APRIL 28, THE FAIRMONT HOTEL VANCOUVER - The ...
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
APRIL 28, THE FAIRMONT 2022 HOTEL VANCOUVER
T HE ODLUM BR OWN F ORUM PI TCH FI N ALE 3
M E S S AGE FR OM T HE AC T IVAT ION
C OM M I T T EE AN D CO - CHAIR S
As the Co-Chairs of The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch Finale, Brooks and Shaina Azad. We could not have done it without
we are thrilled to welcome you to the 20th annual “Event you! Finally, thank you to the dedicated team at CountDown
of the Year.” We were so honoured to have welcomed over Events, who have worked with us on this event for over 15
2000 virtual attendees last year. Now, as a growing national years now.
organization we are once again thrilled to be able to welcome
a virtual audience AND also be here with you in person, as we Your generosity and support will help us reach more women
come together in community to honour women entrepreneurs across the country with the knowledge, confidence and
and recognize 20 years of impact by The Forum. Tonight, we support they need to take their businesses to the next level.
celebrate another important year of educating, mentoring and Thank you for your commitment to The Forum, and we wish
celebrating wildly successful women entrepreneurs. you an evening of SERIOUS fun.
Now in its sixth year, The Forum Pitch Program has played a
vital role in helping women entrepreneurs across Canada gain
the knowledge, confidence and support they need to take
their businesses to the next level. The success and reach of
the program has grown tremendously, receiving over
313 business applications this year, from across the country.
This evening you will hear from our Finalists, Founder
Gayla DeHart Ravy Mehroke
Ashwaq Al-Hashedi (INViCARE), Co-Founders Brianna Blaney
Gayla DeHart Family Bombay Beauty
& Aria Hahn (Pocketed), and Co-Founders Yasemin Emory Business Advising Company
& Whitney Geller (Jems) as they pitch to win this year’s
$25,000 prize.
An evening like this would not be possible without many
helping hands. We are beyond grateful for the support of our
Activation Committee, The Forum Team & Board of Directors,
sponsors, event partners, volunteers, and attendees here
tonight. A special thank you to our Finalist Mentors, Amielle
Lake, Leah Nguyen & Ali Pejman, and Champions, Judy
4
T HANK YOU
AC T I VAT I ON C OM M IT T EE
CO-CHAIR CO-CHAIR
Gayla DeHart Ravy Mehroke
Gayla DeHart Family Bombay Beauty
Business Advising Company
Amelia Thorn Amy Carruthers Christina Brown Jenny De Jong
Ancient Nutrition Fasken Forum Committee Member CountDown Events
Mike McKee Soha Lavin Tara Clark
JAK’s Beer, Wine CountDown Events Social T.
& Spirits
T HE ODLUM BR OWN F ORUM PI TCH FI N ALE 5
M E S S AGE FR OM CE O
+ BOARD CH AI R
The strength of a community is exemplified by how its Your participation tonight will fuel the next 20 years of The
members show up for one another during times of triumph Forum, enabling us to impact even more entrepreneurs to
and times of challenge, and The Forum community has shown bring their visions to life, one business at a time. Together,
that it is stronger than ever. Last year, you joined us virtually we are transforming communities and shifting the economic
to show up for Canadian women entrepreneurs and this year opportunities for women across Canada
once again you are ready to show your support from all across
the country. From the comfort of your home or from inside
the ballroom, you are here with us, joining us in our work of
supporting women to be wildly successful.
On behalf of The Forum Board of Directors and the Team:
THANK YOU
Paulina Cameron Val Litwin
As we celebrate 20 years of The Forum’s impact tonight, The Forum CEO The Forum Board Chair
we will be taking time to recognize the legacy founders and
champions, whose ongoing contributions have propelled
our growth to date, including our magnanimous founder,
Christina Anthony, this year’s co-chairs Gayla DeHart and
Ravy Mehroke, the dedicated Activation Committee, our
loyal event partners: CountDown Events, Rich&Jay Produc-
tions, Proshow; and, the most passionately dedicated Forum
Team. It has truly taken an entire community of dedicated
and thoughtful people over the years to lift The Forum to the
height it sits at today.
