Business in Vancouver's Forty under 40 2013 by GLACIER MEDIA DIGITAL LIMITED PARTNERSHIP dba BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

2013

# % ! " % " % ! % ! ! % ! % ! $ " % ! % !

What a bunch of overachievers... But seriously – congratulations to the winners of the 2013 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

Where are they now? Say what?

8 59

WINNERS Arash Asli Terry Beech Matt Bilbey Alice Chen Jamie Cheng Chris Day Maninder Dhaliwal Jaime Garratt Alexandra T. Greenhill Raminder Grewal Aaron Hefter Andrew Hungerford Erfan Kazemi Blair Kennedy Eugen Klein Andrew Knowles Lara Kozan Miranda Lam Peter Lukomskyj Justin Lussier Greg Malpass Jeremy Miller Jeff Norris Otis Perrick Robert Piasentin Andrew Reid Stephen Robinson Serge Salager Bobby Sangha Colin Scarlett Paul Schaffer Shawn Smith Warren Smith Travis Stevenson James Taylor Shafin Diamond Tejani Vanessa Timmer Stephen Ufford Andrew Warfield Carlos Yam

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 28 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58

All photography by Dominic Schaefer except for Shawn Smith, Stephen Ufford, Andrew Warfield

WHAT WERE THE JUDGES LOOKING FOR? INSIGHT | The judging panel explain what they were focusing on when assessing this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Forty under 40 nominations

he evaluation process for any awards ceremony is always

challenging, with different judges

THE 2013 JUDGING PANEL Cheryl Carter, former vice-president of marketing, Business in Vancouver

bringing widely varying perspectives on who shou ld w i n â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a nd why.

Joannah Connolly, online editor, Business in Vancouver

Business in Vancouver got to the bottom of the process by asking this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s judges to share what key attributes they think make a worthy Forty under 40 winner. Omar Ladak, managing partner and co-founder of the Noverra Group of Companies and a past Forty under 40 winner, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;My primary criteria is the overall substance of the candidatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; accomplishments across business and community work. This means different things for different candidates. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For entrepreneurs, a key focus was on the scale of the business success they had led; for professional executives, the scope of

Jeff Duncan, president and COO of Meetingmax

Omar Ladak, managing partner and co-founder, Noverra

Timothy Renshaw, managing editor, Business in Vancouver

continued on page 6 â&#x20AC;&#x161;

MORE KEY FORTY UNDER 40 SUCCESS STORIES

Rob Feenie

2002

1993

Rob Feenie: Cactus Club head chef, cookbook author and Canada’s first Iron Chef champion

Arthur Griffiths: former owner of the Canucks and Grizzlies, leader of Vancouver’s 2010 Olympics bid

2001

1992

Darren Entwistle: CEO of Telus

Frank Giustra: mining and filmmaking tycoon Calvin Helin: native leader, motivational speaker and best-selling author of Dances with Dependency Bev Briscoe: chair of Industry Training Authority 2003-2007, former Jim Pattison Group CFO, now owner and principal of Briscoe Management Ltd.

2000 David and Robert Heffel: fine-art auctioneers

1998

Wendy LisogarCocchia

Scott Cressey: Cressey Developments, one of Canada’s largest developers Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia: CEO of Century Plaza Hotel and Spa and Absolute Spa group; appointed to Christy Clark’s economic advisory board in 2012; rated one of Canada’s 100 most powerful women in 2012

1997 Gregor Robertson: mayor of Vancouver Naomi Yamamoto: B.C.’s small-business minister

1994 Gregor Robertson

Stu Jackson: former head coach and NBA executive vice-president. Vancouver Grizzlies coach 1997

Arthur Griffiths

1991 Glen Clark: became B.C. premier 1996-1999 Rick Hansen: “Man in Motion” and president of Rick Hansen Foundation spinal cord injury charity Susan Mendelson: founder of catering company Lazy Gourmet and cookbook author Yves Potvin: millionaire health-food entrepreneur and meat-replacement product pioneer

Glen Clark

1990 Don Mattrick: Microsoft’s former president of Xbox, now CEO of Zynga Terry McBride: co-founder of YYoga

Susan Mendelson

ANNOUNCEMENT

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 9.500 entrepreneurs in 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

Raminder Grewal, P.Eng.- Appointed President, Keystone Environmental Ltd.

eystone Environmental Ltd. is pleased to announce the appointment of Raminder Grewal to President. Raminder succeeds Bill Donald who will continue with Keystone Environmental as CEO. In his new position, Mr. Grewal will execute the corporate strategy with a focus on the ﬁrm’s core services. Mr. Donald will continue working directly with the ﬁrm’s many clients, while advancing Keystone Environmental’s strategic initiatives.

This appointment is timely, coinciding with the recent announcement of Raminder Grewal’s selection as one of the BIV’s 2014 Forty Under 40. This selection is a reflection of his professional and business success as well as his commitment to the community reflected in his involvement in many community organizations. Last year, Raminder was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for his leadership and participation in the Association of South Asian Professionals and Society of Punjabi Engineers and Technologists of BC. Keystone Environmental Ltd. is a full service environmental consulting firm, headquartered in Metro Vancouver and actively engaged throughout British Columbia and Alberta. The firm specializes in driving solutions for its clients in practice areas of contaminated sites, environmental assessment and mitigation and environmental engineering.

! # # ! ! $ " ! # " " "

# # ! # # !

0)5--# 6 ("'+-,# 3#(-%0("'+-,# "-+

-3,# 06 - # ,"-34$0 -.$,0- # 3#( "-+

32-+ ** 0(4$ -02' ,"-34$0 " .(* ,- 3#( "-+

-**$"2(-, 0(4$ ,&*$6

3#(* ,&*$6 "-+

: 3#( , # 7 3#(9 7/3 220-9 7 -01.03,& #30"' $"',()9 ,# 2'$ %-30 0(,&1 $+!*$+ 0$ 0$&(12$0$# 20 #$+ 0)1 -% 3#( - 8,# -32 +-0$ !-32 3#( 4(1(2 6-30 3#( #$ *$0 " ** -0 4(1(2 31 2 555 3#( "

16 | FORTY UNDER 40 2013 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

ARASH ASLI

CEO, Yocale

AGE

fter spending 14 years climbing the corporate ladder at Aptean, a $500 million technology company with 1,500 employees, Arash Asli was ready for something completely different. So, earlier this year, he quit his post

as an executive vice-president and started Yocale, a startup with just 18 employees. “[At Aptean], we used to cater to companies that had between $250 million to $3 billion in revenue,” Asli said. “I ended up working toward a passion

that I had, which is really equipping smaller businesses with the tools and the technology available to the bigger businesses, so they can also grow.” Asli was the youngest vice-president at Aptean, a company that makes a suite of applications including business-to-business customer relationship management tools. While there, he managed a portfolio of 32 product lines and put management systems in place that helped to save over $550,000 a year. With his deep technical skills and a passion for business, he also helped to turn around a declining business unit, returning it to 23% year-overyear growth. But having reached a senior management position, Asli found himself wanting a different challenge. “If you want to grow beyond that, it’s either Toronto or San Francisco,” he said. “My roots are really in Vancouver.” His new company, which will officially launch its product in the first quarter of 2014, will be all about that passion for local. “It’s going to be a new online destination that allows consumers to connect with and discover service providers in their location,” Asli said. “It’s about leveraging the mobility of smartphones and local technologies and equipping local business providers, which are mostly small businesses, with the tools that the bigger guys have.”

I travelled a lot in my previous job. I’ve been to over 240 cities in over 30 countries, and whenever anybody asks what’s your favourite spot, my favourite spot is Vancouver Birthplace: Tehran, Iran Where do you live now: West Vancouver Highest level of education: MBA in executive management Currently reading: One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss and The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business by Patrick M. Lencioni First CD bought or music downloaded: Pink Floyd

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Pilot Profession you would most like to try: Photographer Toughest business or professional decision: Stepping beyond my comfort zone; I gave up the security of the known to create a new opportunity, build capability and grow a business from the ground up

Advice you would give the younger you: As John F. Kennedy once said, “Nothing worthwhile has ever been accomplished with a guarantee of success.” Believe in your vision. Drive forward with passion. Enjoy the journey

What’s left to do: Grow the new business I recently started. Yocale changes the way that consumers discover and connect to service providers in their locale. My entire business model is around my passion for growing local businesses, building communication and an online community

| 17

TERRY BEECH

Co-founder and chairman, Hiretheworld.com

AGE

henever some young person in Canada gets elected to public office, Terry Beech still gets calls from reporters. As far as he knows, he still holds the record for being the youngest Canadian elected to public office. He had just turned 18 and was fresh out of high school when, in 1999, he was elected to city council in Nanaimo. After serving one term, he went to Simon Fraser University (SFU), where

he earned a degree in economics and business and won several scholarships. He still has political ambitions but for now is busy with a number of startups he co-founded, including Hiretheworld. com. As a student, Beech did an internship at Export Development Canada, where Stephen Poloz – now the governor of the Bank of Canada – was the chief economist. “I’m so lucky – I always find myself

surrounded by really smart people,” Beech said. After graduating from SFU, he went to work for the Aquilini Investment Group as director of business development. “Francesco [Aquilini] really took me under his wing,” Beech said. “It was like getting 10 MBAs.” In 2008, he left the Aquilini Group to get his MBA from Oxford University, where he specialized in entrepreneurship and venture capital. Back in Canada, he met with an old friend, Paul Lee, managing partner for Vanedge Capital, from whom he learned about crowdsourcing. I n 2 0 0 9, B e e c h c o-fo u n d e d Hiretheworld – a web-based logo design platform that uses crowdsourcing. Rather than hire a graphic designer, companies can use Hiretheworld for a flat fee (starting at $265). The company fills out a brief on what it is looking for in a logo, and Hiretheworld sends it to graphic designers in 148 countries, who then compete by submitting logo design ideas. The clients rate the designs, saying what they like or don’t like, and the competing designers work off that. The designer with the logo the client likes most gets the fee. In 2010, Hiretheworld won first prize in the New Ventures BC competition. “It took us a while to get profitable, but we’ve been profitable since 2012,” Beech said. In addition to Hiretheworld.com, Beech and his twin brother, Doug, co-founded the non-profit website Twinbro.com, which helps students access scholarships and bursaries. Beech is also an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at SFU and the University of British Columbia.

I’m so lucky – I always find myself surrounded by really smart people Birthplace: Comox Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: BBA, economics and business, SFU; MBA, Oxford; executive education, Harvard Currently reading: The Art of Possibility by Benjamin Zander

First CD bought or music downloaded: The Archies by the Archies When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: A lawyer Profession you would most like to try: Member of Parliament, venture capitalist or astronaut

Toughest business or professional decision: Turning down a traditional career and going into business for myself Advice you would give the younger you: No matter what you do, have fun doing it

What’s left to do: Go back into politics to serve at the federal level, ensure every student in Canada has access to some sort of entrepreneurial education, take my wife on a trip around the world, learn to speak another language and learn to kite surf

18 | FORTY UNDER 40 2013 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

MATT BILBEY

Senior vice-president, EA Studios

AGE

rowing up in England, Matt Bilbey had “football” (soccer) in his DNA. While still studying for a diploma in international marketing, he got a summer job working for Electronic Arts’ London operations in sales. He even got to test some of EA’s sports games – a pretty sweet gig for an 18-year-old football fan. He worked his way up to product ma nager for E A’s FIFA fra nch ise,

which is made in EA’s Burnaby studio. In 2001, he was asked to move to Vancouver. “Electronic Arts had asked me to move to Vancouver to help set up the FIFA team,” he said. “They wanted to inject it with European football knowledge.” Since he knew no one in Vancouver, it was a tough decision to move. “It’s picking up on your ow n, no

family or friends,” he said. Since moving to Vancouver, he has moved up the ranks to become senior vice-president of a division with more than 1,200 employees worldwide – 800 of them in EA’s Burnaby studios – and is one of the company’s youngest executives. Last year, EA hit a major milestone: $1 billion in sales, just on the FIFA game franchise. “When I took over as general manager of the FIFA business, we were about a $600 million business,” Bilbey said. “We put together a three-year vision to take the business to $1 billion over five years, and we achieved it in two. “The quality of the game that the team developed, it made it bigger than just a sports game. Certainly in the North American market, the FIFA soccer game was such high quality, with such high innovation, it drew people that weren’t even interested in the sport of soccer.” W h i le hockey doesn’t have a nywhere near soccer’s global popularity, EA’s NHL franchise is one of the highest-rated games in the console game industry, with annual sales of $200 million. “Even despite last year’s lockout, our hockey business grew,” Bilbey said. Although EA is best known for its sports console games, it also makes the popular Battlefield series, as well as mobile, handheld and Facebook games. EA is the world’s second-largest console game maker, with $4 billion to $5 billion in global sales. “The FIFA business – our Burnaby campus – is responsible for over $1 billion of that,” Bilbey said.

We put together a three-year vision to take the business to $1 billion over five years, and we achieved it in two Birthplace: Amersham, England Where do you live now: North Vancouver Highest level of education: Diploma, international marketing Currently reading: The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort

First CD bought or music downloaded: Kings of the Wild Frontier by Adam and the Ants When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Sports physiotherapist Profession you would most like to try: Pilot

Toughest business or professional decision: Moving to Vancouver in 2001 on my own away from my friends, family and support Advice you would give the younger you: Work hard – good things happen

What’s left to do: Continue to drive a team and environment that’s prepared to constantly adapt and change to succeed

| 19

ALICE CHEN

CEO, Export Ventures Group Inc.

