Business in Vancouver's Forty under 40 2011

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December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012 • Issue 1157

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SPECTRUM OF SUCCESS

This year’s winners represent an array of businesses but they all have one focus: an unstoppable desire to be the best in their field Subscriber details

Business in Vancouver Issue 1057

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BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012 Business in Vancouver

WINNERS

Guiding principles

Andrea Baxter—15

Robert Napoli—20

Neil Belenkie—12

R

Matt Breech—21

Taleeb Noormohamed—26

Doug Burgoyne—6

Dave Notte—9

Erin Chutter—21

Jason Pleym—28

Janice Cheam—3

Brian Postlewait—28

Ryan Dalziel—24

Kody Sabourin—5

Joel DeYoung—16

Julien Sellgren—15

Robin Dhir—25

Rebecca Shields—23

eading the bios of our Forty under 40 winners, I am always curious to see the responses to the question that, for me, usually results in the most interesting lessons: What is the advice you would give the younger you?

What stands out in this year’s content is how positive many winners are in terms of their guidance. “Even when you encounter your worst days, you’ll look back and know you made the right choice,� said Janice Cheam. Julien Sellgren wants to tell his younger self, “Keep it up. The hard work will pay off one day.�

But for some, hard work is not enough. Several people point out the importance of passion being part of the pursuit. “Make sure you are passionate about the company you are going to start,� said Doug Burgoyne. “It will consume your thoughts.�

Kyle Vucko has the same line of thinking: “When times get really tough, only the most passionate will be successful.�

There is also the point of surrounding yourself with mentors. Nathan Slee would tell his younger self to “get outside advice early and often. Find people you trust who will ask the hard questions.� And Mike Winterfield sees the value in asking advice “from people that have succeeded doing what you want to do.�

But perhaps Tyler Weiss has the best advice for all: “Get some rest. Calm down. It’s all right. All your friends are here.�

Well said, Tyler, and congratulations. Now everyone, get some rest. — Baila Lazarus, news features editor, Business in Vancouver

All photography by Dominic Schaefer except for Amielle Lake, Dave Van Belle and Diana Stirling Photo shoot location: Vancouver Convention Centre

Photo manipulation by Dominic Schaefer & Randall Pearsall

Jennifer Duff—6 Feras Elkhalil—19 Sarah Evans—8

Nathan Slee —7 James Smerdon—8 Benjamin Sparrow—10

Matt Fraser—25 Sponsor’s Message

Michael Gokturk—19 Anita Huberman—4 Georald Ingborg—3 Stephen Jagger—22

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Congratulations!

Fasken Martineau is pleased to join Business in Vancouver in celebrating the achievements of the winners of the 2011 BIV Forty Under 40 Awards.

These inspiring professionals are leading the way through their contributions and their commitment to our business community. With their leadership, expertise and innovative ideas, these corporate go-getters, entrepreneurs and not-for-proďŹ t leaders are bringing their talents to their ofďŹ ces, to their companies and to their business communities at large. As more and more baby boomers reach retirement age, the accomplishments and ambitions of these business and community leaders under the age of 40 will continue to inspire others in the formative years of their careers.

As Vancouver’s leading law ďŹ rm, Fasken Martineau recognizes that highly motivated professionals who are passionate about their work are key to the success of any organization.

Furthermore, we know that recognizing the accomplishments of these individuals encourages them, and inspires others, to continuously strive to attain greater goals and accomplishments.

This is why Fasken Martineau rolled out an initiative called “Emerging Executivesâ€?. The initiative is designed to propel emerging leaders both within our ďŹ rm and in the business community into business leadership positions sooner rather than later. Those who win a BIV Forty Under 40 Award are clearly among our business leaders today, and we’re pleased to know that the future of BC’s business community is in good hands.

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

Diana Stirling—17 Dave Van Belle —13 Kyle Vucko—14 Tyler Weiss—5

Chris Kennedy—7

Bob Wells—16

Amielle Lake—9

Mike Winterfield—12

Val Litwin—4

Jason Zanatta—30

Tim Meyer—30

Joshua Zoshi—10

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BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

Business in Vancouver December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012

Janice Cheam President and CEO, Energy Aware Technology Age: 28

J

anice Cheam’s entrepreneurial endeavours began somewhat by accident.

A few years ago, the 28-year-old was about to finish business school and pitch her resumé into the working world when she was encouraged to start a venture of her own.

That encouragement came from a career-path interviewer who praised an early business plan Cheam and some friends had developed during school for an energy-saving device.

“That was exactly the right validation at the right time I needed to consider an alternative path to my career,” said Cheam.

Today, that device has been transformed into the PowerTab, an in-home digital display that tells customers how much electricity they’re using at any given time.

The PowerTab has

become the flagship product designed by Cheam’s company, Energy Aware Technology Inc. Cheam, president and CEO of Energy Aware, said the BC Technology Industry Association in 2009 named the Gastownbased venture the most promising startup of the year.

The idea for the company was formulated during business school after a friend of Cheam’s attended a UN conference on climate change in Montreal.

The friend returned to relay to Cheam and others the concerns about climate change that were voiced at the conference, and the team decided to look into inventing a device that could help conserve energy and protect the environment.

“We didn’t know what the product was but we knew what it had to do,” she said.

For the next two years,

“We didn’t know what the product was but we knew what it had to do” Cheam dedicated herself to building the product that would become the cornerstone of her company.

So far, the company has

sold its product to customers in Australia, Europe and North America.

“If you want to start your business, you have to decide that this is

what you want to do, and at the early stages the biggest barrier to that is yourself.” Ą

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Birthplace: New Westminster Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: B.Comm., marketing, UBC Car or chosen mode of transport: Preferred – motorcycle; actual – bicycle Currently reading: Blankets, a graphic novel by Craig Thompson Last CD bought or music downloaded: Cinemetropolis by Blue Scholars Favourite local restaurant: Campagnolo Profession you would most like to try: Culinary chef Mentor: My sister Adeline Toughest business or professional decision: Having to decide to abandon our first product right before we were about to commercialize it for what we hoped would turn into a bigger opportunity [it did] Advice you would give the younger you: You’re not going to regret this, because even when you encounter your worst days, you’ll look back and know you made the right choice What’s left to do: Get PowerTab displays into B.C. homes

Georald Ingborg Partner, Fasken Martineau Age: 39

W

hen Georald Ingborg was really young, he already knew he wanted to be a business lawyer.

“I knew even before the end of high school,” said the fast-rising partner in the Vancouver office of leading international business law firm Fasken Martineau.

Ingborg is the firm’s top rainmaker under 40 in Vancouver, involved in some of its largest financing and merger and acquisitions deals for both Canadian and international clients.

He earned a bachelor of commerce degree at the University of British Columbia and graduated in law at the University of Victoria in 1997.

“I consider the first success of my career was getting hired on at a major downtown law firm,” said Ingborg, who spent a

couple of years in Vancouver and two more in the firm’s London, U.K., office before returning here.

Then he made partner at age 33.

“It had been a longtime goal, and to make it at a fairly early age comparatively was a great achievement. By being that young, when you become a partner, the expectations clearly change. So there was a fair bit of pressure.”

Ingborg said he thrives on the intensity of his corporate finance practice.

“I think better as something gets more intense and stressful.”

One major deal was advising BHP Billiton Canada on its acquisition of Athabasca Potash for $331 million.

To meet the challenges of global business, he said he makes himself available all day, every day.

“Foreign clients really appreciate knowing they can call me on my cell literally

“[Making partner] had been a longtime goal, and to make it at a fairly early age comparatively was a great achievement”

at any hour because the deals come in at very strange times and they’re very time-sensitive.”

Balancing the work demands, Ingborg is devoted to his wife and four young children, and volunteers with the CNIB and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Ą

Birthplace: New Westminster Where do you live now: North Vancouver Highest level of education: LLB from the University of Victoria Car or chosen mode of transport: Taxi Currently reading: Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling with my two eldest daughters and anything about Star Wars with my two younger sons Last CD bought or music downloaded: Some Guns ‘n Roses songs Favourite local restaurant: Joey’s Profession you would most like to try: Greenskeeper Mentor: My parents Toughest business or professional decision: Returning to Vancouver from London, England Advice you would give the younger you: You really should stop smoking What’s left to do: A hole in one while playing golf

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BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

Sponsor’s Message

December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012 Business in Vancouver

Anita Huberman CEO, Surrey Board of Trade Age: 38

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nita Huberman’s position as CEO of the business lobby organization for B.C.’s second most populous city gives her a lot of influence.

She oversees eight staff, 400 volunteers and a budget of nearly $1 million.

Huberman has been a Surrey Board of Trade employee since she graduated from Simon Fraser University with a bachelor of arts in communications in 1996.

Since ascending to become CEO in 2007, Huberman has showed initiative by creating new awards programs such as the annual Surrey Women in Business awards.

She also embarked on the board of trade’s first trade mission to a foreign country when she joined 80 Surrey business people on a trip to China in 2007.

As the first south Asian woman to head a Canadian municipality’s board of trade, Huberman

“The solid international trade portfolio has been one of my greatest accomplishments” followed up the China trip with a trade mission to India along with 25 business people in April.

That trip facilitated seven memorandums of understanding to be signed so far. She is planning a trade mission next year to Brazil.

“The solid international trade portfolio has been

one of my greatest accomplishments,” she said.

“I also helped build an international trade centre.

I went to consulate offices and created relationships that no one has had in the board of trade and chamber industry in B.C. Those relationships resulted in a formal letter of understanding to partner together in different trade opportunities.”

Under Huberman’s

Birthplace: Hinton, Alberta Where do you live now: Surrey Highest level of education: BA in communications at Simon Fraser University Car or chosen mode of transport: Mazda 3 hatchback Currently reading: Steve Jobs: A Biography

by Walter Isaacson Last CD bought or music downloaded: Rolling in the Deep by Adele Favourite local restaurant: Villa Verdi Ristorante, Surrey Profession you would most like to try: TV broadcaster Mentor: My mom Toughest business or professional decision: Applying to be CEO of the Surrey Board of Trade. Why? Being a young woman in a senior position, some people judge you by age or other companies that you have worked for. I’ve worked with the Surrey Board of Trade since I was 19 and am very familiar with the ins and outs of our industry Advice you would give the younger you: Things are not always as they seem – there are five or more sides to every issue. Your work ethic is so important – customer service, research, taking initiative and surrounding yourself with people who you can get ideas from What’s left to do: Start my own business one day and be an entrepreneur

stewardship, the board of trade has grown from 1,200 members to 1,500.

She has also embarked on programs to make those members more active.

For example, she transformed government advocacy from being a single team covering all issues

to having seven separate teams that include 400 volunteers.

Outside of work she is a director of the Surrey Foundation, which raises money to give to not-forprofit organizations. Ą

Val Litwin Vice-president of franchise operations, Nurse Next Door Age: 34

V

al Litwin has always been up for trying something new.

After co-founding the non-profit Kindness Crew Society and raising the profile of a social movement dedicated to acts of kindness, Litwin switched course to co-found Blo Blow Dry Bar. Even for Litwin, that was a “radical” switch.

“I went from being a

brand communications guy into hardcore, fullon operations,” he said.

“And that meant juggling 21-year-old kids – 75 of them – and they show up with their emotional problems at work, they show up hungover, all that crazy stuff that comes with operations.”

But the shift didn’t phase Litwin. He threw his energies into Blo,

Birthplace: Victoria Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: BA in English literature, U.Vic. Car or chosen mode of transport: Truck or skateboard Currently reading: Pompeii by Robert Harris and Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda Last CD bought or music downloaded: Beirut, The Rip Tide Favourite local restaurant: Rangoli Profession you would most like to try: Professional surfer Mentor: Judy Brooks, co-founder of Blo Blow Dry Bar Toughest business or professional decision: Moving from brand/marketing into operations Advice you would give the younger you: Never worry about WHAT you do – worry about HOW you do it What’s left to do: The question of “what’s next?” doesn’t matter so much as to me as “with whom?” My goal has always been to seek out and work with fun, smart, hard-working people. It used to be hair with Blo, now it’s home care with Nurse Next Door – as long as I can be hyped on the people and the mission, I’m stoked

helping drive the success that saw the company expand to 13 locations in three years and receive 400 franchise requests.

Litwin’s latest transition saw him become vice-president of franchise operations for Nurse Next Door this year.

“Here I am now in the field of health care, which I have no experience in but connects so deeply in a lot of ways to the Kindness

“But I think what’s probably been the biggest theme is carpe diem – just go for it, let’s try something new today” Crew because it’s about compassion and caring for others and volunteerism,” he said.

What has driven Litwin’s career path to date?