6
PR O G R AM
IN PERSON
4:30 C O CK TAIL RE CEP T ION BR O UG HT TO
YO U BY ODLUM BR OWN
Welcome Reception and Virtual Silent Auction
5:15 T HE ODLUM BR OWN F ORUM PITCH F INAL E
Opening Remarks
Meet the Forum Pitch Champions and Moderators,
Judy Brooks and Shaina Azad, and hear our Finalists pitch:
Ashwaq Al-Hashedi of INViCARE Brianna Blaney & Aria Hahn Yasemin Emory & Whitney
(mentored by Amielle Lake of of Pocketed (mentored by Ali Geller of Jems (mentored by
CarboNet) Pejman of Fort Capital Partners) Leah Nguyen of InBC)
6:0 5 DINNER SER VICE // L I VE AUC T ION
7:1 5 2 0T H ANNI VER S AR Y HONO UR S //
SUPP OR T AN ENT REPRENEUR //
T HE F ORUM PITCH WINNER ANNO UNCEMENT
7:30 DIAMOND DR AW CLOSE S // Disclaimer: This event is being videotaped and
MUSIC AL PERF ORMANCE F R OM JIL L B ARBER photographed for The Forum. By attending this
event you are granting The Forum the right for
8:00 T WIL IG HT LO UNG E you to appear in any program made or edited
from the event, including any excerpts, publicity
and promotional use of the program. You are
9:00 SIL ENT AUC T ION CLOSE S also waiving payment for your appearance.
T HE ODLUM BR OWN F ORUM PI TCH FI N ALE 7
PR O G R AM
VIRTUAL SHOW
6:00 PM PDT | T HE ODLUM BR OWN F ORUM
9:00 PM EDT PITCH F INAL E
Meet the Finalists and Mentors and hear
their pitches // Virtual Silent Auction
7:15 PM PDT | S T RE AMING L I VE F R OM T HE FAIRMONT
10 :15 PM EDT HOT EL VANC O UVER
Join the live stream for the live vote of
who will take home $25,000, and the final
announcement of the 2021 2022 The Forum MY WORD:
Pitch program winner
CON N ECT ION
And to many things, but
most importantly to other
women entrepreneurs
who are likely facing
the same challenges you
are. I always tell other
entrepreneurs to get
involved, it was a great
experience. Invaluable.
KEN DA HAG A, M I M I & MA RGE
E-S ER I ES G R ADUAT E, 2004
8
AUC T IONEER
PAUL FLORE Z-TAYLOR
Paul Florez-Taylor is Head
Auctioneer at HUNT Auctioneers
and a graduate of Worldwide
College of Auctioneering.
His affable and extroverted
personality creates an authentic
and exciting atmosphere—which
HOS T has helped shatter fundraising goals at black-tie events. Paul is a
SONIA MANG AT widely published author, and has held positions at Marvel, Alyson
Books, Hachette and HarperCollins. He enjoys fencing.
Originally from Vancouver, BC, Sonia recently made
the move to Toronto, ON to join Canada’s #1 enter-
tainment show, eTalk, as a host. She is also a co-an-
chor on CTV’s national morning show, Your Morning.
ENT ER TAINMENT
With past experience in reporting on daily news,
JILL B ARBER
traffic, community stories, fashion, and entertain-
ment, Sonia is incredibly versatile and experienced at
speaking to a range of subject areas. Jill Barber is a three-time Juno
Award nominated singer-song-
Being a full-time single mom with a demanding writer with an unforgettable voice
career in broadcasting, Sonia finds her passion and once heard, never forgotten.
creative outlet in flowers and the small floral design Her critically acclaimed repertoire
company she founded: Fleurs J’adore. Here you will spans a transformative spectrum
find everything flowers, carefully curated by Sonia from folk, to vocal jazz, to pop,
with one purpose, to bring joy into the lives of others. and includes songs in both French
With an eye for detail and passion for florals, Sonia and English. Jill’s music has garnered over 100 million streams
hopes to continue growing Fleurs J’Adore and inspire across the world, has earned her 3 Juno Award nominations as well
other women to become entrepreneurs or follow as being named the Sirius XM Jazz Artist of the Year and winning
their passions to create a side hustle. the East Coast Music Award for Album of the Year.
is proud to
sponsor
P O RT T HE F O RU M
The Odlum
SUP
Brown Forum
, AN
TO D
UD W
O O
IS
PR M
EN Pitch Finale.