AGE

lice Chen had always been an entrepreneur at heart. Even while she studied to finish a science degree at the University of Toronto in 2003 and a law degree at the University of Calgary in 2006, she was constantly looking for her business opportunity. She found it in 2010 when she launched Export Ventures Group, a company that

in a few short years has become an industry leader in exporting Canadian wine to major markets in Asia. While the desire for Canadian wineries to expand the market to Asia has existed for years, it has been challenging to achieve significant exports to key destinations like China. Canadian suppliers have lacked the expertise

or manpower to find the right Asian partners and complete the necessary marketing and administration to export. And Chinese buyers have not necessarily engendered confidence, with oftenexaggerated sales demands, a practice that’s a cultural norm in China. “I took the time to really understand what was lacking on both sides, and we figured out a way to do it efficiently.” Today, the company has become a one-stop shop for all the necessary export promotion, sales and management for 40 Canadian wineries. Last year, they closed more than $1 million in wine export sales and the success in the wine industry has made Chen an in-demand speaker and the go-to B.C. representative on trade missions and trade shows in Asia. With her existing success, she continues to expand her business venture, connecting Asian investors to investment opportunities in B.C. and across the country. While her business keeps her busy, she still manages to find time to stay involved in the community. In addition to mentoring young entrepreneurs through the YMCA Youth Mean Busi ness prog ra m a nd Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, she mentors older women in a Minerva Foundation program who are establishing a new career. “I had many people who helped me and I just want to pay it forward. I think that entrepreneurship is so underemphasized in the school systems, but I see it as a serious career path. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s also most rewarding.”

Entrepreneurship is so under-emphasized in the school systems, but I see it as a serious career path. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s also most rewarding Birthplace: Taipei, Taiwan Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: JD, University of Calgary Currently reading: Buyout: The Insider’s Guide to Buying Your Own Company by Rick Rickertsen and Robert E. Gunther

First CD bought or music downloaded: A compilation of Billie Holiday When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Astronaut and Fortune 500 CEO Profession you would most like to try: Executive film producer

Toughest business or professional decision: Taking the leap of faith to leave a textbook existence to embark on my entrepreneurial journey Advice you would give the younger you: Trust your abilities; persevere through the dip and think bigger!

What’s left to do: World domination

20 | FORTY UNDER 40 2013 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

JAMIE CHENG

CEO and founder, Klei Entertainment Inc.

AGE

f te r s t u dy i n g c o m p ute r s c ience at Simon Fraser University, Jamie Cheng figured he’d become a web developer. It seemed the most logical move. But after completing a short co-op

placement, Cheng realized he didn’t want to be a web developer. He wanted more. And a lifelong passion was calling him. “I wanted something more substantial from a programming standpoint,”

said Cheng. “I wanted to make video games. I g rew up w it h v ideo ga mes – h ad a Nintendo at age three. All through my l i fe, I never stopp ed pl ay i ng games.” Cheng t hen took a n i nter n sh ip at notable Va ncouver v ideo ga me stud io Relic Entertainment. T he internsh ip went well, and he was hired on as an artificial intelligence programmer. Working at an established video game design firm proved a shrewd move for Cheng. After nearly three years at Relic, Cheng decided to launch his own company, Klei Entertainment Inc. in 2005. In an industry Cheng describes as “notorious” for uncertainty, Klei Entertainment has grown steadily in its eight years. Cheng now employs 35 people and has won prestigious awards for his work. Last year, Klei released Mark of the Ninja, which went on to win best independent game at the Canadian Video Game Awards. This year, the company released the wilderness survival game Don’t Starve, and it has already sold more than a million units. While success and fame have been good for the business, the best part about being an entrepreneur for Cheng isn’t just trophies and sales. It’s the freedom to create what he wants and to push for meaningful change in his industry.

You get to make the rules. You get to make something you believe in happen. There’s really nothing to lose Birthplace: Vancouver Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: B.Sc., major in computing science and minor in math, SFU Currently reading: Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg

First CD bought or music downloaded: Very by the Pet Shop Boys When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: I don’t think I gave it much thought early on. Something in tech, I suppose Profession you would most like to try: Illustrator

Toughest business or professional decision: Way too complicated to fit in one line, but I’ll say “deciding what not to do”

Advice you would give the younger you: Don’t fret about needing a “business guy” to start a business. It’s much more important to find someone who can actually contribute to the product, especially if you’re bootstrapping What’s left to do: What isn’t?

| 21

CHRIS DAY

CEO, Fully Managed

AGE

hris Day didn’t intend to be an entrepreneur – at first. As a student at the University of British Columbia in the late 1990s, Day studied microbiology and intended to be a doctor. But then came an offer

that he just couldn’t pass up. In 1999, IT giant F5 Networks, then a startup, offered the 21-year-old a job with the burgeoning company in the United Kingdom. Day took it. “I went. I never finished school,” said

Day. “And I never looked back.” He worked i n the U.K. for th ree years. It was a busy period for Day a nd F5 Networks. H is ca reer progressed rapidly as he went from an entry-level sales engineer to lead sales engineer. He travelled throughout Europe, sometimes spending each day in a different country working for the company. But Day, a Vancouver native, was h o m e s i c k . H e m i s s e d t h e We s t Coast, and in 2002 he moved back to Vancouver. Upon his return, Day started CDot Networks, the IT company that would eventually morph into Fully Managed, the firm he currently leads. Fully Managed is an IT outsourcing company that provides IT support, IT management and hosting services. Since 2002, Fully Managed has grown to about 40 employees and has expanded to Edmonton. But Day isn’t done yet – he has plans to take over the sector. In the next five years, Day sees Fully Managed growing to 150 employees and expanding across the country. He’s currently considering an expansion into Calgary – to “lock down the West,” he said – and eventually to Toronto. He predicts that Fully Managed will become the most well-known brand in IT outsourcing in Canada.

Our vision is to be the go-to brand for IT. There are other companies doing similar things, but no one is dominating. We want to dominate Birthplace: Vancouver Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Three years studying microbiology, UBC Currently reading: Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden First CD bought or music downloaded: Appetite for Destruction by Guns N’ Roses

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Doctor – both my parents are Profession you would most like to try: Lawyer – I’d be a natural Toughest business or professional decision: Merging two businesses nearly equal in size, felt like burning through dog years!

Advice you would give the younger you: Do things right from the outset – cutting corners will create a lot of mess to clean up later, as I’ve learned. “Slow is smooth and smooth is fast”

What’s left to do: Two things, really: successful exit from a business or out of the day-to-day (in progress) and successful business venture number two (also in progress)

22 | FORTY UNDER 40 2013 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

MANINDER DHALIWAL

Executive director, Tradeworks

AGE

espite a successful career as an electrical and lighting engineer, Maninder Dhaliwal was in the dark about her future seven years ago. She came to Canada in 1999 on a University of British Columbia scholarship, where she did her M.Sc. in electrical engineering and later worked for some of B.C.’s largest firms. But by 2007, she had realized that a

career as a consulting engineer was not for her. Deep down, she felt a passion to work in the non-profit sector. But she didn’t jump in right away. For the next few years, she branched out as president and creative director of Lumiere Concepts, a sustainable lighting firm. “If I had the guts, I would have gone into the non-profit sector right away.” It was only after meeting and working

with mentors like Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia through her work on Vancouver Board of Trade (VBOT) programs that she found the courage to “jump into the non-profit sector with both feet.” Since joining Tradeworks a year ago, she has transformed the Downtown Eastside social enterprise from a government-dependent, financially struggling organization into a business success. It generated $1.5 million in annual revenue last year and is expected to grow to $2.5 million next year from the sale of goods produced by participants in its employment readiness program for women and youth with multiple barriers to entry into the job market. Her early tenure at the organization has already benefited program participants. Before, only a handful of the 72 people stayed in their job after completing the program; today, the employment rate for Tradeworks graduates is 70%. “Our program completion rate is 94%.” A key change she implemented was matching the skills needed by employers with what was being provided in the program and then creating a mentorship program to support participants. “It builds a sense of accomplishment that leads to confidence. It’s a beautiful cycle that gets better and better.” Dhaliwal has continued to expand her non-profit portfolio. Recently, she joined the board of Ballet BC, and she is also on the executive committee of the VBOT and on the advisory committee of the UBC Alumni Association. “They say life expands to the extent of your courage, and I’m jumping in with both feet and not second-guessing myself. I’ve done that a lot but I won’t do it again.”

They say life expands to the extent of your courage, and I’m jumping in with both feet and not second-guessing myself. I’ve done that a lot but I won’t do it again Birthplace: Khandoor, India Where do you live now: Point Grey Highest level of education: M.Sc. in electrical engineering, UBC Currently reading: Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy

First CD bought or music downloaded: Actually, I don’t buy albums or download music either. Music is not my thing. I like quiet. I know it’s not normal :) When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Bus conductor

Profession you would most like to try: Chief of staff to the prime minister or premier Toughest business or professional decision: Coming to Canada as a young adult, all alone on a one-way ticket with little spoken English, a few dollars in my pocket and with nowhere to stay

Advice you would give the younger you: Life is short; live it wide; take big risks. Jump in with both feet. Do not second-guess. Do not hold back What’s left to do: Absolutely everything is left to do. Whole life is left to live. Really!

NFP GOVERNANCE ESSENTIALS PROGRAM

Better serve your Not-For-Proﬁt organization

AND ITS MISSION. Effective governance is critical to making good organizations great, as is understanding your role as a board director. The NFP Governance Essentials Program (NFP Program) is an intensive three-day program designed to help directors learn, grow, and make a positive impact. Offered at Canada’s leading business schools, the NFP Program is taught by top faculty and highly respected directors-in-residence. Jointly developed by the Institute of Corporate Directors and the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, this premier program is supported by the RBC Foundation and TELUS.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE AS AN NFP

CITY

COURSE DATE

APPLICATION DEADLINE

DIRECTOR. CONTACT THE ICD AND

Vancouver

February 2-4, 2014

December 19, 2013

APPLY TODAY. 1.877.593.7741 x228

Toronto

February 9-11, 2014

December 19, 2013

icd.ca/NFP education@icd.ca

Saskatoon

March 30 - April 1, 2014

February 27, 2014

A limited number of RBC Foundation and TELUS scholarships valued at $1,000 are available for each offering.

Halifax

April 28-29, 2014

March 27, 2014

Supported by:

Jointly developed by:

In collaboration with:

24 | FORTY UNDER 40 2013 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

JAIME GARRATT

President and co-founder, Idea Rebel

AGE

n 2001, musician Jaime Garratt and his brother sold expresstunes.com – a social media website for musicians that they had built while still in university. They didn’t think a social media site for musicians would be especially popular. Two years after selling the now-defunct company to a competitor,

Myspace exploded and Garratt realized just how much he had underestimated social media’s potential for growth. So when Facebook came out with branded pages, Garratt seized the opportunity. His digital media marketing company, Idea Rebel, developed a content management system for making branded Facebook pages. It was an

instant success. The company now has millions in annual revenue and continues to grow. “From 2008 up to today, it’s basically doubled every year,” Garratt said. “We’ve basically doubled in staff, too.” Born in Toronto, Garratt moved to North Vancouver with his parents when he was 16. He studied commerce at Capilano University but switched to computer science at the University of British Columbia at the height of the dot-com boom. He started out developing real-estate software, then joined the digital media marketing firm Blast Radius. In 2008, he left and founded Idea Rebel. “Blast [Radius] was traditional web,” Garratt said. “I saw an opportunity with mobile, because the iPhone had just pretty much come out, and social as well.” Small and nimble, Idea Rebel was able to generate 25 Facebook campaigns in its first year of operation. The company has since broadened into a more comprehensive digital agency, developing for web, mobile and social media. Electronic Arts, BMW, Fox, 7-Eleven, Virgin, CTV and BellMedia are among its clients. The company employs 30 people in Vancouver, opened a 10-person office in Toronto in 2012 and plans to open an office in Los Angeles. In addition to the company’s financial success, the agency is known for its strong corporate responsibility policy. Its offices are completely paperless, and the company sponsors a number of charitable campaigns for breast cancer and Big Brothers.

I saw an opportunity with mobile, because the iPhone had just pretty much come out, and social as well Birthplace: Toronto Where do you live now: West Vancouver Highest level of education: BA, computer science, UBC Currently reading: Small Giant by Bo Burlingham First CD bought or music downloaded: The Razor’s Edge by AC/DC

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: I wanted to be like my dad. As a kid I didn’t exactly know what he did, all I knew is that I wanted to be a businessman like him.

Toughest business or professional decision: Making the move from employee to founder because of the personal and professional risks involved in starting your own business

Profession you would most like to try: Astronaut, exploring other space regions and planets

Advice you would give the younger you: Don’t hesitate. Go with your gut, and there is no such thing as failure

What’s left to do: Grow Idea Rebel to a global leader in digital strategy, get my pilot’s licence, raise my kids, record more music and play more live shows, surf more world-class breaks, continue to build ideas and work with green energy, learn

| 25

ALEXANDRA T. GREENHILL

CEO and co-founder, myBestHelper

AGE

lexandra T. Greenhill’s love of technology started early. She was playing video games before Mario Brothers was popular, and she started coding in high school. But when it came time to choose a career path, Greenhill took a decidedly

different route from the technological interest of her youth: she became a doctor. “I was often sick as a kid,” said Greenhill. “Medicine was a logical choice.” Greenhill went to medical school at the Université de Montreal and

completed her residency at McGill University. Upon graduation, she worked as an emergency-room doctor. Greenhill began to notice many patients arriving in the emergency ward who didn’t need to be there. Their ailments, she said, could have been treated elsewhere. She sought to fix that. She worked with various provincial bodies on an initiative to implement electronic records in doctors’ offices in order to streamline operations. One such body was the BC Medical Association, the organization that u lt i m ately brou g ht Gre en h i l l to Vancouver. Technology once again occupied a prom inent position in Greenhill’s life. “Technology, and how it interfaces with people, is my particular area of interest,” said Greenhill. Inspired by her work with ehealth, Greenhill decided to step away from the health industry to immerse herself in the world of high-tech and be “where the future is.” As she delved into the world of technology, Greenhill decided to launch a business, myBestHelper. As a mother of three, she envisioned an online portal that could help busy families find care solutions such as locating nannies, tutors or even babysitters. myBestHelper does that. But Greenhill isn’t done yet. Eventually, she wants myBestHelper to become a complete support system for families – their one-stop family care shop.

