Douglas magazine Apr/May 2022

HOW CROWDFUNDING IS DEMOCRATIZING INVESTMENT

A P R / M AY 2 0 2 2

BUILT TO SCALE

AMELIA WARREN’S VISION FOR EPICURE

A FISH OUT OF WATER

THE FUTURE OF FISH FARMING

LAWRENCE LEWIS

ON APPLYING AN INDIGENOUS LENS

SPECIAL ISSUE

Katrina Dwulit, Vanessa Gaudet, Cory Judge, cofounders of Victoria Market Collective

10 TO WATCH 2022

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APR/MAY 2022

CONTENTS FEATURES

56

14 Democratizing Investment

The rise of equity crowdfunding allows companies to tap into a new funding marketplace that’s helping to make the opportunity to invest — and reap the potential benefits — more accessible for investors and entrepreneurs alike. BY ERIN SKILLEN

22 Built to Scale

22

The nationally renown CEO, Amelia Warren, is setting an ambitious, innovative and socially-conscious vision for Epicure’s North American expansion. BY CARLA SORRELL

30 10 to Watch Award Winners

This year’s entrepreneurs are building unique and competitive businesses that are changing the way we interact with the world.

BY DAVID LENNAM, SHANNON MONEO AND CARLA SORRELL

56 A Fish Out Of Water

Vancouver Island will see an increase in land-based fish farming, thanks to the acquisition of Taste of BC by the Florida-based Blue Star Foods.

It’s a practice that many hope will prove to be a sustainable solution to increasing demand for fish protein. BY ANDREW FINDLAY

62 Small Giants

DHK Architects have been quietly responding to the South Island’s growing population and the hot housing market with thoughtful, communityminded designs. BY ALEX VAN TOL AND CELINA LESSARD

62

DEPARTMENTS 6 FROM THE EDITOR 9 IN THE KNOW How local governments are taking stock of natural assets, the technology sensing really big waves, a new digital land management tool to help Indigenous peoples and Brené Brown’s newest book.

74 POINT OF VIEW

Lawrence Lewis is CEO and founder of OneFeather Mobile Technologies.

INTEL (BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE) 68 LEADERSHIP

We Can Work It Out. BY PIERS HENWOOD

70 GROWTH

Survive or Thrive? BY CLEMENS RETTICH

72 HUMAN RESOURCES

The “Human” Workforce. BY INGRID VAUGHAN 4 DOUGLAS

Thank you.

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A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Making Meaning

Congratulations to the 10 to Watch winners!

Chuck offers a team-based approach for a total wealth strategy that addresses the entirety of your life.

C.P. (Chuck) McNaughton, PFP Senior Wealth Advisor 250.654.3342

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I AM NOT ALONE in how these last two years have added to the complexity of how to create meaning in our personal and work lives. Some things matter less now while others matter more. Time, geography and global events have all played their part.

At the moment of writing, there is a definite sense of being overwhelmed and a lack of clarity about finding and attributing meaning. I hear this and I feel this.

The conflict in Ukraine is devastating and unbelievable. On a personal level, it is destabilizing and raises big questions about where and how we can do our own good and contribute to the greater good.

Businesses have always been a gauge for what people value and where they find meaning. They can be impactful conduits for social, economic and political change.

Businesses have Fortunately, we are increasingly watching and always been a gauge welcoming the rise of companies who are helping customers belong and contribute to for what people something bigger than themselves. value and where We’ve seen impactful actions from global they find meaning. players, like Airbnb whose access to housing and direct payment has helped Ukrainian They can be refugees. Businesses are making it a priority impactful conduits to do good: from early-stage startups, like our for social, economic 10 to Watch winners (page 30) to some of the and political change.

Island’s big players, like Epicure (page 22) and dHK Architects (page 62).

In searching for authenticity, truth and transparency, we have less tolerance for tokenism than ever before. This is a positive development growing with the momentum gained over the last few years.

Efforts to connect our views and beliefs with meaning range from the micro — small, localized, personal — to macro, like corporate social responsibility programs that can embed meaning from the ground up. Our 10 to Watch winner, Justo’s (page 55), is a great example of this: operating for less than three years, the company is committed to 1% for the planet and 1% for the people.

Now, more than ever, where we spend our money speaks louder than words.

Replacing passive spending with deliberate choices can and will be meaningful; can align us with the world we want to see; and can prove to be strong support in bewildering times like these.

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— Carla Sorrell

®Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia, used under licence. Scotia Capital Inc. is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada. For more information visit www.scotiawealthmanagement.com. McNaughton Group is a personal trade name of C.P. (Chuck) McNaughton.

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DOUGLAS 7

www.douglasmagazine.com VOLUME 16 NUMBER 3

Congratulations to all the winners of the 2022 Douglas 10 to Watch Awards!

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8 DOUGLAS

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EXECUTIVE PROGRAMS

IT’S A SIGN The last-minute purchase of Tran Sign keeps this historical business on the Island.

When the owners of LaneLight Traffic Technologies received notice that their longtime supplier, Tran Sign, was going out of business, they stepped up. Within weeks, CEO Stephanie Carr and executive director Glenn Radford had finalized the purchase of a historic local business.

“It has always been a good company, had a good reputation and has been the go-to place for signage,” says Carr. “And it has a history.

If it didn’t have that recognition, it would have been just another sign company.”

JEFFREY BOSDET/DOUGLAS MAGAZINE

[IN THE KNOW]

Tran Sign, formerly known as the BC Provincial Sign Shop, was initially established by the BC provincial government in 1947 to manufacture and supply all the traffic signs for B.C.’s roads and highways. At the time, these signs were completely hand-painted.

Tran Sign was purchased by its employees in 1988 and continues to supply signage to clients like the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, BC Transit and LaneLight, whose LED-enhanced warning systems are embedded in stop bars, mid-block crosswalks, roundabouts, heritage areas, school zones.

In February, Carr and Radford received notice that Tran Sign was being acquired by a mainland company, and would move their

operations off the Island and jobs would be lost.

“People didn’t realize the impact that would have.” says Carr, of a model that would experience drawbacks if removed from direct client relations. “It would be hard to keep up with local business — where people are coming in to ask questions. And the company was always dropping things off all over the city.”

So they bought it.

The pre-existing relationship between LaneLight and Tran Sign enabled them to make a quick offer and strike a deal that pointed them in the right direction— Tran Sign stayed on the Island and got to keep its name, staff, location and history.

DOUGLAS 9

NATURAL ASSETS

Preserving, valuing and managing the natural environment is an increasing focus of local governments and will be made easier with new national standardization.

BY CARLA SORRELL

A

s the quest for greener and more liveable cities brings nature into the scope of urban planning, there is much more to “going green” than meets the eye.

Until recently, for local governments, asset management has generally referred to infrastructure in the built environment.

Natural assets are an essential part of a city, providing important and valuable services beyond recreational benefits.

These natural resources and ecosystems can include forests, wetlands, rivers, lakes, fields, intertidal zones, parks, green spaces, soils and coastal marshes.

“We’ve neglected natural assets that provide services to the communities as built infrastructure would,” says Nikita Bhalla, asset management consultant at the infrastructure consulting firm AECOM. “Even as engineers, people are coming up with these ideas and hybrid infrastructures, like with biosphere rain gardens, which are mimicking natural infrastructure — why not just

This creek in Oshawa, Ontario, was valued at $18.9 million after a natural asset inventory, undertaken in consultation with MNAI. Including the creek’s watershed saw the value rise to $392 million. An engineered alternative would reduce the ability to retain water, which could potentially lead to more flooding.

preserve what’s already there?”

The new process is in tune with global initiatives that speak to the need to plan infrastructure.

There are multiple benefits to maintaining and looking after natural assets: it is far cheaper in the short, medium and long term than pulling out those assets and replacing them with built infrastructure; in contrast to man-made assets, they appreciate over time; and projected updates from Canada’s Public Sector Accounting Board, in line with international standards, will enable municipalities to report on and value their natural assets within financial reports.

“The reality in this country is that most of our existing engineered stock is aging, maintenance has been deferred and needs replacing and climate change isn’t doing us a whole lot of favours,” says Roy

Brooke, executive director of the Municipal Natural Assets Initiative (MNAI). “We can’t build our way out of this — where we have natural assets that can or do provide core services. We have to take it seriously.”

Until now, accounting, valuing and managing those natural resources has been patchy. For years, MNAI has supported municipalities across Canada to change the way they deliver everyday services. The starting point is a natural asset inventory, which contains information about what natural assets exist, the condition they are in and what risks they face. It is the first step toward a full natural asset management process.

“It’s a great way of promoting the responsible management of natural resources,” says Rachel Buskie, economic recovery program coordinator for the City of Colwood’s community planning department. “If they

can place an economic value on them, can help people get interested in caring about them.”

Examples of natural asset management can be seen from Gibsons, B.C., where five years of assessment led to the expansion of lands beyond government-owned property, to Grand Forks, B.C., where the inventory meant the municipality was able to secure approximately $54-million from the federal government to rebuild their flood plain back to its natural state, as a means to reduce flood risk.

Announced in February, a new National Standard of Canada will ensure that natural asset inventories are comparable and replicable across Canada.

“This is a huge step on the road to making natural asset management a broadly based practice across Canada,” says Brooke.

COLWOOD CASE STUDY Leading Vancouver Island in this field, the City of Colwood has been investing in its natural assets for several years.

Responding to the values of its population, Colwood recognized that its natural features — like parks, waterfront and trails — could also bring financial benefit to residents and deserved adequate attention.

“The public drives this with their passion for the environment, and we are implementing it through our asset management framework,” says Rachel Buskie, economic recovery program coordinator for the City of Colwood’s community planning department.

The 2018 Stormwater Master Plan was the catalyst, with its inclusion of natural assets.

The city relies on creeks, ponds, ditches and wetlands as an efficient and cost effective alternative to volume-limited piped assets.

10 DOUGLAS

Mature trees have played a significant role in managing heat domes.

In 2019, the Sustainable Infrastructure Replacement Plan saw natural assets included as part of Colwood’s asset infrastructure.

Following that, an application to MNAI to be one of 31 municipal organizations across Canada participating in their accelerate program resulted in a full inventory of natural assets.

The inventory has paved the way for Colwood’s next two significant initiatives: a lowcarbon resilience project, which will result in a climate action plan, and the urban forest strategy that will look at the city’s current resources and their desired species mix for the future. With these initiatives, Colwood will be narrowing its focus and deepening its level of detail around plans for sustaining, enhancing and increasing natural resources.

5 WAYS GUARDIAN’S DATA CAN BE LEVERAGED

TRANSPARENT LANDSCAPE

LLAMAZOO IS CHANGING THE WAY FIRST NATIONS MANAGE AND SHARE KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR LAND WITH THE NEW SAAS PLATFORM, GUARDIAN.

1

National Acclaim

FreshWork’s CEO Sam Mod is named one of Canada’s Top 50 Changemakers by the Globe & Mail’s Report on Business magazine.

How did it feel to receive this recognition?

I’m grateful. The stories of the winners are inspiring, and the credit for my inclusion goes to the incredible team at FreshWorks. I truly believe they make all the difference.

I came to Canada as an immigrant student with a big student loan in 2013 and getting this recognition is quite surreal. I’m humbled, obliged and, overall, feel a great sense of pride in the impactful work we do at FreshWorks, which made this happen.

What does being a changemaker mean to you?

I hope my story inspires the next generation of employers, workers, entrepreneurs and students in Canada and beyond. The challenges, such as the current ongoing situation, racial reckoning, climate change and economic volatility facing Canada’s business community, are significant.

They won’t be solved by “business as usual,” and will need bold new ideas, vision and drive.

What recent project(s) are you most proud of?

I believe taking care of our personal mental health is imperative and non-negotiable. We have been working with Foundry BC on developing a suite of digital tools and apps to address this by expanding the reach of their counselling services to youth and young adults through the virtual space.

This is a work in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Mental Health & Addictions, and Foundry BC, which recently got a Premier’s Innovation & Excellence award.

As part of the co-design process, we realized that for youth, having to tell their story over and over again was a very frustrating experience for those seeking counselling. We created a feature called “My Story,” so they can tell their story just once.

What has guided you in negotiating the challenges of the last few years?

I truly believe that as individuals, we need to have a value system that keeps us measured in the face of challenges. There will inevitably be hardships and successes in your life — humility is my guiding principle and the value that helps me negotiate challenges: “When times are good, be grateful.

When times are tough, be graceful.”

CULTURAL DATA PRESERVATION Mapping the location of sacred sites, culturally modified trees.

2 CONNECTIVITY MAPPING TO REMOTE AREAS

Supports conversations with telecommunications companies to connect communities.

3 EDUCATION ACROSS GENERATIONS

Bringing ancestral knowledge to life through digital storytelling.

4 LAND PLANNING INITIATIVES

Understanding cumulative effects, aligning stakeholders, and making informed decisions regarding mining, pipeline planning, forestry and road planning.

5 DIGITALLY REPATRIATE ARTIFACTS

Incorporating 3D-scanned artifacts, and their locations, so that groups can take ownership of them and add their stories via digital media.

The problem that LlamaZOO is solving with its new software, Guardian, is removing the limitations of traditional mapping. By combining data available from a variety of sources, from NASA and Google Earth to Data BC, with traditional Indigenous knowledge of sacred sites, origin stories and cultural artifacts, Guardian compiles 3D maps that First Nations can use to preserve and manage their land.

“I think the great value of Guardian is the transparency and the access to the data that it will create and afford for community members, councils, chiefs, but then also with industry,” says Charles Lavigne, CEO and cofounder of LlamaZOO. “The software has enabled us to map our land and to visualize our resources in a proactive way that supports our conversations and negotiations with industry and government,” said Robin Billy, director of operations, Stk’emlúpsemc te Secwepemc First Nation. “Preserving our culture, land, water sources and ancestral knowledge is very special to us. This technology supports that preservation while facilitating meaningful conversation.”

An Iterative Process The product team consulted with over 100 nations across Canada, collaborating closely with 15 of them.

These nations have tested and used the product, incorporating their data and sharing feedback. It’s an evolving project, says Lavigne of the steady improvement that he hopes will continue with increased uptake of future users.

“It is an iterative process,” says Lavigne. “And the shorter we can make that feedback loop, by having more and more First Nations using it, the better the product will continue to get.”

Ambitious Growth By summer, Lavigne hopes the software will account for 15 of B.C.’s 25 million hectares of land and will cover the whole province by the end of the year.

Scaling up will help the team solve the problem of accessibility — something that has been an ongoing focus — making these powerful tools accessible to all nations, regardless of resources.