L
S
E
ER
www.beedie.ca
A
D
N
ER
RT
S
PA
OF
H
WT
TH
E F
RO
UT UR
LY R A G
E.
lyragrowth.com
Your success is our priority.
Collaboration. Partnership. Achievement.
Congratulations to the winner of this year’s Odlum Brown Forum
Pitch Finale – and to The Forum on celebrating twenty years of
helping women entrepreneurs achieve their dreams.
10
CH AM PI ONS
JUDY BR O OK S SHAINA A Z AD
Entrepreneur Founder & CEO, SUVA Beauty
Cosmetics
Emotional wisdom guides Judy Brooks’ business Since SUVA Beauty’s beginnings, Shaina aimed to
acumen and reputation for strategically building inter- create a brand that represented her cosmetic artistry
national businesses, fiscally responsible companies, and personal style. By the time SUVA Beauty kicked
dynamic teams, and impressive brands and cultures; off in 2015, Shaina already had years of experience
from co-founding the global conflict management under her belt. She studied International Relations
company, Proactive Resolutions, to launching-grow- and Foreign Policy Making in university and her expe-
ing-and-exiting the global franchise phenomenon of rience (in Canada and Egypt) includes: teaching, jour-
Blo Blow Dry Bar. Most recently, as Executive Chair, nalism, marketing, consulting, NPO work, and TV/ Film
she helped guide food category disrupter, Smart makeup artistry. Shaina’s multi-faceted background
Sweets, to an acclaimed transaction, and be awarded gave her the upper hand in building a business from
“the deal of the year” in Canada. the ground up. Through SUVA Beauty, Shaina realized
Judy finds energy and excitement in mentoring and the greater philanthropic impact she could have on
for 16 years, served as CEO, Board Member, and then the causes she cared about, and as such the Rainbow
Chair of The Forum. She has served or advised on Relief initiative was established as a way to continu-
numerous private, public, and not-for-profit Boards ously give back to communities in need.
and has received awards and accolades for her influ-
ence in business, mentorship, and leadership.
But as Judy would say it is not what you have done but
who you are.T HE ODLUM BR OWN F ORUM PI TCH FI N ALE 11
M EN TOR S
ALI PE JMAN LE AH NG U YEN AMIELLE L AKE
Supporting Pocketed Supporting Jems Supporting INViCARE
Managing Partner, Chief Investment Officer, Co-Founder and Chief
Fort Capital Partners InBC Investment Corporation Commercial Officer, CarboNet
Ali is a Managing Partner at Fort Capital Leah is the Chief Investment Officer Amielle Lake is a serial entrepreneur
Partners, a boutique investment bank, (CIO) at InBC, the Crown corporation and published author. She founded her
with over 20 years experience as an responsible for a $500-million strategic first company at the age of 26 and sold
investment banker. Since joining Fort investment fund that will help B.C.- it 9 years later. In 2019, she co-founded
in 2016, his team has been involved in based businesses grow and diversify CarboNet Water treatment and heads
over $20 Billion in M&A transactions. the economy. She will set the vision up the commercialization of its game-
Ali is Fellow of Chartered Accountants. for and execute InBC’s investment changing water treatment technology.