Technology, and how it interfaces with people, is my particular area of interest Birthplace: St. Petersburg, Russia Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: MD, Université de Montreal and McGill University

Currently reading: The Startup Playbook: Secrets of the FastestGrowing Startups from Their Founding Entrepreneurs by David Kidder First CD bought or music downloaded: The Best of Miriam Makeba by Miriam Makeba

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: An explorer, and still do

Advice you would give the younger you: Imagine bigger. Go faster. Follow your passion

Profession you would most like to try: Architect

What’s left to do: “The more you know, the more you know that you don’t know” (Aristotle)

Toughest business or professional decision: Having to let people go who are wonderful and very committed but not the right fit for the job

26 | FORTY UNDER 40 2013 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

RAMINDER GREWAL

Partner, Keystone Environmental Ltd.

AGE

e s p i te a h i g h l y c o m p e t i t i v e marketplace crowded with global and national engineering firms, Burnaby’s Keystone Environmental has continued to grow since Raminder Grewal became the youngest partner of the firm seven years ago. Under Grewal’s leadership, the firm has seen revenue grow by 30%, stemming from continued expansion in the company’s business of providing

environmental consulting for government and private sector clients all over the province and Canada. Among his major accomplishments was expanding the company’s services to include emergency response for clients that have to deal with environmental issues stemming from incidents like fuel spills. By the time he was 32, when he became a partner of the company, he was

leading the firm’s largest division and was responsible for half of the firm’s revenues. A couple of years later, he became the youngest department head in the company’s history, responsible for the contaminated sites group that evaluates the environmental liabilities of properties and solves environmental problems for clients. A few years ago, he also helped reorganize the company to stem the employee turnover rate the company had been experiencing by creating career paths for the firm’s staff. Turnover has since dropped significantly, with the majority of staff now having been with the company for nearly half a decade. The father of two daughters, Grewal has also dedicated time to mentor young professionals. Between 1997 and 2008 he was involved with the Society of Punjabi Engineers and Technologists. In 2008, he co-founded the Association of South Asian Professionals of BC, where he speaks to students about their career options and encourages young people to contribute to their community. His efforts were recognized last year with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal. Personal and professional growth remains in the cards. The second-largest shareholder in Keystone today, he is being groomed to become president of the company. That’s a lot to accomplish for someone who was expected to be a failure. “When I was in Grade 4, my teacher implied I wouldn’t get very far. It stuck with me, and I use that as motivation. It’s also why I tell my daughters that with hard work and determination, you can do anything.”

When I was in Grade 4, my teacher implied I wouldn’t get very far. It stuck with me, and I use that as motivation Birthplace: Vancouver Where do you live now: Surrey Highest level of education: B.Sc. in geological engineering, UBC Currently reading: Between work and kids’ activities, who has time to read? First CD bought or music downloaded: Thriller by Michael Jackson (on cassette tape)

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Policeman/ detective. Who didn’t want to solve crimes and be the hero!

Toughest business or professional decision: Choosing not to work with a large potential client as their values did not meet our values

Profession you would most like to try: FBI or CSIS agent to find out all the government’s secrets

Advice you would give the younger you: With hard work and determination, anything is possible. It also does not hurt to buy real estate in Vancouver!

What’s left to do: To raise my daughters with the understanding that with determination anything is possible and to teach them the importance of giving back to the community. For Keystone: to become the go-to environmental consulting firm

therapeutic drug manufacturer accelerator technology firm medical imaging centre

neurological institute

cancer agency

ISAC SAC

WELCOME TO

ISOTOPE VALLEY

AAPS would like to congratulate TRIUMF’s Dr. Paul Schaffer as one of Business in Vancouver’s Top 40 Under 40. As TRIUMF’s partner in commercialization, AAPS knows that bridging the gap between innovation and industry takes dedication and talent. With his vision for BC as an "isotope valley", Dr. Paul Schaffer is working with AAPS to unite cutting-edge science with world-leading commercial and non-profit partners in ways that will make a difference to all Canadians. AAPS Inc.– Working with TRIUMF to Accelerate Science for Canada.

aapsinc.com |

AAPS_Inc

28 | FORTY UNDER 40 2013 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

AARON HEFTER

Co-founder and CEO, Nutrabolics Inc.

AGE

or Aaron Hefter, closing a sale is as exciting as making a threepointer. “It’s not about the dollars, it’s about the adrenalin of making that sale,” he said, “and then it’s on to the next one.” He’s combined his passion for sports with his talents as a salesman to create

his own dietary supplement company, Nutrabolics. As a high-level basketball player in high school, Hefter had always been interested in supplements. He started selling them while he was a university student, but he noticed there was a place in the market for a premium brand.

“We decided to come out with our own brand and make it the most premium cutting-edge supplement brand there is,” he said. He dropped out of university to start Nutrabolics with a business partner, Jayson Wyner. T he move paid off: Nutrabolics products are now sold in 58 countries arou nd the world. The company has around 100 products a nd often uses cutti ng-edge ingredients to differentiate them from competitors. T he company’s focus on quality has led to the development of its newest product line, NutraPure, an all-natural plant-based supplement l i ne i ntended for both h igh-level ath letes a nd people who exercise regularly. Every batch of the product will be tested to guarantee that it is free of banned substances, Hefter said. He believes this will give an extra level of assurance to the athletes who use the product. T hese days, Hefter often travels around the globe to meet with product distributors and attend trade shows. Talking about his company’s product to potential customers is still a huge thrill. “Nutrabolics is my baby, so meeting our partners and our customers in different countries is as exciting now as it was on day one,” he said. The team sports theme extends to his relationship with his employees. “I try to be as hands-on as I can,” Hefter said. “Our team is just that: it’s a team. The work environment we have is a family.”

It’s not about the dollars, it’s about the adrenalin of making that sale, and then it’s on to the next one Birthplace: Toronto Where do you live now: Vancouver and Toronto Highest level of education: International business degree, York University Currently reading: Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You by John Warrillow First CD bought or music downloaded: Licensed to Ill by the Beastie Boys

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Starting first baseman for the Montreal Expos Profession you would most like to try: There is nothing I would rather do than what I am doing today. I am a true entrepreneur at heart, and Nutrabolics is and always will be my baby

Toughest business or professional decision: Dropping out of university and moving to Vancouver to start Nutrabolics. My business partner and I scraped together $10,000 to do our first production run of products, and I drove across the country selling store to store out of my car Advice you would give the younger you: Confidence, tenacity and passion are the keys to becoming a successful entrepreneur

What’s left to do: Plenty. Nutrabolics is currently distributed in 58 different countries, we’ve still got over 100 countries left to go! We are also in the process of launching a new all-natural guaranteed banned-substance-free line called NutraPure that is about to revolutionize the mainstream dietary supplement industry

30 | FORTY UNDER 40 2013 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

ANDREW HUNGERFORD

Principal, Hungerford Properties

AGE

ndrew Hungerford excelled both athletically and academically before joining his family’s rapidly expanding real-estate business, Hungerford Properties, in 2008. Hungerford, a former winner of Canada’s national rowing championship, also has an MBA from Stanford University, a B.Comm from Queen’s University and designations as both a chartered

accountant and a chartered financial analyst in Canada and as a certified public accountant in the U.S. In the 13 years Hungerford has been in the real-estate business, he has acquired or managed more than $3 billion worth of real estate globally. Hungerford Properties, where he is an equal partner alongside father George and brother Michael, is about to go on

an acquisition tear. “We’ve just raised an institutional real estate equity fund of $120 million, which has the potential to acquire $400 million worth of properties,” he said. One recent purchase was the 760,000square-foot Haworth building in Calgary for an undisclosed amount. On the development side, Hungerford is proud to be involved in projects such as the 465-unit MacPherson Walk, which won an Canadian Home Builders’ Association Georgie award for best multi-family low-rise development. But even before Hungerford joined the family business, he had a distinguished career of his own. He spent time in KPMG’s real-estate group before moving on to work in real-estate private equity, specializing in acquisitions and asset management at Deutsche Bank RREEF in London and at the City Investment Fund, a Morgan Stanley co-sponsored fund, in New York City. He also worked at Goldman Sachs in London and Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. in Hong Kong. Hungerford’s philanthropic endeavours include being chair of the community council at the Salvation Army’s Vancouver shelter Harbour Light. “My wife Stephanie and I host a Salvation Army soup kitchen gala and have raised close to $700,000 in the past two years,” he said. “That has been transformational for Harbour Light, [funding] improvements and equipment.” He is also a member of the campaign cabinet for the Queen’s University School of Business capital campaign and is on the board of directors of the Vancouver Club. He and Stephanie are expecting their first child in January.

The [soup kitchen] has been transformational for Harbour Light [Downtown Eastside homeless facility], raising money for capital improvements and equipment Birthplace: Vancouver Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: MBA, CFA, CA Currently reading: Idiot’s Guide to Being an Expectant Father by Joe Kelly

First CD bought or music downloaded: Violator by Depeche Mode When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Construction worker

Profession you would most like to try: Scriptwriter so I could co-write a script with my wife, who is a writer Toughest business or professional decision: Launching a private equity fund during a global recession

Advice you would give the younger you: Determination is your greatest asset What’s left to do: I am just getting started

| 31

ERFAN KAZEMI

CFO, Sandstorm Gold Ltd.

AGE

ew people in their 30s get a chance to spend a million dollars, let alone more than a quarter of a billion. But Erfan Kazemi, as CFO of Sandstorm Gold, has helped raise more than $250 million in financing since joining the company in the summer of 2011. Like Sandstorm’s CEO Nolan Watson, who was a 2007 recipient of BIV’s Forty under 40 award, Kazemi has been

involved in a number of significant deals in the mining sector. In the few years he has been with the company, he has been instrumental in closing more than 10 acquisitions and nearly doubling the company’s cash flow so far. And this at a time when mining companies are in difficult financial straits, with investors losing interest in the sector. His current success is only the latest

in his career. Prior to joining Sandstorm, he rose through the ranks to become a senior manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers in just over five years, one of the fastest promotions to the position in PwC’s recent history in Canada. He has also dedicated time to volunteer in the community, serving for the past seven years as the youngest vicechair and board member of the Vancouver Public Library, helping expand library hours and open new locations in Canada’s third-largest library system. “I’ve always had an affinity towards institutions that can invoke change,” said Kazemi. “The library is very unique in our culture where it serves so many diverse communities.” His service to the community has continued since completing his math degree at UBC, where he served as president of the UBC Alma Mater Society, was elected to UBC’s board of governors and sat on the board of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations and the UBC Alumni Association. And he has been recognized by his academic and professional peers for his work, winning leadership awards such as Outstanding Student of the Year at UBC, BC Volunteer of the Year at PwC, Trustee of the Year for the BC Library Trustee Association and the Community Service award from the BC Institute of Chartered Accountants. For Kazemi, the recognition is a reflection of the mentors who have supported him. “Providing service to community was always a key component of how I grew up,” he said. “I’ve had great mentors along the way and a great support system within my family to encourage me to try my best no matter what.”

I’ve had great mentors along the way and a great support system within my family to encourage me to try my best no matter what Birthplace: Tehran, Iran Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: B.Sc. in mathematics, UBC; CA; CFA Currently reading: I’m reading Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown to my daughters. It’s one of their favourites First CD bought or music downloaded: Bad by Michael Jackson

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: A starship captain Profession you would most like to try: A toss-up between a chef and a pilot

Toughest business or professional decision: Coming out of university, I was fortunate to have some great job offers. It was a tough decision to turn them down to go back to school and pursue my chartered accountant designation. But I’m glad I did.

Advice you would give the younger you: Surround yourself with people who are not only talented but possess an excellent work ethic. It’s amazing what you can accomplish with an exceptional team What’s left to do: Where do I begin…

32 | FORTY UNDER 40 2013 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

BLAIR KENNEDY

Vice-president, operations, Encorp Pacific (Canada)

AGE

lair Kennedy has always been up for a challenge. His current role as vice-president of operations for B.C.’s beverage container recycling program is perhaps his biggest so far. For the past year, he has been responsible for the logistics of collecting and processing more than a billion recyclable bottles and cans sold into the B.C. market each

year and 100,000 tonnes of recycled electronics. But not only does he have to oversee 680 separate recycling pickup locations in the province, his job over the next five years is to get more of us to do the right thing. “Our return rate of beverage containers is about 80%. We’ve been at 80% for a long time, but our goal is to

get to 85%,” said Kennedy. “Like any commodity-based industry, the last 5% is the hardest to get. That’s a unique challenge.” There are a few projects on the go to make this happen, including smaller, cleaner bottle depot formats and even an electronic payment system where people can just drop off their bottles and the depot will count them and credit them. These changes are on top of the significant financial savings he has made for the non-profit organization through various process changes in the year he’s been on the job so far. While accomplishing his organization’s goal won’t be easy, his experience of entrepreneurial success should help. He saw what it took to be an entrepreneur as a senior commercial banker at RBC, and he honed his business development skills as vice-president of development and franchising at Mr. Mikes Restaurants when that company was owned by Yuri Fulmer, a 2006 recipient of BIV’s Forty under 40 award. After building the business to more than $50 million in revenue and over 45 locations, he branched out on his own, opening a brand-new Mr. Mikes in Duncan and building the foundations for Scooter World prior to joining Encorp. He’s left each business in a better state than when he started, and he aims to bring success to his current job. Being part of an organization that helps protect the environment also bridges with other personal goals he wants to achieve. “Being an environmental steward will be a key part of my next phase in my career as I try to build a better platform for us to succeed in.”

Being an environmental steward will be a key part of my next phase in my career as I try to build a better platform for us to succeed in Birthplace: Edmonton Where do you live now: Cloverdale Highest level of education: B.Comm., UVic Currently reading: Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World by Bill Clinton First CD bought or music downloaded: Dr. Feelgood by Mötley Crüe When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Video-game tester

Profession you would most like to try: University professor Toughest business or professional decision: I had to fire myself from a wonderfully comfortable executive position to force new challenges and opportunities in order to continue my professional development path

Advice you would give the younger you: No business meeting is worth missing your daughter’s Christmas recital. Our children will never care that we changed the world if we are not actively the centre of theirs

What’s left to do: Simply put, everything. I have a family to raise, a loving spouse to share with, a community to foster, a career to excel at, spirituality to dedicate to and a troubled world to mend. I have more than a lifetime of things left to do and I will experience and live the results of my efforts through the actions and well-being of my children as they continue to finish what I was fortunate enough to start

| 33

EUGEN KLEIN

Principal, Klein Group, Royal LePage City Centre

AGE

ow that Eugen Klein has completed his term as the youngest-ever president in the 93-year history of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV), he has time to refocus on sales at his 15-broker Klein Group, Royal LePage City Centre brokerage. That group, which he founded in 1999, completed almost $100 million worth of real estate transactions in 2012.