“There have been those themes of service all the way through working with teams and making people feel great, whether

it be with a random act of kindness or great hair,” he said. “But I think what’s probably been the biggest theme is carpe diem – just go for it, let’s try something new today.” Ą

BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

Business in Vancouver December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012

Kody Sabourin

Birthplace: Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Master in digital arts from the Centre for Digital Imaging & Sound Car or chosen mode of transport: Harley Night Train Currently reading: Power vs. Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human Behaviour by David R. Hawkins Last CD bought or music downloaded: The Black Keys, Brothers Favourite local restaurant: Chill Winston patio in the summer Profession you would most like to try: Rock star Toughest business or professional decision: That will likely happen tomorrow Advice you would give the younger you: Get everything in writing, always. Learn as much as you can on human behaviour and how the brain operates. Study the best forms of improving your communication techniques.

Find the help you need immediately and delegate as much responsibility as you can to those you can trust.

Put all your effort into helping advance the careers of your team, and give them a great place to work What’s left to do: Create our own intellectual property, starting with feature films and music albums. Then bring peace to Earth. Then fall into an eternal state of bliss and ecstasy

Co-founder, president and creative director, Goldtooth Creative Agency Age: 34

K

ody Sabourin is hooked on the impossible.

Working his way up California’s visual effects (VFX) food chain, Sabourin was always after the hardest work, the most complicated shots.

“It seemed a couple of times a year, I was doing the hardest thing I had ever done,” he said. “Once that rush had worn off, then I was looking for the next thing that was impossible.”

That’s the force Sabourin continues to bring to creative agency and production studio Goldtooth Creative Agency Inc. – the company he founded in Vancouver in 2008 with longtime friend and audio guru Tyler Weiss. A key company focus is producing videogame trailers.

Over the past three years, the company’s revenues have shot up to over $5 million as its staff has expanded to approximately 65 from 10. Part of that growth is driven by the company’s unique structure, which shaves off time and costs by integrating the offerings of a creative agency and a full-service production studio.

“It seemed a couple of times a year, I was doing the hardest thing I had ever done; once that rush had worn off, then I was looking for the next thing that was impossible” Goldtooth’s work includes videogame trailers for Eidos Montreal’s Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Activision’s Prototype and Electronic Arts Inc.’s NBA Live ’10, Fight Night and Need for Speed.

But much of the company’s growth comes from the talents and drive of its founders.

From the company’s earliest days, Sabourin’s love of the impossible had Goldtooth taking on

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projects nobody else in town would touch, due to their truncated deadlines.

“People thought we were crazy and we kind of were,” he said. “But that was the fun part.”

Besides taking on gruelling challenges, Sabourin said Goldtooth has built its reputation by achieving and surpassing clients’ quality expectations on key projects – even when it’s required extra work on Goldtooth’s own dime.

“We can say, ‘This is something that’s going to attract attention so let’s

invest some of our own time and money into it and make sure it’s great,” he said.

Sabourin said that’s the great freedom he and Weiss have found in running their own company – eluding the budget restrictions that constrain quality. Ą

Tyler Weiss Co-founder, vice-president and audio director, Goldtooth Creative Agency Age: 32

A

drummer with a dream of going pro, Tyler Weiss has played country bars in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and “on the boats” in Miami, and

launched hip-hop group Fluent in Taiwan.

But it wasn’t until Weiss re-connected with childhood friend and artist Kody Sabourin that

Birthplace: Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education (degree achieved and subject): Bachelor of education in music, University of Saskatchewan Car or chosen mode of transport: 1979 Harley Davidson. It’s a chopper, baby Currently reading: Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the SexDrugs-and Rock ‘N Roll Generation Saved Hollywood by Peter Biskind Last CD bought or music downloaded: Beck, Mutations Favourite local restaurant: Alibi Room Profession you would most like to try: Butcher Mentor: My parents; my business partner’s step-brother, three-time Juno Award-winner Kevin Churko; and musician and composer Dane Deviller, whom I write music with for various Goldtooth projects Toughest business or professional decision: To put it all on the line and start the company. Stepping out of your comfort zone and into the unknown can be intimidating Advice you would give the younger you: Get organized. Have confidence in yourself. Know what the plan is and stick to it. Get some rest. Calm down. It’s all right. All your friends are here What’s left to do: Start working hard on our own intellectual property and do what do we came here to do

a new dream emerged: producing film and other creative work together.

The result is Goldtooth Creative Agency Inc., a creative agency and production studio that has expanded to 65 staff from 10 since its 2008 launch. The company is particularly known for its videogame trailers.

Weiss, who studied music at the University of Saskatchewan and sound engineering at Recording Arts Canada, drives all things audio for the company.

Business partner Sabourin said Weiss’ diverse musical skill set made him an ideal partner.

“I hadn’t seen anybody with so many different skill sets,” Sabourin said.

“I hadn’t seen anybody like him from the music side.

He can play anything.”

Even with lots of talent in their court, Weiss says growing Goldtooth

“It’s two artists that started a company and now we’re expected to be businesspeople – in one day” confronted both partners with their lack of business experience.

“It’s two artists that started a company and now we’re expected to be business people – in one day,” Weiss said.

But he said Goldtooth set itself apart with a business model that marries a creative agency and a production studio, creating time and cost efficiencies for clients. He added that drive and long hours have

propelled the company to its current $5 million in annual revenues.

“We had to be very hungry,” he said. Ą

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BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

Sponsor’s Message

December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012 Business in Vancouver

Jennifer Duff

Birthplace: Toronto Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Master of health administration, UBC Car or chosen mode of transport: #44 bus or I walk Currently reading: The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande Last CD bought or music downloaded: Matthew Barber Favourite local restaurant: Cork & Fin in Gastown Profession you would most like to try: Professional sommelier Mentor: Too many to name them all, Mary Proctor and Marni Escaf Toughest business or professional decision: Implementing a strategy that challenged the status quo and was not supported by the majority. I guess that’s why I am a leader Advice you would give the younger you: There are no limits and the possibilities are infinite What’s left to do: Everything… limitless

Director, mental health, Providence Health Care Age: 33

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tep aside profit, the No. 1 goal in Jennifer Duff’s business is to see her clients get healthy.

The 33-year-old University of British Columbiatrained nurse was recently named Providence Health Care’s director of mental health, leading a program that handles 85% of the most severe mental-health emergency patients in Vancouver.

“I never thought I would be doing what I’m doing at the age I’m doing it,” Duff said.

Her decision to get into the public health-care business was driven by a passion for tangible results.

Duff joined Providence in 2006 on a contract basis after spending a few years as a registered nurse at Penticton Regional Hospital and the BC Women’s Hospital.

She quickly excelled at her job, and in 2007 was named operations leader of the general surgery and orthopedic nursing units at St. Paul’s Hospital.

A year later, she became the operations leader for the maternity services and

“I never thought I would be doing what I’m doing at the age I’m doing it” neonatal intensive-care unit.

While there, Duff managed an operating budget in excess of $7 million,

and managed to significantly reduce overtime expenditures and sick time among employees.

Although the public

sector has a reputation for moving slowly, Duff said her job is anything but.

“In my view it’s highly complex, often chaotic, and if you’re not just as motivated as somebody who works in the private sector we don’t get things done,” she said. “I’m driven by being fiscally responsible and providing

the best care I can provide.” Ą

Doug Burgoyne Co-founder and president, Frogbox Age: 38

S

elf-described as a “conservative entrepreneur,” Doug Burgoyne didn’t just dream up a great idea; he systematically crunched it out.

Twice a month, Burgoyne and business partner Trevor McCaw would meet for beer at Benny’s Bagels and dish about businesses they liked.

“We said, ‘What are the characteristics of the

businesses we like? Let’s work backward,’” Burgoyne recounted.

The partners realized they both wanted to build a simple business with a great brand in an industry with a dismal reputation for customer service.

Their pick?

The moving industry.

“Our goal was to go over the top on customer service and create a clean,

Birthplace: Etobicoke, Ontario Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: MBA, Richard Ivey School of Business Car or chosen mode of transport: Lexus RX400H hybrid Currently reading: In the Plex by Steven Levy Last CD bought or music downloaded: Coldplay, Paradise Favourite local restaurant: Go Fish – I know it’s a trailer and you have to sit outside, but it’s awesome Profession you would most like to try: Professional mountain biker Mentor: I try to emulate qualities of Chip Wilson; marketing guru Seth Godin; and Dragons’ Den dragons and Frogbox investors Brett Wilson and Jim Treliving Toughest business or professional decision: The decision to leave a well-paying job in a recession to do a startup in an industry we had to create Advice you would give the younger you: Make sure you are passionate about the company you are going to start because it will consume your thoughts What’s left to do: We are just getting started

“We said, ‘What are the characteristics of the businesses we like? Let’s work backwards’” fresh, hopefully environmentally friendly brand,” said Burgoyne, who has an MBA and an earlier career in sales and marketing.

The result was Frogbox Inc., a company that rents out eco-friendly plastic moving boxes.

Co-founding the company in June 2008, Burgoyne helped it expand to 19 locations across Canada and the U.S. A key growth catalyst for the company was

Frogbox’s January 2011 appearance on CBC’s Dragons’ Den – a move that resulted in a financing deal and national demand for franchises of the brand.

“You cannot buy that sort of advertising,” said Burgoyne, noting that he watched every episode of the show online to prepare.

Burgoyne’s challenge this year has been controlling company growth – and building brand-protection into his

franchise agreements with, for example, a requirement that franchisees maintain a strong customer service rating.

“They’ve got control of your most prized asset.”

Burgoyne plans to expand Frogbox into 120 cities in five years. As to other entrepreneurial ventures, Burgoyne said he expects Frogbox to be his sole focus for the near future.

“I will say: I’ll never go back to a corporate job.” Ą

BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

Business in Vancouver December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012

Chris Kennedy CEO and superintendent of schools, West Vancouver School District Age: 38

C

hris Kennedy oversees nearly 1,100 staff and a $62 million budget as the head of West Vancouver’s largest employer: West Vancouver School District (WVSD).

His rapid rise in school administration has seen him bounce early in his career from being a classroom teacher to be a high school vice-principal and, soon afterward, an elementary school principal.

Macleans featured him as one of the 100 people to watch in the new millennium.

“By the time I was 30 years old, I was principal of Riverside Secondary

School in Coquitlam,” he said. “I understand that I’m now the youngest school district superintendent in the country.”

WVSD lured Kennedy from his post at Riverside in the fall of 2007, when he was 34 years old. He became assistant superintendent.

Two years later, the superintendent announced he was retiring and the school district held a competition for the job.

Part of the process included the district giving each candidate a question one hour before the interview.

Long known for being an avid technology

advocate, Kennedy put the question out on Twitter and waited for input from followers.

“That modelled the changing way we’re collecting information and made the case that they should care less about what I know than if I can find the very best information and make sense of it for our community,” he said.

Kennedy has coached high school basketball, bringing Richmond’s Hugh McRoberts Secondary School’s team to the No. 4 rank in the province in 1998.

“I understand that I’m now the youngest school district superintendent in the country” Outside work, he is active as a speaker at events hosted by other school districts or TEDxUBC. He and his wife have four childen. Ą

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Birthplace: Vancouver Where do you live now: Richmond Highest level of education: MA in educational leadership from San Diego State University Car or chosen mode of transport: Buick Enclave Currently reading: What Technology Wants by Kevin Kelly Last CD bought or music downloaded: So Beautiful or So What by Paul Simon Favourite local restaurant: White Spot Profession you would most like to try: College basketball coach Mentor: My wife Toughest business or professional decision: Leaving Coquitlam to work in West Vancouver Advice you would give the younger you: Make sure you are taking the time to enjoy what you are doing now What’s left to do: Find balance between work and home

Nathan Slee Director of strategy development, QC Holdings Age: 35

N

athan Slee co-founded, grew and sold the 25-employee Credilogic for $12 million to Kansasbased QC Holdings Inc. in October.

He wrote the initial versions of the Internet-based payday loan company’s initial software in 1999 and he grew the company with help from three silent principals.

Growth was steady and a sale to QC was imminent when the global economic meltdown took hold in October 2008. QC got cold feet, leaving Slee and his team to focus on organic growth.

QC’s interest renewed in late 2010 and Slee was able to close the sale despite recently turbulent equity markets.

“It absolutely had a déja vu feel to it. We were thrilled that we were able to pull this deal off in this environment,” said Slee.

One good thing about being forced to wait to sell the company is that he likely was able to negotiate a better price than a few years ago.

Credilogic generated more than $7 million in 2011, up from $5.5 million in 2010 sales. In the year that ended in September 2008, the company only had about $4.5 million in revenue, Slee said.

“Our success wasn’t all that complicated. It was effective marketing. We’ve been a longtime user of Google Adwords,” Slee said.

