yao said his company is a bit early out of the gate, because the machine-tomachine space is still in its infancy. “We are a little bit ahead of the curve, which is a blessing and curse at the same time,” he said. “Not everyone in the industry wants to buy it just yet.” With 12 full-time employees, the company generates some revenue, mostly doing the networking security systems in buildings for a large real estate developer. Yao said he owes a lot to PMC-Sierra, with which he still has a good relationship. “Optigo is a PMC customer. We create a system out of PMC products.”
When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: A technologist. I never doubted I would end up in technology Profession you would most like to try: High school physics teacher Toughest business or professional decision: To take the leap of faith and start my own business. I was very comfortable in my previous role at PMC-Sierra. So starting Optigo Networks was a huge
I saw the magic of technology at a young age while watching my uncle fix TVs, radios and remote controls
decision, not just for me, but for my family. I’ve been very lucky to have such a supportive wife who really understands how passionate I feel about creating something special Advice you would give the younger you: Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Don’t look for comfort (in the business plan). Instead, embrace discomfort. The greatest opportunities lie in the cross-section of risky,
unusual and unpopular. Take bigger risks What’s left to do: After a few years of trial and errors, I feel Optigo is now in a winning path. Now, it’s time to strap on the rocket and accelerate. I want to bring in a few key players to build a company with tremendous value
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50 | Forty under 40 2015 published by Business in VAncouver
Youssef Zohny Age
35
Director, wealth management, portfolio manager, StennerZohny Investment Partners
W
ith low interest rates and government manipulation of money supplies affecting a wide range of local and global economies – from Vancouver’s housing market to China’s slowing growth – the financial world has been forced to adjust to a new set of rules. Youssef Zohny, director of wealth management for StennerZohny Invest ment Partners, said since the 2008 global economic crisis, market instability has become the new normal. “This new monetary policy regime is affecting economies and markets differently,” said Zohny. “And as any good investor does, he has to adapt to the new environment.” Holding a bachelor of arts in economics, as well as a bachelor of science in physics and mathematics, both from the University of British Colum bia, Zohny has risen fast through the world of investment banking and asset management. He said Canada’s economy is unique, in that the economic policies of other, larger nations can have more of an effect here at home than our own interest rates. “Canada has always been heavily influenced by what goes on in the U.S. economy, and conversely the U.S. exchange rate. But over the last few years, we’ve really tried to diversify to have a lot more exposure to the Asian economies through oil and gas and commodities.” Zohny said Canada will likely remain an “export” country for a long time, and, regardless of market fluctuations,
Birthplace: Vancouver, B.C. Where you live now: Vancouver, B.C. Highest level of education: Two degrees from UBC (B.Sc., physics and mathematics and BA, economics) Currently reading: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
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British Columbia is economically well situated. “B.C. seems to be in a sweet spot,” he said. “In the past there has been a lot of growth in Alberta and jobs and migration there. Now you’re starting to see a little bit of a reversal of that because B.C. is not as exposed to oil as much, which is a different type of marketplace. “And, obviously, the currency has been a huge boon for the B.C. economy; after so many years of languishing with the Canadian dollar over par, it’s been a bit of a windfall.”
Currently listening to: French Express, Tropical House Mix When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Astronomer Profession you would most like to try (outside your current one): Journalist
This new monetary policy regime is affecting economies and markets differently. And as any good investor does, he has to adapt to the new environment
Toughest business or professional decision: Wealth management is a great responsibility and every day is faced by tough decisions with imperfect information in the face of uncertainty. A challenge that I cherish Advice you would give the younger you: Trust yourself and have
the courage to act on your convictions What’s left to do: Everything. Life is too short to waste, and there are so many people to meet, help and share in life, business and experience. Investing is about learning, adapting and going against the crowd; this is a lifelong journey
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1362 BC
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