Klein is keen to build on that total now that he no longer splits his time between running the brokerage and being president of the REBGV. “I would also like to get more involved in the arts in Vancouver and be on boards of directors,” he said. His volunteer role at the REBGV involved countless hours of work and more than 100 interviews with media, but it

also helped him become a prominent face in B.C.’s real-estate sector. The B.C. native started his career after he graduated in 1997 with a B.Comm. from the University of British Columbia. He worked briefly at Angell Hasman & Associates and formed the Klein Group within that company. He shifted over to brokerage Goddard & Smith in 2000. During its first 10 years, the Klein Group focused on commercial real estate. It then branched out to do residential and project marketing work as well. “A TED talk inspired me to ask a different question,” Klein said. “In trying to become a better business owner or professional, you realize through reading, listening and seeking advice that you must break old habits and reinvent yourself from time to time. “If we are the sum of our past decisions, we must somehow look at the world differently and realize that we could be the weak link needing improvement to substantially alter the future.” Klein simultaneously grew his reputation as a writer and researcher by writing a regular real-estate investment newsletter as well as contributing columns to publications such as BIV sister newspaper the Western Investor. That work helped him win the 2011 Bentall Kennedy Literary Award, which recognizes excellence in Canadian realestate journalism and research. Philanthropic work includes the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation drive by reaching out to clients and “going door to door” to solicit donations for that charity and for Dress for Success. Outside work, Klein enjoys exploring B.C. by going on fishing and hunting trips.

In trying to become a better business owner or professional, you realize through reading, listening and seeking advice that you must break old habits and reinvent yourself from time to time Birthplace: North Vancouver Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: B.Comm., University of British Columbia Currently reading: Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith

First CD bought or music downloaded: Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Jazz singer Profession you would most like to try: Iron chef

Toughest business or professional decision: In 2011, I stopped the way my business operated, redirected our focus and reinvented it Advice you would give the younger you: The key to any success is the number of times you fail. Failing helps push you beyond your abilities

What’s left to do: Work on balancing life and family. Find greater challenges. Maybe even to run away and start again

34 | FORTY UNDER 40 2013 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

ANDREW KNOWLES

Vice-president of operations, Stemcell Technologies

AGE

rowing up, Andrew Knowles wanted to be an astronaut or a scientist. When he decided to abandon his plan to pursue a PhD in science so he could go into business and support his wife while she got an education degree, it was the toughest decision he had ever made. But he doesn’t regret making it.

Fortunately, the company he ended up going to work for in 1999 was Stemcell Technologies, B.C.’s most successful biotechnology company, which has had 20% annual growth since it started 15 years ago. It’s a success story Knowles has helped write. Stemcell Technologies makes the

media and tools for growing stem cells for medical research. So while K nowles isn’t making discoveries from a lab bench himself, his company plays an important role in medical research by providing some of the tools scientists use. “I loved Stemcell instantly,” said K nowles, who heads a 150-person team as vice-president of operations. “It was just clear there’s a whole world beyond academic science and you could practise science still within the company, even in a different role [operations]. We’re really making a difference in the research market.” Born in Manitoba, Knowles earned a master’s degree in science from the University of BC, specializing in nutritional biology and cancer research. When his wife – who was also pursuing a PhD – decided to change tacks and get an education degree to become a teacher, he put his own graduate studies on hold. K nowles was 2 4 when he joined Stemcell – then a 50-person company – as technical sales representative and worked his way up to vice-president of operations of a 500-person company. W hile there, he reorganized the company to make all the departments more integrated – just one of the many reasons Stemcell CEO Allan Eaves nominated him for a Forty under 40 award. “He said, ‘You’ve brought this company from 50 people to 500 people and taken on challenges no one else was able or willing to wrap their heads around,’” Knowles said.

We’re really making a difference in the research market Birthplace: Winnipeg Where do you live now: North Vancouver Highest level of education: M.Sc., cancer research, UBC Currently reading: The Future: Six Drivers of Global Change by Al Gore; The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg

First CD bought or music downloaded: War by U2 When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Astronaut or scientist Profession you would most like to try: Organic farming or surgery

Toughest business or professional decision: Changing direction from academic research and the pursuit of a PhD to go into the biotech business

Advice you would give the younger you: Find the opportunity in every situation, discover, trust and leverage your strengths, be authentic and principled in every moment, imagine the future before acting today What’s left to do: Solve one of the many significant global problems facing the next generation, write a book, meet my grandkids

| 35

LARA KOZAN

Co-founder, YYoga

AGE

ara Kozan moved to Vancouver from the Prairies in 2001. Each summer, as a student at the University of Regina, she travelled extensively, but Vancouver always stuck in her mind. Something just felt right.

“I had this intuitive sense about Vancouver,” Kozan said. “I felt possibility here.” The same year she arrived in Vancouver, she began doing yoga, and it stuck. Kozan was hooked.

She did yoga every day for a week at a brand-new studio that was looking to attract attendees. Then she went every day for a month, then three months, then a year. Eventually, Kozan trained to become a yoga teacher and began leading classes all over town. She taught privately and also led large corporate classes. “I knew I needed to keep going,” said Kozan. “And I knew I needed to share what I was doing. I wanted everyone in the world to feel as good as I did.” But while Kozan’s development as a yoga student and then a teacher progressed quickly, her attempts at opening her own studio didn’t go quite as smoothly. She looked all over – even travelling across Canada to scout locations – and had numerous business partners. But nothing worked out. It wasn’t until 2006 that the idea of YYoga began to take shape. Once it did, things began to move quickly. By 2007, Kozan and business partner Terry McBride began hiring staff. And the company has been steadily hiring and opening locations ever since. Kozan has since left her day-to-day role at YYoga and is now launching a new wellness-related venture – Nectar Juicery. Busi ness success is all well a nd good. But Kozan said her real career achievement has been the chance to share something she’s felt since she first started going to yoga class: how good yoga makes her feel.

Back when we started, yoga studios were seen as weird, different places. But we made it accessible to the community to do yoga on a daily basis Birthplace: Regina Where do you live now: West Vancouver Highest level of education: BA, major in psychology and minor in business, University of Regina Currently reading: Firestarter Sessions and Desire Map by Danielle La Porte and May Cause Miracles by Gabrielle Bernstein First CD bought or music downloaded: Counting Crows

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Waitress. Perhaps somewhere I linked it to the idea of service, connecting with others and making people happier and healthier Profession you would most like to try: Lawyer or naturopath Toughest business or professional decision: Naming our new company – Nectar Juicery

Advice you would give the younger you: I am and have everything I need to create what’s in my heart and the visions I see

What’s left to do: Continue to remind people of their ability to choose a deep breath, food that nourishes, connections that are real, thoughts that empower and love over fear. Write a book inspiring health and wellness, and help young women start the business of their dreams. Write a kids book series based on consciousness, yogic and empowering messages. And, most importantly, celebrate my superhero kids and amazing husband every day

36 | FORTY UNDER 40 2013 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

MIRANDA LAM

Partner, McCarthy Tétrault LLP

AGE

etermination, integrity and a relentless drive to make things better have been hallmarks of a successful legal career and community leadership for one of B.C.’s most promising litigators. Miranda Lam knew early on that she wanted to be a lawyer, realizing that so many aspects of modern life were affected or defined by the law.

“I felt that law was the perfect intersection of where everything in life met, and I wanted to be a lawyer because that way I could hopefully do something to effect change,” she said. Her focus and leadership have been evident throughout her career thus far. She served as a judicial law clerk to five BC Supreme Court justices, a position reserved for top-ranking law

graduates. And after being called to the bar in 2004 and articling and practising with Davis LLP, she has been entrusted with some of the most challenging “bet the farm” cases for clients at McCarthy Tétrault LLP. Her success at McCarthy contributed to her joining the firm’s partnership when she was 32, after only five years with the firm. Within the firm, she has been a role model and mentor to many, and she lends leadership to a number of initiatives internally and externally, including the firm’s student recruitment program and its national consumer and retail practice group. She also initiated a business development program for associates that has been implemented across the country. Despite her busy schedule, Lam has continued the community involvement that began while she studied at the University of British Columbia. While completing her undergraduate studies, she joined the board of Volunteer Vancouver (now called Vantage Point), a capacitybuilding organization supporting nonprofit boards and executives, and she became chair when she was 28. Her involvement there led to her joining the board of a number of significant organizations over the years, including the UBC Alumni Association, the United Way of the Lower Mainland, Imagine Canada and the Vancouver Foundation. “The theme is all the same: these are vehicles to effect change at the community level, which I wouldn’t be able to do by myself as one person. But if you get together with other committed people, you can do some really great things.”

If you get together with other committed people, you can do some really great things Birthplace: Vancouver Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Law degree, UBC Currently reading: Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink First CD bought or music downloaded: Like a Prayer by Madonna (on cassette tape)

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: A lawyer Profession you would most like to try: Heart surgeon or editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair

Toughest business or professional decision: Changing firms. I had only been practising for a few years and the opportunity to change firms forced me to confront some hard questions about life and law and honestly determine for myself the journey I wanted to take

Advice you would give the younger you: 1. Trust your instincts. 2. Don’t worry about what you’re going to do; figure out who you want to be and the rest will follow. 3. Remember who lit your path along the way and light it for others What’s left to do: I’m just getting started!

| 37

PETER LUKOMSKYJ

Former chief operating officer, QuickMobile

AGE

ince Peter Lukomskyj founded a tech startup at the age of 22, he’s made a career of helping other technology companies during periods of transition or extreme growth. He was appointed by QuickMobile in December 2012 as chief operating officer at a time of rapid expansion for the company, which topped Deloitte’s national technology Fast 50 list in November. “I was hired at an inflection point in

the business, where the business was pivoting and really pushing into new geographies and new markets and really looking to mature its organization,” Lukomskyj said. Fou nded i n 2006, Q u ick Mobi le makes event apps. There are numerous such event app makers, but QuickMobile distinguished itself by focusing on corporate customers and has landed about 30 of the Fortune 100 companies as clients.

The company has raised $7 million in venture capital over the last year and has had a growth spurt. In the year that Lukomskyj was with QuickMobile, the company went from 110 employees to 180 and opened a new office in the U.K. Lukomskyj has since left QuickMobile. Lukomskyj has quite a track record of growing companies. At 22, after graduating with a mechanical engineering degree, Lukomskyj founded Kanik Technologies, wh ich made nozzles for snow-making machines for ski hills. “After being a founder once, I never really did the founder thing again,” Lukomskyj said. “I tend to be the guy who helps companies go through transition and growth.” A f ter ex it i ng t h at compa ny, he worked for an Edmonton startup that he saw through a “very accelerated period of growth” and spearheaded an employee-led buyout. He then joined YottaYotta, a Seattle innovator in big data storage, as product manager when the company had just 20 people. “I saw that company grow to more than 200,” Lukomskyj said. “We did that in about 18 months.” He also spent several years working in global vice-president roles with Sophos, a U.K.-based security software company. He joined the company shortly after it had acquired Vancouver-based anti-spam developer ActiveState in 2003 and ended up in charge of mergers and acquisitions integration. “The mandate here is to take a latestage startup and add the element of operational excellence that will help the company get much bigger,” Lukomskyj said.

I tend to be the guy who helps companies go through transition and extreme growth Birthplace: Edmonton Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: B.Eng., MBA Currently reading: Abundance by Peter Diamandis First CD bought or music downloaded: Trompe Le Monde by the Pixies

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: I wanted to build things. Both my grandfathers, one of my grandmothers and my father were all engineers, so it runs in the family Profession you would most like to try: I’ve thought of starting a travel company that creates incredible experiences for small groups

Toughest business or professional decision: On several occasions I have questioned the viability of a product line, a business or a team, and presented difficult but transparent options to my colleagues and leaders, even though the outcomes could be unpopular

Advice you would give the younger you: Have the courage to always live at the edge of your comfort zone and to focus on doing a few things exceptionally well What’s left to do: Keep building enduring and meaningful Vancouver-based tech companies, while giving back to the community and putting my family first

38 | FORTY UNDER 40 2013 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

JUSTIN LUSSIER

CEO, Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria

AGE

ustin Lussier co-founded Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria with Christian Bullock and Jason Allard in 2007 and turned up the heat on expansion at what is now a 20-location franchised pizza chain. The company ranked No. 6 on Business in Vancouver’s 2013 Top 100 list of

fastest-growing companies, with $25.2 million in 2012 system-wide sales and a 1,682% growth rate for sales between 2008 and 2012. Lussier’s first experiment with a hospitality business came in 1999, just as he was starting university at the University of Alberta. He invested

his first student loan into opening the Burgundy Room in Edmonton, and he operated that bar for two years. H e t h e n f o c u s e d o n h i s s t u dies while helping manage Bullock’s pub Nicholby’s. Sales soared at the pub, which would later be rebranded Canadian Brewhouse. “Success came from executing service, food and atmosphere,” Lussier said. “It also came from getting to know customers’ names and what makes them tick. When we first started Famoso, I had a list in my pocket of customers’ names. It got up to more than 50.” Famoso attracted a loyal following that convinced investors to start coming out of the woodwork, eager to pump their own money into his venture. Instead of selling equity, Lussier wrote down Famoso’s systems and started selling franchises. “We moved the head office to Vancouver four years ago because we wanted to be i n a major ma rket,” he sa id. “I n Va ncouver or Toronto, you’re more exposed to competition and trends. You don’t get that in a small market.” In early 2012, he had five franchises and his corporately owned store. Those six locations sprouted to 15 by the beginning of 2013. He now has 20 locations and expects to have 28 restaurants by fall 2014. Outside work, Lussier plays hockey and spends time with wife Polina. The two expect their first child in January.