“Somebody has to pay for the data integration, the ingestion and the hosting of the data,” says Lavigne.

“By doing larger-scale projects, either with the province or companies, we can expedite and lower the cost of the data integration, making it more accessible per nation. We’re shifting the cost from First Nations to industry and regulators, as it should be.”

DOUGLAS 11

WAVES OF DATA

Most extreme wave recorded off Ucluelet creates momentum for Victoria-based data company.

BY DEVON BIDAL

A

fierce storm whipped the chilly waters into peaks off Ucluelet in November 2020, tossing a buoy carrying a small black sensor across the waves. Not only did the device survive the storm, but it recorded something unique — a wave that would dwarf a four-storey building.

Scott Beatty, CEO of MarineLabs Data Systems, the Victoria-based company behind the tech that recorded the event, was shocked by the wall of water.

“We couldn’t believe the size of this one individual wave,” which measured more than 17 meters, says Beatty.

It was clearly something special, so Beatty contacted Johannes Gemmrich, a physical oceanographer at the University of Victoria, who specializes in rogue waves.

Gemmrich and a colleague studied the Ucluelet swell and compared it to other rogue wave incidents, and published their findings this February.

“Only a few rogue waves in high sea states have been observed directly, and nothing of this magnitude,” Gemmrich explained in a press release, adding that a surge this

impressive probably occurs about once a millennium.

Beatty notes that this wasn’t the tallest wave in history, but it did break a record. In most cases, rogue waves are twice the size of the background swells, but the Ucluelet wave was nearly three times bigger.

“We were able to claim ‘most extreme wave’,” says Beatty.

The designation drew media attention to MarineLabs, a company composed of people who avoid bragging.

“It’s created some momentum for us that we wouldn’t have expected,” says Beatty.

MarineLabs, founded in 2017, was born out of a desire to fill an unmet need. Beatty, an engineer who grew up on Vancouver Island, had noticed a lack of readily available coastal data. So, he and a colleague developed a solution: small sensors they could attach to floats or Coast Guard marker buoys offshore that would transmit wind and wave data in real-time over cell networks. And, yes, each sensor has a phone plan, Beatty said.

They’d planned to sell the hardware — as their current competitors do — but found

customers were more interested in a data subscription service.

Today, MarineLabs operates 26 sensors anchored off North America, which could change the way we interact with coastlines.

“What we provide is like Google Maps for ports and pilots,” explains Beatty.

The ability to predict poor weather helps avoid costly shipping delays and damage.

Municipalities can also use the data to assess risks for new coastal infrastructure and academics can mine it for research.

Beatty noted that MarineLabs has also partnered with several First Nations to mount sensors in an effort to combine technology with traditional knowledge for ocean stewardship.

Before the rogue wave, MarineLabs was growing steadily, but now they’re poised to expand. The plan is to double the sensor network by 2023, hire more than a dozen new staff and consider a hub office to serve the Eastern seaboard. Beatty would eventually like to install sensors worldwide and start tracking currents, water levels and other new data.

DOUGLAS READS Research professor, lecturer, author and podcast host Brené Brown has championed research around vulnerability, shame and leadership. Her newest book, ATLAS OF THE HEART: MAPPING MEANINGFUL CONNECTION AND THE LANGUAGE OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE, details the nuances of our emotions with a forensic look at the vocabulary we use to express ourselves and find meaning in our lives.

Her encyclopedic approach is structured around the overarching themes that unite emotions, like “Places We Go When Things Don’t Go As Planned,” which include disappointment, expectations and discouragement, and “Places We Go When We Search For Connection,” such as belonging, fitting in and disconnection.

12 DOUGLAS

Each section is a deep dive into the often overlooked or underexamined subtleties of human exchange and our emotional reactions.

As a teammate, leader, friend or partner, Brown’s carefully researched definitions result in actionable positive change, through both her unpacking of what it means to feel the way we do and the solutions offered to counterbalance difficult or challenging emotions, be they positive or negative.

Brown’s commitment “to research that reflects our lived experience” brings rigour and relevance to the conversation of emotions. The tools Brown offers in this book will equipt leaders to approach complex conversations and relationships — whether one-on-one or within a group — with clarity, compassion and accuracy.

COMPLETE EYE EXAMINATIONS BY DR. JASON MAYCOCK DR. TOBY VALLANCE DR. MANDY LETKEMANN DR. NICK CATCHUK OPTOMETRISTS

Build Better

GREEN MANUFACTURER ALEXZI SIGNS ON AS ANCHOR TENANT AT MALAHAT NATION’S SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PARK. When Amber Simpson met Angela van den Hout, the two immediately found mutual respect in shared values and a vision for a better future.

Simpson, CEO of Alexzi Building Solutions, had been looking for the right piece of land on which to build a green manufacturing plant to produce the company’s sustainable exterior panels.

Van den Hout, director of economic development for the Malahat Nation, was looking for companies whose tenancy, for the planned sustainable business park on Malahat lands, would align with reconciliation efforts, amongst other goals.

Both saw the potential for a mutually beneficial partnership. After a year and a half of conversations, a signed letter of intent will lead to the Malahat Nation building Alexzi’s 100-square-foot manufacturing facility, set to be operational in 2023.

For Alexzi, there was “a huge educational component” to the partnership, with many benefits, including the company creating its own reconciliation strategy. After reading through the nation’s community plans to further her understanding of the objectives for its lands, Simpson was further assured that their visions were aligned.

“If we’re going to have our land site there, how are we giving back to the nation beyond just paying our lease?” says Simpson. “We’re really hoping to be an employer but also, through training and education and finding other kinds of involvement that we can do in the community to give back.”

The promise of approximately 150 new jobs, many relating to simple manufacturing processes, like painting and sanding, open the door for a variety of employment opportunities — an important consideration to the Malahat Nation, and to any company looking for labour in today’s market.

“We want to create not only a sustainable business park, but a real community, where people feel that they’re able to be part of something larger,” says Simpson.

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PacificAwnings.ca DOUGLAS 13

Democratizing Investment The rise of equity crowdfunding allows companies to tap into a new funding marketplace that’s helping to make the opportunity to invest — and reap the potential benefits — more accessible for investors and entrepreneurs alike.

BY ERIN SKILLEN

14 DOUGLAS

T

raditionally, the opportunity to make equity investments in companies has been restricted to a limited number of accredited investors who reach a minimum wealth threshold.

Unfortunately, this standard in angel and venture capital (VC) funding excludes many companies and investors from being able to participate, with data showing that the majority of investment goes to companies who are already known to the investors and who often look similar to the investors backing them. This creates significant barriers for entrepreneurs and aspiring investors alike.

“It’s been unfortunate that the majority of the population does not get to participate in investing in private companies because they don't have enough wealth,” says ecologyst founder René Gauthier.

“That's where the biggest gains happen. It’s when you get richer, investing early on. And, yeah, it's more risky. But the opportunity for gains is much higher.”

Enter the retail investor, someone — or even anyone — who isn’t accredited but is seeking to make equity investments in companies they believe in. The rise of equity crowdfunding, and the improvements being made as it evolves, has enabled companies to tap into a new funding marketplace that is helping to democratize investment for investors and entrepreneurs.

In June 2021 the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) “made targeted amendments to improve the effectiveness of start-up crowdfunding as a capitalraising tool.”

This was a game changer: it harmonized formerly disparate crowdfunding rules in the provinces, making it easier for companies to accept investment from across the country.

It also increased the maximum crowdfunding amount allowed per 12-month period, from $500,000 to $1.5 million, and increased the individual investment limit from $1,500 to up to $10,000 (with input from a registered dealer). Previously, retail investors had to contribute a minimum of $500 to participate, but now, they can get onboard many campaigns for as little as $250.

DOUGLAS 15

Connecting with the Crowd

CROWDFUNDING TIPS FOR FIRST-TIME INVESTORS If you’re thinking about becoming a retail investor, it’s important to learn firsthand how equity crowdfunding works. Lori Joyce suggests these four easy steps.

1

Choose an equity crowdfunding platform.

2

Find a company or product that really excites you and learn more about it.

3

Reach out to the CEO and make a connection. Make sure to have some questions ready, like: How do they plan to scale?

Why is their product better? Do they have the team to execute?

(Did the CEO get in touch with you and give you time to connect?)

4

If you get your questions answered and you like what you hear, proceed with an investment, usually a minimum of $250. This will help you understand the experience and the process so much better.

“Look at other successful crowdfunding campaigns and borrow the elements that resonate.”

— Sharon Hadden, Content Planning Company

16 16 DOUGLAS DOUGLAS

One of the Canadian crowdfunding platforms leading the charge in democratizing investment is FrontFundr. Founded in 2013, it has supported over 85 campaigns that have raised more than $70 million.

“I see a strong purpose and mission here to really advance this market and make it more accessible and inclusive and exciting for everyone,” says FrontFundr CEO Peter-Paul Van Hoeken. “What we're doing is basically unlocking the private markets and investing in startups and growth companies to the wider public as well.”

“Now equity crowdfunding is available to every Canadian,” says Lori Joyce of Betterwith Ice Cream, who is currently running a FrontFundr campaign. “Before, it only used to be available and accessible to accredited investors. Now our customers can buy into the company. So not only is this a huge marketing advantage, where you can organically grow amongst your partners, it means that it becomes affordable. And when it's affordable, it's accessible.”

Linda Biggs and Jayesh Vekariya, joni cofounders and crowdfunding veterans “really liked democratizing this idea that only people who hit a certain threshold in their ‘wealth’ are able to have these opportunities as accredited investors. But as a

retail investor, if you have all of the information, why couldn't you have the same opportunity?”

While many startups use equity crowdfunding to get off the ground, it can be beneficial for established companies too. Ten years into their business, Peloton Technologies is using crowdfunding as part of their overall growth plan. While they’re raising the majority of their round through traditional investment they are simultaneously raising $300,000 through retail investors.

“The obvious advantage is, it's Canadianbased. We stay Canadian owned and that's really important to us at this time,” says CEO and founder Craig Attiwill. “We're going to have a very healthy investor base for networking in the future.”

Sharon Hadden took her startup, the Content Planning Company, onto IFundWomen.com to raise money. It was a smaller ask than those on FrontFundr, but the learning experience was similar.

“Just going through that entire process really reminds you that you've got more support than you think,” says Hadden.

That being said, it was hard to stay confident throughout the process.

“A lot of those days where you reach out to people and no one responds, that was tough,” says Hadden.

“It wasn't a lot of hard work.

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18 DOUGLAS

“I would say think big. Dream big. And ask for — even though you think it’s an enormous amount of money — the money that you need to build your dream, not the amount of money that is just going to scrape by and lead to coming back asking for more.”

— Linda Biggs, joni

It was a lot of emotional burden.”

Biggs agrees.

“It feels kind of like you're throwing a party,” says Biggs. “You've sent out all the invitations and then you're at the hour … and it's crickets, and you're thinking, ‘Oh, my God, nobody's going to show up.’ And then slowly everyone shows up, and you're OK, and there's a party, and it's happening and it's all good.

So from that perspective, it really was emotional … but it was a great experience.”

Investing in Women While it’s not the sole means to create gender equality in investing, equity crowdfunding is one of many solutions needed to balance opportunities for entrepreneurs from all backgrounds. The State of Women’s Entrepreneurship in Canada 2020 found that “women-led businesses receive virtually none of the VC or angel investments.”

And when it comes to bank financing, "there is long-standing evidence that indicates that women are less likely to seek credit, are less [likely to] receive it and more likely to receive unfavourable terms.”

The barriers can be even higher for BIPOC women, including “Indigenous women, on reserve, who often have no ‘income’ to report and no property to use as collateral.”

The report found that some of the funding challenges female-led companies face can be due to a misalignment between the mission of their companies and the focus of VC firms.

“Women entrepreneurs are more likely to combine social with economic goals, but social enterprises are usually ignored in discussions about research, commercialization and innovation,” states the report.

This may be worsened by the pandemic, as there is a risk that “the exclusion of women from the ecosystem will be amplified by COVID as other priorities take precedence — particularly high growth, high tech businesses.”

Joyce experienced this firsthand. She anticipated that having substantial revenue from Whole Foods would make getting investment a lot easier for her sole source premium ice cream brand.

“I thought because we were growing, and we were scaling, that it would be relatively easy, especially when I got into 225 stores within six months … I actually, naively, thought I could raise capital,” says Joyce.

“I couldn't raise a penny. So it forced me to move back home, in my mid 40s, with my parents.”

“The statistics are pretty dire,” says Biggs. “I mean, it's fairly obvious that there is an issue in this system.”

Understanding this all too well, joni factored gender equity into their funding strategy.

“We met up with Shelley [Kuipers] from The51, which is a feminist investment group,” says Biggs. “And they were very aligned with what we're doing for period care, and we really wanted to make sure that we had a lot of female investors.”

Together with The51 and FrontFundr, they created a funding partnership and launched their successful campaign just after International Women's Day in March of 2021.

The result of this partnership strategy wasn’t just the investment joni needed to move forward, as the value of equity crowdfunding goes much deeper than just the dollars.

Empowering customers to become investors creates an engaged team of brand advocates, who care deeply about your company and its success.

Buying Into the Brand “What we were able to do with joni is really create a story around it and allow people to understand what we were trying to do; who we were trying to reach, what the product was,” says Biggs. “It’s not like we invented anything that new, but we were able to really leverage the story behind the brand.”

At Betterwith, Joyce receives photos from customers/investors ensuring their products are all lined up and looking their best in the freezer of local grocery stores.

“I have very, very loyal fans that believe in what Betterwith is and what we're doing,” says Joyce.

Enabling customers who care about the issues of food security and food transparency to become investors in her company helps her create a more robust network of support for her forward-thinking brand.

Van Hoeken also promotes the value of a brand story in a successful campaign.

“The key thing that's different to traditional channels is that it can also really work well as a combined funding and marketing effort … The more companies recognize, ‘Hey, this is a combined effort to raise funding plus marketing for my company,’ the more and the better equity crowdfunding fits for them,” says Van Hoeken.

Peloton Technologies is another big advocate for the extended value crowdfunding offers to companies.

“Doing the marketing campaigns and awareness and just getting out there and showing that you're an organization that can take this on, you can do the marketing and the social networking around it,” says Attiwill.

“Once you do that, you are going to catch the eye of private equity firms, VCs and it's going to help you along with wherever you might need to go next.”

In addition to the money she raised crowdfunding, Hadden also brought in more revenue during her 70-day campaign than she had during the entire previous year of business.

“I'm definitely seeing more credibility and authority around my brand … almost like, well, if 50-something people supported this business, and what they're doing next and growing this dream, they must be a credible business,” says Hadden.