Outside work, Slee has held roles as a mentor

“We were thrilled that we were able to pull this deal off in this environment” of the Canadian Youth Business Foundation and the British Columbia Innovation Council New Ventures Competition.

He was also president of the Vancouver-Fairview BC Liberal Party riding association, a member of the community affairs committee at the Vancouver Board of Trade and a small-claims mediator at the Provincial Court of British Columbia. Ą

Birthplace: Ottawa Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Bachelor of commerce, entrepreneurship, University of Victoria Car or chosen mode of transport: Mercedes B200 Currently reading: Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett Last CD bought or music downloaded: 20 Odd Years by Buck 65 Favourite local restaurant: Rangoli Profession you would most like to try: Middle East negotiator Mentor: Henk Veldhuis Toughest business or professional decision: Selling Credilogic. After 11 consecutive years of growth, choosing to sell an asset that had never decreased in value was a difficult decision to make Advice you would give the younger you: Get outside advice early and often. Find people you trust who will ask the hard questions. That, and always wear a face mask when you play hockey What’s left to do: Help my wife, Merel Veldhuis, get her name on this list. The vision she has for her profession is far more innovative and ambitious than mine, and I look forward to helping her achieve it

Now Open in Calgary!

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BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

Sponsor’s Message

December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012 Business in Vancouver

James Smerdon Director, retail and strategic planning, Colliers International Age: 38

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J

ames Smerdon is one of Western Canada’s most influential advisers to the owners, managers, developers and planners of retail and commercial land.

He founded the consulting company Urban Eco Consultants with former Forty under 40 Andrew Ramlo soon after Smerdon completed a geography degree at the University of British Columbia (UBC).

The two contracted their services to the Urban Futures Institute, where they did demographic forecasting, and then to Hudema Consulting, where their work had more of a retail focus.

Smerdon joined Colliers International in 2007 as an independent contractor after spending seven years at Hudema.

“Every project we do is for someone who has a question about the value of their site and how to add value.

It’s usually about monetary value, through rezoning or adaptation of the use,” he said.

His clients include major retailers (Mountain

“Every project we do is for someone who has a question about the value of their site and how to add value” Equipment Co-op), construction firms (Bouygues), investment property owners (Morguard) and neighbourhood developers (Brookfield Residential, Genstar).

His influence is also felt on projects in Alberta and

Sarah Evans Managing director, S&P Destination Properties Age: 35

S

arah Evans played a key role helping her company navigate through the global economic downturn soon after she helped sell US$700 million in real estate in a single day in 2006.

The project was the 38-storey Trump Tower

Waikiki, which had 464 condominium units that could be operated as a hotel.

“That was the largest one-day sales success in the history of the U.S. as far as we’ve heard,” she said.

Birthplace: North Vancouver Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: BA in urban systems, McGill University Car or chosen mode of transport: Audi Wagon Currently reading: The Help by Kathryn Stockett Last CD bought or music downloaded: xx by the xx and 21 by Adele Favourite local restaurant: It all depends on what I’m in the mood for, but Rodney’s is always fun Profession you would most like to try: Restaurant critic or professional pesto chef Mentor: Professionally, I have picked up bits and pieces from many along the way; personally, my mom Toughest business or professional decision: To leave Intrawest in 2004 and move home to Vancouver without knowing what was next Advice you would give the younger you: Be enthusiastic, don’t take yourself too seriously, and believe What’s left to do: If I knew that, the journey wouldn’t be as much fun

Saskatchewan.

Smerdon is sought by organizations such as the International Council of Shopping Centres to speak at its events. Media also seek him out regularly for thoughts about retail and development issues.

Outside work, he is active fundraising for

Those pre-sales took place at the top of the market, but closing the deals took place during the depths of the economic downturn.

“What was going on across North America was that projects in similar circumstances were closing 30% to 40% of the units,” she said. “We closed over 80%.”

Evans started her real estate career at Intrawest Corp. – the firm that her father, John Evans, helped build from being a startup.

Her father left Intrawest long before his daughter started working at the company as a development manager.

During Evans’ seven years at Intrawest, she put together several deals, including as a large project in Mammoth Lakes, California. There, she helped create the village centre along with commercial and retail development.

“Starting in the development side of the real estate business and touching the construction side helped when I went into sales and marketing. I drew on that experience,” she said.

the Parkinson Society of British Columbia for events such as its annual Superwalk.

Smerdon has lived with Parkinson’s Disease since symptoms first arose when he was 30 years old.

Many know the degenerative brain disease because it is the one which

During the period of 2008 through 2010, Evans was brought into the senior management team to work with developers and buyers to manage closings and the challenges associated with a depressed real estate market.

Outside work, she has volunteered for organizations such as the Dr. Peter Centre and Arts Umbrella to help fundraising efforts. Ą

Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: BA in urban and economic geography at UBC Car or chosen mode of transport: Subaru Impreza WRX and a Suzuki SV650 motorcycle Currently reading: Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond Last CD bought or music downloaded: Backspacer by Pearl Jam Favourite local restaurant: Nicli Antica Pizzeria Profession you would most like to try: Author or fly fishing guide Toughest business or professional decision: Voting out an original business partner Advice you would give the younger you: Take more risks. Falls hurt less when you’re younger What’s left to do: Continue to build Colliers’ consulting business both domestically and abroad

has afflicted actor Michael J. Fox. “Right now I function through effective medication, but it’s like walking a tightrope. I can never quite get the right balance,” he said. Ą

“What was going on across North America was that projects in similar circumstances were closing 30% to 40% of the units. We closed over 80%”

BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

Business in Vancouver December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012

Dave Notte

Birthplace: North Vancouver Where do you live now: North Vancouver Highest level of education: BA in philosophy from the University of British Columbia Car or chosen mode of transport: Lincoln MKT Currently reading: Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson Last CD bought or music downloaded: Blood Guts Bruises Cuts by the Dudes Favourite local restaurant: BIN 941 Profession you would most like to try: Captain of deep-sea fishing charters Mentor: Hugh Magee, chairman, GWIL Industries Inc. Toughest business or professional decision: Tripling our marketing spend, hiring more staff and tightening our margins when the recession hit in 2008.

It was a calculated risk that paid off Advice you would give the younger you: Understand your values. Decisions are easier when your values are clear What’s left to do: Lots. I’m just getting started

CEO and founder, Wolfgang Commercial Painters Age: 39

D

ave Notte founded Wolfgang Commercial Painters in 2004 and has grown the company to $3.4 million in 2010.

His year-round, sevenemployee business swells to a field staff of more than 100 during the summer.

The company consistently grows about 50% per year, and has been on Business in Vancouver’s Fastest Growing Companies list for the past three years.

“Our biggest growth was in 2009, just after the recession. We essentially doubled in size because we took a risk. Rather than retreating like 95% of construction-related firms did – hunkering

“Our biggest growth was in 2009, just after the recession. … Rather than retreating like 95% of constructionrelated firms did – hunkering down, laying off people and not spending a dime on marketing, we did the opposite” down, laying off people and not spending a dime on marketing, we did the opposite,” Notte said.

Notte began his career at College Pro Painters.

He started the commercial painting division of College Pro and then decided to start his own company.

Wolfgang does not paint individual houses. Instead, it focuses largely on the commercial painting sector with almost all of its work contracted to

property managers.

The only residential work it does is for multiunit highrises or town home complexes.

“We’re considering geographic expansion but, in the short term, we’re looking at adding additional services. We would do any service that a property

manager would want us to do – carpet installation, window cleaning or maintenance,” he said.

Outside work, Notte chairs the EO Accelerator Program, which mentors young entrepreneurs. He is also a mentor in that program and has been for the past three years.

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He previously mentored at Big Brothers and is currently a coach of his daughter’s soccer team. Ą

Amielle Lake Founder and CEO, Tagga Media Age: 31

A

competitive swimmer Tagga has grown to a for 12 years and now a staff of 14 with offices in marathon runner, Amielle Vancouver, Chicago, New Lake’s drive has propelled York and Toronto. Key to her startup, Tagga Media that growth, Lake said, Inc., to grow 800% in 2010. has been finding the right “I have a hard time heartalent to take the company ing no,” she said. “I don’t forward. give up very easily.”

“The most important Lake left a corporate thing is hiring a kickcommunications role in ass team and building a the mining industry to company with people far launch software company brighter and more experiTagga in 2008. Tagga has enced and better than you created a platform that are,” she said. leverages mobile marketLake said the company ing technologies to drive has proven its busicompanies’ success. ness model is now in a Why the focus on position to start scaling its mobile? operations.

“All you have to do is “It’s that really exciting look around; we’re all growth stage,” she said. completely connected to “So [the focus is] getour phones,” Lake said. ting customers, wowing Under Lake’s leadership, them, shortening the time before they buy again and expanding how you sell to

them through channels so it’s expedited.”

Lake said while the pace of the entrepreneurial life has been break-neck thus far, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Would I do it again?

Over and over and over again.” Ą

“Would I do it again? Over and over and over again”

Birthplace: Toronto Where do you live now: On an airplane or Vancouver Highest level of education: MBA, University of Northampton Car or chosen mode of transport: Running shoes, my road bike and my Rav4 Currently reading: East of Eden by John Steinbeck Last CD bought or music downloaded: Nights Like These by the Grizz Favourite local restaurant: Bandidas Taqueria and La Casita.

I love Mexican Profession you would most like to try: A novelist. Though it’s hard to imagine a better job then the one I have now Mentor: I have three incredibly special and supportive mentors: Penny Wilson, president and founder of Nognz; Eric Savics, owner of Tantalus Vineyards; and Gary Tauss, chairman of Tagga and founder of TollBridge Technologies, Inc. Toughest business or professional decision: Letting go of a team player because they are not performing but are great for the company culture Advice you would give the younger you: Do your best. Be patient. Be coachable. Make sure you never compromise your ability to think clearly What’s left to do: Grow like crazy. Deliver a stellar return to all stakeholders – then stop, breathe, and do it all over again

EO Vancouver Chapter 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. 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 8,000 entrepreneurs with chapters in 120 cities and 40 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/Vancouver EO Vancouver Administration .

Office 604.685.4888

Entrepreneurs’ Organization

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BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

Sponsor’s Message

December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012 Business in Vancouver

Joshua Zoshi

Birthplace: Singapore Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: MBA (management of technology specialization), SFU Car or chosen mode of transport: Honda Civic Currently reading: Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl Last CD bought or music downloaded: Codes and Keys by Death Cab for Cutie Favourite local restaurant: Cartel food truck Profession you would most like to try: I love what I’m doing right now. I should mention that materials engineering and studying animals have always fascinated me. I also hope to one day be involved in animal conservation Mentor: My father Toughest business or professional decision: When and how to engage new markets Advice you would give the younger you: Embrace risk and don’t sweat the small stuff What’s left to do: Build a world-class water technology business that helps those in need

President and COO, Saltworks Technologies Age: 35

W

Johnny Michel Managing Director CBC British Columbia

Congratulations!

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hen Ben Sparrow came to Joshua Zoshi in 2008 to tell him about a new desalination process he had just invented, Zoshi never questioned it would work.

As former MBA classmate at Simon Fraser University, Zoshi knew what Sparrow was capable of. Convincing corporate investors like Cenovus Energy and Teck Resources Ltd. to invest in a game-changing technology developed by two young men in their early 30s was a different story.

“Since I had worked with Ben previously, there was confidence in the technology,” Zoshi said. “I knew that it was a big idea and the two of us would have a lot of work to do to turn the idea into an actual venture.”

Born in Singapore and raised in Hong Kong, Zoshi came to Vancouver in 1989 with his parents. He grew up in North Vancouver, earned a BA degree in electrical engineering

“I knew that it was a big idea and the two of us would have a lot of work to do to turn the idea into an actual venture” at SFU, and several years later went back to SFU to get an MBA, with a specialization in management

of technology.

It was there that he met Sparrow. In 2008, when Sparrow asked him to join him in starting a new company, Zoshi was working with corporate customers to develop business

and project management software.

The two young men quit their jobs and started Saltworks Technologies Inc. They entered the New Ventures BC competition and won, which gave them

the startup capital to start hiring engineers.

Zoshi said the biggest challenge has been deciding how and when to move out of the R&D stage to commercialization.

Saltworks has attracted a number of large corporate investors. Saltworks desalination projects are expected to be approved soon in Alberta and Australia. Ą

Benjamin Sparrow Founder and CEO, Saltworks Technologies Age: 34

B

en Sparrow was doodling on a train in China when he had his Eureka moment.

He had been ruminating on problems related to desalination when he had a counterintuitive flash of insight: desalination could be accomplished by making saltwater saltier.

Evaporate saltwater to make it more dense, he realized, and you could

stream it past regular saltwater – separated by a special membrane – and salt ions from the more concentrated water would be pulled into the less salty water, creating voltage. That voltage would then pull salt ions out of a third stream of water, creating fresh water.