When we first started Famoso, I had a list in my pocket of customers’ names. It got up to more than 50 Birthplace: Vancouver Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: BA, University of Alberta Currently reading: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

First CD bought or music downloaded: Achtung Baby by U2 When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Doctor Profession you would most like to try: University professor

Toughest business or professional decision: Selling equity and bringing on additional partners Advice you would give the younger you: Work with a professional company from day one to create Famoso’s brand identity

What’s left to do: Grow Famoso throughout Canada, U.S. and internationally

| 39

GREG MALPASS

CEO and founder, Traction on Demand

AGE

reg Malpass grew up in Nelson, British Columbia, where his father worked as the town’s doctor. It was a great childhood, he remembers. His father had a great job. So great, he thought, that when Malpass left Nelson after high school, bound for Vancouver and studies at Simon Fraser University, he planned to become a doctor. “I was going to follow in my dad’s

footsteps,” he said. B u t t h i n g s d i d n’t w o rk o u t a s planned. Malpass was studying science but struggled in his first semester, finishing with a 1.54 GPA. He wanted to change to the business faculty, but his grades prevented him from making a simple switch. He needed the blessing of the dean. A f ter a me et i n g w it h t he d e a n,

Malpass was allowed to take select business courses, but only those that had space or in which the professor had granted him a seat. The move, enrolment difficulties notwithstanding, proved to be the right decision for Malpass. He was active in the school’s business commu n ity – he was president of the Association of Collegiate Entrepreneurs – and has held a number of highprofile sales positions in Vancouver and Toronto since graduation. But it has been his role as founder and CEO of Traction on Demand, a technology company that implements and coordinates cloud-based marketing strategies for its clients, that Ma lpass has fou nd the most rewarding. M a lpa ss l au nche d T ra c t ion on Demand in 2006 and was the company’s only employee for the first four years. Since then, Traction on Demand has grown rapidly – the company now employs 75 people a nd l i sts large-scale firms such as Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers and Bombardier as clients. To make room for its expanding workforce, the compa ny recently moved into a new, 22,000-squarefoot office. In addition to its list of high-profile clients, T raction on Demand also works regularly with non-profits such as the Vancouver Police Foundation and Take a Hike Youth at Risk Foundation, providing various technology services for free. All in a day’s work, said Malpass.

I’m in it with Traction on Demand for the long haul. It is simply not in the cards to sell the business Birthplace: New Westminster Where do you live now: Anmore Highest level of education: BBA, SFU Currently reading: Awesomely Simple by John Spence First CD bought or music downloaded: Slippery When Wet by Bon Jovi (cassette) When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: A sports medicine doctor

Profession you would most like to try: Welder or woodworker Toughest business or professional decision: To grow. Starting Traction as a one-man show was low risk. I committed to growing the company “for real” at five people. Now, three years later, we are 75. We’ve done this entirely off our own capital. No investors. Bootstrapped – fast growth is intense

Advice you would give the younger you: Don’t second-guess yourself. Action always beats indecision, even if it’s wrong. Fail fast. Recover faster. Keep nimble so you can course-correct. Don’t hesitate to help people out. Good things come to those who are the first to help others

What’s left to do: A third child is likely. Ironman. BC Bike Race next summer. Learn to invert on the wakeboard before I turn 40. On the business front, I’d like to launch a software company under the Traction family and start investing in my staff’s incredible ideas. Continue to scale Traction and make it a top contender for Vancouver’s Best Company. Grow internationally. Would love to tackle welding at some point

40 | FORTY UNDER 40 2013 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

JEREMY MILLER

CEO and owner, Houston Landscapes

AGE

eremy Miller had yet to develop a green thumb when he helped roommate Kent Houston launch Houston Landscapes in 2004. His hands had been kept busy building businesses, not gardens. Somewhere along the way he developed a passion for creating gardens, and he decided to buy Houston out as a partner in 2010. Miller is now the sole owner, CEO and president of the 60-employee company, which saw $6.5 million in sales in 2012.

His entrepreneurial flair was clear soon after he graduated from West Vancouver’s Sentinel Secondary School in 1994. He launched a small venture called Full Tilt and convinced nightclub owners to let him manage their clubs on slow nights. Miller hired DJs, booked bands and arranged promotion, taking the cover charge proceeds and leaving the owner with revenue from the drink sales. “I took a few courses at Capilano

College but determined that school after high school wasn’t for me,” he said. The nightclub promoter gig lasted until 2000, although much of that time he also worked as a croupier at a casino. The dot-com boom was then at its height, unleashing what for many was an irresistible pull. Miller started selling website domains at a venture called Palomar. A few months later, he left with his boss to start a websiteselling division within an existing eventplanning company that would soon be purchased by multinational PGI Events and Destinations. That turned out to be a lucky break, given that the company would soon start organizing major events around the world for companies such as CocaCola Co. Miller sold those client companies a host of website services to enable them to promote their events and allow attendees to enrol online. Within four years, he had grown the division to $10 million in annual sales and a team of 20 people. Frustrated by what he called “multiple layers of corporateness” within PGI, he left to found the digital marketing company Wallop Creative. Houston noticed how hard Miller worked and recruited him to give Houston Landscapes the boost it needed to morph from a one-man-and-a-truck operation into one of Vancouver’s most successful landscape construction companies. In his off time, Miller plays hockey, snowboards and spends time with his wife Kirsty and their two young sons. He also volunteers with his Houston Landscapes team to rejuvenate areas such as Eastview Park Bog, which had been inundated by invasive species.

I took a few courses at Capilano College but determined that school after high school wasn’t the thing for me Birthplace: Vancouver Where do you live now: North Vancouver Highest level of education: High school Currently reading: The Lion Seeker by Kenneth Bonert First CD bought or music downloaded: Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Lots of things Profession you would most like to try: Designer of gardens instead of a builder of them

Toughest business or professional decision: Buying out my business partner three years ago Advice you would give the younger you: When your gut tells you a change is needed, sleep on it for about a week but don’t delay the inevitable – your gut is typically right

What’s left to do: Build Houston Landscapes as Canada’s first national landscaping company with service offerings across the country

| 41

JEFF NORRIS

Chief advancement officer, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

AGE

eff Norris rode into a career in the non-profit sector and has not pedalled out of it since. While he was studying at the University of Saskatchewan in the mid-1990s, one of his first jobs at the Heart and Stroke Foundation in Saskatoon was as event co-ordinator for the Heartbeat Tour (now known as the Big Bike Ride). “I used to tow that big bike in a trailer to 250 different places in Saskatchewan

and be the guy at the steering wheel telling the bad jokes as we rode around.” The lessons he gained from meeting and talking with thousands of people in this role have been key to his growing success in the non-profit sector in B.C. “I think back to that all the time because it was a really good enforcement to understand who donors were and why they wanted to give to a certain charity and what might be motivating them.”

Those lessons helped him double the funds donated to the bike ride in the first year he was at the foundation. His experience was further employed when he moved to the West Coast in 1997 to join the Kidney Foundation before joining St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation in 1999 as director of annual and corporate giving. In his six-year tenure, St. Paul’s increased annual fundraising to $10 million a year from $2.5 million by improving the efficiency of its operations and improving the types of opportunities donors could support. The opportunity to effectively build a fundraising program from scratch drew him to Kwantlen in 2006 as its chief advancement officer responsible for the institution’s external relations. He also became CEO of the Kwantlen Foundation, the charitable foundation aimed at providing financial support to the institution’s students. Since then, the foundation has seen fundraising grow by at least 20% each year from the roughly $1 million it had raised prior to 2006. Last year, the foundation raised $17 million, including $12 million from Lululemon and Chip and Shannon Wilson to support the completion of a new school of design. In 2008, when Kwantlen became a polytechnic university, Norris also became executive director of the new KPU Alumni Association. Although Norris wears many hats, they all relate to his goal of finding new and better ways to help students obtain the education they want and need. “My personal goal is to make sure that no one who wants to attend university is turned away because of financial reasons,” he said. “That’s a massive goal … but it’s what we are striving towards.”

My personal goal is to make sure that no one who wants to attend university is turned away because of financial reasons Birthplace: Edmonton Where do you live now: Tsawwassen Highest level of education: BA in art history, University of Saskatchewan Currently reading: I don’t have much time to read, but I listen to audio books. Playing in my car right now is The Passage by Justin Cronin

First CD bought or music downloaded: “Rock Me Amadeus” by Falco (single on a 45 record) When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Fighter pilot/ astronaut Profession you would most like to try: Cabinetmaker

Toughest business or professional decision: Leaving St. Paul’s was very difficult for me as I loved my work there, but in retrospect, it was one of the best decisions I have made Advice you would give the younger you: Admitting you are wrong has incredible power. Never be afraid to do it

What’s left to do: For now, my focus is to make KPU the best school of its kind in Canada and ensure finances are not a barrier for anyone who wants to pursue an education here

42 | FORTY UNDER 40 2013 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

OTIS PERRICK

Founder and president, Disruptive Media Publishers

AGE

n Grade 3, Otis Perrick was diagnosed with dyslexia, and to this day he confesses he is also “horrible at math.” He went to Kenneth Gordon School for kids with learning disabilities, and every morning before school he spent

an hour with a tutor. That taught him how to hyperfocus, and he believes it’s that focus that allowed him to take an idea he had while at Electronic Arts (EA) and turn it into a successful business that capitalized on the massive growth in online

console gaming: Disruptive Media Publishers. “What that allowed me to do is really focus and hone in on the important things and get done the things of priority that make a difference,” he said. Anyone who has played a console game like Call of Duty has created an avatar and perhaps personalized it. Perrick makes most of the avatars and add-ons used by console gamers, controlling 65% of the market. While working at Electronic Arts, Perrick realized there was an evolving, untapped niche for personalizing gaming avatars. The idea was to partner with major sports franchises and big name brands, which would pay to have their brands sold to gamers in the form of personalized items and clothing. Perrick said EA was focused on its core business and wasn’t interested in developing a market for avatar addons, so in 2007, at the age of 31, Perrick left EA to form his own company. “Because we became experts in a niche area that capitalized on part of their console that nobody was doing, it was a profitable business from day one and was profitable very quickly,” Perrick said. The company now has sales of $35 million and working partnerships with major game makers and sports franchises, including Activision’s Call of Duty, Microsoft, the NHL, NFL, MBA and MLB. Perrick won EA’s first annual international Marketing X award for Best Marketing Campaign.

Because we became experts in a niche area that capitalized on part of their console that nobody was doing, it was a profitable business from day one Birthplace: Vancouver Where do you live now: North Vancouver Highest level of education: Business program, Capilano College, not completed Currently reading: Good to Great by Jim Collins

First CD bought or music downloaded: The Joshua Tree by U2 When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: I wanted to be just like my dad, who was one of the top sports agents in the world and had an unstoppable work ethic Profession you would most like to try: Rally car driver

Toughest business or professional decision: Leaving school early to pursue a career in sports, gaming and entertainment Advice you would give the younger you: Don’t ever let others limit you, hold you back or create doubt – they don’t know what you are capable of

What’s left to do: Enjoy my greatest business achievements, as I believe they’re still yet to come

| 43

ROBERT PIASENTIN

General counsel, Sierra Systems

AGE

obert Piasentin’s interest in law was sparked by his love of music and sports. “I’ve always been interested in the rights around content creation and protecting a work,” he said. He emph a si z e s t h at he’s never been “good enoug h” to do eit her

professionally, but his hobbies of playing classical guitar and soccer, tennis and hockey led him to focus on intellectual property and trademarking in law school. Later, he worked with a company in the U.K. that ow ns many highprofile athletic brands, such as Dunlop,

Slazenger, Karrimor and Lonsdale. In 2007, Piasentin returned home to B r it i s h Colu m bi a to work for Sierra Systems. He’s been with the IT consulting company ever since and is its sole lawyer. As the company’s first general counsel, he was also largely responsible for creating his job and all the policies and procedures that go along with it. His work covers a huge variety of legal duties – “everything from litigation to M&A to employment issues and leases,” he said. “It’s a broad portfolio that makes for a lot of responsibility across the board.” For instance, he was responsible for the sa le of Sierra’s Roma n ia n operation to a Romanian company, a complicated deal that required working with the Eastern European legal system. Another career high was successfully negotiating a multimillion-dollar settlement in a dispute with a company that had subcontracted Sierra Systems. Subsequent problems with the contract led Sierra to take legal action, and Piasentin was the lead lawyer on that case. “It’s the best job I’ve ever had,” Piasentin said. “The people I work with are just excellent. They’re passionate, intelligent, and they really understand what the issues are.” Piasentin is a founding member and president of the B.C. chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel and a founding member of Vancouver’s St. Thomas More Lawyers’ Guild of British Columbia.

The people I work with are just excellent. They’re passionate, intelligent, and they really understand what the issues are Birthplace: Trail Where do you live now: Coquitlam Highest level of education: LLM, University of London, England Currently reading: Fatal Revenant by Stephen R. Donaldson First CD bought or music downloaded: Just a Game by Triumph When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Prime minister or an NHL player. Obviously neither quite panned out

Profession you would most like to try: I think my window of opportunity to make the NHL has closed. But I would enjoy trying carpentry Toughest business or professional decision: I was an associate lawyer at Borden Ladner Gervais when my wife and I decided to move to London, England. The dot-com bubble had burst and prospects were not great overseas, but my wife got a job and I was able to get my master of laws degree. It was the best decision we could have made

Advice you would give the younger you: Take the opportunity to learn from everyone around you and from every experience, whether good or bad. Never think that a person (even someone younger or less experienced than you) or an event has nothing to teach you

What’s left to do: Continue to develop my knowledge and experience on the business (rather than just the legal) side of things so as to further establish myself as a thoroughly trusted adviser from both a legal and a business perspective

44 | FORTY UNDER 40 2013 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

ANDREW REID

Founder and president, Vision Critical

AGE

ndrew Reid was just 23 when he founded market research company Vision Critical in 2000. With 670 employees in total – 360 in Vancouver – 16 offices globally and $95 million in revenue, it is now one of Vancouver’s most successful technology companies. Although the company does market research, it is not a traditional polling firm like the one his father, pollster

Angus Reid, is famous for. It uses social media and online communities of customers to gain ongoing insights for major brands, including one-third of the Fortune 100 companies. Just last year, OMERS Ventures invested $20 million in the company. But Vision Critical was no overnight success. In fact, it nearly went under in 2003. Reid studied multimedia at Vancouver

Film School in 1995 and worked in advertising for a while. He then spent six months working for his father and learning the ropes, and started Vision Critical around the time Reid Sr. was selling the Angus Reid Group to Ipsos. “When I started Vision Critical, really it was the result of looking at my father’s industry and realizing it was ripe for disruption,” Reid said. Originally funded by Discovery Capital, Reid bought the company out – and nearly went out of business. “In 2003, I was paying my employees out of my own money. I wasn’t taking any salary myself. My father kept telling me I should shut down my business. I kept stubbornly going forward.” Eventually, the company’s online “insights community” model caught on, and in 2004, Reid’s father bought into the company with a $1 million investment and became CEO. “Angus played a massive role of getting us to where we are today,” Reid said. Vision Critical has 600 online communities that provide “ongoing engagement” with the customers to get feedback on a brand’s products and services. The feedback is not just ongoing – it can be generated within hours. “My father’s business did a very good job at helping people get decisions support, but that was a six-week process, and it was very ad hoc,” Reid said. “Part of our success is being fuelled from what’s going on in the world of social media and big data and business intelligence, which is all about the rear view: what did my customer do, where did they do it, how did they do it? We’re the ‘Why?’ And you can’t answer ‘Why?’ unless you actually talk to someone.”