“I think that crowdfunding has to be seen as a tool in the tool belt for an entrepreneur. It's not the only solution,” says Biggs. “Knowing that it's there as an option is really powerful …

There's going to be more people, more diversity, more ideas being funded, because now they have a means to do it.” 

“Do the work to understand your investment audience.

Unlike other forms of crowdfunding, investors aren’t always customers looking to be early adopters of a product or service; they could just be looking for a good investment opportunity.

Your pitch and campaign messaging should explain the benefits of your business, but it should also be clear on why it’s a good investment.”

— Craig Attiwill, Peloton Technologies DOUGLAS 19

where innovation happens.

OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS, LANGFORD HAS WITNESSED REMARKABLE GROWTH. LANGFORD IS TAKING CENTRE STAGE AMONG CANADIAN COMMUNITIES BY ATTRACTING THE TECH INDUSTRY AND INITIATING EFFECTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE.

FIRST OF ITS KIND There is an old saying, “Don’t tell me you’re a leader, just act like one.” It’s an ethos that the City of Langford lives by, day in, day out. It’s about being and living the change you want to see in your community or the world. The City of Langford was the first jurisdiction in Canada to adopt a low carbon concrete policy, boldly accelerating the deployment of technologies to decarbonize the building industry. Effective June 1, 2022, all concrete supplied to City-owned or solicited projects, and private construction projects greater than 50 cubic meters, will be required to be produced using post-industrial carbon dioxide (CO2) mineralization technologies, or an equivalent which offers concrete with lower embodied CO2.

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“WHILE WE HAVE TAKEN MANY STEPS TO REDUCE OUR OPERATIONAL EMISSIONS, AS A CITY, MUCH OF OUR IMPACT COMES FROM THE MATERIALS THAT WE BUY. LANGFORD IS EXTENDING ITS COMMITMENT TO TAKING CLIMATE ACTION WHILE ALSO SETTING A NEW, HIGHER STANDARD FOR POLICYMAKERS ACROSS CANADA.” - Mayor Stew Young

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THE ATTAINABLE HOUSING PROGRAM The City of Langford has always been about hard work and it recognizes the hard work of individuals and families looking to secure attainable housing.

“We believe that Langford had the most to offer with respect to lifestyle and amenities for our business and team. The City of Langford has been incredibly easy to work with as we move and build our new headquarters on the West Coast.”

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Creating unique opportunities for residents is a foundation upon which Langford was built. The Attainable Home Ownership Program is not a loan; it’s a gift, a boost and a jump-start for the lives of Langford families.

Changes in the economy and skyrocketing rents have made it increasingly harder for buyers to secure a home for their families future. In recognition of these challenges, the City of Langford has introduced a first-of-its-kind initiative in Canada to help qualified buyers secure up to 75% of the down payment for their home.

“THIS PROGRAM WILL ASSIST THOSE LANGFORD FAMILIES WHO COULD AFFORD A MORTGAGE PAYMENT BUT ARE STRUGGLING TO SAVE THE AMOUNT NECESSARY FOR A DOWN PAYMENT.” - Mayor Stew Young

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where it all happens.

LOWEST

BUILT TO

SCA LE

BY CARLA SORRELL

The nationally awarded CEO, Amelia Warren, is setting an ambitious, innovative and socially-conscious vision for Epicure’s North American expansion.

F

ifteen years ago, when her mom convinced her to take a seat at the table, Amelia Warren joined the family business, with no idea that she was sitting down to what would be more like a chef’s tasting meal than a single course affair.

Or maybe she did know. But one thing is certain. She had the appetite for what was to come.

The nationally lauded CEO of Epicure — last year Warren was named a recipient of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40, recognizing her as one of the country’s outstanding business leaders — has worked alongside her mother, founder Sylvie Rochette, and her team, to realign the company in line with a strong set of social values, all from their headquarters in North Saanich.

“I do this work, and have chosen to spend my energy and time here, because I think it's one of the best places

22 DOUGLAS

for me to do good work on the planet,” says Warren.

That good work is more than just bringing healthy, affordable and quick meal choices to the table. In line with their mission, says Warren, the company also wants to “enrich and improve the health of this and the next generation.” It also includes significant charitable outreach, through numerous initiatives including the Epicure Foundation, which Warren set up when she first joined the company, and providing meaningful employment for families, specifically women.

Young, strong and passionate, Warren brings energy and optimism to her unique role as CEO that extends well beyond the boardroom. She is a public figure who leads and inspires a ground army of direct-to-consumer consultants that sell Epicure products out of their homes, to their friends and networks, on a daily basis.

JEFFREY BOSDET/DOUGLAS MAGAZINE

Last year, Epicure’s CEO Amelia Warren was named a recipient of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40, recognizing her as one of the country’s outstanding business leaders. With a background in not-for-profits, she has been with the business for over 15 years, conscientiously and confidently leading the company founded by her mother in 1997.

DOUGLAS 23

“I’m certainly really energized to be a part of an organization that is led by a really strong woman who knows her business and who is impassioned about her business. There is a very people-focused culture that comes with that.”

— Robin Ambrose “We have a sales force of 25,000 people, so managing the energy, the emotion, the engagement, the happiness of those people is directly tied to business success,” says Warren.

The direct-to-consumer model was established early on by Rochette, who, when she wanted to scale the business she had built in her home, chose that approach over wholesale and did not seek investment. Her decision was quickly validated when the 24 DOUGLAS

JEFFREY BOSDET/DOUGLAS MAGAZINE

Epicure’s Good Food. Real Fast™ product offerings evolve around high-quality, ready-made meal mixes that are assembled, packaged and shipped to customers across North America. A lot of time and man-power go into sourcing ingredients, which are gluten-free, nutfree, non-GMO and avoid a long list of ingredients the company openly shares on their “Never Ever List.”

business revenue tripled in the following year.

“What it does is provide women opportunities and flexibility to build businesses when otherwise they wouldn't have the resources, the background, the financial backing to do it, while they're also being everything that they need to be for their families,” says Robin Ambrose, VP of People and Wellness.

The company’s mission has always been to make life easier for time-stretched, budgetconscious working women and families who want easy, healthy meal options. But it’s about more than just meals — creating opportunities for women — or “democratizing entrepreneurship” — remains a core principle of the company: consultants can start up their own business with only $125.

Those consultants are the backbone of Epicure, and staying in tune with them is a priority at head office. Every week, the executive team is given a list of names and numbers of the week’s highest sellers or hosts of the most cooking classes, resulting in around 50 conversations.

“It's to hear the stories, how Epicure has been able to inspire things in their lives and also get feedback on how we can do better for them,” says Ambrose.

From Avon and Mary Kay to Tupperware, direct selling has a long and successful history,

but moves in and out of style.

“It depends on what other trends are happening in retail, whether direct selling is considered to be cool or whether it's considered to be passé,” says Warren.

Today’s career economy relies heavily on affiliate marketing, with brands looking for ways to connect directly with their customers to build community around their product. Warren points out that brands are spending a significant amount of money on influencer marketing, while Epicure’s consultants are like microinfluencers, each with their own network of 50–500 people, “who they're influencing to buy our products, creating engagement, building authentic stories and content.”

“What is inherently baked into the directselling model is [something that] a lot of other kinds of industries are trying to emulate,” says Warren.

Complete Solutions Rochette’s original recipes were simple preblended herb mixes that quickly became so popular with friends that she started selling them at the Saanich farmers’ market.

While many locals will fondly remember the dip mixes, Warren was cognizant that the company be recognized for more than just dips. Identifying the growing opportunities in

MEALS TO TRY It’s clearly hard to choose favourites, but here are three standout dishes that are currently being enjoyed by the team at Epicure.

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SHEPHERD’S PIE “My favourite is our Shepherd’s Pie, a super easy weeknight meal — [you can] use lentils or your fave protein. Fast comfort food, easy to make; everyone loves it!”

— Amelia Warren

RAMEN BROTH MIX “Put that with ramen noodles — which have no sodium — and vegetables and some tofu, and everybody’s happy, including me.”

— Robin Ambrose

QUICK BISCUITS “I like baking and I am a baker, but the quick biscuits are just so easy.

I like having everything measured in one pouch, and it’s gluten-free.”

— Jennifer Danter

Paired with individually purchased ingredients, Epicure’s spice packets (above) and their accompanying recipes create meals that can be prepared and cooked in under 20 minutes.

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clean eating, around 2013–14, Warren saw the potential for Epicure to better market and share their products.

“We were not really talking about them in a way that reflected the value they provide, which is helping people cook healthier, helping people cook faster, a little bit easier, which was the ethos of the company,” says Warren.

The result was a rebranding, a process that meant moving away from what Warren describes as Rochette’s “amazing labels” and the original vision for her “baby.” With change comes some courageous conversations.

The changes were born from what was already there, says Warren, with the aim of amplifying what was working. Tasting parties were transformed into cooking classes. A focus was placed on complete solutions, as opposed to individual products, that unite cookware and food for greater efficiency and simplicity.

To better reflect the company’s products and intention, Epicure created and trademarked the Good Food. Real Fast™ movement, and better communicated their ingredients. That included being industry-leaders in joining the Non-GMO Verification Project, going gluten-free, and creating the Never Ever List, an openly-available list of ingredients that Epicure avoids.

“That really separates us out,” says Jennifer Danter, director of innovation and research, of the Never-Ever List posted online and at the beginning of Epicure’s catalogs. “On top of that, the gluten-free and nut-free, I feel the care that's gone into sourcing the ingredients — it's

or flavour. The team works creatively within significant constraints, aiming to use as few ingredients as possible with a budget of under three dollars per serving. Not to mention time.

“We can take a complicated recipe, and we'll strip it down to the bare essentials,” says Danter. “We'll create the formula and a blend for it. Then we look at it from a recipe point of view — how do we now make this dish in 20 minutes? … That's a big challenge for the development team. When you set the timer for 20 minutes, and this includes prep time, it really distinguishes us from magazines and all other products that are like, Hey, dinner's

ready in 20 minutes or half an hour. That's coming from a chef point of view where everything's pre-chopped and ready.”

Growing South Warren’s approach to cracking the American market was as entrepreneurial as Rochette’s approach in the company’s early days — fearlessly throwing themselves into the unknown. But while Rochette was making it up as she went along, Warren had a polished playbook that included a 20-year track record and a well-established product line to back her up.

Epicure’s North Saanich headquarters are home to the majority of the company’s employees, a total that falls just shy of 200. Over half of them work in manufacturing and operations, with the balance in sales, marketing and customer experience.

“It's that combination of the product, the cookware and the recipe — they just work so well together. You pick seven products, and you have a meal plan for the week. It's that easy. I feel like we've really narrowed in on the struggle of the average person.”

Ethical, dedicated, reliable.

— Jennifer Danter

huge. That takes so much time and manpower.

By the time you get your package, you’re never thinking about everything that went into it, but you truly are getting a good product made with sustainable ingredients, carefully sourced.”

The seven-strong product team creates around 10 new products a season — launching 50 to 60 new products a year, each one tested from three up to 10 times.

A recent community innovation project saw consultants brief the product team to create an Epicure version of a favourite meal, seasoning

Every day your REALTOR® goes to work - for you. www.vreb.org DOUGLAS 27

“It's important to me that whatever I do is hooked into YOUsomething R that's bigger just selling stuff, or D E P E Ngiving DthanApeople B Ljobs, E which is C O UallRimportant I E R and valuable.

But it is important to me that Congratulations YOU R to we are using this platform FOR ALL YOUR COURIER, all the 10 to Watch D E P E N D AFREIGHT B L E & LOGISTICS in as big ofNEEDS a way as we can.” winners for 2022!

COURIER

— Amelia Warren

The natural place to start was with her trusted network of consultants, of which there were 8–9,000 at the time across Canada, and a simple question: “Who do you know in the “Your business Warren, quite simply, offered to go to Servicing Victoria, Vancouver COURIER, U.S.?”

FREIGHT & LOGISTICS is our highest their houses and cook with them. From Ohio Island, the Lower Mainland, priority!” to Vancouver Oregon andIsland, Florida,the the latter half of 2018 nationally and internationally Servicing Victoria, AL HASHAM, PRESIDENT and the first of 2019 saw Warren and a Lower Mainland, nationally and part internationally.

MAXIMUM EXPRESS colleague on the road “doing cooking classes in “Your business COURIER, FREIGHT & LOGISTICS random homes all across the U.S.” is our highest maxcourier.com | info@maxcourier.com | 250.721.3278 “We did that because we wanted to actually priority!” maxcourier.com | info@maxcourier.com | Vancouver Dispatch: Servicing Victoria, Island, the 250.721.3278 figure out: How similar is this to Canada? Does AL HASHAM, PRESIDENT Lower Mainland, nationally and internationally.

MAXIMUM EXPRESS this work? What's the market response? Are people excited?” says Warren. “We were able to courier.com | info@maxcourier.com | Dispatch: 250.721.3278 iterate and improve and clarify how we want to do things.”

When it comes to taste, there are a few cultural differentiators that feed back to the product team.

“We have very different tastes,” says Danter, careful to note that trends are very generalized.

“What I found is people in the States, they like it a little sweeter, and they like it a little spicier.

I feel like Canadians are attracted to the lower sodium products. And their spice level tolerance isn't as high."

Today, the U.S. market represents a quarter of Epicure’s sales, and holds the potential for a lot more. Capturing that through organic growth attests to the power of Epicure’s network, with next steps to include more targeted marketing and events. The company has a presence in every state, with the state of Wisconsin currently their biggest market, and are looking to grow in states like California, Texas and Florida, where “our channel and our product category would do really well,” says Warren.

“We see huge upside potential in the U.S. It's a market that, population-wise, is 10 times bigger, and market-wise is 18 times bigger than the Canadian market. There's a huge opportunity within the United States to continue to grow.”

FOR ALL YOUR COURIER, FREIGHT & LOGISTICS NEEDS

28 DOUGLAS

Back in North Saanich, that growth has big repercussions for the organization, with a current employee count just shy of 200 people. Preparing for more growth is a focus for Ambrose, who is putting a requisite organization in place.

“It means that we have the right people and the right talent, that we're able to scale faster,” says Ambrose. “It's about organizational architecture, and really embracing an accountability leadership model. Making sure that everyone understands what their role is in the organization, and that we have clear, defined processes around everyone's deliverables, so we can ensure we are efficient in our delivery of product.”

A Time of Discovery Since 2018, when the company was turning over $50–60 million, sales have more than doubled. People all over the world, some for the first time in their lives, were eating at home seven days a week, which fortuitously coincided with the company’s U.S. launch.