He is an active angel investor and strategy, delivering on InBC’s triple Amielle has been a long-time advo-
has deep philanthropic involvement bottom line mandate. Previously, Leah cate of women in business and acts
including VGH Foundation, Transit was an Investment Director with the as a mentor to numerous women-led
Police, Science World and Children’s TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good, a businesses. In addition, she became
Hospital. $100M corporate impact fund where a founding General Partner of the
she built a portfolio of purpose driven, Women’s Equity Lab, and is currently
for-profit funds and companies. a General Partner and Limited Partner
for the Vancouver chapter. Amielle
served on the Board of Directors for
The Forum for a decade.12
T HE F ORU M PI TCH COMMUNIT Y PANEL
Charmaine Crooks Genevieve Pinto
NGU Consultants Inc. Renewal Funds
Jennifer Francis Maryse Gingras T HE F O R UM PITCH
Capital Angel Network Futurpreneur ALUMNAE C O MMIT T EE
Alisha McFetridge Kate Swanson
RainStick Shower ENSEMBL
rainstickshower.com getensembl.com
Cassandra Hui Sonia Strobel
Heal Mary Skipper Otto
Technologies Inc. skipperotto.com
healmaryapp.com
Rhiannon Davies Shauna Frederic Connie Stacey
Sandpiper The Finance Cafe Growing Greener
Innovations Inc.
grengine.comT HE ODLUM BR OWN F ORUM PI TCH FI N ALE 13
T HE F ORU M PI TCH
SEM I-FI N ALIST MENTOR S
Anita Yang Kimberly Kaplan Nerissa Allen
International Financial Consulting Ltd. Snackthesnackapp.com Black Business Association of BC
i-financialconsulting.com blackbusinessbc.ca
Supported Pocketed
Supported Crafty Beasts Brewing Company Supported META Talent Agency
Kookai Chaimahawong
Upperstage Capital upperstage.capital
Éléonore Jarry Praveen Varshney
Supported Stellar Eats Inc.
Brightspark Ventures brightspark.com Varshney Capital Corp. varshneycapital.com
Supported Jems Supported AlgoBio Inc.
Kristi Miller
NPC Ventures npcventures.ca
Irene Dorsman Shannon Pestun
Supported Doodlebug Pet Food
Angel Forum and Women’s Equity Lab The Finance Cafe Ltd thefinancecafe.ca
womensequitylab.com
Supported SheNative Goods Inc.
Supported Marlow Melanie Ewan
Volition volitionadvisors.com
Joanna Buczkowska-McCumber Supported Kejic Productions
Ideas for Impact ideasforimpact.ca
Supported FILL - Vernon’s Refill Store
Katrina Carroll-Foster
Kollectively kollectively.io
Supported INViCARE
T HE F ORU M PI TCH PRE SENTAT ION COACH
Forward. Together.
Valerie Galvin Aritzia is proud to partner with The Forum to support
Stand & Deliver Performance Coaching the next generation of women entrepreneurs.
standanddeliver.ca14
ASHWAQ Finalist Mentor
Amielle Lake
I N V I C AR E .C A
@I N V I C AR E
AL-HASHEDI, Semi-Finalist Mentor
Katrina Carroll-Foster
INVICARE
INViCARE is a biotechnology start-up aiming to
develop innovative and patented biomaterials to
revolutionize dental implant care.
What has been your greatest challenge accessing capital? Accessing capital comes
with a lot of obstacles, but for female entrepreneurs who have been through this
road, one challenge that stands out is financing. As a Mideastern entrepreneur,
female and immigrant, the doors to accessing finance are not always wide open.
Another obstacle would be the layers of restrictions that banks have. Finally, the
market for such products like INViCARE is very niche in Quebec. This makes it
Dear Amielle, difficult to persuade investors to raise capital. Finally, meeting investors that aren’t
specialized in the dental implant has made it difficult to grasp the idea and product
I wanted to say thank you for
of INViCARE.
taking the time to meet with me
the last few weeks/months. You
Looking ahead, what is the growth opportunity for your company? Our plan is
are truly a wonderful person,
to grow fast. First, we are looking to expand our team which will include a VP of
leader and everything one could
look for in a good mentor. Business, HR Director and two technical experts. Market penetration is at the
It would be impossible to count forefront of this plan. Once our VP joins we will expand our market to not only
all the ways that you’ve helped Quebec but North America. So far, we have been FDA approved and we are a step
me during this journey. Thanks closer to where we want to be. The other streams of growth are through exploring
for being a good mentor and for
the other applications of our technology. INViCARE technology opens doors for
guiding me on how to present
markets beyond the dental applications such as bone regeneration, implant coating
the value of my technology,
improve the pitch and show the and drug delivery system.
product in an alluring way.