When I started Vision Critical, really it was the result of looking at my father’s industry and realizing it was ripe for disruption Birthplace: Winnipeg Where do you live now: West Vancouver Highest level of education: Certificate of Multimedia, Vancouver Film School; Stanford Executive Program Currently reading: Great by Choice by Jim Collins

First CD bought or music downloaded: Automatic for the People by REM When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Paleontologist Profession you would most like to try: Music producer and restaurateur

Toughest business or professional decision: Not shutting down the company in 2003 when I had no money and was paying staff out of my own pocket Advice you would give the younger you: Set achievable goals regularly and aggressively tackle them

What’s left to do: Explore the world, grow as a professional, raise kids, find as many awesome new experiences as possible

| 45

STEPHEN ROBINSON

CEO and chair, ClearVision Technologies Inc.

AGE

tephen Robinson co-founded ClearVision during university, grew the venture and then sold it to U.S. multinational Valco Melton in a multimillion-dollar transaction in 2011. He remains the CEO and chair of the 25-employee company that he built from two employees in 2004, and the company continues to more than double in revenue each year.

“A huge part of what contributed to growth at ClearVision is that we’ve had a crazy customer focus,” Robinson said. “We talk to customers all the time and are not scared to get on a plane and meet them. I’ve been to all U.S. states except for four.” Robinson’s high-school grades were stellar enough for him to gain unconditional admittance to the University

of British Columbia (UBC) in 2000. His electro-mechanical program within UBC’s engineering department accepts only 10 students each year, and he graduated with honours in the top 10% of his class. He worked at Papertech on a fourmonth co-operative education program internship. By the end of that four-month term, he was promoted to head of the company’s research and development. ClearVision was originally conceived as a competitor to Papertech, which creates optical technologies for papermaking machinery. I n stead, Robi n son pivoted a nd steered the company into developing intelligent camera systems that are used to ensure high-quality production on packaging machinery. He then landed clients such as Norampac, Georgia-Pacific and International Paper. Along the way he earned the right to call himself an inventor, given that one of his innovations has been awarded a U.S. patent. He has been a board member of Toastmasters International, a judge and mentor at New Ventures BC and the chair of a division of the Trade Association for Pulp and Paper Industry. He also started a mastermind business g roup i n Va ncouver i n 2010. T he org a n i z at ion i nc lu d e s b u s iness executives and entrepreneurs who meet monthly to discuss personal and business challenges and accomplishments. Outside work, he spends time with wife Melissa and enjoys going on hunting trips.

A huge part of what contributed to growth at ClearVision is that we’ve had a crazy customer focus Birthplace: Victoria Where do you live now: North Vancouver Highest level of education: B.Sc., UBC Currently reading: Why People Believe Weird Things by Michael Shermer

First CD bought or music downloaded: Doggystyle by Snoop Doggy Dogg

Profession you would most like to try: Professional debunker/skeptic

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Lawyer (Matlock, specifically)

Toughest business or professional decision: Selling business Advice you would give the younger you: People never change

What’s left to do: Grow a massive company that stays in Canada (Vancouver, specifically) and isn’t sold south of the border

46 | FORTY UNDER 40 2013 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

SERGE SALAGER

CEO, OneMove Technologies

AGE

erge Salager was working at a venture capital fund based in the Bahamas when he was contacted by a group of investors who owned a struggling tech company in Vancouver. That company, OneMove Technologies, had foundered ever since going

public in 2006. Salager was originally brought in to advise the firm on a takeover offer received from a company in Ontario. “One of my conclusions was that the company was in pretty bad shape and the board would be better off by not

selling now and should go through the pain of restructuring the company, taking the company private, and then maybe sell it or re-IPO it down the road,” Salager said. The investors liked that idea – and Salager. In August 2012, they hired him as CEO of the company. S a l a ge r s e t a b o u t t u r n i n g t h e company around, a process that included refocusing the company on marketing and sales and cutting staff and expenses. In the space of a year and a half, Salager has returned the company to profitability. The business has expanded into Alberta and plans to soon be in Ontario. T he compa ny’s pro duct – sof tware for the legal profession – was high quality, said Salager. He led a rebranding effort and increased the price, among other things, without losing any customers. Selling the company is no longer an immediate priority. “The company is growing between 40% and 60% per year,” Salager said. “Any reasonable investor would stick with a company that is growing at such a pace.” Over the last quarter, revenues grew by 40% and market share increased by 15%. “There’s a lot of stress involved in restructuring the company, but once you see the results afterwards, how our company looks in the market, how our financials look … that’s fantastic,” he said.

Any reasonable investor would stick with a company that is growing at such a pace Birthplace: Paris, France Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: MBA, Harvard Currently reading: The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis

First CD bought or music downloaded: Blade Runner from Vangelis

Profession you would most like to try: Architect

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

Toughest business or professional decision: Letting go good employees

Advice you would give the younger you: God gave you two ears and one mouth so that you will hear more and talk less

| 47

BOBBY SANGHA

President and CEO, CareCorp Seniors Services

AGE

c o n s u m m a t e e n t r e p r e n e u r, Bobby Sangha couldn’t see himself working for someone else for very long. Growing up, Sangha and his brother would often help out with the family building maintenance and janitorial business in Kamloops. While still in high school, he was learning the managerial ropes supervising and

training employees for L&J Diamond Maintenance. “Business has always been in my blood,” he said. But his parents wanted Sangha and his brother to go to school and find a “stable job” and supplement their income with the business “if we had to.” Knowing that health care was going to be increasingly in demand, he

decided to complete a diploma in respiratory therapy from Thompson Rivers University and worked as a respiratory therapist for a dozen years, primarily at Surrey Memorial Hospital. But he couldn’t totally step away from the family business. He stayed on as vice-president of business development, and between 2001 and 2006 he was instrumental in growing the business to include operations in 10 different communities in B.C. and Alberta. About 12 years ago, after winning a contract to provide housekeeping services at a retirement home, he saw the opportunity to provide services to the ever-growing seniors living market. “The whole ambience, being with seniors – it was very intriguing to hear their stories and provide service to people who helped build our country and society over the years. That was the big thing that jumped out at me, and I wanted to be part of it.” I n 2 010, h e fo u n d e d Ca re Cor p Seniors Services, providing management for various retirement and nursing homes, including nursing care services, housekeeping and laundry and dietary services. In just a few years, the company has grown to employ nearly 400 staff working at four seniors living residences in B.C. Sangha continues to see opportunities to grow, and his aim is to eventually become an owner-operator of retirement homes. “Some people have suggested I need to slow down, but I just can’t do it. In my mind, if the opportunity is there, it may not be there tomorrow. So I’ve got to jump on it.”

Some people have suggested I need to slow down, but I just can’t do it Birthplace: Kamloops Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Respiratory therapy diploma, TRU Currently reading: A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin and Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck First CD bought or music downloaded: Dressed to Kill by Kiss (cassette tape)

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Professional soccer player Profession you would most like to try: Formula 1 race-car driver Toughest business or professional decision: Putting focus on growth before profits

Advice you would give the younger you: Have a long-term vision. By that I mean making a bold statement of where you want to be in business 20 years from now, not just one year or five years from now. To achieve your vision, you need to have these three attributes: persistence, perseverance and patience (I’m still working on the last one)

What’s left to do: I still have to make a major impact in the world of business and in improving the care we provide for our seniors

48 | FORTY UNDER 40 2013 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

COLIN SCARLETT

Senior vice-president, Colliers International

AGE

olin Scarlett started his 15-year career at Colliers International by winning the company’s rookie of the year award. He went on to be part of $1.5 billion worth in real estate transactions, covering more than five million square feet, impressing superiors and earning the nod to be one of the youngest senior vice-presidents in Colliers’ 115-year history. Scarlett’s real estate career began

somewhat unpredictably. He was living at his parents’ West Vancouver home after completing a BA in economics at the University of Western Ontario. “I told my dad, who was a lawyer, that if he wanted to get me out of the house, he had to find me a job,” Scarlett joked. His dad made good on that challenge and helped Scarlett land a position in

1996 at Royal LePage Commercial (now Cushman & Wakefield), helping people buy and sell investment properties. Two years later, Scarlett shifted to Colliers’ commercial leasing division. “I thought commercial leasing would be more of a growth business than selling investment properties,” he explained. One recent transaction Scarlett closed was one to make McCarthy Tétrault LLP an 80,000-square-foot anchor tenant in the under-construction office tower at 745 Thurlow. He also helped renew large downtown leases for companies such as Farris Vaughan Wills & Murphy LLP and the University of British Columbia. Col l iers’ Ca n ad ia n CEO, David Bowden, recognized Scarlett’s value and named him to a five-person advisory committee on national business issues. Scarlett’s penchant for entrepreneurialism goes way back. Du ri ng h is u n iversity yea rs, he founded the company Western Student Marketing, which produced advertising-supported student calendars. He later sold the venture. M o r e r e c e n t l y, h e h a s p u t h i s entrepreneurial skills to work for charitable purposes by founding and lead ing a campaign at Colliers to sponsor a hot breakfast program at Hastings Elementary School in East Vancouver. “I’ve been fortunate in my business career and feel it is important for every citizen to give back to the community where they live and work,” he said. Outside work, Scarlett spends as much time as possible with his wife Alison and their two young sons.

I thought commercial leasing would be more of a growth business than selling investment properties Birthplace: North Vancouver Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: BA from the University of Western Ontario

Currently reading: The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits and True Growth by Fred Reichheld and, ideally, Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown to my kids every night before bed First CD bought or music downloaded: Ghostbusters Original Soundtrack by various artists

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Lawyer Profession you would most like to try: Race-car driver Toughest business or professional decision: The everyday challenge of balancing time between my professional and personal life

Advice you would give the younger you: Find a great mentor and don’t be afraid to ask for their time; while it sounds like a cliché, there truly is no substitute for hard work; and be patient What’s left to do: Drive a Formula 1 car, spend more time with my family and continue helping the community

| 49

PAUL SCHAFFER

Head of nuclear medicine, TRIUMF

AGE

nvestment in pure science doesn’t always have an immediate or obvious payoff. But the work of Paul Schaffer and his team at the TRIUMF particle physics accelerator at the University of BC is starting to pay dividends for Canada. TRIUMF is heading off a looming shortage of a radioisotope used in nuclear medicine by developing a process for making technetium-99m (T-99m)

in hospital cyclotrons without having to rely on nuclear reactors. That’s been a boon for Richmond’s Advanced Cyclotron Systems Inc., which is making cyclotrons that can make T-99m in significant quantities. And under Schaffer’s leadership, TRIUMF is creating a spinoff company – ARTMS – which will license the technology and build and install equipment for other countries so they

can make their own T-99m. “I always like to advocate for the economic benefits of fundamental research,” said Schaffer. “I’m a chemist working in a lab that’s been trusted with a lot of money and basically leveraged the expertise at that lab to innovate a new product that’s going to benefit Canadians. It’s a wonderful testament to how research can have trickle-down economic benefits for the rest of Canadians.” Born in Toronto, Schaffer came to B.C. to do his undergraduate studies in chemistry and biochemistry, skipped doing his master’s and went straight into a PhD program in chemistry at McMaster University. He stayed on to become a staff scientist at McMaster’s nuclear reactor until 2006, when he was hired as a lead scientist doing research in radiopharmaceuticals for General Electric’s global research division. In 2009, he was hired by TRIUMF as deputy division head and groomed for the position of head of nuclear medicine. The Chalk River nuclear research lab in Ontario produces 40% of the world’s supply of T-99m and 80% of Canada’s. It is slated to stop making the radioisotope in 2016. That would leave hospitals in Canada and around the world short on T-99m. In 2012, Schaffer obtained a $7 million grant on behalf of TRIUMF and three other agencies to commercialize the T-99m production technology. Schaffer was recently in Italy working with scientists who want to use the new technology to produce T-99m in their own countries.

It’s a wonderful testament to how research can have trickle-down economic benefits for the rest of Canadians Birthplace: Toronto Where do you live now: Richmond Highest level of education: PhD in chemistry, McMaster Currently reading: Quiet Leadership by David Rock.

First CD bought or music downloaded: Cuts Like a Knife by Bryan Adams or Slippery When Wet by Bon Jovi When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Locomotive engineer or archeologist Profession you would most like to try: Astronaut

Toughest business or professional decision: Confronting an excolleague about illegal activity on the job

Advice you would give the younger you: Being a chemist has been fantastic, but surprisingly, I think I’d shift gears and pursue a degree in the applied sciences – engineering, medicine, dentistry or pharmacy What’s left to do: Travel. I’ve only been to four of the seven continents

50 | FORTY UNDER 40 2013 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

SHAWN SMITH

Adjunct professor, Simon Fraser University and founding director, RADIUS

AGE

ADical Ideas Useful to Society. That’s what RADIUS stands for, the new initiative Shawn Smith cofounded at the Simon Fraser University (SFU) Beedie School of Business. Although just 33, Smith has become an expert in the relatively new field of social entrepreneurship, where an organization’s purpose is to solve or improve a social problem through a sustainable business model.