“Before [the pandemic], our entire business was person-to-person, face-to-face,” says Warren, of a model that faced steep challenges and required big learning curves when life moved online. Consultants adapted to Zoom and Facebook, with the demand for products staying strong, and steadily increasing.

Different geographical locations have resulted in very different realities for consultants, bridging in-person and online sales. Now, says Warren, driving conversion digitally is more difficult, people are tired.

“We're trying to figure out what are going to be the paths to market in this new environment.

Whereas historically, we had a path, which was supplemented by digital, now we're going to have an in-person/digital/hybrid model.

“I actually think now is almost a harder time because [not knowing] what things are going to be and how consumers are going to shop — it's a new time of discovery.”

Getting products to market is one thing, but keeping those customers is the long-term goal.

“A common challenge in CPG (consumer packaged goods) is, you can do a great job getting people to try your product, but driving repeat business is an opportunity,” says Warren.

Whatever those paths may be, the team knows the market. A subscription service launched earlier this year to drive recurring revenue saw 80 per cent of forecasts sold in a day — 11,000 people signed up in the first two weeks.

Warren sees challenges as opportunities, and seems genuinely excited about changes in the market and the world. With her heart so deeply rooted in Epicure, it's no wonder she can sustain the drive with such a smile on her face. 

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DOUGLAS 29

10

TO WATCH

AWARD WINNERS

2022

Douglas magazine’s annual awards for new businesses on Vancouver Island.

Written by: David Lennam Shannon Moneo Carla Sorrell

These entrepreneurs stand out for successfully building unique and competitive businesses that are changing the way we interact with the world.

E

very year, the Douglas 10 to Watch Awards mark a moment of celebration within our team and our community.

It brings us together to take stock of an incredible cohort of entrepreneurs bringing their ideas to fruition.

These aren’t just any old ideas, but great ideas that illuminate the spirit of the times. They give us a sense of what values are driving innovation, collectively and independently, and create an opportunity for us to see how the Island’s entrepreneurs reflect global trends and the state of the world around us.

Despite the many challenges of the times, or perhaps because of them, there is a palpable sense of fun bouncing through these businesses. Happiness, play and a joie de vivre are distinguishing factors of both products created and the approaches taken by company founders.

Those are qualities that we all want, in our lives and in our purchases, and such infectious energy attracts us to supporting particular companies.

In that collective energy, cofounders are clearly relishing their time together, which reflects another of this year’s trends — teamwork. With eight of the 10 winners working together, founding companies with one or multiple partners, collaboration comes forward as a significant trend. Business, and especially the early stages of entrepreneurship, can be incredibly isolating. Keeping up the drive can make it or break it. The strength that comes from partnership has many benefits, from equipping business with the right set of skills to building a foundation where ideas can undergo creative revision until they reach their peak state.

Photography by: Joshua Lawrence Art Direction by: Jeffrey Bodset

The age of this year’s founders is one area where the lack of a trend is refreshing. From starting up a company while finishing a degree to starting up a company in midlife, after careers in other sectors or owning other businesses, reminds us that any age is a good time to start a business.

The nature of all 10 businesses reflect a strong social conscience. The challenge our winners have surmounted is building profitable businesses motivated by their particular set of values — from creating inclusive cultures for aging populations to changing the way we look at insects as alternatives to meat. We could easily call this group the “change-makers” for their drive to do things a little differently and to make subtle but significant improvements in how we interact with the world.

This will be our second year presenting Douglas’s 10 to Watch Awards in partnership with CHEK News.

Continuing from last year’s success — over 30,000 people watched the half hour show that took viewers behind the scenes of our 10 winners’ unique businesses — this year’s show has done the same. It was broadcast on April 2 and can be streamed at douglasmagazine.com We are continually in awe of the creativity and drive pulsing through our business community. For 13 years, the 10 to Watch Awards have shone a light on companies who are beginning to take shape — not just the winners but all of the applicants, who reflect the incredible work and creative vision that it takes to build a company.

The 10 to Watch Awards invite you, the community, to join us in celebrating these businesses through your support, attention and your purchasing power — because where we spend our money speaks louder than words.

DOUGLAS 31

Congratulations to this year’s Douglas Magazine 10 to Watch Winners!

Weeknights at 5 and 6 with Stacy Ross and Joe Perkins

10 TO WATCH JUDGING PANEL

judge |

judge |

Pedro Márquez is VP, Research and International at Royal Roads University. He is a former dean of the Faculty of Management, former board member at the WestShore Chamber of Commerce, Vancouver Island Economic Alliance and South Island Prosperity Partnership.

Márquez is a current board member of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce. He holds a PhD in management and political science from the University of Calgary.

judge |

“The creativity and resiliency shown by so many new businesses during this intense time filled me with hope. We are so lucky to be a city full of vibrant, optimistic entrepreneurs.”

“The winners illustrate how innovation and creativity are central elements of any sustainable business venture.”

“Douglas magazine’s 10 to Watch representing! Each winner exemplifies Victoria’s entrepreneurship community, DELIVERING, despite the challenges of 2021.”

Jim Hayhurst is a longtime Victoria tech and community leader who now advises a select group of purpose-driven entrepreneurs, philanthropists and social impact leaders. Jim cofounded the very popular Fuckup Nights Victoria and is a regular columnist for Douglas. In 2016 and 2018, he was honoured with VIATEC Awards for his contributions to the technology sector and is a 2015 Douglas 10 to Watch winner himself.

facilitator |

Deirdre Campbell is president of the Canadian-based tartanbond, a globally integrated communications consultancy. Campbell has been nominated as a businessperson and PR professional of the year, recognized with the YW/ YMCA Women of Distinction Award for her work in the community, and, in 2019, Destination Greater Victoria presented her with their Miracle Award for her work in tourism.

Heidi Sherwood is the founder of Sapphire Day Spa, a leading wellness spa in Victoria. She is a natural health practitioner and has sat on a number of boards concerned with health and the environment. She helped to write the COVID-19 reopening standards for the personal services sector and was a panelist for the Workers Compensation Board’s operating standards for the safe return of employees to the workplace in 2020. Heidi has worked tirelessly as an educator, mentor and industry leader in the health and wellness sector. judge |

“What stood out for me in this year’s applicants was the determination, innovation and drive despite the current set of economic challenges. Exceptional businesses see past the challenges and clearly define their purpose. It proves that passion never sleeps”

judge |

“It would have been understandable if this year’s winners were recognized for simply “surviving” the past year.

However, it was quickly apparent to us that these leaders and teams found an extra gear during the pandemic that will undoubtedly help them sustain success, whatever the future holds.”

Mia Maki is a associate dean, Faculty Outreach at the Gustavson School of Business at UVic; a professor of finance, accounting and entrepreneurship; and a principal at Quimper Consulting. Formerly chief financial officer and chief operating officer for a Victoria-based technology company, Maki has helped raise over $50 million for international initiatives, including acquisitions, strategic partnerships and joint subsidiary creation projects.

Cathy McIntyre is principal of Strategic Initiatives, a strategy consulting firm that works with organizations in the for-profit and not-forprofit sectors. A chartered director, Cathy serves on the boards of First West Credit Union, Consumer Protection BC and Peninsula Co-op. She is a former chair of the University of Victoria Board of Governors, the Victoria Hospitals Foundation and has served on the boards of a number of other local organizations. She earned her MBA in entrepreneurship at UVic and received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for her community service.

“The judges were impressed with the diversity of the businesses among the nominees this year, as well as the innovation they have demonstrated and the emphasis they have placed on sustainability and community engagement.”

DOUGLAS 35

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“I want us to stay true to our mission because I think that’s where our success lies, and that’s why we’ll be successful long term. We need our shoppers to trust our brand, and our brand is local.”

— VANESSA GAUDET, COFOUNDER OF VICTORIA MARKET COLLECTIVE

VICTORIA MARKET COLLECTIVE SECTOR: Retail, Food and Drink, Arts YEAR LAUNCHED: October 2020 FOUNDERS: (left to right) Katrina Dwulit, Vanessa Gaudet and Cory Judge UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION: Connecting the handmade community with the local community that cares about handmade.

STRATEGY: Instilling the trust in people that when they’re shopping local, they’re not compromising.

WEBSITE: victoriamarketcollective.com

A

larmed by the prospect that local artisans would have nowhere to sell their unique, handcrafted goods, as the pandemic threatened to kill off the Christmas markets, three women came together to literally save the livelihoods of hundreds of vendors.

Esquimalt Farmer’s Market founder Katrina Dwulit, glass-blower Vanessa Gaudet of Lady Dragon Glassworks and jewelry designer Cory Judge of Shi Studio, bound by a certain synergy, opened the Victoria Market Collective in late 2020.

They recall their initial meeting as “amazing.”

“We were meant to be together,” says Dwulit.

And meant to not only save the maker community during that early pandemic famine, but to continue growing for the next 18 months.

Originally planned as a seasonal pop-up shop in the Bay Centre, the Market Collective more than doubled its vendors from 65 to 140, expanding to

a second location at Mattick’s Farm.

“At the beginning, we thought, with the [farmer’s] markets coming back; Is there still going to be a need for a store like ours?” says Gaudet. “That was a big question, and the answer is yes — because we still have people approaching us for a place to sell their wares.”

Some vendors have actually stopped doing markets because they’re selling more, via consignment, at the Collective. And, as the business reaches into online sales this year, it’s expected more artisans will want to join them.

“This was a necessity we threw together,” says Dwulit. “There was really no other option. It was super risky. Many of our vendors typically make 80 per cent of their income during the holiday market season.”

“Everyone thought we were crazy,” adds Gaudet.

Dwulit laughs: “We thought we were crazy.”

DOUGLAS DOUGLAS 3737

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Congratulations Congratulations to the 2022 Douglas Douglas magazine magazine10 10To ToWatch Watchwinners. winners.

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10 TO WATCH WINNER

BY DAVID LENNAM

“The bicycle is agile and flexible and sustainable and easy to fix when it breaks and can move around quickly. And that was the whole idea of the business model.

And we like riding bikes.”

— VANESSA JOHNSON, COFOUNDER OF BICYCLE PIZZA

BICYCLE PIZZA SECTOR: Food, Restaurant, Retail YEAR LAUNCHED: 2021 FOUNDERS: (left to right) Vanessa and Andrew Johnson UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION: Pivoting from fresh to frozen pizzas with plans for a restaurant in the works.

STRATEGY: Online and pre-order only.

WEBSITE: eatbicyclepizza.com

H

usband and wife Andrew and Vanessa Johnson didn’t backpedal when the opportunity arose to launch their new business with very little risk or overhead.

Bicycle Pizza opened at Brentwood Bay’s longestablished Beauregard Café just over a year ago, as a fresh pizza-only takeout operation.

Striking a deal with Beauregard owner Doug Mutch to use his kitchen, Bicycle had both wheels on the ground right away. But the changing rules of the pandemic had them quickly switching gears to offer frozen pizza as well — and they provided it using an online-only business model. The demand for frozen pizza was huge.

“We didn’t have a POS, we didn’t accept cash and we couldn’t do walk-up orders,” explains Vanessa. “It was all pre-order and order in advance. And pre-pandemic, if you would have told someone they had to pre-order their pizza a week in advance, they’d say you were crazy.”

“When we hatched Bicycle Pizza, it was not about manufacturing frozen pizza,” adds Andrew. “It was about: let’s make enough money to pay the mortgage, give me 40 hours a week and have some fun — and that’s great.”

The frozen pizza market has allowed them to expand their product sale reach at local grocers.

“I feel like we’ve struck a good balance between opportunism and following the lead, but at the same time keeping our quality product the focus of the show,” says Andrew.

The Johnsons had been experimenting with their pizza perfection for some time, baking pies at home so often that their two young kids have been inundated by new creations.

“Yes, there was pizza at breakfast,” says Andrew laughing.

The Johnsons have taken over Beauregard Café (renaming it Beauregard Commons) and have plans for evening pizza dining. It’s all been about flexibility and following the leads.

DOUGLAS DOUGLAS 3939

Congratulations to all nominees and winners in this year’s Douglas 10 to Watch Awards

As entrepreneurs, you’re just beginning to write your story. Your hard work, courage, and passion is an inspiration to your community and all who do business with you.

At MNP, we take every opportunity to celebrate Canadian startups and business owners who share our values. We’re excited to work alongside you on your journey to success, wherever business takes you.

Luke Biles, CPA, CA | 250.388.6554 | luke.biles@mnp.ca MNP.ca

10 TO WATCH WINNER

BY CARLA SORRELL

“It’s a productbased direction, following the automobile industry, where you choose your base model, your add-ons, and you can see the price adjust until you get what you want.”

— SIMON FYALL, COFOUNDER OF BLEND PROJECTS

BLEND PROJECTS SECTOR: Building, Design, Technology YEAR LAUNCHED: 2020 FOUNDERS: (left to right) Simon Fyall and Richard Egli UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION: Creating a stress-free build experience for customers.

STRATEGY: Comprehensive, offthe-shelf, sustainable design and construction packages that eliminate the costly variables characteristic of many build projects.

WEBSITE: blendprojects.co

S

imon Fyall has always been a fan of adventure. In fact, it was one such adventure, to Haida Gwaii with his friend and future business partner Richard Egli, where the idea for Blend Projects was born.

“There was nothing available for rent that was beautiful, durable,” noted Fyall. “We needed to create something that we would want to rent, or want to own, that’s replicable in these remote locations.”

Years of working in construction, on remote sites and in different countries, saw projects come up against a consistent roadblock: “Cost and timeline are constantly inflated, and there’s never any true justification,” says Fyall.

The industry standard is that build projects go over budget by an estimated 30 per cent, on average.

Determined to eliminate the costly variables that inevitably torment clients, Fyall crafted prefabricated, off-the-shelf build packages — cabins, garden suites and backyard offices — that include design, permitting, site work, foundations, construction, assembly,

management and inspections. Manufacturing takes place in a controlled environment, reducing construction time, lowering costs and minimizing waste before being assembled on site.

“We are taking big risks and it is paying off,” says Fyall.

Having so much control over what they are delivering, from initial idea and supply chain through to finishing touches, helps to build and maintain trust with customers.

“We’re creating a different experience for people when they’re purchasing a home, and I think that is really working,” says Fyall.

Projects to date have been on Salt Spring Island, Mount Washington, Pender Island, Shawnigan Lake and in Victoria, with plans for multi-unit projects underway.

“We spent the first year really creating models and new designs,” says Fyall. “In the next few years, I really want to get focused on production, and getting the system down, so that we can start providing more [high quality] affordable housing projects.”