I will always be thankful to you, How did The Forum’s Pitch for the Purse Program impact you? The Forum Pitch
this program and the entire program has given me the confidence to pitch, share my company vision, and last
team that helped me during this but not least, the exposure. As a start-up, we strive to get all the help we can so we
period.
can succeed and this program has been very supportive. Thank you to all involved
in this. It also gives me the emotional support as a mother and entrepreneur by
Regards,
Ashwaq Al- Hashedi realizing that I am not alone and there are many other strong women and mothers
who are also successful entrepreneurs.T HE ODLUM BR OWN F ORUM PI TCH FI N ALE 15
BRIANNA BLANEY+ Finalist Mentor:
Ali Pejman
HEL LO P O CK E T ED.I O
@ HEL LO P O CK E T ED
ARIA HAHN, Semi-Finalist Mentor:
Kimberly Kaplan
POCKETED
Pocketed helps start-ups and small businesses across
North America easily access billions of dollars every
year in grants, tax credits and business incentive
programs with our intelligent matching platform
and managed marketplace.
What has been your greatest challenge accessing capital? Like many founders,
we thought that dilutive capital was the only route to funding our business. When
we learned that there is $5.9B in government funding available every year, we
realized there was another way – one that allowed us to keep more of our company.
Ali,
By leveraging $750K in grant funding, we were able to bootstrap Pocketed to
We hit the jackpot with you as a
product-market fit, achieving key milestones to drive a strong valuation for our
mentor. Your candor, insight, and equity financing round. With the support of our brilliant mentors, we closed an
pure style are second to none! As oversubscribed financing round in fall 2021 to accelerate our growth.
founders, we’re very close to our
business. You helped us zoom Looking ahead, what is the growth opportunity for your company? Government
out to see the bigger picture, funding is a pathway to our bigger vision: eliminating barriers for entrepreneurs.
celebrating the value Pocketed
Our platform is a lead generation tool, attracting a high volume of businesses to
creates for our users.
Pocketed. We earn our users’ trust by securing government money to help grow
Thank you for helping us weave
the story of Pocketed’s profit, their businesses through hiring, research and development, and export. Long-term,
impact, and potential as we we have opportunities to expand geographically and to eliminate even more barriers
continue to scale. We have a deep for our users, developing additional revenue streams to fuel their growth.
appreciation for your leadership
in the start-up ecosystem and How did The Forum’s Pitch for the Purse Program impact you? The Forum brought
your enthusiasm for what we’re us together a few years ago, and we have been building together ever since.
building. Entrepreneurship pres-
Mentorship has played an important role in our growth. We strive to be the dumbest
ents a continuous series of chal-
lenges. With your mentorship, we
people in the room by design - we intentionally hire, work with, and speak to people
will boldly face them all. who know more than us and provide their expertise all day, every day. Working with
Ali Pejman and The Forum mentors continues to benefit our business, far beyond
Let’s do this! this competition.
Brianna & Aria16
YASEMIN EMORY + Finalist Mentor:
Leah Nguyen
J EMSF O R AL L .C OM
@ J EMSF O R AL L
WHITNEY GELLER, Semi-Finalist Mentor:
Eleonore Jarry
JEMS
Jems condoms are made with intention; focusing
on clarity and simplicity and using only what’s
essential - because everyone should have access to
safer sex choices that fit who they are.
What has been your greatest challenge accessing capital? We were very surprised to
learn that, as a condom company, we’re ineligible from applying for certain business
loans and grants—due to the nature of our product. This, despite the fact that
condoms are an essential medical device for safer sex.