“I came out of doing a finance undergrad at SFU and just knew that I was looking for a way to connect that to work that was close to my values and that I knew would make an impact,” Smith said. The first social enterprise Smith started was Riding to Break the Cycle, a cycling venture that combined longdistance touring, leadership development and raising money for global

poverty solutions. The venture ran successfully for five years, but when he attempted to step back, it fizzled. “We had a really hard time trying to figure out how to transition beyond the passion and vision of the founders to something that was more professionally managed and scalable,” Smith said. The non-profit organization he cofounded to manage this and other ventures, Global Agents for Change, also provides a combination of grants and investments to startup social ventures in East Africa. One of their first ventures was Ecofuel Africa, run by Ugandan entrepreneur Sanga Moses, which turns agricultural waste into biochar, a cheaper, cleaner cooking fuel to replace wood. “Sanga is amazing. We were his first major funder, granting $40,000 to help test the business model and connecting him to other investors and advisers,” Smith said. Smith and Global Agents for Change have been recognized by the United Nations and several social entrepreneurship organizations. In launching RADIUS with co-founder David Dunne, Smith and SFU are supporting students and programs, developing innovative approaches to social challenges, and accelerating social enterprises with the strong support of Vancity Credit Union. “We call ourselves ‘a place for radical doers’, and while helping students become better innovators we [are] exploring how business can and should be leveraged for social impact. In many ways, the students already get it – we’re just the conduit,” he said.

I was looking for a way to connect that to work that was close to my values and that I knew would make an impact Birthplace: Kelowna Where do you live now: Vancouver and Quito, Ecuador Highest level of education: MBA, focused in social entrepreneurship Currently reading: The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brené Brown First CD bought or music downloaded: Dookie by Green Day

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Veterinarian and/or entrepreneur Profession you would most like to try: Writer

Toughest business or professional decision: Shutting down the first major venture we ever started at Global Agents for Change. Riding to Break the Cycle was a cycling adventure raising funds and awareness for global poverty initiatives, but we simply weren’t able to scale it effectively and had to pull the plug after five years

Advice you would give the younger you: Trust yourself. Make sure you actually understand what problem you are trying to solve and how you can tell if it’s working. The path less travelled will work out What’s left to do: Sometimes it feels like everything is left to do. The world is made by people, the systems we have were made by people, and if we don’t like them it is on us to try to change them

| 51

WARREN SMITH

Managing director, Counsel Network

AGE

arren Smith only partly jests when he says that he has two full-time jobs. One is voluntary. T he managing partner of the Counsel Network is also the first Canadian and the youngest person to ever be elected as president of the National Association of Legal Search Consultants (NA L SC) – a largely American organization with

about 200 member firms. “It’s been good for the Counsel Network’s brand,” he said of his role as NALSC president. “Our whole mandate has been ‘When you think Canada, think Counsel Network.’” Smith’s focus on increasing brand recognition has helped his national legal consulting firm achieve steady

revenue growth and a record of nearly $4 million in 2012. That’s substantially more than when he took over in 2008. The company’s Vancouver office has had the biggest success, regularly increasing annual revenue by about 25%. Smith launched a sister company to Counsel Network in 2013. Dubbed Critical Search, the venture provides support staff to the legal industry Canada-wide. Smith’s passion for technology also led him to develop the Counsel Network’s database of lawyers, a resource that he believes to be the largest of its kind in Canada. He graduated from Burnaby North Seconda ry School at 16 yea rs old, t hen took fou r yea rs of f to work before eventually deciding to go to university. Instead of completing his underg radu ate deg ree at Simon Fraser University (SFU), he applied to the University of British Columbia’s law school and gained early entrance after only three years at SFU. A short stint at Bull Housser Tupper LLP followed law school, and then he moved to the Counsel Network in 2004 to work as a recruiter. Outside work, Smith is active with the local Catholic archdiocese, where he was instrumental in resurrecting Vancouver’s Red Mass. That event brings together Catholic jurists and law yers once each yea r at Ch rist Church Cathedral. He a lso helped establ ish the St. Thomas More Lawyers’ Guild of BC, where he currently serves as chair.

Our whole mandate has been ‘When you think about Canada, think about Counsel Network’ Birthplace: Powell River Where do you live now: Coquitlam Highest level of education: LLB, UBC Currently reading: Strategy and the Fat Smoker: Doing What’s Obvious But Not Easy by David H. Maister First CD bought or music downloaded: Images and Words by Dream Theater

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: UN ambassador Profession you would most like to try: Priest

Toughest business or professional decision: Turning down an offer for a leadership role with a global company to lead their expansion and recruitment efforts so I could build my own business with my partners

Advice you would give the younger you: Hire people around you who have demonstrated a capacity for change and who desire to be better than they currently are What’s left to do: Mow the lawn, pick up a light bulb for the garage opener, take the kids to skating practice. Wait, you meant this weekend, right?

52 | FORTY UNDER 40 2013 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

TRAVIS STEVENSON

President, JTS Consulting

AGE

ravis Stevenson credits good advice from a family friend for steering him along his current path. “An early mentor told me the utilities space is going to be going through a dramatic change in the next 10 to 15 years,” Stevenson said. “I was originally going to go the path of engineering, and he suggested I might want to think about business.”

It’s fitting that the genesis for his current company came from a trusted mentor, because Stevenson has made relationship-building the cornerstone of his company, JTS Consulting. The business works with utility companies to help them take advantage of new technological solutions for energy consumption and delivery. That work involves acting as a “translator”

between different industry players to help them understand what is possible. Smart meters are just one example of new technology that is transforming the way we use and conserve electricity. The industry has historically been slow to change. “If Tesla or Edison woke up tomorrow, they’d recognize a lot of the way the infrastructure works,” Stevenson said. “We’re at the forefront of [the new technology] and it’s going to overhaul how people use energy.” Stevenson explained that JTS does not work directly on end-user energy efficiency. Instead, his business works with utilities to enable them to support and promote energy conservation. Stevenson got his start in energy by working in the Power Smart program at BC Hydro; he then worked for a company that sold software billing systems to utility companies across North America. He started JTS Consulting nine years ago. The company now employs a team of 30 consultants and boasts year-overyear revenue growth of 25%. JTS has recently worked as a subcontractor for IBM and Microsoft, helping utilities and the tech companies understand how they can work together. Recently, JTS broke into the competitive U.K. energy market, where, Stevenson said, the company hopes to get more work in the future. “If someone’s willing to fly you halfway across the world to share your experience, you know you’re doing something right,” he said. Stevenson is also currently serving as the youngest-ever president of the ALS Society of BC.

If someone’s willing to fly you halfway across the world to share your experience, you know you’re doing something right Birthplace: Burnaby Where do you live now: North Vancouver Highest level of education: Bachelor of commerce Currently reading: Fancy Nancy by Jane O’Connor and Fossils published by National Geographic, the latest favourites of my two amazing kids

First CD bought or music downloaded: Waking Up the Neighbours by Bryan Adams When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Fighter pilot (circa Top Gun)

Toughest business or professional decision: I was newly married, recently laid off, and had a great job offer on the table. Starting my own boutique utility practice was always in the cards, but it never seemed to be the “right time.” Realizing there is never a perfect time, I jumped in with both feet and started JTS – I have never looked back

Advice you would give the younger you: Outsource and delegate to others so that you can focus on what you are passionate about and do best What’s left to do: Grow JTS to be a sustainable firm that can operate without me – supporting more time for family, charity, community and adventure

| 53

JAMES TAYLOR

CEO and co-founder, Precision NanoSystems Inc.

AGE

ames Taylor took his engineering physics degree at the University of British Columbia. He then did a PhD in genetics at the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle. While he was working on that, he also worked at a venture capital firm to

learn how to successfully commercialize cutting-edge technology. He now works i n the f ield of nanomedicine, developing nanoscale “smart” materials that can target cells in the body to deliver a drug to an incredibly specific area. “This century is the biotechnology

century,” Taylor said. “It’s becoming possible to gather this tremendous amount of [genetic] information. We’ve learned more about cancer in the last five years than we have in all of human history.” With three other collaborators, Taylor started Precision NanoSystems after completing his PhD and moving back to Vancouver. The company makes what Taylor calls a toolkit that can be used to create nanotechnology drugs; Taylor is a co-inventor. “We’re providing the picks and shovels to the genomics gold rush,” he said. Those products are now on the market, providing revenue for the company. The company has also been very successful in raising equity and grants for research and development. Taylor credits his stint at the venture capital firm for helping him understand the mechanics of financing and how startups work. While he set up that part-time job himself, the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, where he did his PhD, has now created a venture capital fellowship, with the goal of replicating that experience for other students. “We spend a lot of time building our technology … but at the same time as an entrepreneur you are building the company, and that in itself is a unique skill set.” Taylor also emphasizes the important role of the other co-founders of the company. “A ny ach ievement we’ve accomplished has really been a team effort,” he said.

We’ve learned more about cancer in the last five years than we have in all of human history Birthplace: Burlington, Ontario Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: PhD in genetics; B.Sc. in engineering physics Currently reading: The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee

First CD bought or music downloaded: Licensed to Ill by the Beastie Boys When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Astronaut Profession you would most like to try: Shortstop for the New York Yankees

Toughest business or professional decision: To move from the field of high technology to biotechnology and then deciding which technology to build a biotech around Advice you would give the younger you: Surround yourself with the smartest, most capable folks you can find

What’s left to do?: Grow our business, start more companies, raise my family

54 | FORTY UNDER 40 2013 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

SHAFIN DIAMOND TEJANI

The Alchemist, Victory Square Labs

AGE

hafin Diamond Tejani’s first business was iFluRtz.com, a website matching students based on their interests, which he started out of his university dorm when he was 19. Si nc e t hen he h a s l au nche d 2 8

startups in over 13 countries, generating more than $50 million in revenue. Teja n i’s l atest project, Victory Square Labs (VSL), is a startup accelerator that provides funding, mentorship and a creative workspace to

startups in the web, mobile, gaming and film spaces. The business helps for-profit ventures, often with a social enterprise component, as well as non-profits. “I love the startup side of a business,” Tejani said. Running Victory Square Labs allows him to have a hand in advising and funding many startups. Working globally can also reveal promising markets. For instance, a few years ago he had success with a dating website he and his partners started in South America. It worked because the product was first to market there. “The tech space in the U.S. evolves so quickly and is so concentrated, it’s very hard to break through,” he said. To get access to markets and onthe-ground information about farflung locales, he likes to work with entrepreneurs who have ties to other countries. Tejani credits his father, a pharmacist who immigrated to Canada from Uganda, and his wider Ismaili community for sparking his interest in business. “All the people I looked up to – my dad and all my uncles – they all had their own businesses.” Tejani is a member of Social Venture Partners Vancouver, a network of philanthropists who donate time and expertise as well as money to help non-profits succeed. He’s currently working with KidSafe, an East Vancouver group that provides safe havens to vulnerable children.

All the people I looked up to – my dad and all my uncles – they all had their own businesses Birthplace: North Vancouver Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Honours business administration

Currently reading: I’ve chosen to take a hiatus from reading specific books and have instead been indulging my thirst for knowledge by reading the following magazines: Fast Company, Inc., Fortune, Forbes, Wired, Canadian Business, The Economist, Entrepreneur, Barron’s, Bloomberg Business Week, Harvard Business Review, GQ and Time First CD bought or music downloaded: Thriller by Michael Jackson

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: NFL quarterback Profession you would most like to try: NCAA college football coach Toughest business or professional decision: Having a long-standing business partnership end via shotgun clause. Got a good business but lost a great friend

Advice you would give the younger you: Like Spock (had to throw in a Star Trek reference), I believe the universe should develop naturally. The truth is, I’m very happy with where I’m at and where I’m heading. My current situation is a byproduct of all the good, the bad and the ugly that’s happened in my life. And, therefore, I wouldn’t give my younger self any advice

| 55

VANESSA TIMMER

Executive director, One Earth, and co-host, The Sustainable Region TV show

AGE

hile most teenagers were watching television or hanging out at the mall, Vanessa Timmer was helping establish large-scale environmental initiatives. When she was 15 years old, Timmer and 13 others founded the Environmental Youth Alliance – a project that brought 600 students from across B.C. and Canada together to meet one

another and discuss the environment and “positive futures.” “There were so many people thinking about the environment but feeling disconnected,” said Timmer. “We wanted to bring everyone together, take action on issues and get inspired.” And inspire it did. After completing her master’s degree at Oxford University, Timmer went on to receive a PhD

in resource management and environmental studies at the University of British Columbia. She is also an associate with Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. After graduation, Timmer once again set her sights on establishing a green initiative. In 2006, she co-founded One Earth, a non-profit research and advocacy organization – a “think- and do-tank” – that focuses on sustainable consumption and production patterns. Timmer wants us to use and waste fewer materials in our day-to-day lives. It’s a big mandate, including everything from policymaking to rethinking design and manufacturing to influencing choices such as purchasing habits. Her work spans from the local level to the whole of North America, including as part of a newly launched Cities for People program with the McConnell Family Foundation. Vanessa and her sister Dagmar also cohost an award-winning television show, The Sustainable Region – a behind-thescenes look at environmental, economic and social stories in the region, with hundreds of archived videos available on the Metro Vancouver website. As One Earth continues to grow, Timmer sees the body as a catalyst or a “dot connector” that supports myriad groups in sustainable pursuits. She works with governments, academics, businesses, non-profits and individuals. By connecting with each, she believes a more sustainable future will be achieved. “I want to see an absolute reduction in material and energy use,” she said. “I want to see actual changes in supply chains. I believe we can see that in the next five years.”