Back home, he went to work on his invention and built a prototype in his living room. On a May long

Birthplace: Chester, U.K. Where do you live now: East Vancouver Highest level of education: MBA, management of technology, SFU. Professional mechanical engineer Car or chosen mode of transport: 1982 Datsun 280ZX with a folding bicycle inside Currently reading: The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway Last CD bought or music downloaded: The Suburbs, Arcade Fire Favourite local restaurant: Choon Ha Choo Dong Profession you would most like to try: None, I love my job Mentor: Dad and BC Hydro construction management staff Toughest business or professional decision: When and where to patent Saltworks’ inventions Advice you would give the younger you: Block out the noise and deliver What’s left to do: Build water machines that help those in crisis

“The vast majority of desalination is actually needed in industry” weekend in 2008, Sparrow successfully removed salt from saltwater using his Thermo-Ionic process.

“I decided the next day I’d quit my job,” said Sparrow, who had been working for Plutonic Power as director of projects.

Prior to working for Plutonic, Sparrow had worked for BC Hydro rebuilding large hydroelectric turbines – a job he got after earning

a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Alberta.

He later earned an MBA from SFU, where he met Joshua Zoshi.

In 2008, the duo formed Saltworks Technologies Inc. Now the company employs 22 people, has 20 patents and is generating revenue. Cenovus Energy and Teck Resources Ltd. have both invested in the

company.

Although Sparrow believes there is potential for Saltworks’ technology to be used in arid regions of the world to make drinking water from saltwater, the company is currently focusing on industrial applications.

“The vast majority of desalination is actually needed in industry,” Sparrow said. Ą

Business in Vancouver December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012

BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

What a bunch of overachievers...

But seriously – congratulations to the winners of the 2011 BIV Forty Under 40 Awards! Fasken Martineau looks forward to seeing what you achieve next.

We advise both young and established business leaders in our community, and our lawyers achieve great things for their clients. Think of us when you make your next move. We'd love to help.

VANCOUVER CALGARY TORONTO OTTAWA MONTRÉAL QUÉBEC CITY LONDON PARIS JOHANNESBURG

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BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

Sponsor’s Message

December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012 Business in Vancouver

Neil Belenkie CEO, GrowthPoint Group Age: 39

“I’m hard-wired to try and solve every problem I ever get a chance to hear about”

A

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lot of what Neil Belenkie does in his life is born of sharing his knowledge and using it to make life easier and more efficient for other people – and their businesses.

In April 2010, Belenkie, CEO and co-founder of the GrowthPoint Group (GPG) established the company to fill a gap he and his partner saw in the consulting world.

Belenkie, who views consulting as a great way to grow a business, saw the opportunity to help businesses that lack the resources and expertise to execute a great consulting plan by executing it on their behalf.

In its first year of business, GPG grew from a concept to a bricks-andmortar business successfully supporting offices in Vancouver, Calgary and Romania and earning more than $450,000.

Belenkie’s role at

GrowthPoint encompasses all aspects of day-to-day operations along with supporting the business functionality of GPG’s clients’ HR, marketing, sales, recruitment and technology.

“I’m hard-wired to try and solve every problem I ever get a chance to hear about,” he said.

One of GPG’s biggest successes was creating and leading Kamloop’s Mibroc Construction and Development’s organizational development to focus on customer experience.

Nine months later, Mibroc was recognized as one of the Top 20 Most Innovative Companies in B.C.

Birthplace: Toronto Where do you live now: Belcarra, B.C. Highest level of education: BA, University of Calgary Car or chosen mode of transport: Pickup truck (I live in the sticks...)

Currently reading: Worth Dying For by Lee Child Last CD bought or music downloaded: Jack Johnson, In Between Dreams (for my kids) Favourite local restaurant: Chambar Profession you would most like to try: Competitive sailor in the Volvo Ocean Race around the world Mentor: I listen and learn from everyone.

My kids teach me important lessons every day Toughest business or professional decision: The decision to start a company rather than be an employee Advice you would give the younger you: Surround yourself with great people and everything is possible

Beyond business accolades, Belenkie is a volunteer fireman, a mentor and an avid networker.

TRIPE, a local networking event for business leaders, was started because Belenkie was constantly meeting interesting people and making introductions, which he still does, but

saw a way of streamlining the process.

“If there is something unique that I have brought to the table, it’s being able to cultivate a vision but also being able to share that vision and get other people to jump on board,” said Belenkie. Ą

Mike Winterfield President, Randstad Professionals Age: 35

S

ince his days running an illicit bar out of his dorm room, Mike Winterfield’s entrepreneurial streak has propelled his career.

Despite early plans to launch his own business, a summer job got Winterfield got hooked on a different kind of performance-driven milieu: the recruitment industry.

“What I saw was people who were kind of running their own business within a business,” he said. “I loved the fact that if I could work harder, if I could do anything to outperform – then I would get recognized for that.”

Outperform he did, landing 14 job promotions in the space of 16 years with the same company – now Randstad Canada Group. Winterfield has risen to president of Randstad Professionals, one of the company’s four divisions.

To climb as fast as he did, Winterfield said he constantly kept his eye on the next goal.

“I would go to my manager and say, ‘This is what I would like to do

next, what do I have to do to earn that?’ And then I would do it.”

But with every step up the ladder came new challenges – notably a 2009 job that involved merging three engineering recruitment companies into one.

That merger, Winterfield said, shifted every element of employees’ lives – from the physical office in which they worked, to IT systems to compensation structures.

“I was so completely naïve to how complicated that would be,” he said.

“My greatest fear at some points, quite honestly, was that virtually everybody was going to quit.”

But Winterfield rose to the challenge, creating a new merged company that was greater than the sum of its parts. Winterfield said that while shifting roles so often has kept him on his toes, he enjoys each new twist.

“I do get bored easily, so I don’t like maintaining,” he sad. “I like growing.” Ą

“I would go to my manager and say, ‘This is what I would like to do next, what do I have to do to earn that?’And then I would do it”

Birthplace: Whitby, Ontario Where do you live now: North Vancouver and Toronto Highest level of education: B.Sc. in biology and psychology from Queen’s University and post-graduate courses Car or chosen mode of transport: Walking. I have been able to get back and forth to work this way for 12 out of the last 13 years and I love it – on the way to work I get my priorities straight for the day, and on the way home I have time to decompress Currently reading: Onward by Howard Schultz. I made a goal over 10 years ago to read a new book every month that improves my knowledge (business, investing, philosophy, history, etc.) and I have stuck to it Last CD bought or music downloaded: Wil, By December Favourite local restaurant: Ensemble Profession you would most like to try: I would probably start a new company doing something like developing residential properties Mentor: My dad Toughest business or professional decision: Merging three engineering recruitment companies into one – and trying to do this during a recession and in a way that the new company was more than the sum of the original parts Advice you would give the younger you: Be clear on what you want, ask advice from people that have succeeded doing what you want to do, ask anyone that has control over the decision what they expect and then do it – even the stuff you don’t like What’s left to do: Lots. From a business standpoint, Randstad is already Canada’s largest recruitment company but there’s still a lot we need to do to grow our market share and be “the” household name in Canadian recruitment

BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

Business in Vancouver December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012

Dave Van Belle President and CEO, Van Belle Nurseries Age: 32

R

evenue at Abbotsford’s Van Belle Nurseries has increased more than fivefold to $9 million since Abbotsford-raised Dave Van Belle joined the company as a sales representative in 1995.

Van Belle became general manager in 2000, when sales were approximately one-third what they are now. He has been president and CEO for the last two years, steadily growing annual revenue from approximately $7 million despite a tough economic environment.

Two-thirds of Van Belle Nurseries’ sales are wholesale orders to retail garden centres, while the rest comes from selling starter plants to wholesalers mostly in Eastern Canada, such as Sheridan Nurseries.

The company’s success comes in part from Van Belle’s devotion to lean

manufacturing concepts.

He believes it is a mixed blessing to have about 100 employees.

The good news is that the company is successful enough to need so many workers. Van Belle’s neverending desire, however, is to get the same productivity from half as many staff.

“Lean manufacturing is a way to get more productivity out of different people.

You can work smarter, not necessarily harder, but you work more intelligently and you delegate responsibility as far as you can so you can make do with fewer managers and supervisors. You empower people,” he said.

Van Belle completed two bachelor degrees at Iowa’s Dordt College before returning to Abbotsford.

The father of four, whose wife is expecting a fifth child soon, is active with his church and with Dordt College’s alumni association outside work.

“My goal is to double sales in five years and to have a self-managed company where they don’t need me on a daily basis for anything. I’m about halfway there,” he said. Ą

“My goal is to double sales in five years and to have a self-managed company where they don’t need me on a daily basis for anything.

I’m about halfway there”

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Birthplace: Bowmanville, Ontario Where do you live now: Abbotsford, B.C. Highest level of education: BA in business administration and a BA in plant science, Dordt College, Sioux Center, Iowa Car or chosen mode of transport: Toyota RAV4 Currently reading: Aftershock by David Weidemer and Driving Excellence by Mark Aesch Last CD bought or music downloaded: Bittersweet Symphony by the Verve Favourite local restaurant: No restaurant can beat my wife’s cooking Profession you would most like to try: Rock star, U.S. president, evangelist, philanthropist Mentor: My father Toughest business or professional decision: Decisions around family relationships in the business Advice you would give the younger you: Make sure you have the right people in the right roles What’s left to do: Too much to list: convert the world to free markets and Christianity

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BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012 Business in Vancouver

Kyle Vucko

“You can’t have a Canadian company and not have staff in Canada. Investors aren’t going to invest in a company like that”

CEO and co-founder, Indochino Age: 26

K

yle Vucko co-founded Vancouver-based online suit-retailer Indochino in 2007 when he was a 22-year-old, third-year commerce student at the University of Victoria.

He and co-founder Heikal Gani have since grown the venture to more than $10 million in revenue and more than 50 employees thanks in part to landing about $5 million in angel investment funding from movers and shakers such as Abe Books CEO Hannes Blum, W Media Ventures CEO Boris Wertz and former Yahoo! Inc. president Jeff Mallett.

Vucko moved to Shanghai, China, soon after founding Indochino but he kept the official head office of the venture in Vancouver even though, in the early days, there were no employees based here.

That changed in early

2010 when Vucko returned to Vancouver and went on a hiring spree. The company now has 22 staff in Vancouver and more than 30 employees in China. It also contracts

manufacturers who have hundreds of employees.

“You can’t have a Canadian company and not have staff in Canada,” Vucko said.

“Investors aren’t going to invest in a company like that, typically. If you’re Baidu.com and you’re listed publicly, they might.

“But, I personally would be hesitant about sending $1 million to China unless you’ve really got something established.”

Vucko had extra-curricular leadership roles such as president of UVic’s commerce student society in the lead-up to launching Indochino.

He has also taken steps to share his success, donating nearly $300,000 worth of clothing to charitable organizations.

To fuel future sales by helping customers overcome the fear of ordering via the Internet, he has done things such as launch

Birthplace: Vancouver Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: High school – I have almost completed a bachelor of commerce at the University of Victoria Car or chosen mode of transport: Walking – I love that everything within downtown Vancouver is, at most, a 20-minute walk away Currently reading: Obliquity: Why Our Goals Are Best Achieved Indirectly by John Kay Last CD bought or music downloaded: The soundtrack from the movie Drive Favourite local restaurant: Twisted Fork Bistro Profession you would most like to try: Teacher, politician and professional writer Mentor: My many mentors include those on my board and angel investors Toughest business or professional decision: Deciding to keep the company in Vancouver. When you have a growing global apparel company, you are presented with many opportunities to move to amazing cities. Getting clear on making Vancouver both the home for the company and myself was important and big Advice you would give the younger you: Focus on passion first and opportunity second. Growing a business is one of the hardest things on the planet, and when the times get really tough, only the most passionate will be successful What’s left to do: More every day. We see a bigger, more meaningful company as we grow, and I am excited about where this will go

pop-up locations, such as one in Vancouver in November.

Customers were able to touch fabric samples and ensure that they were measured accurately.

“I’m a pretty simple guy,” Vucko said. “I work a ton. I visit my family in Victoria on a fairly regular basis, and there’s not much else.” Ą

NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN!

Business in Vancouver in partnership with the Institute of Chartered Accountants are pleased to announce that nominations are open for the second annual BC CFO of the Year Awards to be held in May of next year.

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inalists will be chosen based on leadership in finance, contribution to strategic decision making and growth as well as overall performance and execution. The award finalists will be featured in a special edition of Business in Vancouver and the winners will be announced at the gala reception to be held soon thereafter.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to nominate someone for this highly prestigious award!