Dear Leah,
Looking ahead, what is the growth opportunity for your company? Jems is a condom
We are so grateful to have been
company that’s challenging a toxic industry – in terms of toxic ingredients, and a
paired with you for The Forum
Pitch. Your thought provoking
toxic mindset. Unlike many sexual wellness brands out there, we’re committed to
questions, valuable insights providing safer sex products to Gen Z, especially those who don’t currently see
and supportive advice made themselves represented in the market. With the condom industry expected to grow
a real impact on our pitch and to $17 billion by 2028, we want to fill the obvious gap.
helped shape the way we think
At the same time, we’re working to create a thriving community through our
and talk about our business.
sex education platform. We want our content to serve as a basic resource that
Thank you for being so generous
with your time and energy in brings young people together and showcases different voices and perspectives,
helping us work through and recognizing there’s no one way—or right way—to approach sex and relationships.
towards this exciting stage of We share this content broadly online and using social media so it reaches Gen Z
our business. Our conversations where they live.
with you prepared us for the
pitch process and we’re really How did The Forum’s Pitch for the Purse Program impact you? Putting together
appreciative to have had this
pitches and investor presentations is entirely new to us. We are so grateful to The
experience.
Forum team for having guided and supported us during an otherwise overwhelming
Very best, process. Furthermore, working alongside a truly inspirational group of founders in
Yasemin and Whitney the year’s Pitch program kept us motivated and energized. We couldn’t be more
thankful for this program.T HE ODLUM BR OWN F ORUM PI TCH FI N ALE 17
WHERE
ARE 2017 2018
THEY
Tara Bosch Nicole Smith
SmartSweets Flytographer
NOW
• 2,227,223,184 grams of sugar • Sold over $22 million in vacation
kicked since launched photo shoots across 6 continents
• Available in over 160,000 doors • Launched two new verticals during
with more confirmed every day pandemic: headshots and local
photo shoots
• 8 new product innovations,
with 3 more launching this year • Profitable and scaling fast again
with global travel rebounding
2019 2020 2021
Sonia Strobel Lynn Dargis Connie Stacey
Skipper Otto Community Farmbucks Growing Greener
Supported Fishery Innovations
• Welcomed 13 new • Grew user base by 3x • 2021: Alberta Chambers of
Indigenous harvesters Commerce 30th annual Alberta
• Canada’s largest database for
Business Awards of Distinction,
• Over 7,500 members across grain prices
Woman Entrepreneur Award
Canada
• 100% retained ownership
• 2021: SheEO winner
• Tripled revenue since 2019
• 2021: Globe & Mail Report on
Business Top 50 Changemakers18
SUPPORT AN $1500
ENTREPRENEUR SUPP O R T S A WO MAN EN T R EPR EN EUR
WI T H O N E YE AR O F PR O GR AMMI N G
T HR O U GH T HE F O R UM
The need for The Forum’s support continues to grow steadily across the
country. In the last 3 years, program participant numbers have grown
345% and The Forum is now serving +1,900 women, from 193 unique Join us in our work to
communities, across 11 provinces, annually through its programming.
LEAV E NO WOMA N
BEH I N D
As more women turn toward building businesses, The Forum sees
the need for its programming each season only rise:
FALL 202 1 WINT ER 202 1
• 88 registrants for The Forum E-Series • 74 registrants for The Forum Series for
presented by RBC Women Entrepreneurs in Tourism in partner-
• 363 applicants for The Forum Pitch ship with The Vancouver, Coast & Mountains
• 80 registrants for The Forum Financial Tourism Region, managed by Destination BC
Fundamentals • 520 registrants for The Forum Growth Series
• 87 registrants for The Forum Mental presented by Uber Canada
Health Resilience Program • 125 mentees registered for The Forum Mentor
• 95 mentees registered for The Forum Program presented by The Scotiabank
Mentor Program Women Initiative®
“Participating in The Forum’s Pitch program exceeded all of my expectations!
The Forum’s team were incredibly helpful and supportive, the mentors provided genuine and
valuable feedback and insights, but most of all I was amazed at the exposure we received. We
received more inquiries about our products and about investing in the company than we could
have ever anticipated. The finale was two months ago and we are still receiving inquiries!”