DOUGLAS DOUGLAS 4141

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10 TO WATCH WINNER

BY DAVID LENNAM

“I felt people weren’t as ready to start eating insects right away, and if I could get them accustomed to it, through their dogs, it would be a good way of increasing the market adoption.”

— DANIELLE LOWE, FOUNDER OF DOODLEBUG PET FOOD

DOODLEBUG PET FOOD SECTOR: Pet Food YEAR LAUNCHED: 2021 FOUNDER: Danielle Lowe UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION: Overcoming the stigma of insects as food.

STRATEGY: Becoming flexible, going for it and figuring it out as you go.

WEBSITE: doodlebugpetfood.ca

H

er original idea was a veggie patty powered by the protein of powdered insects. But Danielle Lowe knew that humans might not be quite ready for a bug burger on the BBQ, so she switched her recipe to focus on our canine companions.

Doodlebug Pet Food was born in the spring of 2021, a year into the pandemic, delivering a then-20-year-old UVic business and entrepreneurship student into a world of cookie baking — creating handmade peanut butterbanana and pumpkin-apple dog treats — all in her own kitchen.

“Originally, I tried to overstrategize and overplan, and it was too slow-moving,” says Lowe.

“I was looking for confirmation … I think it was coming out of a school mindset where there was a right and wrong answer to everything.”

Lowe is flying solo, sourcing the insect protein from a Canadian firm, rolling the dough, doing her own packaging, shipping and marketing.

And overcoming the fact she’s so young.

There were suggestions Lowe couldn’t

possibly succeed at both finishing school and running a small business.

“It was at the idea stage, too, of my business, when everything is so fragile,” says Lowe. “So I was like, maybe I should wait. But I learned that wasn’t true, and here I am doing well in school and in my business.”

Early on, Lowe saw how popular Doodlebug would be. She’d sell out at markets, and, on Black Friday, she advertised a buy-two-get-onefree deal on her website and ended up filling a couple hundred immediate orders.

The next step is automation and upping production, an expansion to insect-based kibble, a line of cat food and a subscription service with delivery. Then, one day, getting insect protein into the human diet.

Lowe has done the math. Eating insect protein is in all of our futures. Not just for dogs.

“Crickets are a healthier source of protein and more sustainable and more humane,” she points out. “The only thing that’s stopping people is the food aversion.”

DOUGLAS DOUGLAS 4343

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10 TO WATCH WINNER

BY CARLA SORRELL

“We’re doing this for altruistic reasons — not to earn a great living. I was already doing that. We want to fix air.”

— SUSAN BLANCHET, COFOUNDER OF ORIGEN AIR

ORIGEN AIR SECTOR: Clean Tech, Science, Product YEAR LAUNCHED: 2019 FOUNDERS: (left to right) Susan Blanchet and Andrew Crawford UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION: A high impact, small footprint, plant-powered commercial quality air purification unit.

STRATEGY: Improving living and working conditions using genetically enhanced plants that are capable of removing microscopic airborne contaminants from the air.

WEBSITE: origenair.com

U

nited in their belief that clearer air can substantially improve lives, Susan Blanchet and Andrew Crawford are making air great again.

It’s an unlikely pursuit for a Vancouver Islandbased company where, Blanchet says, they are “preaching to the choir.” But ocean air only travels so far, and, globally, air pollution both inside and outside is a big problem. That big problem is Origen Air’s big market, and why the company has filed patents in the U.S., Canada, Singapore, Indonesia, China and India.

“Southeast Asia, that’s where the air quality is the worst,” says Blanchet who has been on Canada Asia/Pacific trade missions to Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand. “That’s where we want to go.”

Crawford, “resident plant guru” and former owner of a living wall company, was surprised when a deep dive into the scientific benefits revealed that, in fact, “plants do not remove toxins from our air” (Source: NASA).

Meanwhile, the planets were aligning in his favour: he tuned into CBC and caught Dr. Stuart Strand discussing a genetically enhanced plant — pathos ivy, aka “the bachelor plant” for its

easiness to maintain — that does in fact remove man-made toxins from the air.

Who better to help him secure the intellectual property rights from the University of Washington than Blanchet, who, at the time, worked as a civil litigator.

Blanchet’s interest was piqued. After seeing her late father develop an autoimmune disease while in a care home with very low air circulation, she suspected a link.

“I knew law wasn’t the answer,” says Blanchet.

“Because doing anything health related in law is very difficult. You need to prove a direct causal link.”

After launching Origen Air with a focus on commercial buildings — the Sentinel unit is designed for large-scale commercial operations — the pair realized the untapped potential of the domestic consumer market, and created the smaller Pinnacle unit to add to their subscriptionbased service that includes maintenance and air quality reporting.

“By deploying these inside, you’re actually augmenting the supply of fresh oxygen indoors,” says Crawford. “Which makes humans perform better.”

DOUGLAS DOUGLAS 4545

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10 TO WATCH WINNER

BY SHANNON MONEO

“Everything is big and loud, but simple.”

— JORDAN SCHLEY, FOUNDER OF CARE2TALK

CARE2TALK SECTOR: Software Technology YEAR LAUNCHED: 2020 FOUNDER: Jordan Schley UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION: Communication software tested by seniors, for seniors’ needs.

STRATEGY: Creation of an easy-to-use video chat tool for a mobile device or tablet specifically geared to those people who are aging and who may be struggling with cognitive, vision or hearing impairments, mobility restrictions or dementia.

WEBSITE: care2talk.io

M

onths into the pandemic, it became apparent that, due to many restrictions, people living in care home situations were lonely and isolated. Jordan Schley witnessed this firsthand via his 88-year-old grandfather.

Videoconferencing tools are fine for the tech savvy.

“It was the perfect time to bring back simplified video,” says Schley, founder of Care2Talk, a very accessible mobile application that allows seniors and those with cognitive or physical limits to easily make video calls.

“I gave my grandpa a tablet with the app on it,” says Schley. “He kept on calling me every day with it. It’s simple to use and a way better outcome than over the phone.”

One surprising obstacle was how to make the app very easy to use. When it comes to technology, it’s not as easy as imagined in our over-engineered world.

Care2Talk features include simple touch video calling with a closed caption option; contact information, via email or text, anywhere in the

world; locked down tablets without confusing dashboards; and remote access.

“Care2Talk is global — we have customers in nine different countries,” says Schley, including Canada, the U.S., the U.K., New Zealand, Australia and Brazil.

Customers can be family members subscribing for individuals, or care communities/homes with dozens of users. In the case of care homes, there could be up to 300 residents, all of them potential users. The facilities purchase tablets to share among a set group of users.

Schley continues to expand Care2Talk’s client base as well as features of the app. He’s working on a telehealth component and emotional mood detector in which the app’s camera would take photos of users’ facial expressions while they are on a telehealth call and determine if they are sad or happy, he says.

Care2Talk’s simple, yet satisfying, video-chat technology is expanding the world for seniors and others in care.

“It’s very important right now, with a rapidly aging population,” Schley notes.

DOUGLAS DOUGLAS 4747

10 TO WATCH WINNER

BY SHANNON MONEO

“The big challenge is that the businessfor-sale industry itself is unknown to a lot of owners.

A lot don’t know they have the option of selling.”

— MORGAN TATE, COFOUNDER OF DEALBUILDER

DEALBUILDER SECTOR: Tech, Software YEAR LAUNCHED: 2021 FOUNDERS: (left to right) Keith MacKenzie, Morgan Tate and Mike Lenz UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION: Creation of a transparent marketplace that simplifies the buying and selling of small businesses.

STRATEGY: To assist small business owners to sell their businesses as quickly as possible for maximum value.

WEBSITE: dealbuilder.co

M

ike Lenz has over 16 years of dealmaking experience. In that time, he’s seen how business owners haven’t prepared their exit strategies.

“Just a little bit of getting ahead of the preparation will make a monstrous difference,” says Lenz, one of three cofounders of Paratus Business Resources. “They lose sight of the details a buyer needs.”

Lenz, along with Keith MacKenzie and Morgan Tate, have created DealBuilder, a virtual platform that helps business owners value their babies, find buyers and close the deals.

“We’ve developed a software that hits all of the pain points of a typical business transaction,” says MacKenzie. There are three: preparation for sale, pricing and presentation.

DealBuilder works by matching a seller with a deal manager who possesses buyer/seller expertise.

Next, two to three years of financial statements are put into DealBuilder’s software system that dispenses a value for the business. Based on that, a presentation for buyers is created. DealBuilder then markets the business to its list of buyers.

The platform helps the seller manage the deal by controlling access to the business’s information.

Finally, when a deal is struck, DealBuilder has legal and business professionals on board who help finish the sale.

Often, owners believe it’s very easy to sell their business. Or, on the flip side, completing the purchase presents hard-to-clear hurdles.

DealBuilder has caught the attention of several dozen sellers, including a chocolate shop in Duncan, where a realtor thought there was only a small chance the business would sell for the price that DealBuilder advised.

“Within five days, a deal was accepted, and it sold for the full asking price,” says Tate.

A sweet advantage is that DealBuilder generates realistic pricing.

“Our valuation tool is very good,” says Lenz. “It gives a very accurate idea.”

As for how DealBuilder floats its own business, it charges a flat three per cent fee, based on the asking price, says Tate. There are no upfront costs or engagement fees, and the commission is paid when the business sells.

DOUGLAS DOUGLAS 4949

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10 TO WATCH WINNER

BY SHANNON MONEO

“I’ll be happy if one day I get seven hours of sleep. Most days it’s five. For now, Solaires is my baby.”

— SAHAR SAM, COFOUNDER OF SOLAIRES ENTERPRISES

SOLAIRES ENTERPRISES SECTOR: Clean Tech, Product YEAR LAUNCHED: 2020 FOUNDERS: Sahar Sam (pictured), CSO, and Fabian de la Fuente, CEO UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION: Improved solar cells: Solaires’ perovskite solar cells are akin to cell phones, while silicon solar cells are best compared to a landline.

STRATEGY: To supply perovskite-derived components for different uses, Solaires has to be certain that the mineral is stable and long-lasting.

WEBSITE: solaires.net

S

ahar Sam and her research team are close to bringing what could be a game-changing product to the

market.

“Our technology is a future technology,” says Sam, who graduated from the University of Victoria in 2015 with a Ph.D in mechanical engineering. “I can’t say it will happen tomorrow, but when it does, it could take over the silicon market.”

Sam, Fabian de la Fuente and 21 employees work at UVic and Simon Fraser University.

Their focus is perovskite, a mineral made of calcium titanate that can be recast for use in electrical, optical and physical domains.

Using the mineral, the Solaires team has created the trademarked Solar Ink™, which is used to fabricate perovskite film that can then be transformed into solar cells. Via rollto-roll manufacturing, perovskite solar cells are lightweight, flexible, energy-efficient and transparent. They are not the rigid solar cells associated with solar energy.

“Our motivation is to generate energy from any surface, not just the roof,” says Sam. Because the solar cells are transparent,

they can be used for windows, blinds, on top of vehicles or even airplanes.

“Perovskite will be the new generation of solar cells,” Sam predicts.

They will also be manufactured in a much more sustainable fashion.

Today’s silicon solar cells are sourced from sand that needs to be mined and purified.

The processes require vast quantities of water and the fabrication generates large amounts of greenhouse gases. While solar panels are touted as green, their production, mostly in Southeast Asia, isn’t, and the value chain is long.

The ink, meanwhile, requires less time to produce, at a reduced cost, and it can be applied to rigid and flexible surfaces.

Solaires’ Solar Ink™ is being tested in universities and businesses in at least six countries, including Canada, says Sam. She expects to “ink” contracts once specific requirements by customers are met.

“We are very happy with their response,” says Sam. “We are achieving very good performance and want to continue all the way to commercial products.”

DOUGLAS DOUGLAS 5151

Monk Office is more than you think!

We offer a vast selection of office supplies in-store and online, furniture assortments from internationally regarded brands, Managed IT Services, and the sale and servicing of the industry’s most recognized business machines.

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10 TO WATCH WINNER

BY SHANNON MONEO

“Search less, play more …

I don’t want to spend half of my game looking through a prickly bush for my disc.”

– EVE OLYNYK, COFOUNDER OF MEEPMEEP PILOT

MEEPMEEP PILOT SECTOR: Hardware Product, Software Development YEAR LAUNCHED: 2020 FOUNDERS: (left to right) Eve Olynyk and Simon Park UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION: A disc golf stick-on tracker with Bluetooth connectivity that lets players know exactly where their beloved disc has landed.

STRATEGY: Getting great employees who are focussed on the company’s key values: loving disc golf culture; technical rigour.

WEBSITE: meepmeep.co

W

hen COVID-19 forced gyms to close, one sport experienced exceptional growth — disc golf.

In Canada, membership to the Professional Disk Golf Association grew 30 per cent in 2020 and 75 per cent in 2021. The country ranks about third globally for the number of courses.

“People are shocked by how big disc golf is and how it’s growing,” says Eve Olynyk, a UVic commerce grad who has played the low-cost, family-oriented sport for several years.

Olynyk and Simon Park are cofounders of MeepMeep (name is based on the Road Runner’s beep beep call), a Victoria company that produces smart disc golf accessories.

The genesis of MeepMeep Pilot was Olynyk’s frustration over precious lost time spent hunting for a disc on a course that, on Vancouver Island, is often in the forest.

With traditional golf, if a ball is lost, the player has more in the bag. With disc golf, the disc is both the club and the ball.

“It hurts a lot more losing them,” says Olynyk.

When Olynyk was introduced to Park, a graduate of mechanical engineering, through

UVic’s Innovation Centre, his participation became game changing.

“We really thought through the entire user experience,” says Park.

Initially, the tracker/locator was duct-taped onto the back of the disc to see if the tracker worked and did not dislodge.

“A big part of our technology is our adhesive tape,” says Park. “We spent a year testing different options.”

Rigorous trials included chucking disks at concrete walls, throwing them during heat waves and putting them in a freezer. Eventually, a successful adhesive was developed that will keep the seven-gram MeepMeep tracker in place and not impact the 150-gram disc’s trajectory.

Prototyping the plastic, shock-absorbant tracker casing was a community affair, with many partners helping out. As well, MeepMeep has made it a priority to make the iOS and Android apps, developed by Park and his team, accessible for the vision-impaired.

Following a very successful pre-order campaign, the MeepMeep Pilot is in final negotiations with manufacturers. Thousands of customers are waiting for a MeepMeep tracker.

DOUGLAS DOUGLAS 5353

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“We’re guided by pretty strict, important values.

Like our sustainability, community elements, obviously along with quality of product.”