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Nomination deadline: February 17, 2012 Special BIV edition and gala awards reception: May 2012 For more information and to submit a nomination package, please visit www.biv.com/events

BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

Business in Vancouver December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012

Andrea Baxter Founder and principal, Bratface Marketing, and co-founder, Smart Cookies Age: 34

C

o-authoring two bestselling books, co-hosting your own television series and appearing on the Oprah Winfrey Show could have someone thinking they had done it all.

Not so for Andrea Baxter.

The co-founder of the Smart Cookies, a money-mentoring group comprised of four women focused on making financial information interesting and engaging to young women, hasn’t let success slow her down.

The brand made $1 million in its first year.

While still managing the company’s day-today operations, securing sponsorship and global partnerships with the likes of American Express, Baxter found time to start her own company, Bratface Marketing.

Having honed her skills in Vancouver’s marketing scene, with senior positions at 1-800-GOTJUNK and Blast Radius, she wasn’t ready to go back

“I certainly wouldn’t be where I am if I had not had certain mentors in my life”

and work for another company after the whirlwind of Smart Cookies.

“I’ve learned a lot in terms of what it takes to run a business on my own,” said Baxter.

Her goal is to take the

business international and she has already started actively courting a New York clientele.

Bratface is just Baxter and one other employee for now, but it allows her the flexibility she needs

to focus on her other commitments.

Baxter volunteers frequently and is active with organizations such as the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, offering business mentorships to

Birthplace: St. John’s, Newfoundland Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Diploma in marketing management (communications) from BCIT Car or chosen mode of transport: Audi A4 Currently reading: 740 Park by Michael Gross Last CD bought or music downloaded: Florence & the Machine Favourite local restaurant: Il Giardino Profession you would most like to try: Surgeon Mentor: My father for business, my mother because she does it all and my grandmother because she is a survivor in every sense of the word Toughest business or professional decision: Going out on my own, giving up the security of a full-time salary and health benefits Advice you would give the younger you: Don’t be afraid of risks, don’t settle for anything and like the work you do What’s left to do: Move to New York City, get married and have babies

fledgling companies.

“Being in an entrepreneurial world like Vancouver, there are so many people out there willing to help out, regardless of what level you are at,” Baxter said.

“I certainly wouldn’t be where I am if I had not had certain mentors in my life.” Ą

Julien Sellgren Co-founder, Metalogix Software Age: 39

J

ulien Sellgren is all about perseverance, so much so that last Christmas he and his team pulled several all-nighters to solve one tech problem for a single customer.

That extra effort eventually led to a major sale for the company and steered it into an entirely new market.

“One little bit of effort on one deal can translate into a huge win for the company, and I don’t think anyone else would have done that on their own,” explained the 39-year-old Sellgren. “It required the founder, the technology leader of the company, leading by example and pulling an all-nighter with the team.”

That company was Metalogix Software, which he co-founded in 2001 and directed through

the development of four generations of software products for the Microsoft SharePoint eco-system.

Sellgren sold the company to a private equity firm in 2008, but stayed on as CTO until May of this year.

His passion for technology and computers dates back many years, but Sellgren said it was his dad who encouraged him to enrol in UBC’s computer science co-op program in the early 1990s.

Toward the end of his formal education, Sellgren had already started a company of his own and was taking support calls during mid-term exams.

“I would get paged in the middle of class and have to run out and answer support questions. It was stressful, but I did get a bug for the business side

“The biggest lesson I learned was that determination pays off” of technology,” he said.

In 1996, he co-founded Mindquake Software and led the company through the first Internet boom.

Unfortunately, the dot-

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But Sellgren, never one to give up, took his lumps,

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“The biggest lesson I learned was that determination pays off.” Ą

Birthplace: Toronto Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Bachelor of computer science, UBC Car or chosen mode of transport: Sailing on Kiva, my Finngulf 41 Currently reading: Re-reading South by Ernest Shackleton – the greatest survival story of all time Last CD bought or music downloaded: An acoustic version of Down Under by Colin Hay Favourite local restaurant: VJ’s. Best lamb ever Profession you would most like to try: Architecture/real estate development Mentor: Never had one in business. I made a lot of mistakes along the way Toughest business or professional decision: Selling my company. It changed everything Advice you would give the younger you: Keep it up. The hard work will pay off one day What’s left to do: Do it all over again

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BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012 Business in Vancouver

Joel DeYoung Founder and director of technology, Hothead Games Age: 37

J

oel DeYoung knows all about jumping into the deep end.

By age 10, he was already programming. By 22, he’d finished graduate school with a master’s degree focused on computer graphics. By the time he first worked on a video game, The Simpsons: Road Rage for Radical Entertainment, he was leading the team.

“I look back on it now and think how naïve we were about how much of the game we were trying to get done in the amount of time we had and how little experience I had in the technical aspects of making a game,” he said.

“But we just did it. And we made a very successful game.”

After nearly nine years at Radical, DeYoung decided to pursue a long-held entrepreneurial dream.

Along with some former colleagues, DeYoung launched Hothead Games, a digitally focused video game company, in 2006.

The company kicked off by partnering with the Seattle-based creators of a web comic called Penny Arcade to produce a game version. The company has followed it up with a range of games, including its original creation, DeathSpank. Since launch, Hothead has grown to 50 employees from five and achieved over $10 million in total revenue.

DeYoung counts his technical skills and his people skills as key attributes that have driven company success. He said he’s convinced that only people that are having fun can make fun games – so he works to create that environment for his staff.

“But I try to help people “It is, at the end of the keep perspective: we’re not day, software developcuring cancer here, we’re ment – so sometimes making video games.” Ą there’s hard-to-resolve bugs, sometimes there’s crunch times where we’ve got to work extra hard to get stuff done,” he said.

Birthplace: Valdosta, Georgia, United States Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: M.Sc. in computer science from UBC Car or chosen mode of transport: My bike, or when I need a car I use Modo, the Car Co-op Currently reading: The Legacy by David Suzuki Last CD bought or music downloaded: Cory Hawthorne, The King of the Broken Hearts Favourite local restaurant: Il Giardino Profession you would most like to try: Either transit bus driver or meteorologist Mentor: In business, Ian Wilkinson. He cofounded Radical Entertainment, where I started my career. A few years after starting Hothead, we brought him on as our CEO Toughest business or professional decision: Completely changing our product lineup to follow changing market opportunities Advice you would give the younger you: Time is a precious resource. No matter how cool the choices are in front of you, you can’t do them all What’s left to do: Finish raising our two kids and getting my pilot’s licence

“But I try to help people keep perspective: we’re not curing cancer here, we’re making video games”

Bob Wells President and founder, My Tech Guys Age: 37

I

f your mom or girlfriend keeps telling you that you are wasting your life playing video games, invoke the name of Bob Wells.

Co-founder of Vancouver Island’s My Tech Guys, Wells has no formal education in computer technology. He credits the many hours spent playing video games for the intuition he developed when it comes to fixing computers.

“If you are on the forefront of computer gaming, you’re trying out the latest

hardware, your computer’s always crashing, and you’re having to know lots about IP addresses and network bandwidth,” Wells said.

After spending some time in Africa, Wells returned to Canada and studied theatre education at the University of Victoria but didn’t finish his degree before landing a job with the Ministry of Education doing fine arts education curriculum development.

Birthplace: North Vancouver Where do you live now: Courtenay, B.C. Highest level of education: Certified high ropes instructor; and Okanagan University College: second year, psychology and political science Car or chosen mode of transport: Nissan S-Cargo Currently reading: The Sailing Bible by Evans, Manley and Smith Last CD bought or music downloaded: The Lazy Song by Bruno Mars Favourite local restaurant: Saigon Noodle House Profession you would most like to try: Youth counsellor Mentor: Dirk Kiy, founder of Pinnacle Youth Works and author of Less is More: Sprinting the Human Race Toughest business or professional decision: Quit my sweet job at Shaw Cable in Victoria and move to the Comox Valley Advice you would give the younger you: Don’t let bad situations (and employees) linger, like a Band-Aid. It is best to be quick and move on, as the perceived pain of change is always less than the reality

Living in Salmon Arm in 2007, he started Silicon Garden, which did website development and computer training. He then moved to Victoria, worked for a number of dot-com companies as a contractor, and ended up as the head of Shaw Cable’s Internet department.

After that, he moved to the Comox Valley to teach computer repair at a private college, and in 2006, he and Scott Swanson decided to start a computer sales and service company that made house calls. Wells said customers like the model of friendly, helpful computer guys who will come and fix your computer when you need it fixed.

“A lot of our clientele are seniors,” Wells said.

The company has grown steadily, with a 50% increase in business in the third year and a 100% increase in the fourth. The company now employs 12 people, has opened a second store, and is making annual sales of $1.8 million. Ą

“If you are on the forefront of computer gaming, you’re trying out the latest hardware, your computer’s always crashing, and you’re having to know lots about IP addresses and network bandwidth”

Business in Vancouver December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012

Diana Stirling Founder, OnTrack Media and Insider Trading Group Owner, LocoLanding Adventure Park Age: 36

T

wo hours after the birth of her first child and still in her hospital bed, Diana Stirling signed papers to incorporate a second business.

“At that point we just didn’t believe that anything stopped for business,” said Stirling of her entrepreneurial ventures with business partner Shannon Ward.

It was 2006. Already Stirling had helped grow the duo’s first business – marketing and design company OnTrack Media – to 13 employees and over $1 million in annual revenues. The incorporation documents would launch a second company: Insider Trading Group, which provides affinity programs.

But while Stirling had planned her trajectory “I’m loving building businesses, but I’m building them in a way carefully, with an earlier sales and marketing career that gives me and my family freedom and fulfilment and the driving her entrepreneurability to do things that really seemed impossible before” ial success, she became dissatisfied with tradrecession, Stirling said itional business success in Birthplace: Calgary they’re now back up to 2007 – as did Ward.

Where do you live now: Penticton their former strength – “It was basically making Highest level of education: B.Comm., marketing and HR, SFU us miserable at that point.” but built on a model that Car or chosen mode of transport: In the past year – boat, has created more time and Both pregnant, the duo plane, train, RV, topless jeep, Acura and my feet flexibility. The business invented their own triple Currently reading: Always rereading The 4-Hour Workweek: partners call the concept bottom line: finances, Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich by Tim “pretirement living” and freedom and fulfilment.

Ferriss, and the latest by Seth Godin now run a blog and do They applied the concept Last CD bought or music downloaded: Kings of Convenience, to their businesses, honing speaking engagements on Boat Behind the topic. in on their most profitable Favourite local restaurant: Sushi, from anywhere at anytime Stirling said her two revenue streams, movProfession you would most like to try: I’m living it ventures, along with ing to contractors for Mentor: For business, Judy Brooks; for Pretirement Living family business LocoLanmore accountable labour concept and blog, my business partner, Shannon Ward ding Adventure Park in and creating a virtual Toughest business or professional decision: Tear down our the Okanagan, now have office through early forms design business that was based on a traditional model 35 staff and revenues of of cloud-computing after we realized it was slowly strangling the life out “over seven figures.” technology. of us, to rebuild it with a Pretirement-based business “I’m loving what I’m do“We completely tore model down that business and re- ing,” she said. “I’m loving Advice you would give the younger you: Value time more built it based on a different building businesses, but than money I’m building them in a model,” Stirling said.

What’s left to do: Everything and anything way that gives me and my After rebuilding the family freedom and fulfilbusinesses through the ment and the ability to do things that really seemed impossible before.” Ą

BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

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BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

December 27, 2011â&#x20AC;&#x201C;January 2, 2012 Business in Vancouver

Date: Wednesday, January 25, 2012 Location: The Fairmont Waterfront Hotel Tickets available now online at www.biv.com/events Join us to celebrate the winners of our top Forty under 40 and hear their success stories. BIV has celebrated BCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up and coming business stars for more than 20 years. This year, come join us for our networking reception and awards dinner. Rub shoulders with our winners and meet up with winners from previous years.

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BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

Business in Vancouver December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012

Birthplace: Istanbul, Turkey Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Bachelor of laws, University of London Currently reading: Catalyst Code by David Evans and Richard Schmalensee Last CD bought or music downloaded: Good Things by Aloe Blacc Favourite local restaurant: Oakville Bistro Profession you would most like to try: My current one – I wouldn’t trade the world for what I do Mentor: Sam Jawad (president of Chase), David Shore (founder of Sterling Mercantile), John Eymann (founder of PI Financial Corp.)

Toughest business or professional decision: To leave a safe and secure career in investment banking at height of market to start my own company Advice you would give the younger you: Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you and with like-minded individuals (those who have walked in your shoes before) What’s left to do: Everything. There’s a world of opportunity out there, it’s incumbent upon us to keep setting higher expectations and deliverables for ourselves

Michael Gokturk CEO, Payfirma Corporation Age: 36

L

ess than two years ago, Michael Gokturk took the company he founded in 2005 public, then lost control.