2 02 1 PI TCH W I N N E R: CO N N I E STAC E Y, G R OW I N G GR E E N E R I N N OVAT ION ST HE ODLUM BR OWN F ORUM PI TCH FI N ALE 19
LI V E AU C T I ON
DISC OVER T HE MAG IC OF T HE PACIF IC
NOR T H WE S T
DE S T INAT ION SUN Unwind with a cozy escape at Taku Resort
Enjoy a tranquil four night getaway at one of Mexico’s and Marina on beautiful Quadra Island, found
most luxurious resort hotels. With Mayan Palace just off the shore of Campbell River, resting
Resorts located in Mexico’s most popular travel among the Discovery Islands in BC. Includes
destinations, you can book your stay at any of the a roundtrip flight for two to Campbell River on
following locations: Nuevo Vallarta, Riviera Maya, Pacific Coastal Airlines. Stock up on your
and Puerto Peñasco. Includes a round trip flight for favourite beverages at JAKS Beer, Wine and
two with WestJet. Spirits before you go, with a $150 gift card.
VALUE : $4 600 VALUE : $2000
MONT E CRIS TO DIAMOND HO OP E ARRING S
Purchase a draw entry for $100, to be entered
for your chance to win a pair of 18K white gold
(8.4g) hoop earrings set with SI1/DF round
brilliant-cut diamonds (total weight 1.78cts),
designed and set in the Vancouver
workshop of Montecristo Jewellers.
Only 150 tickets available!
VALUE : $65 00
E X PLORE WINE C O UNT R Y
Rejuvenate while reconnecting with nature during
your stay at the Nest, at Quails’ Gate Winery. Take in LO O K I N G F O R T HE SI LEN T AU C T I O N ?
stunning panoramic views as you enjoy your wine and It is entirely virtual this year!
cheese tasting for 6. Scan this QR code or go to
givergy.ca/theforum2022 to
VALUE : $2000
bid on some amazing items.20
TAK E YOUR BUSI N E S S TO T HE
N E X T LE VEL WI T H T HE F ORUM
T HE F ORUM E-SERIE S PRE SENT ED BY RBC T HE F ORUM MENTOR PR O G R AM PRE SENT ED BY
T HE SC OT IAB ANK WOMEN INIT IAT I VE ™
Comprehensive education in business ownership
and growth. Connect with a community of women 12 months of 1-1 mentorship to support you in your
entrepreneurs who want to open doors for one business. Registration is open year-round. Interested
another. Register for Spring by May 5, 2022. in becoming a mentor? Contact us today.
T HE F ORUM PITCH WEEK LY C ONNE C TS
Setting a higher bar for what it means to invest in Bringing together women entrepreneurs from
women entrepreneurs by providing clarity, exposure, across the country to provide a space to connect,
mentorship, funding and community. Join the waitlist. ask questions and offer support. Join us weekly.
Held virtually every Wednesday at 11am PDT.
F INANCIAL F UNDAMENTAL S MENTAL HE ALT H RE SIL IENCE PR O G R AM
A free self-paced, online course providing access A free self-paced, online course focused on how to
to the financial knowledge you need to be wildly plan for adversity, pivot during challenging times, and
successful in business. Education on day-to-day develop a resilient, confident mindset when it comes
money management so you can balance budgets, to business ownership.
price work, and invest in your future with confidence.T HE ODLUM BR OWN F ORUM PI TCH FI N ALE 21 T HAN K YOU F ORUM PR O GR AM SP ONSOR S THANK YOU FORUM PROGRAM PARTNER SHISEIDO
22 BOAR D OF DI RE C TO R S Val Litwin Made by hand in Montecristo’s Chair, Community Leader & Volunteer, Entrepreneur Vancouver workshop. Ingrid Leong Vice Chair & Chief Investment Officer, The Houssian Foundation Judy Brooks Past Chair, Entrepreneur and Advisor Christina Anthony Chair Emeritus Katie Dunsworth-Reiach, Partner & Co-Founder, Talk Shop Media Jill Earthy CEO, InBC Investment Corp Shavonne Hasfal-McIntosh Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Wealthsimple Mike McKee Director of Real Estate and Finance, JAK’s Beer, Wine & Spirits Ravy Mehroke Founder & CEO, Bombay Beauty Company Jodi Moss Partner, US Tax, KPMG LLP Nicole Smith Founder & CEO, Flytographer Amelia Thorn VP, Brand Marketing, Ancient Nutrition Joanna Track VP, Executive Publisher Media Platform & Content, Venturepark Voice
A positive change
for business
Proud to support The Forum
Through the influence of research and impact
of students and alumni, UBC Sauder is driving
positive change in business.