— TYLER HOSIE, COFOUNDER OF JUSTO’S PLANT-BASED DIPS

JUSTO’S PLANTBASED DIPS SECTOR: Food, Retail, Consumer Goods YEAR LAUNCHED: 2019 FOUNDERS: (left to right) Tyler Hosie, Justin Kopetzki, Adam Conlin and Eric Taccogna UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION: Plantbased dips with enhanced sustainability by using returnable glass jar packaging.

STRATEGY: Looking for partners to leverage their expertise and scalability, so that they can expand nationally.

WEBSITE: justos.ca

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ombining degrees in engineering and marketing, an MBA and some practical kitchen skills — plus a lot of surfing experience — four Victoria twentysomethings have dipped their creative talents into a line of plant-based, all-about-sustainability and environmental impact, dips.

In the past couple of years, Justo’s Plant-Based Dips, including several flavours of hummus, moved, from farmers’ markets to grocery store shelves all over the Island and, recently, to Vancouver, available now at more than 100 outlets.

Apart from tantalizing taste buds, Justo’s is satisfying an appetite for environmental health.

One per cent of their sales go to fund environmentally focused nonprofits (like the Plastic Credit Exchange). Another one per cent is donated to aid the community’s most vulnerable residents. And the four founders focus on a plant-based diet as a massive way to reduce environmental impact.

The dips are packaged in glass jars, 13,000 of them returned and reused since the quartet

began selling them over Instagram those first few months.

Finalists for two Small Business BC Awards last year, Justo’s is poised for a crucial pivot.

In order to expand nationally, they need to leverage the expertise and scalability of new partners, without letting go of the core values of sustainability.

“There’s a lot of people out there that do these things better and on a larger scale than us, and just because they don’t facilitate and have the same impact dreams that we do, from a valueadded proposition, doesn’t mean it’s bad. It just means we have to be the voice of change,” notes Hosie. “We’re on the precipice of this growth. I think the next six months for us is the real key.”

Asked why they’ve gone the entrepreneurial route at such a young age, Conlin answers for the group.

“I want to be able to do things in my work that are fulfilling and have a purpose and an impact beyond a transaction … and I also want to have a road map to being independent, financially free and have time.”

DOUGLAS DOUGLAS 5555

DIRK HEYDEMANN

A FISH OUT OF The Future of Fish Farming 56 DOUGLAS

Taste of BC Aquafarms is a land-based steelhead salmon operation in Nanaimo that was bought, last year, by the Floridabased Blue Star Foods who were looking to diversify from selling crab meat. Initially set up by Steve Atkinson 12 years ago, the farm produces 100 tonnes of steelhead salmon annually, and turned its first profit in 2020. Blue Star has big plans to scale up production with a new site in Deep Bay.

F WATER

IN ANOTHER LIFE, Steve Atkinson was a preacher. As the founder of Taste of BC Aquafarms, a land-based steelhead salmon operation in Nanaimo, the ability to spin a tale and sell an idea has served him well.

A dozen years ago, Atkinson and his family embarked on a bootstrapping journey of research and development that would result in more ups and downs than a fairground roller coaster. Rather than preaching to the choir, Atkinson preached to the skeptics who didn’t believe you could make any money growing salmon into full-sized, market-ready fish, in tanks sitting on land, known as a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS).

Atkinson proved this idea was not only feasible but that it could be wildly successful as well.

In 2020, Taste of BC turned its first-ever profit and hit its target annual production of 100 tonnes under the brand Little Cedar Falls Steelhead. Then, early in 2021, Atkinson got a knock on the door from a representative of Blue Star Foods — a Florida-based company in the business of selling crab meat. The timing was perfect. Blue Star was looking to diversify into farmed fish, and, according to Atkinson, he shared with them that he had “proof of concept.”

“We can grow steelhead salmon from egg to two kilograms in 12 months, two to three times faster than in the wild,” he says.

Negotiations with Blue Star Foods moved quickly, and last June Atkinson inked a deal to sell his family fish farm for $4 million. Taste of BC is now a subsidiary of Blue Star Foods, with Atkinson as managing director and his son Benjamin stepping into the role of president and CEO. Under Blue Star Food’s ownership, Taste of BC is poised to scale up production. The company is undergoing due diligence on a possible land lease and purchase in Deep Bay to build its flagship $40-million, 1,500-tonnes-per-year steelhead fish farm. This will be the first step in an eightyear plan that includes a $500-million investment to build more farms for a total annual production of 21,000 tonnes.

“We hope to be breaking ground by the end of 2022,” says Atkinson.

Last year, in a press release, Blue Star Foods CEO John Keeler called RAS: “The future of our industry and a winwin for all the stakeholders involved in a seafood supply chain that is sustainable over the long term.”

However, nothing is certain in this environment.

Vancouver Island will see an increase in land-based fish farming, thanks to the acquisition of Taste of BC by the Florida-based Blue Star Foods. It's a practice that many hope will prove to be a sustainable solution to the increasing demand for fish protein.

BY ANDREW FINDLAY

DOUGLAS 57

Stormy Waters

of Port McNeill between Vancouver Island and Knight Inlet. Hundreds of thousands of wild When Blue Star Foods went public last fall and salmon migrate annually from coastal rivers and started trading on NASDAQ, the company was past fish farms in the archipelago where they still weathering a tough few pandemic years have been infected by well-documented sea lice that saw revenues drop by more than 40 per epidemics. cent in 2020 alone. With the crabmeat market Things came to a head in 2020 when the saturated, Blue Star is betting heavy on Taste three First Nations with of BC and the future of landtraditional territories in based RAS. the area — the ‘Namgis, Conventional open-net pen Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis salmon farms — basically and Mamalilikulla — floating fish farms — have negotiated with the provincial been beset with controversy and federal governments for and environmental challenges the closure of 10 farms in the including sea lice epidemics Broughton Archipelago by and to diseases like PRV, that 2022. Another seven fish farms have the ability to infect wild were put on notice that if they salmon populations. Many are unable to demonstrate populations of Pacific salmon zero impact on wild salmon, are already in precipitous they too will be closed. In decline due to a host of other December 2020, Fisheries and reasons, including climate Oceans Canada announced change and warming oceans, that all 19 fish farms in the the destruction of freshwater Discovery Islands, which habitat from decades of includes Quadra, Sonora and careless river valley logging, dozens of other islands, will not to mention the pressures also have to be out of the of sport and commercial — Steve Atkinson water by June 2022. fishing. (Last year former It goes further. minister of Fisheries and Last fall, the newly minted minister of Oceans minister Bernadette Jordan announced Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast the closure of more than 60 per cent of B.C.’s Guard, Joyce Murray — the first westerner commercial salmon fisheries as an emergency to hold that portfolio — doubled down on a conservation measure.) previous federal government commitment to Nowhere has the debate around the merits phase out open-net pen fish farms by 2025. of fish farming burned more fiercely than in the Broughton Archipelago, a knot of islands west It's been two years of dismal news for B.C.’s

“We need to ask: what can government do to help with the transition to closed containment?

Access to land is key and that means dealing with multiple agencies.”

conventional fish farming industry, which is dominated by Norwegian companies like Mowi (formerly Marine Harvest), Grieg Seafood and Cermaq.

But it could prove to be a perfect aligning of the stars for advocates of land-based fish farming.

Swimming Upstream The elevator pitch for RAS has always been convincing, at least from the perspective of marine ecology and wild salmon conservation.

Disease and parasites, originating from a land-based fish farm, are completely contained within a closed system, and water polluted with fish waste can be treated on site.

It sounds simple on paper, but the economics are not as crystal clear.

Pioneers like Atkinson were not starting from scratch. B.C. has a long history of rearing young salmon in hatcheries, then releasing them into the wild or stocking floating fish farms with them. But, as Atkinson and others have learned the hard way, when growing fish to adulthood in land-based tanks, there are countless technical challenges to overcome, from the cost of energy to how to mimic and control ocean conditions.

“When we started out in 2010, we didn’t know what we didn’t know,” says Atkinson.

For years it was one problem after another.

And when one was solved, two others would appear.

Everything from lighting conditions to swim speed, water chemistry and temperature had to be studied and adjusted in a painstaking process of trial and error. Along the way, Taste of BC

CATCHING THE MARKET The world needs fish and is going to need a whole lot more in the coming years.

Globally, demand for aquatic foods is set to double by 2050. A research paper, published in 2021 as part of the marine-focused Blue Food Assessment, projected global consumption across all fish and shellfish categories will increase from 80 million tonnes (live weight) to almost 155 million tonnes in the next three decades.

Aquaculture is among the fastest growing food sectors. As demand for food grows, the sector has an opportunity to steer expansion toward sustainability.

“There is still significant room for expansion in the production of blue foods, and we are only just scratching the surface of how sustainable this can be,” said Rosamond Naylor, co-author of the report and founding director at the Center on Food Security and the Environment at Stanford University.

B.C. is the world’s fourth-largest producer of Atlantic salmon — with Atlantic salmon exports totalling $566 million in 2021 — but has remained embroiled in a decades-long dispute about open net pen salmon farms. Habitats and species are destroyed by disease and sea lice spreading from farmed to wild salmon; mass escapes 58 DOUGLAS

risk compromising the genetic integrity of native species; a reliance on feed produced from wild-caught fish and agricultural crops has negative environmental impacts in and out of the water.

Ninty-five per cent of B.C.’s farmed salmon are exported to the U.S. where land-based farming innovations are ramping up. To stay competative by keeping or redistributing its share of the market, the province needs a cohesive plan to transition to sustainable alternatives.

“Given the geographic patchiness of production, trade in blue foods will likely grow. As it does, blue food exporters will need to think carefully about the trade-off between export revenues and domestic nutrition,” says U. Rashid Sumaila, professor, co-author of the report with Rosamond Naylor and Canada Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Ocean and Fisheries Economics at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, at the University of British Columbia.

benefitted from collaborations with several Vancouver Island University (VIU) scientists; Atkinson estimated they published close to 30 papers on various aspects of research and technological innovation.

He's also quick to credit Community Futures Central Island, which came to the table early on with a $250,000 loan when nobody else would put a nickel behind the venture. At the same time, Atkinson says they had to fight in court for Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credits, which Canada Revenue Agency had denied them (eventually they won retroactive credits to the tune of $1-million).

In 2018, when Atkinson was confident that all the technical hurdles had been overcome, the experimental farm was hit with a catastrophic bacteria. Over a single weekend, they lost 18 tonnes of fish.

“We considered quitting,” says Atkinson.

And, if it wasn’t for a financial lifeline from Community Futures, they might have.

Jolynn Green, executive director of Community Futures Central Island, says the fact that Atkinson had skin in the game, and was partnering with VIU experts, was important when they weighed whether or not to initially support the startup. When Atkinson knocked on the door at Community Futures again in 2018, this time to request that they inject much needed cash flow after the big die-off, Green says it was a case of, “in for dime, in for a dollar.”

“Steve was willing to take the risk when nobody else would,” says Green. “I think we made the right call, and I’m happy for them.”

Conventional open-net pen salmon farms — basically, floating fish farms — have been beset with controversy and environmental challenges: from sea lice epidemics to diseases like PRV, that have the ability to infect wild salmon populations.

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Taste of BC may be in the spotlight these days, but it’s not the only RAS pioneer on Vancouver Island.

and human, to invest in and scale production.

It prompted the ‘Namgis to start looking for a buyer. In 2019, a potential suitor, Whole Oceans, made an offer. But, when it was put to the A Tectonic Shift in Sustainable community in a referendum, the ‘Namgis turned Aquaculture down the Maine-based seafood company’s offer.

In 2013 the ‘Namgis First Nation, whose territory “The community didn’t like the terms,” says includes Alert Bay on Cormorant Island and the Svanvik.

Nimpkish Valley, opened a Instead, they negotiated land-based Atlantic salmon a 15-year lease with Whole farm near Port McNeill Oceans. Following the deal, called Kuterra, backed by a in an article published combination of governmental in December, 2019, in and environmental nonAquaculture North America, governmental organizational CEO Jacob Bartlett said (ENGO) funding. From the Whole Oceans plans to outset, the ‘Namgis saw it less “gain valuable insights and as a commercial venture and synergies to advance the more as a pilot project to move company’s workforce training the needle on RAS technology and will also benefit from the and add momentum to the — Muhammed Oyinlola technological and marketing effort to get floating fish farms expertise of Kuterra.” out of their territory.

Large scale land-based fish “I think we proved that you can do it,” says farming is no longer just a pipe dream. From Don Svanvik, chief of the ‘Namgis First Nation.

Florida to the northeastern U.S. seaboard and But scale was always the challenge at Kuterra; coastal B.C., big money is getting behind the the operation never did more than break even. technology.

Hopes by some that the fish farm would turn The recent pulse of interest in Vancouver into a money-maker for the ‘Namgis were Island-grown RAS technology from seafood tempered by a lack of resources, both financial companies like Blue Star Foods and Whole

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Land-based fish farms can grow steelhead salmon from an egg to two kilograms in 12 months, two to three times faster than in the wild.

Oceans points to a tectonic shift in sustainable aquaculture. Ottawa’s bold promise to get all fish farms out of B.C. waters by 2025 is helping the shift.

“That’s the $64-million question — whether or not they will deliver on that promise,” says Chief Don Svanvik.

Given it’s just three years away, he believes the federal government will more likely announce a plan for removal. Either way, it’s a loud warning to the big players in B.C. fish farming. Despite this, companies like Mowi seem to be taking a deer-in-the-headlights approach.

In a recent interview for the Norwegian online publication iLaks.no, Mowi boss Ivan Vindheim dismissed the role of closed containment in the company’s future.

“Personally, I have no faith in this,” said Vindheim, responding to predictions that all fish farms will have shifted to closed containment pens by 2030. “We simply can’t afford it. Nor is it proven technology, so it’s unrealistic.”

Atkinson says he has 12 years of data-driven research that begs to differ. And so does the ‘Namgis First Nation.

If Not Now, then When?

Dr. Muhammed Oyinlola, currently a postdoctoral fellow at Quebec’s Institut national de la recherche scientifique after two years at the University of British Columbia’s Institute

for the Oceans and Fisheries, studies the impact of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture around the world. He says, it’s not a matter of “if” but “when” salmon aquaculture will shift to on-land.

There may be no other choice in a world of the near future. In a report published in February 2020, Oyinlola predicted that climate change could wipe out as much as 84 per cent of the area on B.C.’s coast currently suitable for farming Atlantic salmon. Not surprisingly, a warming climate will have an equally devastating impact on wild fisheries. Even the most optimistic modeling predicts a future in which Pacific salmon will vanish from rivers and streams in the southern reaches of our coastline. In 30 years, tropical countries could see their seafood catch drop by 40 per cent.