The company was Versapay, which went public in January 2010.

“I started realizing that my ability to innovate and drive innovation forward was being stifled by a board,” he said. “I lost control of my own company.”

Gokturk left Versapay and started Payfirma Corporation, which provides a range of electronic payment processing and e-commerce services, including a new mobilepayment system that turns iPhones, iPads or BlackBerrys into credit card readers.

“We’ve uncovered a massive greenfield market in Canada,” Gokturk said.

“People that have never

accepted credit cards before: wedding photographers, roofers, plumbers.”

The company also plans to launch an app that will allow people to cash and deposit cheques with their smartphones.

Born in Turkey, Gokturk came to Canada when he was just two, and grew up in Calgary, Oakville and Texas (his father worked in the oil industry).

After his family moved back to Canada, Gokturk got an economics degree at the University of Calgary. He got a job as an investment adviser with PI Financial Corp. at the age of 22.

The firm eventually sent him to Vancouver, where he ended up doing a law degree by correspondence, then got promoted to investment banker taking companies public.

When Gokturk left PI Financial in 2005, one of PI’s founders wrote the

“We’ve uncovered a massive greenfield market in Canada” first cheque to help him start his own company.

Payfirma started with two employees, which has

grown to close to 40, and is “on track to do over $2 million in revenue.” Ą

Feras Elkhalil Founder, president and CEO, West Pacific Consulting Group Age: 36

F

eras Elkhalil counts a rough patch, living off credit and failing to make it in commercial real estate, as a key driver of his success.

When Elkhalil took a friend’s advice and dived

into recruiting in 2000, he said those early hard knocks propelled him forward.

“I had the will and the experience of living on nothing, trying to get every last bit of that deal,”

Birthplace: Benghazi, Libya Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Diploma in marketing management, BC Institute of Technology Car or chosen mode of transport: 2011 BMW 550i x-drive Currently reading: Leadership From the Inside Out by Kevin Cashman Last CD bought or music downloaded: Jay-Z, the Blueprint 3 Favourite local restaurant: Without question, Vij’s Profession you would most like to try: I’ve always had an interest in international trade, and have thought that trying my hand as a commodities broker would be very interesting Mentor: My personal coach, Rosemary Prinz, has been a strong professional mentor to me for several years. I have also always looked up to my father, Ali Elkhalil, as a role model and mentor who motivated me to pursue my business ventures and dreams Toughest business or professional decision: Easily the most difficult business decision I’ve had to make was to buy out my friend and business partner of eight years Advice you would give the younger you: Always keep your eye on all parts of the business operation; don’t ignore important facets of the business to focus on another.

Stay in touch with the teams that keep the business together. Build a business slowly and patiently - don’t let hubris be born from your successes What’s left to do: From a personal perspective, I’m looking forward to helping raise my newborn boy Holt and grow a loving family with my wife Christyn. On the business side, we still need to expand WPCG’s footprint by opening regional offices throughout Western Canada. The goal our entire team is striving for is to push our annual revenues to the $100 million mark

19

he said. “It wasn’t an even playing ground for [my colleagues] because I was hungrier. I was always hungry – first one in the office, last one to leave.”

Elkhalil quickly proved his recruiting abilities at technology recruiter TEKsystems, where he was named the company’s top recruiter in Canada every week for 10 straight months, and then the company’s top account manager every month for 12 months.

But with entrepreneurialism in his blood and a dissatisfaction with working under corporate red tape, Elkhalil decided to break out on his own in 2002, launching technology recruiting company West Pacific Consulting Group.

Since the launch, the company has grown to 30 full-time employees and 250 consultants and is on track to achieve $32 million in revenues this year.

Elkhalil said his company is looking to redefine the recruitment experience by focusing on long-term client relationships. He said WPCG takes a portfolio approach to clients’ staffing needs – meaning the company can, for example, offer a commission discount during a

“I had the will and the experience of living on nothing, trying to get every last bit of that deal” client’s budget crunch and negotiate a higher commission for a later hire.

“You don’t really have to always worry about the bottom line,” he said.

Elkhalil said he’s working to grow WPCG’s revenues to $100 million within the next seven to 10 years, and plans to expand across Western Canada. Ą

20

BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012 Business in Vancouver

Robert Napoli Vice-president and co-founder, First West Capital Age: 37

R

obert Napoli has helped finance dozens of startup companies through roles as a senior investment manager at Vancity and as the head of the $60 million subordinated debt fund First West Capital, which is part of First West Credit Union.

He became president of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Vancouver about a year ago and has since helped grow that organization by 50 members to about 170 members. ACG Vancouver is now the go-to association for anyone involved in middle-market dealmaking in Vancouver.

It launched its annual Dealmaker of the Year gala earlier this year.

Originally from

Australia, Napoli came to Vancouver as part of a personal trip to see the world.

He wound up falling in love with his future wife Kristen Napoli and a city where he would soon start to build contacts.

At Vancity, he provided senior, mezzanine and project financing ranging from $250,000 to $5 million each and was able to close 30 deals with a portfolio of $25 million in six years.

One example of those financings was a loan to Elastic Path Software Inc., which then had about 30 staff. It now has about 220 employees.

He left Vancity along with partner Kristi Miller to launch First West Capital in October 2010.

“We’ve been running the fund for about a year now and we’ve closed nine transactions so far, worth about $13 million,” Napoli told Business in

“By the end of the year we’re looking at doing a dozen transactions worth $15 million”

Vancouver in October. “By the end of the year, we’re looking at doing a dozen transactions worth $15 million.” Ą

Birthplace: Melbourne, Australia Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Honours degrees in law and commerce at Monash University in Australia Car or chosen mode of transport: Dadmobile and a Trek 5000 bike Currently reading: The Toyota Way by Jeffrey Liker Last CD bought or music downloaded: The Suburbs by Arcade Fire Favourite local restaurant: Umberto Menghi’s Il Giardino Profession you would most like to try: Chef Mentor: Bryan Mavrow, who is senior vicepresident of marketing at First West Credit Union Toughest business or professional decision: Leaving Australia in 2003 to build a new professional network in Canada Advice you would give the younger you: Don’t be afraid, be prepared What’s left to do: Build the best subordinate debt group in western Canada, grow the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Vancouver into the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley, and help build a new school at St. Augustine’s Parish

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BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

Business in Vancouver December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012

Erin Chutter President and director, Puget Ventures Age: 37

E

rin Chutter has a yellow sticky on her wall that reads, “Want it more than sleep.”

The 37-year-old mining executive believes her success is due to an unwavering persistence to succeed.

“One of the character traits I admire more and more in people is persistence,” she said. “It’s easy when things are going really well to take credit for things that would’ve happened anyway, but when you run into challenges or see someone who has been persistent day in and day out … that’s something I really appreciate.”

These days, Chutter’s mining mettle is tested every day in Vancouver’s extremely competitive junior exploration sector, which is home to more than 800 companies.

When she’s not

volunteering in her community or raising her family, Chutter is downtown working with investors, bankers, colleagues and project partners to build Puget Ventures (TSX-V:PVS) into the world’s next cobalt producer.

But her career hasn’t always been about rocks.

Chutter started out as a strategic planning and communications consultant. She helped run political campaigns for the likes of former premier Gordon Campbell, and counted members of Vancouver’s natural resource sector among her clients.

Eventually, she got the mining bug and decided she wanted a company of her own.

Earlier this year, Chutter engineered a reverse-takeover deal that gave Puget a large cobalt deposit in Siberia. The Russian government has also committed $400 million to help build the project.

Chutter said although building a junior

exploration company is tough work, it’s not all that different from running a political campaign.

“It’s very much like putting together a campaign; you need to put together strategy, attract and hire the right technical talent, inspire a team, get everyone working in the same direction and ask perfect strangers for money.” Ą

“It’s easy when things are going really well to take credit … but when you see someone who has been persistent day in and day out … that’s something I really appreciate”

Birthplace: Duncan, B.C. Where do you live now: Vancouver Car or chosen mode of transport: These days? 747 airplane Currently reading: Re-reading Barney’s Version by Mordecai Richler – my favourite book Last CD bought or music downloaded: Bad as Me by Tom Waits Favourite local restaurant: Though there are so many good choices in Vancouver, probably Flying Tiger as it is a family birthday dinner favourite Profession you would most like to try: Cannot imagine anything I’d love more than what I’m doing now Mentor: Many good friends, young and old, have given me good advice and direction, but my husband, Geoff Chutter, counsels me from a place of great love, which is an added bonus Toughest business or professional decision: Letting go of a transaction that wasn’t working out Advice you would give the younger you: Strategic vision is great, but persistence gets you through the tough days What’s left to do: Let’s see how far we can go!

Matt Breech President and CEO, TallGrass Distribution Age: 37

W

ith many consumers turning to natural and organic products, TallGrass Distribution Ltd., founded in 1997 by best friends Matt Breech and Ben Banky was perfectly poised to take advantage

of the burgeoning green revolution.

The importer, distributor and manufacturer of natural and organic beauty products and supplements grew to have 45 employees in B.C. Alberta, Quebec and Ontario.

Birthplace: Toronto Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: BA honours history, UBC Car or chosen mode of transport: I don’t drive, never have. I walk to work with my dog, Milo Currently reading: Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner Last CD bought or music downloaded: African disco compilation Favourite local restaurant: Chambar Profession you would most like to try: Winemaker Mentor: My parents, Ben Banky and Ted Ticknor Toughest business or professional decision: The toughest situation I’ve experienced in life and business was undoubtedly the tragic loss of my business partner Ben. And, of course, many tough decisions flowed from that Advice you would give the younger you: Focus on profitability. Starting out, we didn’t have a clear plan for how our business was going to be profitable; and as Ted Ticknor always told us, making money is the hardest thing to learn how to do What’s left to do: It seems appropriate to quote Ben Banky: “We believe we don’t succeed unless the people around us succeed, and the planet not only is not harmed but rather is improved by our work. Part of the fun of building a business is imagining what the future can look like and making that dream come true.” TallGrass is still a young company, and we are going to keep building that dream for many years to come

TallGrass grew 250% over the past five years and became one of the largest suppliers of natural products to London Drugs and Save-On Foods.

Unforseen misfortune hit the company in 2008, when Banky, president and co-CEO of the company, was murdered by an employee at the office Christmas party.

Despite his personal sorrow, Breech led his griefstricken team through a very difficult period and managed to keep the TallGrass business growing.

“It was a challenge to buckle down and get our bearings, but we had to continue to build the company and build the dream,” said Breech.

“We were determined to continue to grow and thrive. Anything else would be letting down Ben’s memory.”

Breech took on full responsibility for TallGrass, implemented a new product development strategy, and lead the company to revenues of more than $6 million in 2010, with 20% growth so far in 2011.

Breech commented that

his attitude of the whole process being a journey is key.

“You have to enjoy building an organization and take it one day at a time,” he said.

“It’s important when you have a visionary and leader that you can continue their legacy, that’s a wonderful thing and you feel that person is with you every step of the way.” Ą

21

“It’s important when you have a visionary and leader that you can continue their legacy, that’s a wonderful thing and you feel that person is with you every step of the way”

22

BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012 Business in Vancouver

Stephen Jagger President, Ubertor Age: 33

S

tephen Jagger has been an entrepreneur since he and partner Michael Stephenson founded a web-hosting company near the height of the dotcom boom.

They now operate four businesses with a combined total of 92 workers.

Their web-hosting venture, by 2005, had morphed into becoming Ubertor, which helps real estate professionals build effective websites complete with videos and social media components.

The duo realized that a good business which would feed Ubertor would be if they could teach search engine optimization and other Internet marketing tips to real estate agents.

That was the genesis

behind Reachd.com – a venture that the two started in 2007. Clients for Reachd.com’s monthly training seminars now span a variety of sectors.

“In 2008, we started dabbling with the idea of offshoring or outsourcing workers,” Jagger said of what led he and Stephenson to found OutsourcingThingsDone. com.

“Now, we lease labour from a Philippine office back to the North American market. Ubertor is a client of the outsourcing business and uses the services of 10 workers.”

Jagger’s latest venture is something he describes as a payroll and scheduling software company that provides products for employers whose employees are millennials – the Facebook generation.

Those workers want to be able to see their schedule, pay and other

Birthplace: Hong Kong Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Venture program at BCIT Car or chosen mode of transport: Volvo Currently reading: The Lean Startup by Eric Ries Last CD bought or music downloaded: Don’t really download music Favourite local restaurant: Q4 Al Centro Profession you would most like to try: Usedcar salesman Mentor: Big fan of Jimmy Pattison Toughest business or professional decision: Becoming comfortable public speaking Advice you would give the younger you: Buy more Vancouver real estate What’s left to do: Lots to do, but next is the launch of PayrollHero.com

work-related data via the Internet, and for that information to be continually updated in real time.