Protecting the environment isn’t just about doing less-bad things. It’s about doing things that help. What if we lived in a way every day that made people and the planet more healthy? Birthplace: Vancouver Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: PhD, resource management and environmental studies, UBC Currently reading: Resilience: Why Things Bounce Back by Andrew Zolli and Ann Marie Healy

First CD bought or music downloaded: The Seventh One by Toto When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Animator Profession you would most like to try: Designer or filmmaker – they use their talents to shape our experience of the world

Toughest business or professional decision: Leaving a great job to dive in and work full-time on my cofounded non-profit Advice you would give the younger you: Reach out to people you admire and serve as a mentor, keep developing your creative side, join forces with others, set brave goals and then let go and trust in the flow of life

What’s left to do: Create positive and compelling stories of life in sustainable, healthy and just futures

56 | FORTY UNDER 40 2013 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

STEPHEN UFFORD

CEO and co-founder, Trulioo

AGE

tephen Ufford is a veteran technology entrepreneur, but he doesn’t consider himself a techie. He’s an ideas man. “I love gadgets and I love to learn on the job,” said Ufford. “Being an entrepreneur was a natural fit.”

Thanks in large part to his parents, Ufford’s road to entrepreneurship started in his teenage years. After graduating high school, he was given two choices: enrol in university and continue getting financial support from his family – or move out and

make it on his own. Ufford chose the latter. He co-founded his first company, iQuiri.com, which made consumer scores and credit reports available online, then sold it in 2003. In 2004, Ufford founded his second company, NDS, which was bought out in 2006. He also sold his third company, Pharos Global, a consumer identity management firm. Learning to start and sell his companies was a difficult lesson at first, said Ufford. He thought he was in love with his first startup. But after starting his second company he realized his real love was the startup process itself. For Ufford, being an entrepreneur is all about the chance to start the next company. “There is nothing else but entrepreneurship I could have done. With this job, you never know what happens tomorrow,” said Ufford. “After tasting that, it’s hard to walk away from.” T h e se d ay s, Uf ford i s r u n n i n g his fourth venture, Trulioo, a company that specializes in Internet identity verification by offering online busi nesses sof twa re tools to verify their users. By verifying users, said Ufford, a host of potential problems, from trolling to bullying to bogus five-star hotel reviews, can be avoided. Separating regular people from the fraudsters will be a critical component of the future online experience. And Trulioo will be the service to do it.

We don’t need to wonder whether or not you are a dog on the Internet anymore. We can figure it out Birthplace: Windsor Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Grade 12

Currently reading: During a startup’s lifecycle, the only thing I am usually well-read on is Air Canada’s enRoute magazine or Skymall from the seatback pocket First CD bought or music downloaded: U2

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

Advice you would give the younger you: Pace yourself, there is always more

Profession you would most like to try: Ambassador to the United Nations

What’s left to do: Everything. Opportunity to a serial entrepreneur is like mail to postmen – it never stops coming in

Toughest business or professional decision: Letting go of the wheel on my first business when we sold

| 57

ANDREW WARFIELD

Co-founder and CTO, Coho Data

AGE

or as long as Andrew Warfield can remember, he’s played around with computers. He’s always been fascinated with how they work. When he was eight years old, Warfield taught himself the ins and outs of a computer on an old IBM desktop.

Nearly 30 years later, he’s still fascinated with technology. “I get a kick out of building big computer systems,” said Warfield. “Since I got that IBM desktop, it’s just gone on from there.” Academically, Warfield’s taken his

interest in computers as far as he can go. He completed his undergraduate degree in computer science at the University of Western Ontario, his master’s in computer science at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and his doctorate, again in computer science, at the University of Cambridge in England. And Warfield is still actively involved in academia. He teaches computer science at UBC and runs a research lab called the Network Systems and Security Lab. This allows him to surround himself with the next generation of thinkers and entrepreneurs in the computer science field. “I like teaching students about how systems such as Google and Facebook work. I like talking about the complexity of these systems and why they should care about it,” said Warfield. “And I like doing research.” But Warfield also runs Coho Data, an enterprise storage company he launched two and a half years ago. Coho Data, which employs 40 people, builds hardware and software for companies to manage their data. Warfield wants to revolutionize the data storage industry. “We’re still a growth company,” he said, “but it’s been a great experience. The team is experienced. We just get down and do stuff. We want to change the way data is managed in enterprises.” Although he still considers Coho Data a startup, he has big plans for the company. It won’t be a startup for long.

We’re still a growth company, but it’s been a great experience. The team is experienced. We just get down and do stuff. We want to change the way data is managed in enterprises Birthplace: Prince George Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: PhD, computer science, University of Cambridge Currently reading: The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey (I have young kids who are avid story listeners)

First CD bought or music downloaded: I’m close enough to 40 that I can remember buying cassettes and LPs. I’m pretty sure the first one was a compilation called Rock 86, and that it featured tracks from bands like Katrina and the Waves and Starship

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: The guy that drove the Zamboni Profession you would most like to try: Zamboni driver (my six-year-old agrees this is the correct answer to this question)

Toughest business or professional decision: Being pragmatic about what you can achieve with limited time and resources Advice you would give the younger you: Bounce your ideas off of anyone who will listen to you. It will only make them better What’s left to do: Keep learning

58 | FORTY UNDER 40 2013 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

CARLOS YAM

CFO, WesternOne

AGE

arlos Yam has helped WesternOne Inc. close approximately $180 million worth of acquisitions in the past six years – transactions that catapulted the company into being an international venture with operations in B.C., Alberta, Texas and across Australia. WesternOne generated about $6 million in revenue from equipment sales

and rentals when Yam joined in 2007. Sales had grown to more than $217 million in 2012, when Investor Relations Magazine named Yam its CFO of the year in the Canadian small-cap company category. Unlike many of his peers, Yam takes the lead on all potential acquisitions, sta r t i ng w it h ex ten sive due d i l igence and then working on efficient

integration of operations. The largest of the WesternOne acquisitions where Yam played a lead role was its $93 million purchase of Britco Structures LLP in 2011. “I play the investor relations function in the company as well as being its CFO,” Yam said. “I am the primary contact for our various sources of financing, including our senior lenders as well as our equity investors.” Before joining WesternOne, Yam worked at Intrawest Corp. and was part of the finance team that steered t h a t c o m p a n y ’s U S $ 2 . 8 b i l l i o n privatization. When Yam moved to Vancouver as a 15-year-old in 1989 from Hong Kong, he barely spoke English. He learned quickly and completed a business degree at Simon Fraser University in 1997. He then achieved both a chartered accountant designation in Canada and a certified public accountant designation in the U.S. After a short stint at accounting firm Ellis Foster, he landed a job at PricewaterhouseCoopers and spent five years at the global consulting company. One of those years was spent in Singapore. Outside work, Yam plays tennis, snowboards and spends time with wife Linda and their two daughters, Chloe and Claire. He volunteers both for his local church and at his daughters’ school. “I want to be a good example for new immigrants and to show that in Canada there are plentiful opportunities for a person who wasn’t born here to prosper,” he said.

I want to be a good example for new immigrants and to show that in Canada there are plentiful opportunities for a person who wasn’t born here to prosper Birthplace: Hong Kong Where do you live now: Burnaby Highest level of education: Chartered accountant Currently reading: Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More by Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Mate First CD bought or music downloaded: Legend by Raidas (a 1980s Hong Kong band)

When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Pilot for Cathay Pacific Profession you would most like to try: Player on the seniors tennis tour (after all, I am close to 40)

Toughest business or professional decision: In 2007, deciding between accepting an opportunity in Beijing to develop one of China’s largest mountain resorts or joining WesternOne, which was then a startup

Advice you would give the younger you: Every individual has the ability to surprise; recognize goodness beyond mere appearance What’s left to do: Build a vacation home in Langkawi, an idyllic island in the Malay Peninsula

| 59

SAY WHAT? []

2012 WINNERS | You’ve read what this year’s cohort has to say – here’s a selection of the best quotes from last year Philippe Arrata Vice-president, service operations and financial services, Best Buy Canada [The returned merchandise] was kind of like that show Storage Wars. We’d have these photos and it’d be a pallet of stuff: there’d be TVs on it and laptops and a fridge. Companies would come and they’d bid on this random stuff

DAVID BARR | PARTNER, CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER AND PORTFOLIO MANAGER, PENDERFUND CAPITAL MANAGEMENT People from the outside thought we were crazy. But when you’re passionate about something and you have a long-term perspective on it, it’s quite amazing what you can accomplish

Congratulations Carlos Because results matter, Farris has been WesternOne’s counsel from day one.

Suite 2500 - 700 West Georgia Street Vancouver, B.C. Canada V7Y 1B3 Tel: 604 684 9151 Fax: 604 661 9349

#VTJOFTT JO 7BODPVWFS DPOHSBUVMBUFT PVS 'PSUZ VOEFS XJOOFST

"GUFS ZFBST #VTJOFTT JO 7BODPVWFS DPOUJOVFT UP GJOE PVUTUBOEJOH ZPVOH CVTJOFTT QSPGFTTJPOBMT XPSUIZ PG UIF 'PSUZ VOEFS EJTUJODUJPO 8JOOFST BSF VOEFS BOE IBWF EFNPOTUSBUFE FYDFMMFODF JO CVTJOFTT KVEHNFOU MFBEFSTIJQ BOE DPNNVOJUZ DPOUSJCVUJPO +PJO VT UP DFMFCSBUF UIFJS TVDDFTT +BOVBSZ UI BU UIF HBMB BXBSET EJOOFS 410/403&% #:

8)&/ +BOVBSZ 3FDFQUJPO QN QN %JOOFS QN QN 8)&3& 5IF 'BJSNPOU 8BUFSGSPOU )PUFM $BOBEB 1MBDF 13*$& (FOFSBM QSJDF .FNCFS QSJDF 3FHVMBS UBCMFT PG 4VCDSJCFST /PO TVCTDSJCFST $PSQPSBUF UBCMF PG JODMVEFT MPHP SFDPHOJUJPO BU ZPVS UBCMF BOE GSPN UIF TUBHF

5P SFHJTUFS WJTJU CJW DPN FWFOUT CJW VOEFS

CJW DPN

| 61

Greg Bobolo CEO, SendtoNews My parents were both entrepreneurs. I grew up in a very positive environment where I was told I could be anything I wanted

Chris Davies President and CEO, Chris’s Sign Service and Westcan Lighting I get up every morning at four o’clock and I’m pumped and ready to go non-stop

DON GAUVREAU |

CO-FOUNDER AND VICE-PRESIDENT, PHARMAFREAK

We are the consumer of our product, and we really create these products for ourselves and that’s why our products are so well received

Omar Ladak

Trevor McCaw

Managing director and CEO, Noverra Group of Companies We frequently joke, if we ended up having failures in our business lives, I’m not exactly sure what I could do working for somebody else

President and co-founder, Aegis Medical Innovations I actually saw [starting up in Vancouver] as a competitive advantage. All else being equal, there’s a huge, huge pool of talent here that’s untapped and unfocused

Sponsor’s Message

Engaging Entrepreneurs to Learn and Grow EO Vancouver, Entrepreneurs’ Organization is, once again, a proud sponsor of the Business In Vancouver Top 40 Under 40 Awards for a 9th year. As an international, world respected association of entrepreneurs, the EO Vancouver Chapter is pleased to have had many EO Vancouver members as winners of the 40 Under 40 Awards over the past ten years and we congratulate all the finalists for 2013. As a global community of entrepreneurs EO has 9,500 members in 40 countries. Members must be the founder, co-founder, owner or controlling shareholder of a business with annual gross sales exceeding (US) $1 million. EO offers members Direct Peer-To-Peer Learning, Once-In-ALifetime Experiences and Connection To Experts through member events and monthly Forum Groups. The Vancouver Chapter is one of the leading chapters in the world. EO Vancouver also supports emerging entrepreneurs through the Accelerator Program and the awarding of Youth Scholarships presented annually at the 40 Under 40 Awards. Congratulations to Business In Vancouver for their vision to profile the “best of the best” entrepreneurs in British Columbia at their annual awards. ;dg bZbWZgh]ê ^c[dgbVi^dc k^hî lll#ZdcZildg`#dg\$KVcXdjkZg dg XdciVXi jh Vi +%)"+-*")---

62 | FORTY 62 FOR OR ORT RT T Y UNDER U N DER ER 40 40 2013 2013 201 20 0113 0 13 PUBLISHED PU B SH BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

KARN MANHAS |

CEO, TERRAMERA

With my background in genetics and biotechnology I knew there was something in the natural world that would kill the bedbugs Maili Wong

Spencer Sheinin President, Norwood Packaging We just looked at [a lip balm product] and said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wow, all we have to do is do this a little bit better than the next personâ&#x20AC;?

Vice-president, portfolio manager and investment adviser, CIBC Wood Gundy My father is probably the only Chinese man who told his daughter to forget medicine and go into business

Arjan Stephens Executive vice-president of sales and marketing, Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Path Foods [Our wedding granola] combines the most decadent ingredients [including dark chocolate chunks and strawberries] and the most tasteful ingredient that we had as a company â&#x20AC;Ś our guests just loved it

Roy Yen

Tressa Wood

Juggy Sihota-Chahil Vice-president, client experience strategy and development, Telus [Customer] complaints ... went up for all of our competition and they went down for our organization

CEO, Men in Kilts When you go out with these guys [in kilts], if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re at a coffee shop or anywhere in public, people flock to them. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unbelievable

Principal, SoomĂś Entertainment Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a moment in time when the house lights go out and the stage lights come on that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s absolutely undeniable that human beings are connected

We are delighted to congratulate our partner on being named one of

Top 40 Under 40. Our clients expect excellence in everything we do and Miranda helps us deliver on that promise every day.

The world has seen a lot of change since we ďŹ rst opened. But at Hyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, we pride ourselves on providing the old-world steakhouse experience we were founded on. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why our standard of service, quality of food, and attention to detail has never wavered. Because while most things continue to change, the true classics stay the same.

McCarthy TĂŠtrault LLP

hyssteakhouse.com

Royal Roads University provides life changing experiences. But donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take our word for it. Feel free to contact Michael DeVisser directly at 1-778-654-0458 to learn how Royal Roads University School of Business gave him the tools and real-world knowledge to become the CEO of his own business.

Ask more alumni at inspiring-connections.ca/business

Westcoast Beauty

1177 Melville Street Vancouver, BC Canada t 604 669 5060 1 877 225 6336 LodenHotel

@LodenHotel

theloden.com