At the same time, Oyinlola says the global demand for seafood protein is only going one direction — up. He believes the demand will be increasingly met by land-based fish farms.

“We have the technology already,” says Oyinlola. “You need power, you need clean water and the operations have to be large in scale to make a profit.”

B.C. is positioned well, thanks to relatively cheap and clean hydro-electricity and abundant freshwater. However, land-based fish farming is not a simple panacea. The Achilles heel of fish farming — on land or in the ocean — has always been the fish feed side of the equation.

Traditionally, fish farms in the northern hemisphere have relied on feed made from rendered anchovies, and other species low on the marine food chain, that are caught in massive commercial fisheries off the South American coast and elsewhere. The carbon and ecological footprint of this protein transfer is deeply problematic from an ecological and sustainability perspective. That’s why Oyinlola says a shift to RAS aquaculture must go handin-hand with the development and adoption of plant- and insect-based fish feed.

“We need a viable and sustainable aquaculture industry,” says Oyinlola. “It’s important for a lot of communities and also for our food system.”

Back at Taste of BC’s headquarters in Nanaimo, you’d think Atkinson would be taking a breather after his company’s sale to Blue Star Foods. Ten years of sweat equity was like a marathon with a finish line that kept getting farther away. But now that he’s crossed that line, he’s still running, this time to get ahead of the transition from controversial opennet pen to land-based fish farming. Government approvals can’t come fast enough.

“We have a bona fide solution to a problem that government helped create,” says Atkinson.

“There’s a real opportunity now to take advantage of existing supply chains, skilled staff and infrastructure.” 

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DOUGLAS 61

SMALL GIAN Growing populations and the hot housing market requires an evolution in the South Island’s build environment. DHK Architects have been quietly responding to those changes with thoughtful, community-minded designs.

JEFFREY BOSDET/DOUGLAS MAGAZINE

BY ALEX VAN TOL AND CELINA LESSARD

NTS

Founding partner Charles Kierulf (centre) pictured with newly appointed partners Rob Whetter (left) and Glenn Hill (right) at the Victoria Press Building, familiar to many as the former home of the Times Colonist. The renovation and additions will result in 12,000 square feet of commercial and social space with rooftop patios, restaurant space and a distillery or brewery in the converted print reel room.

W

hen the crash of 2008 led to the crisis of 2010, de Hoog & Kierulf Architects (dHKa) partners Peter de Hoog and Charles Kierulf summoned all the steely courage they could muster … and put their people ahead of their profit.

Ahead of themselves, actually, too.

While some firms laid off almost their entire workforce, the firm voluntarily cut partner paycheques in order to keep their team together.

“We did not lay off,” says Kierulf of the aftermath of the financial crash. “Some firms laid off almost their entire workforce. We kept everybody on, and Peter and I didn’t take any income for a year and a half.”

It’s an uncommon move for most businesses, but not for small giants — companies that want to be great rather than big. Kierulf and de Hoog’s compassionate choice delivered a surprising benefit: because they had prioritized their employees when the market turned upside down, the firm came back strong and was able to hit the ground running as soon as projects started coming back on stream.

“We lost some people, yes,” Kierulf says. “But … when the work came back, we had twelve on staff.”

Along with the high-calibre, lower-profile and communityserving architectural work dHKa is known for, this solid commitment to people is a defining feature, and sheds light on how this firm has stood the test of time on the South Island.

And now, the firm has engineered itself into a strong position to steer its next phase of growth and expand its vision for the future, with the introduction of two new partners.

“There’s that adage out there about, ‘your employees are your biggest asset, not your biggest liability,’ right?” Kierulf says. “It’s true. And that’s what the firm is.”

Founded by de Hoog and Kierulf back in 2001, after the pair had worked together for nine years, dHKa has come to be regarded as the architect of choice for numerous builds on the South Island. They started out at Mattick’s Farm, then moved downtown in 2008, and opened their Nanaimo office in 2014.

Their portfolio is full of careful, hard work that is easy to overlook, even for long-time residents — we are all guilty of not looking up. But you’ve probably passed by or visited many of their buildings, subtle in their appearance.

In Victoria, the International Marina, Herald Street Brew Works, the Victoria Distillers and the GAIN Group of car dealerships are a few businesses whose buildings were designed by dHKa, and the firm’s master planning includes sites like the Royal BC Museum and the Selkirk waterfront.

Diversifying the Portfolio With the needs of the island constantly shifting, dHKa must continuously innovate while keeping on top of the rules and regulations for every project.

“There are no standard details,” Kierulf says from dHKa’s

Victoria office on Fort Street. “We literally remake the mould every time we do a project.

It kind of kills us sometimes,” he laughs. “But every project is unique on all levels.”

The firm has worked on all kinds of projects over the years and holds a diversity of designs in its portfolio. Currently, dHKa is deeply invested in multi-family and senior residential projects, with an intense focus on affordable housing. As the sky-high real estate prices on Vancouver Island continue to increase, dHKa finds itself, like other architectural firms, busily engaged in the affordable housing sector. What used to be almost zero projects has increased to roughly 40 per cent of all projects on the books.

“It’s become a segment of the industry that you can’t ignore,” says partner Glenn Hill, who heads up the Nanaimo office. “Five to seven years ago, we didn’t do any BC Housing projects. And there weren’t that many to go around. Now it’s the complete opposite.”

It’s interesting work, and it confers a good feeling, says Kierulf’s other Victoria-based partner Rob Whetter: “Our work is inherently satisfying. That’s why we do it. But … at the end of the day, these projects are good for society.”

With vacancy rates hovering around one per cent in recent years, Victoria is far below healthy rates, which should range from three

A rendering of Caledonia, an affordable housing development recently approved for Victoria’s Fernwood community. With expected completion in 2024, the project will create 156 new affordable housing family units across five separate buildings. Site design includes pedestrian pathways and gardens, with most parking and driveways located underground.

“People tend not to notice good architecture. And that's a sign of good architecture: that it doesn't stand out in a crazy way or an ugly way or whatever word you want to use.

Good architecture just is, and somehow supports or enhances somebody's experience.”

—Charles Kierulf

to five per cent. The City defines affordable housing as: “Housing where the price does not exceed 30 per cent of the gross annual household income for very low income to moderate income households.”

Working with both private and non-profit sectors, BC Housing develops, manages and administers a wide range of subsidized housing.

In 2020-21, contributions included 1,197 new affordable housing options to rent and own; rent assistance in the private market for 36,432 households; and 41,452 new independent social housing units.

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While part of the firm’s expansion is due to the growth of the affordable housing sector, it’s also because they’ve got the collective intelligence to steer complex undertakings that involve a lot of people, ideas and parameters.

“These projects are inherently quite large and complex, with big teams that require a lot of collaboration and teamwork,” Whetter says.

“These big projects are highly technical with many different inputs and green aspects and licensing and regulatory variables that all have to be blended together very well for the projects to succeed.”

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People-First Approach However satisfying a project may be for the architect designing it, the foremost consideration is how the space will be used and who is using it or living in it.

“To do them justice and to do them well, you have to pay attention to the ultimate resident,” Kierulf says. “You want people to feel at home.”

The company’s unwavering focus on how a space will be enjoyed by its residents shapes how they craft each project. The famous phrase in the industry is “form follows function,” but non-architects might be surprised that this often doesn’t refer to esthetics.

As Kierulf explains, it’s not about interior design or big-picture ideas — it’s about details so small you’d never consciously think about them. “It’s about making sure that the proportions of the windows to the walls, to the rest of the building are correct, so that you know that those units will be filled with light.”

“It’s not about whether the blinds come down when you clap your hands,” Whetter adds. “It’s about [if] the space [is] good to be used for what it’s intended.

“You really have to approach it with flexibility and collaborative spirit,” says Whetter, who emphasizes the firm’s commitment to listening to and taking on board the requests of multiple stakeholders — a recurring characteristic of dHKa’s large-scale architectural projects.

DOUGLAS 65

We tend to idealize the image of architects: sitting in front of a slanted table, blue pencil poised thoughtfully over a slab of clean white paper, gazing into the middle distance as they prepare to capture their elaborate structural fantasy in a series of boldly drawn lines.

But Kierulf says it’s really not about the pretty pictures.

“We’re essentially a combination of CEO, politician, advocate — those are the hats that we wear. And if we get to draw a pretty picture along the way, it’s a bonus,” says Kierulf.

A Blueprint for the Future

A rendering of 937 View Street, Victoria, currently in the development-permit application phase with the City’s planning department. The 19-storey tower will create 266 market rental suites with additional coworking spaces, a streetfront patio, roof-level amenity spaces, 290 secure bike parking spaces for tenants and another 27 for guests.

With a recent and significant shift in its partnership structure, dHKa is once again stepping into the unknown, but with full faith in the people who are leading the firm.

Last November, cofounder Peter de Hoog stepped back, as Whetter and Hill stepped forward into partnership roles. Hill and Whetter are no strangers to dHKa; however, having been part of the team for seven and eight years, respectively.

Choosing the right people for partnership roles aren’t easy decision, but sometimes the right people happen to be in the right place at the exact time you need them. Back in 2013, dHKa had little to no presence up-island.

“We looked at the Nanaimo market and [knew that] it’s underserved architecturally,” says Kierulf. “The fundamentals are all there for Nanaimo to be a booming place.”

While looking into opening an additional office, Kierulf and de Hoog were introduced to Hill through an engineering associate.

Hill, running his own consulting firm out of Nanaimo at the time, was just beginning to realize that he had grown what he was doing in Nanaimo to a point where he needed more help.

So the three of them got together to discuss the future of dHKa. “We convinced [him] to roll his new lab and dHKa together and open the Nanaimo office,” says Kierulf. “He’s basically been up there managing the Nanaimo office since 2013.”

Though the two offices work on similar projects, each city has a completely different feel.

“Victoria, as a kind of a well-established urban centre on the Island, has its own vibe,” Hill says. “Nanaimo is certainly a different city.

It’s a city that struggles with its infrastructure because it’s so elongated, but Nanaimo is in a construction boom right now. There’s projects happening everywhere.”

Nanaimo was the fastest-growing

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metropolitan area on Vancouver Island and one of the top five fastest-growing cities in Canada over the past five years. With a population that reached 99,863 in 2021, the City of Nanaimo estimates its average growth rate over the next five years will be 1.5 per cent annually.

Despite Nanaimo’s logistical challenges, Hill’s pride in dHKa’s buildings and projects — that include the Snuneymuxw First Nation Community Centre, Chapel Street multi-family residential building and the BCAA Auto Service Centre — in the harbour city is evident.

“I think they are unique. I think they speak to a sort of resident form and character, flavour, style — whatever you want to call it,” says Hill. “That happens as part of our team collaboration.”

Adding two partners at the same time was an unconventional choice, but ultimately the right choice for dHKa, and one that was engineered to evolve over time.

“Peter and Charles let us kind of free up the reins a little bit to step into this role, which is what Rob and I had been doing for … as long as we’ve been with the company,” Hill says. “There’s been a goal for me to grow, expand, build the relationships, seek out the opportunities and bring them into the office.

So, becoming partner … it’s almost like a legitimization of the commitment that Charles and Peter had from me. The expectation was there that: work hard, let’s be excited about what we’re doing and when it all fits into place, there’ll be that shift.”

While being an executive leader — a CEO, say — is different from being an employee, partnership is a different animal altogether: you’ve got skin in the game now, and suddenly you’re deeply responsible for your organization’s direction. “[It’s] a lot of work,” Kierulf says. “And a lot of responsibility.”

With its commitment to collaboration and team building, dHKa has prevailed through economic shocks to not only grow, but flourish.

As Hill remarks, “It has been about that commitment to the people that are the firm” that creates dHKa’s quality work. The focus on a human-driven approach — whether it be in a design or within the office — is critical, “because without the energy, the efforts, the creativity and the technical capacity of our team, we’d be at a loss.”

Commitment to its people shapes the very fabric of this company, and by proxy helps shape the future of architecture on the South Island.

“It’s the commitment that we have to one another,” Hill says, “and certainly the commitment that Rob and I, and Charles and I have, to ensure that this next chapter of dHKa is every bit as successful and pleasurable to be at as possible.” 

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DOUGLAS 67

INTEL

BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

LEADERSHIP

BY PIERS HENWOOD

We Can Work It Out The creative and conflicted relationship between John Lennon and Paul McCartney provides an important lesson for business leaders in recognizing the complementary value of different personality types.

DOM SLIKE/ALAMY

Amidst the personality conflicts and debates about their future, The Beatles still proved they could have raucous fun.

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n the music business, “Who’s your favourite Beatle?” is a surefire cocktail party conversation starter. In light of the revelatory new documentary Get Back, perhaps the more interesting question for creatives and entrepreneurs is: “Which Beatle do you most resemble?”

While watching intimate footage of John Lennon and Paul McCartney collaborating during rehearsal and recording sessions in January 1969, I found myself examining my own traits when I’ve navigated creative projects, and, in turn I asked myself a simple question: Am I John or Paul?

My purpose in this inquiry isn’t to debate historical details about the band’s eventual breakup, freshly chronicled in director Peter Jackson’s seven-hour epic about the making of the Let it Be album.

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Rather, it is to look at each member as an archetype whose personality might provide insights into our own challenges when conflicts arise between creative and business professionals. If the greatest band in the world could break up at their creative peak, what lessons can we gather that might bring together other groups of divergent personalities who share a common mission — be it creative, entrepreneurial or otherwise?

The definition of an archetype is: “A very typical example of a certain person or thing.” The Get Back documentary paints the most detailed personality picture of the Beatles ever, and, in doing so, shows how an understanding of two creative archetypes can provide useful guidance, especially for cofounders and business partners.

“If the greatest band in the world could break up at their creative peak, what lessons can we gather that might bond together other groups of divergent personalities who share a common mission?”

John and Paul were perfect creative foils as the Beatles’ two principal songwriters and leaders. In this later Beatles era, Paul’s songwriting embraced the pop mainstream, with its majestic melodies and concrete lyrics (e.g. The Long And Winding Road).

John’s songwriting tended away from the mainstream while deftly remaining accessible, with its unique melodic structures and abstract lyrics (e.g. Across the Universe).

Think of it this way — a Paul song was written to be liked, while a John song challenged you to like it. My supposition, confirmed by the Get Back documentary, is that these songwriting characteristics stemmed from their personality archetypes.

Paul — originally dubbed “the cute Beatle” — wants to be liked. He’s the diplomat. He seeks approval and focuses on progress.

He worries about schedules, deadlines and completion. In rehearsal, he preaches discipline. He arrives on time. He attempts to set a vision, albeit sometimes unclear even in his own mind. He hangs on tight, both literally and metaphorically, trying to keep the machine working.