Jagger often speaks about social media at real estate conferences, Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) events and at other expositions.

His status as a speaker was helped by his new book Sociable, which he wrote with Shane Gibson.

He is a director of the Vancouver College Alumni Association and was on the communications committee of the Vancouver Board of Trade. Ą

“We lease labour from a Philippine office back to the North American market”

201

Business and investment across British Columbia

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include details of B.C.’s competitive advantages, comprehensive coverage of exciting developments in the province and reasons for investment across all its regions. hire a certified general accountant To equip your business to Your CGA can produce finannavigate today’s turbulent ships with the Association cial statements to assist you of Chartered financial waters, hire a certified with Certified Accountants, CPA everyday decisions and can Australia general accountant (CGA) proand other organizations firm vide payroll, tax and managementthat have or employ a CGA as a member extended the global reach consulting and advisory of CGAs. of your managerial team. services.

Your CGA can advise you CGAs advise businesses on investWhat should you look ments and obtaining finance, for in a CGA? throughout British Columbia as well Ideally, you will work with as on personal inheritance, the same and the world in industry, tax-form accountant for many years. preparation (personal and A longcommerce, finance, government business), and estate-planning and retirement-planning. term working relationship between public practice: in any sector where you and your CGA can help In times of crisis, your CGA accounting and financial you take can management an informed, consistent approach analyze problems in your are required. Their clients business range from personal, financial and business to and help you improve profitability. major corporations to entrepreneurs. goals.

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Why hire a CGA? How do you find a CGA? Anyone can call himself or herself How do you get the most You can search for your nearest an “accountant” even with CGA little or from you CGA? public-practice firm at www.cga-bc.org. no formal training, so it is important There is no set fee structure Looking to recruit a CGA for CGA firms. to use a designated accountant. to your staff? Firms base fees on the time required Use the association’s online The Certified General Accountto job board, perform the services you www.CGAjobs.org, which request and ants’ Association of B.C. is allows employB.C.’s largest the quality of information ers in B.C. to find information you accounting body. CGA was supply. both the first ĂBefore your appointment, about CGAs and about CGA in B.C. to require members gather students. to take information about business The Partners in Employment professional-development or courses personal financial decisions Program (PEP) connects and to require public-practice under employfirms to consideration so that you ers around the province have professional liability can ask with CGA– insurance. the CGA specific questions.

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CGA–BC has introduced a rules-andĂBe organized: Save yourself CGA–BC can also help employers standards course for all new graduates unnecessary fees by maintaining connect with new graduates and an ongoing ethics requirement. who wish good financial records. to obtain employment and All CGA public practitioners pursue Ă have Be open: CGAs are in the best the CGA designation. CGA–BC mandatory practice reviews posholds to ensure ition to advise you and serve recruitment days on and that they are meeting the your off campus, profesinterests when they understand allowing employers to interview sion’s acknowledged standards. a your goals and expectations. ber of students before deciding numThese three letters are awarded which ĂBe open to advice: CGAs only to invite back for second have vast those who have successfully interviews. completed experience and can assist “It’s a big time-saver,” says the very demanding CGA you with Dan program. your problems and concerns.

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BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

Business in Vancouver December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012

Rebecca Shields Executive director, Canadian Mental Health Association Age: 38

R

ebecca Shields doesn’t remember a time in her life where she wasn’t fundraising or volunteering.

“I come from a family of volunteers. It was always in me to be active and involved.”

It would only make sense that her career path would follow suit, with progressive positions at the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society to the Deafblind Services Society of BC. At the latter, where she spent eight years, Shields succeeded in initiating new contracts valuing $2.2 million annually, effectively increasing the capacity of the society by more than 625% in less than five years.

Now executive director of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), VancouverBurnaby branch, Shields has led the organization through difficult times.

“I came in a time of economic downturn and led the organization

through a huge changemanagement process to revitalize the whole organization and to rebuild capacity to better serve the population.”

The results have been significant. Shields spearheaded the CMHA winning a $400,000 annual contract from the Fraser Health Authority toward a new rehabilitation and recovery-focused program for the mentally ill in Burnaby.

With her fundraising background, she has expanded the CMHA’s fundraising program. Before, it was heavily reliant on government contracts, but under Shields’ supervision it has become more sustainable by seeking out various sources of funding.

Throughout her career, Shields has been a huge proponent of advocating for those who can’t do it for themselves.

She remembered something someone once told her: “You never know who the one person is going to be to impact and change the world, and if we don’t offer everybody the potential, we all lose out.

“I have an inherent belief that everyone should have the same opportunities, and if we are inclusive and accessible we raise all of our lifestyles and chances for a better life.” Ą

“Everyone should have the same opportunities, and if we are inclusive and accessible we raise all of our lifestyles and chances for a better life”

23

Birthplace: Toronto Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Bachelor of science in chemistry, UBC Car or chosen mode of transport: Random – between walking to work, bus and car (Nissan Xtrail or 1984 VW camperized Westfalia) Currently reading: The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill Last CD bought or music downloaded: Lady Gaga, Fleetwood Mac or 125 Kids Songs Favourite local restaurant: Les Faux Bourgeois Profession you would most like to try: Ice road truck driver Mentor: Jennifer Johnstone, CEO of the Central City Foundation Toughest business or professional decision: Choosing not to finish my M.Sc. to pursue a career in fundraising and nonprofit management Advice you would give the younger you: Get the best contact management software available – and actually use it What’s left to do: We have a long way to go in building inclusive, caring and accessible communities. In B.C., we still have the highest child poverty rate across Canada. Stigma still prevents those from seeking treatment for mental illness, and there are significant gaps in services and resources for families. The social-profit community is working more collaboratively to address these issues, and I hope to continue my role as a leader and agent for positive social change

24

BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012 Business in Vancouver

Ryan Dalziel Partner, Bull, Housser & Tupper LLP Age: 29

R

yan Dalziel was called to the bar when he was 22 years old and made partner at Bull Housser Tupper five years later.

What makes Dalziel stand out from the many other young legal partners in Vancouver is that the 29-year-old has tried eight cases in front of the Supreme Court of Canada.

He was involved in the early stages of three of those cases, and some of them were initiated outside B.C. Very quickly he has become one of the most experienced Vancouver lawyers in Canada’s top court.

“I’m very privileged to have the chance to be involved in cases of not just local but national and public significance,” he said.

After Dalziel completed law school in 2003, he worked as a judicial law clerk to justices William Esson and Mary Newbury of the BC Court of Appeal. He went on to do the same job for Justice Rosalie Abella of the Supreme Court of Canada.

Many of the cases he has been involved with have surrounded hot-button issues. He was the lead lawyer for B.C. in the Supreme Court of Canada case determining that the federal government could not be liable for healthcare costs incurred as a result of a tobacco-related disease.

He also successfully argued at the Supreme Court of Canada that granting aboriginal commercial fishing licences was not racist, but rather that it was an example of affirmative action that is not contrary to the right to equality in the Canadian Constitution.

Sometimes he has acted against First Nations groups. For example, he successfully had the

Supreme Court of Canada uphold Rio Tinto Alcan’s sale of $2 billion worth of power to BC Hydro despite opposition from an aboriginal tribal council.

“The nature of our role as advocates is to be able to represent both sides of any given problem,” he said.

Outside work, he sits on a legal advisory committee of the BC Civil Liberties Association. Ą

“I’m very privileged to have the chance to be involved in cases of not just local but national and public significance”

Birthplace: Victoria Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: BA in history and bachelor of laws at the University of British Columbia Car or chosen mode of transport: Yellow Cab Currently reading: American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur by William Manchester Last CD bought or music downloaded: Pass. Virtually all recent downloads are embarrassing Favourite local restaurant: Tojo’s Profession you would most like to try: Film producer Mentors: Too many great ones to single one out: in chronological order, George Burke, Justice Mary Newbury, Daniel Webster and Joseph Arvay Toughest business or professional decision: To be a lawyer in the first place Advice you would give the younger you: I still am the younger me What’s left to do: A couple hundred cases

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BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

Business in Vancouver December 27, 2011â&#x20AC;&#x201C;January 2, 2012

Robin Dhir President & COO, Twin Brook Developments Age: 39

R

obin Dhir has quintupled Twin Brook Developmentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; annual project volume in the six years since he joined his father and became president of the family firm.

Six years ago, the company developed the 30-unit Twin Brook Estates project in Maple Ridge. Last year, the company was involved in a 150-unit project in Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Punjab region, as well as a highrise residential project outside New Delhi. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve diversified from detached homes to multifamily developments and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also expanded geographically,â&#x20AC;? said Dhir.

Outside his day job, Dhir is a director of Canada Place Corp., an active member of the Indus Entrepreneurs and the co-chair and founder

of the annual A Night of Miracles gala dinner for the BC Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It came about partly through frustration at the way South Asians are portrayed [in news headlines],â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now, it is the only black-tie gala in the South Asian community.â&#x20AC;?

Dhir has been active in his community since he was a student at SFU, where he was elected as a student senator in the early 1990s.

He advises organizers of the Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration, is co-chair of the India Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CareerFest and is a founder and director of Genuine 5 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a group of business people who put on events that help fund childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s charities.

He joined Gillette Co.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Duracell division after

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been headhunted at every job Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve hadâ&#x20AC;? university. While there, he achieved top ranking among 13 sales reps in Western Canada.

Kodak Canada Inc. recruited him in 2000 to

work in business development and he stayed there, as senior business development manager, until 2005. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been headhunted at every job Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had.â&#x20AC;? Ä&#x201E;

25

Birthplace: Vancouver Where do you live now: Burnaby Highest level of education: BBA from Simon Fraser University Car or chosen mode of transport: Lexus EX350 Currently reading: Leadership Sutras by Debashis Chatterjee Last CD bought or music downloaded: Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5 Favourite local restaurant: Glowbal, Hyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and the Vancouver Club Profession you would most like to try: Lawyer Mentor: My father, Narinder Dhir Toughest business or professional decision: Deciding to move away from the corporate world working with large multinational companies to join the family business, where it was expected I would eventually take over Advice you would give the younger you: Start taking risks early in life. Commit to lifelong learning as change is all around us and you always need to be prepared Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s left to do: Develop a strategy to diversify the company into new areas of construction and development. Also, I want to be a role model for my children and raise them to be committed to giving back to the community they live in

Matt Fraser President and COO, Yyoga Age: 38

M

att Fraser has grown Yyoga from a startup to a seven-outlet chain of yoga studios with 350 staff and $8.5 million in revenue.

His involvement with the chain, which Terry McBride founded in 2008, stemmed largely from his

passion for physical activity.

He attended the University of Victoria on a rugby scholarship and then went to Whistler to become a ski instructor.

After working up to be the supervisor of the Whistler Blackcomb ski

Birthplace: Vancouver Where do you live now: Squamish Highest level of education: MBA from London Business School Car or chosen mode of transport: Subaru Outback Currently reading: Freedom by Jonathan Franzen Last CD bought or music downloaded: Something Good Can Work by Two Door Cinema Club Favourite local restaurant: The Nest in Squamish Profession you would most like to try: Helicopter pilot Mentor: My dad, John Fraser Toughest business or professional decision: Joining a startup (YYoga) when we had a new mortgage Advice you would give the younger you: Enjoy it all; it is going to be amazing Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s left to do: So much more

school, he managed Whistler Blackcombâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1,400 beds of employee housing as well as a $3 million budget.

His MBA from the prestigious London Business School enabled him to get various jobs at Intrawest. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been very lucky that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been able to work with two amazing products, one being skiing and the other being yoga,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Both make people feel good.â&#x20AC;?

The other product that Fraser has worked with wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as uplifting: junk.

1-800-GOT-JUNK lured Fraser to leave Intrawest in 2006 to manage all eight corporate locations and a $5 million budget.

He also oversaw the junk removal companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top 10 franchisees.

McBride lured Fraser to join Yyoga first as COO

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a simple vision here: to make the world a better placeâ&#x20AC;? and then promoted him to be both COO and president last year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an amazing product.

We have a simple vision here: to make the world a

better place,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our clear plan is to have 20 locations across Canada within five years, and 50 locations within the next 10 years.â&#x20AC;?

Outside work, Fraser is a director of the Squamish Health Care Foundation and the Squamish Oceanfront Development Corp. Ä&#x201E;

Commercial real estate deals and news $"/ .",& :06 .*--*0/4 Commercial real estate and business listings from across Western Canada 0/ /&845"/%4 /08 find locations at www.westerninvestor.com

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Congratulations to Canada Place Board Member Robin Dhir for being recognized as one of Business in Vancouverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Top 40 under 40.

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BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

December 27, 2011â&#x20AC;&#x201C;January 2, 2012 Business in Vancouver

Taleeb Noormohamed President and CEO, Serebra Learning Age: 35

E

ducated at both Princeton University and Oxford University, Taleeb Noormohamed returned to his hometown in 2007 to be vicepresident of strategy and partnerships with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games (VANOC).

In that role, he raised more than $60 million and was responsible for management of all noncommercial revenue and business development initiatives.

Shareholders at Serebra Learning Corp. recruited him to turn their fledgling e-learning venture around. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Serebra was really lost.

It lost its way and wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sure what it was going to be. It came down to, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Do we turn this around?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; or â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Do we shut down?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At our annual general meeting last year, I told them my mandate was to

cut costs, increase revenue and bring in a deal that will show value. I said that within 18 months we would have a merger or acquisition, and so far weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on track.â&#x20AC;?

Serebra was in negotiations for a merger with Bluedrop Inc. as of press time.

Noormohamed has a track record of bouncing between interesting jobs.

He had clearance to see top-secret documents when he worked as a senior adviser to Bob Rae when Rae was an independent adviser to the minister of public safety on questions related to the bombing of a 1985 Air India flight.

He also had that clearance when he was director of citizen engagement in the department of public safety.

After the Olympics, he led a comprehensive review of B.C.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s large-scale technology procurement contracts, valued at $2.2 billion, to determine what has worked and what requires improvement.

He is on the board of directors of Covenant House Vancouver as well as the West Vancouver Community Centre. Past charitable work includes being on the board of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

He also volunteers extensively within the Ismaili Muslim community. Ä&#x201E;

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I said that within 18 months we would have a merger or acquisition, and so far weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on trackâ&#x20AC;?

Birthplace: Ottawa Where do you live now: North Vancouver Highest level of education: BA, Princeton University; PhD candidate, Oxford University Car or chosen mode of transport: Air Canada ďŹ&#x201A;ights; my Porsche or on foot Currently reading: Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof & Sheryl WuDunn Last CD bought or music downloaded: Christmas by Michael Buble Favourite local restaurant: Ki at the Shangri-La or James Street Cafe in Burnaby Profession you would most like to try: Being an NHL general manager or a criminal defence attorney Mentor: Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m lucky to have a few mentors. I also look to my parents for inspiration â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they came to Canada with $300 and managed to raise a family, build a successful business and maintain a happy and healthy marriage Toughest business or professional decision: Negotiating a merger that I knew was right for our shareholders but would result in members of my team â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and me â&#x20AC;&#x201C; losing jobs Advice you would give the younger you: Do what you love and have fun doing it.

Follow your passion, give it your all, and success will follow. As soon as you stop having fun, loving and being challenged by what you do, move on. Life is too short to be miserable at work all day long Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s left to do: Personally, to spend more time with my parents and loved ones, get married and have kids; professionally, to build another proďŹ table and successful business; and help to make politics and public service something that people see as being valuable by making it relevant and inspiring

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BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

Why I chose MacKay LLP

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BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012 Business in Vancouver

Brian Postlewait Executive director, Mission Possible Age: 38

B

orn into a smallbusiness family, Brian Postlewait’s passion for helping people led him to the non-profit sector and eventually Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

But those entrepreneurial roots still show through.

“I think it’s just in my blood,” he said with a laugh. “You just either know how to do it or you don’t – to get out and hustle.”

With a background in non-profit and community development work, Postlewait became executive director of Christian nonprofit Mission Possible in 2007.

“It was an organization in crisis in some ways, because it didn’t have a clear sense of vision,” he said.

With Postlewait at the helm, Mission Possible researched what the community was missing and came up with a simple answer: jobs.

“We have a community in the Downtown Eastside that’s not over-challenged as it’s sometimes looked at; I really believe this is an under-challenged community,” he said. “It’s a neighbourhood that doesn’t know how to move forward and I think people are all the time looking for opportunities to find a foothold and improve their lives.”

In 2008, Mission Possible found an opportunity to launch a graffitiremoval program as part of the City of Vancouver’s pre-Olympic cleanup efforts. That enterprise has expanded into a full-service maintenance business, on course to do $350,000 of work this year.

Postlewait also helped Mission Possible launch a hotel soap-recycling enterprise which employs at-risk women to recycle hotel soaps, which are then shipped worldwide to combat hygiene-related disease. Hotels pay a recycling fee for the service.

Between Mission Possible’s staff and its two social enterprises,

the organization has grown from 2.5 staff and $200,000 in revenues in 2007 to 35 employees and $900,000 this year.

“We did that through an economic downturn, so we’re pretty stoked about how we’ve journeyed this far.” Ą

“You just either know how to do it or you don’t – to get out and hustle”

Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: MA in theology, Nazarene Theological Seminary Car or chosen mode of transport: Dodge Grand Caravan – loaded with my kids and a Yellow Labrador Currently reading: Getting Naked by Patrick Lencioni Last CD bought or music downloaded: Janelle Monae, the ArchAndroid Favourite local restaurant: The Whip Profession you would most like to try: Rock star Mentor: My friends who are surviving in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside Toughest business or professional decision: Moving my family across the continent from Washington, D.C., to Vancouver Advice you would give the younger you: Try not to over-think it.

Follow your heart and listen to your gut, and remember to feed your soul What’s left to do: Create or find a job for every willing, ready and able Downtown Eastside resident

Jason Pleym President and owner, Two Rivers Specialty Meats Age: 37

A

fter completing college, Jason Pleym began pounding the pavement searching for what was next. He knew he was interested in business, but even more he knew he had a huge affinity for food.

He considered going back to school to become a chef, but after speaking with some people in the industry he was told to he might be better suited to distribution.

Now president and owner of Two Rivers Specialty Meats, Pleym has planted himself firmly among the best of the best in Vancouver’s world-renowned food and restaurant scene.

Counting lauded restaurants Cioppino’s and Bishop’s as loyal clients, Pleym’s three-year-old meat-supply business

boasts sales of $4.5 million and 10% growth per month.

He started the company from scratch, with a table, a portable cooler and a fierce belief in and desire to spread the word about local and sustainably raised food.

His approach? To look at butchery from a more specialized view and to tailor cuts specifically for chefs and their needs.

The other crucial detail was to provide customers with information about the farm and how the product was raised.

“The educational or consultative approach to the sale is how we have differentiated ourselves in such a mature industry,” said Pleym.

Two Rivers now works with 75% of Vancouver Magazine’s Restaurant Award winners and in 2011, the company won the magazine’s distinction of supplier of the year.

“In terms of commodity product, a lot of people have the same thing, but we’ve been able to give chefs the ability to differentiate their menus and their product lineup and that has created some value.” Ą

“The educational or consultative approach to the sale is how we have differentiated ourselves in such a mature industry”

Birthplace: North Vancouver Where do you live now: North Vancouver Highest level of education: Marketing management diploma from BCIT Car or chosen mode of transport: Truck Currently reading: The Butcher’s Guide To Well-Raised Meat by Joshua and Jessica Applestone and Alexandra Zissu Last CD bought or music downloaded: The Dustin Bentall Outfit, Six Shooter Favourite local restaurant: An impossible decision to make Profession you would most like to try: Chef Mentor: Don Millerd Toughest business or professional decision: Quitting my big-city job in Vancouver to move to small-town Golden, B.C., with my wife. We lived in a school bus and I worked as a rafting guide on the Kicking Horse River … time to ponder life and make some decisions.

Advice you would give the younger you: Rest when you can and learn the art of time management What’s left to do: We’re just getting started

BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

Business in Vancouver December 27, 2011â&#x20AC;&#x201C;January 2, 2012

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BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012 Business in Vancouver

Jason Zanatta President and managing partner, Novo Textiles Age: 31

J

ason Zanatta began his growth rate of nearly 40%. career in the textiles Zanatta said breaking business sweeping floors into a well-worn industry and stocking shelves at his such as textiles hasn’t been family’s mattress company. easy, but hard work and But it wasn’t long before ingenuity has paid off. he wanted in on the action “We’re young, we bring himself. a fresh approach to a very At the age of 22, after old industry,” he said. graduating from the Brit- “We’re focusing more on ish Columbia Institute the consumer’s different of Technology with a sleeping habits rather marketing diploma, he than a one-size-fits-all appartnered with his cousin proach. We’re customizing and uncle to buy a small sleep.” pillow-making company When he’s not working and transformed it into a to develop his multimilprofitable venture. lion-dollar manufacturing Unfortunately, he was business, Zanatta and diagnosed with ulcerative his wife give back to the colitis a few years later, but community through donahe wouldn’t let the malady tions to disease research get in his way. foundations.

Instead, Zanatta perseOn top of that, he revered and transformed the cently became a father. venture into Novo TexBut despite his success, tiles Co., a Surrey-based Zanatta has no plans to customized pillow, matleave the business. Instead, tress and duvet company. he wants to continue Since 2006, Novo has growing Novo into someseen an average annual thing even bigger.

“My goal for the company would be to continue to grow it, and continue

to supply everyone from independent retailers to national chains and see where it takes us from there,” he said. “I can’t see a time when I’m not going to enjoy it, I’m having fun.” Ą

“We’re customizing sleep”

Birthplace: New Westminster Where do you live now: Coquitlam Highest level of education: Marketing communications diploma, British Columbia Institute of Technology Car or chosen mode of transport: GMC Sierra Currently reading: Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead by Neil Strauss Last CD bought or music downloaded: Eureka by Mother Mother Favourite local restaurant: Sip Resto Lounge Profession you would most like to try: Royal Canadian Mounted Police Mentor: My dad Rick, uncle Nilo and cousin Troy Toughest business or professional decision: Staying the course despite challenges with ulcerative colitis Advice you would give the younger you: Look at adversity as an opportunity to learn and grow What’s left to do: Incorporating renewable resources and recycling into home textiles manufacturing

Tim Meyer Head of strategic planning and communications, TRIUMF Age: 36

M

ost communications staffers have degrees in journalism, communications or public relations.

Tim Meyer has a PhD in particle physics from Stanford University.

It comes in handy when dealing with government, private industry or the press, because his job is to explain what goes on at TRIUMF, Canada’s national particle and nuclear physics lab.

Explaining why scientists in Vancouver need $63 million to build a superconducting electron accelerator (the ARIEL) is one recent example.

Before coming to Vancouver to work at TRIUMF in 2007, Meyer worked for the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. He arrived in Vancouver around the time Canada’s NRU reactor began suffering a series of shutdowns, which curtailed the production of isotopes used in nuclear medicine and opened a door for TRIUMF. “It was a really interesting time to join the laboratory,” Meyer said.

“We already work with isotopes. So if the nation is

Birthplace: Winfield, Illinois Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: PhD, particle physics, Stanford University Car or chosen mode of transport: 2004 Toyota Prius, or my own two feet in a pair of Ecco shoes Currently reading: Gold by Isaac Asimov and Wealthy Barber Returns by Dave Chilton Last CD bought or music downloaded: Penguin by Avicii Favourite local restaurant: Moderne Burger on Broadway and Go Fish on Granville Island Profession you would most like to try: Ad executive at Nike or park ranger, Yosemite Mentors: Emilia Rathbun, Tim Flood, Patricia Burchat, Don Shapero Toughest business or professional decision: Accepting the offer to leave Washington, D.C., where my wife and I had settled, and where my wife had a career, to go to Canada to work with TRIUMF Advice you would give the younger you: Listen to your wife, tell people what you want, and trust your instincts.

Every time you think you are just waiting your turn to speak or contribute, you’re actually stalling What’s left to do: Fulfil on the 10-year plan we created for TRIUMF, including another home run for commercialization and – what the heck – a Nobel Prize, too

“We see ourselves as halfway between pure business and pure university” suffering the isotope question, who better to start taking a look at it?”

Although a lot of the work at TRIUMF is pure scientific research, some of the discoveries have commercial applications, and part of Meyer’s job is to liaise with the private sector.

“We see ourselves as halfway between pure business and pure university,” Meyer said, adding the lab also looks for international partnerships with labs and universities around the world.

One recent such partnership is with the

University of Manitoba and Japanese scientists.

“Last year, Japan put $4 million into a project at TRIUMF,” Meyer said.

“It’s a very elegant science project. Japan is saying, ‘The people in Canada are

really sophisticated and really capable – let’s work with them.’ It’s a big pat on the back for Canadian science.” Ą

BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

Business in Vancouver December 27, 2011–January 2, 2012

31

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BIV 2011 FORTY UNDER 40

December 27, 2011â&#x20AC;&#x201C;January 2, 2012 Business in Vancouver