John — originally dubbed “the smart Beatle” — challenges you to like him. He’s committed in a different way. He likes to explore, keeps his options open and doesn’t worry much about the clock. As a wealthy rock star in the late 60s, the writer of Revolution may not truly be a revolutionary, but he certainly seems to care less about popularity. He visibly asserts his individuality and shows irreverence toward authority.

With late arrivals to rehearsal and less rigid discipline, he doesn’t try to preordain outcomes. He embodies indelible charm and wisdom, followed by apparent disdain.

From Band to Boardroom

Paul is obsessed with convergence (decisions, deliverables) while John gravitates toward divergence (explorations, options). Author David Perell has written about this concept as a helpful colloquial abstraction that he calls beer mode (divergence) versus coffee mode (convergence).

“Beer mode is a state of unfocused play where you discover new ideas,” says Perell.

“In contrast, coffee mode is a state of focus where you work toward a specific outcome.”

Paul is constantly in coffee mode whereas John is frequently in beer mode.

While there are notable exceptions (witness the incredible sequence when Paul is beginning to write what would become the song Get Back in front of a disinterested George Harrison and Ringo Starr), herein lies a key source of conflict. As dual leaders, Paul and John’s personalities are complementary in the good times, but susceptible to disagreement during pressurized times. The core lesson of what’s sometimes missing is

conscious empathy toward each other, and recognition of the complementary value of their different archetypes.

Paul’s obsession with progress is justified, based on the band’s lofty goal of writing and recording the Let it Be album within one month, and filming a live performance to boot. The positive side of his focus on convergence is that he ensures things get done — an essential personality trait amid the vagaries of the creative process.

The negative side is that he sometimes becomes an irritant to his partners, a quasi taskmaster. Just the personality John reacts against.

John’s more disengaged, laissezfaire attitude is justified based on the importance of a relaxed flow state in creative endeavours, when progress and morale can’t be reduced to lists of to-do’s. Creating new things from thin air — be it songs or transformative business ideas — requires space, reflection and even serendipity. The positive side of John’s orientation toward divergence is that he arrives at incredibly unique creative places, and seems to embody a deep conviction that things will work out in the end — also an essential ingredient in any amorphous creative process. The negative side is that he makes others feel like he doesn’t care as much, asserting his individuality to remind Paul he has other priorities besides the Beatles.

Applying the John/Paul Lens

Amid these personality conflicts and debates about their future, the Beatles still proved they could have raucous fun. Perhaps the most surprising element of Get Back for Beatles historians is how much laughter and camaraderie was still shared by the band members, even on the precipice of breaking up. There’s a whole other lesson here.

The John and Paul archetypes are common and instructive. Although simplified for this short examination, you likely recognize elements of their personalities in yourself and others. This lens can explain why cofounders with an incredible track record might no longer see eye to eye on operational questions.

So whether you’re facing friction in a band or a boardroom, take solace that the source of your angst might be a very human collaborator who shares traits with one of the greatest rock stars of all time. And then ask yourself what archetype you represent in the conflicted process — are you John or Paul? 

Piers Henwood is a Grammy and Junonominated manager and musician. Past and present clients include Bedouin Soundclash, Tegan and Sara, Luca Fogale, The Librarian, and his own bands Astrocolor and Jets Overhead.

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ENTREPRENEUR

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70 DOUGLAS

BY CLEMENS RETTICH

Survive or Thrive?

Companies who came through the pandemic stronger than ever will need to dig deep and ask themselves how to make the most of their success.

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or some organizations, the pandemic has been a time of record growth, sales and innovation. They are finding themselves in a “last one standing” scenario: they grew while competitors collapsed, leaving them in a much less crowded market than they operated in 2019.

Others found forays into online retail, lifted them far above expectations.

If you lead one of these organizations, what’s next? How do we sustain these achievements?

Survive: Reward hard work with more hard work — busyness over value creation.

thriving. Celebrate the people who got you here: your employees, customers and suppliers.

Celebration and gratitude help us dig deep for what is still to come. Because there is more to come.

And while you are eating that cake together, talk. Talk about what tomorrow might bring; about the risks and opportunities that lie ahead. Celebrate your wins and explore opportunities for improvement.

Survive: Be a getter. Show your colours by offering signing bonuses and steep newmember discounts.

Thrive: Reward hard work with celebrations that fuel those reflections, which can transform.

Dance with Them That Brought Ya

Most of the pandemic’s business success stories would not have been possible without the employees who showed up, even if it was in pajama bottoms.

Suffice to say, we’ve asked a lot of those employees.

Talent is the most Have Your Cake important and most A lot of experts might tell challenging competitive “Celebrate you to fill in the blank with advantage in the market. some business growth that you are Successful organizations jargon, probably using the are going to have to still here word “hustle,” Not here. Sit respond if they want to down, take a breath. Have and thriving. sustain that success. An some cake.

Celebrate the employer that can’t attract, The first thing to do if people who got retain and maximize the you find yourself in this value of employees, is fortunate place: nothing. you here: your going to fail.

It’s time to pause, Sustaining success employees, reflect and celebrate. Your means a complete people are exhausted and customers and rethink of the employee uncertain, and probably you experience. From suppliers.” are too. The world around recruiting and onboarding us is still going through practices to compensation, unprecedented convulsions communication, workplace having experienced in flexibility, learning and development, and everything from social upheaval to supply advancement, no stone should be left chain meltdowns. unturned.

Celebrate that you are still here and

Survive or Thrive?

How you react to winning this round sets the stage for what happens next. You will survive, or you may thrive. It is a little bit like the difference between playing not to lose versus playing to win.

Thrive: Be a keeper. Invest in relationships and show your colours by recognizing you didn’t win by yourself. The lovely irony? High retention, low churn businesses are where everyone wants to work and shop.

Listen Harder

In these increasingly VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) times, great communication is the most important element of employee engagement. Planning matters, but great communication will save you when a plan fails you.

If communication is the heart of culture, listening is the heart of communication.

Leaders and managers continue to confuse messaging with communication. If you aren’t listening, you aren’t communicating. Survive: Tell people what to do. You don’t have to explain yourself — it’s your business. Thrive: Make it safe for your people to ask you to explain yourself — it’s our business.

Rethink the Givens

When we realized remote work was feasible, everything changed. To leverage this realization, we have to get beyond “working from home versus working at work.” Flexibility is about integrating three factors: the value of the work, the role of the employee in creating that value and how we measure that value.

We have to get past paying for the simple “meat factors”: body in building, bum in seat, hands on tools. We have to figure out how to measure and pay for the value created, not just the hours put in. This will drive a new relationship with how and where work gets done. If we can commit to that rethinking, it will help us realize one of the most important transformations the pandemic has made possible. Survive: Stick with using time as the value you measure and pay by. Thrive: Rethink everything. What are your customers really paying for? Find ways to pay for the creation of that value, not the time it took to create it.

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Your best ROI in technology investment will come from three areas: communication, analytics (especially about the state of your people and your customers) and process automation (robotic or human workflow). Survive: Make cost control the priority (because things could get worse). Thrive: Make investing in innovation and people the priority. Whether things improve or get worse, it is still innovation and our people that will ensure that we continue to thrive. 

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DOUGLAS 71

LEADERSHIP

BY INGRID VAUGHAN

How “Human” Is Your Workforce?

Building a human-centred workforce can lead to long-term employee retention and is an attractive proposition in a competitive labour market.

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usinesses in Canada are facing the biggest talent crisis since the 2008 recession. Unlike then, people are no longer competing for jobs; companies are competing for people.

Workhuman, a significant player in the field of employee recognition, conducted a poll of more than 3,500 workers in the U.S., U.K. and Canada about how employees’ connect to their jobs and companies, and what’s on the horizon.

Results showed that more than 40 per cent of workers will be looking for new jobs in the next year, with greater flexibility a primary motivation for 40 per cent of those leavers. Interesting to note, working parents pose the greatest flight risk. Burnout is a huge factor, with 64 per cent of workers suffering, and 41 per cent pointing to the specific impact of the last two years on their stress levels.

These are sobering statistics. Businesses will need to come to terms with how they will approach this massive shift in the employment landscape. While this includes a priority focus on retention, it is equally important for companies to understand what will draw employees to them as an employer of choice in a competitive labour market.

What are Employees Looking For?

In their recent book, Making Work Human: How Human-Centred Companies are Changing the Future of Work and the World, authors Eric Mosley and Derek Irvine talk about the future of work as “human,” and “the new community.” By creating connections, they say, we can “restore humanity in the workplace.”

We are moving from a data-driven era to one where human connection will trump everything else.

“As we emerge from the social isolation of the last few years, we must recognize the economic impact of loneliness is staggering,” say Mosley and Irvine. “Cultures of support, inclusion, transparency and trustworthiness attract talent that is longing for psychological safety and belonging.”

Current research on workforce trends affirm the concept that people are looking 72 DOUGLAS

for more than jobs — they are seeking connection and want to work for companies that apply a more whole-person approach to employment.

Here are the elements of a “humancentred” workplace.

Build Connections and Community

“Community creates belonging,” says Dede Henley, principal of Henley Leadership Group, “and belonging can motivate members to elevate their performance and dedication to what they care about most.

Isolation, by contrast, creates hopelessness.

We can’t impact the complexities we’re facing today alone.”

The idea that people can find their “tribe” — friendships, collaboration and a sense of belonging — at work is immensely attractive, especially now. People who feel they belong to a community work harder and better for each other. Human-centred workplaces create opportunities for a community to emerge and grow.

Invite Whole People to Work

There was a time when work was work and home was home, and the two were quite separate. In the current climate, however, people bring their whole selves (including what’s happening at home) to work. Being able to celebrate personal milestones such as birthdays, marriages, babies, educational accomplishments and other important life events at work creates a sense of community that many workers are craving. Pets are showing up at work, kids are moving in and out of Zoom screens, work colleagues are being invited to personal celebrations.

The line between personal and work is dissipating, and a whole life approach in the workplace is what’s desired.

People also want to be real with their leaders without fear of job repercussions.

They want to be able to talk about their needs for well-being, home-life and personal struggles that impact how they are showing up at work. Employers need to adapt to this changing expectation with flexibility and with strategies to support team members when they need it.

Create Meaningful Work

People want to know that what they contribute day-to-day at work matters. If meaning is missing from their work, a critical engagement factor is affected, leading to turnover. For employers, this means making sure the team is connected to the company’s mission, purpose and values, more than ever before, and helping employees see how their specific contributions are connected to the big picture. When recruiting, it means taking the time to find that value-match: what lights up the individual should be in line with the motivations of the organization and the specific role.

Prioritize Recognition and Feedback

Individuals want to see their contributions recognized and valued by their employers.

Recognition is important at all levels — from both a company’s leader and peers.

The rising popularity of peer recognition software underscores employees’ needs to know their efforts are being noticed and acknowledged. Recognition is also connected to building community: people flourish when they are recognized and when they have opportunities to recognize others. Gratitude and appreciation are game changers for human-centred work environments.

Embrace Vulnerability

Researcher, author and leadership expert, Brené Brown, has championed vulnerability — “the emotion we experience during times of uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure” — as a key factor in creating healthy

“People who feel they belong to a community work harder and better for each other. Humancentred workplaces create opportunities for a community to emerge and grow.”

EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE: MEANING LEADS TO POSITIVITY Meaningful work is the largest contributor to a positive employee experience.

Work-Life Balance

Meaningful Work

Organizational Trust

Feedback Recognition and Growth

Coworker Relationships

Empowerment and Voice

organizations for over 20 years.

Over the last two years, it has felt impossible to bottle up our feelings of uncertainty, risk and exposure; put them on a shelf; and go to work.

Leaders who embrace vulnerability and bring their authentic selves to work create a space for others to do the same and build trust in their teams, which is a precursor to success.

Brown’s research shows a tangible connection between vulnerability within organizations and business success.

Business is changing at a speed we could never have imagined a decade ago. We are living in a constant state of disruption, and the ever-increasing pace requires every organization to constantly adapt. As a society, we are not what we were prior to 2020.

If we are to be successful in the next evolution of the workplace, we must consider how we have changed, and how we will adapt. Considering how your business can become more “human,” may be the next step. 

Ingrid Vaughan, principal of Smart HR and founder of the Smart Leadership Academy, provides HR support and leadership coaching to small business owners and managers.

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POINT OF VIEW

THE INDIGENOUS LENS Lawrence Lewis is the CEO and founder of OneFeather Mobile Technologies, a digital platform serving over 230 First Nations across the country, by providing access to dedicated Indigenous banking solutions, online status card renewals and digital voting.

Indigenous people are the only regulated population in the country who have certain rights, entitlements and benefits held in trust by Canada. OneFeather’s technology removes barriers that exist between the interface with government and institutions, such as racism, institutional biases and antiquated systems.

By celebrating and empowering digital Indigenous sovereign identity, Lewis and OneFeather are, as he puts it “thought leaders, redefining the narrative around what Indigenous identity looks like.”

How do you describe your Indigenous lens?

As Indigenous persons, the work that we do, whether it’s cultural work or business work or community work, tends to be grounded via our Indigenous lens and our shared lived experience. It’s also grounded in the values and principles [of a Potlatch or traditional practice perspective] of leaving more on the table when you leave than when you arrive, which means that your net impact is always to the benefit of who you’re engaged and doing work with. That’s a pretty big position, in terms of how the modern world works, with wealth being measured by what you keep — we come at it from a totally different perspective. In the work that we do, it’s just really, really important that we’re adding value both quantifiably but also in ways that simply lift our people up.

What does this mean for business?

We are a for-profit business. We have investors that expect a certain return on their investment. But I think we’re in this kind of sweet spot right now, where digital technology has really caught up with and is allowing us to do business in this new Indigenous way. There is an alignment, now which allows us to do business this way — we couldn’t have operated this way a decade ago.

We’ve been doing it all along. We are positioning OneFeather, as an Indigenous company, to take ownership of this digital space and drive the conversation to determine what’s appropriate and what’s not.

It’s only in the last half of the year that we’ve used that term reconciliACTION — being aware that we were taking ownership of this space and driving it from that Indigenous perspective, as opposed to waiting for Google or Amazon or Facebook, or somebody else to define that for us. ReconciliACTION is really about owning that space where you work and play and do what you’re going to do, and making sure that it aligns with our Indigenous values and principles.

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JEFFREY BOSDET/DOUGLAS MAGAZINE

What is reconciliACTION?

C O P Y H B A S I C S I F U R N I T U S S J O U R N A L S T E C H N A P R I N T I N N A M A I B C O N T L N S E K .

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