sauder.ubc.ca24
T HE F ORU M T E AM
+ C O N T R I BU TOR S
Ally van Tassel Makenna Campbell
Program Coordinator Digital & Social Media Manager
MY WOR D:
Anne MacKenzie Melodie Gingras
Development & Operations
Manager
Program & Community Manager EMP OW ERING
Miranda Ta
Anne McLean Through E-Series and
Operations Administrator
Director of Marketing & Mentorship, The Forum
Communications Paulina Cameron
CEO
provides amazing education
Ariel Gough
Mentor Program Manager Tamara Connell
and inspiration through
Program & Community Manager business leaders who share
Cherie Kai
Silent Auction & Events Tracy Tran their success to empower
Coordinator
Program & Community Manager women to not only reach,
Erika Thomas but surpass their goals.
Program & Community Manager
CY BEL E N EG R IS, WEBN AM ES .CA
Gretchen Ferguson E-SER I ES G R ADUAT E, 2 0 0 3
Senior Program Manager
Jacqueline Gilchrist
Mentor Program Coordinator
Josette Blackwood
Partnerships Manager
Lisa Niemetscheck
Director of Corporate
Sponsorship
This stunning event was brought to you as well as the entire CountDown Events
in partnership with CountDown Events. team for making our Finale such a
A special thank you to Soha Lavin and beautiful success for the past 15+ years.
Jenny DeJong,T HE ODLUM BR OWN F ORUM PI TCH FI N ALE 25
T HAN K YOU TO O UR PAT R ONS F OR YOUR GENER O SIT Y !
British Columbia Institute of Technology Gayla DeHart Family Business Advising SHAPE
Cactus Club Cafe Judy Brooks SmartSweets
Canaccord Genuity Kathryn Dunstan Teck Resources Limited
CarboNet KPMG Enterprise Thunderbird Entertainment Group
Christina Anthony Lawson Lundell LLP Vancity
CIBC Mike McKee Vanedge Capital
Cindy Bokitch Mogan Daniels Slager LLP – M&A and
Private Equity Lawyers
CPA BC
Nicola Wealth
ECHO Storytelling Agency
Onni Group
entrepreneurship@UBC
PI Financial
EY
Rival Technologies Inc.
Fort Capital Partners26 SI LEN T AU C T I ON D ONOR S Our heartfelt gratitude to the 150+ businesses that donated their incredible products to this year’s Silent Auction, in support of The Forum and women entrepreneurs! With over 60% coming from women-led companies, we encourage you to learn more about their businesses and continue supporting them. 21 Steps Kitchen & Bar 49th Parallel Abeego Beeswax Food Wrap Absolute Spa Group Aburi Restaurants Aeryon Ashlie AG Hair Anh & Chi Arcteryx Aritzia Art Rapture Back to Earth Barllo and Co. BC Lions BC Place Belmont Hotel BG Communications International Inc. BHome by Barre Fitness Birds of Paradise Proud to sponsor Blackcomb Helicopters and McLean Group The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch Finale Blended For You Blue Ruby Blume Body Pulse Fitness Studio
T HE ODLUM BR OWN F ORUM PI TCH FI N ALE 27 Bombay Brow Bar & Bombay Beauty Co. joni Petit Architect Brunette the Label Jump Gymnastics PK Beans Burrowing Owl Estate Winery Kicking Horse Plain Jane Skinbar Cactus Club Café Kidsbooks Rolla Skate Club Callia K’Pure Naturals Pom & Chi Pet Boutique Cheekbone Beauty Kyrani Kanavaros Photography Poppy Barley Colin Webster Lagree West Fitness Purdy’s Chocolatier Core Community Pilates Laid Back Snacks Pyrrha Design Inc Cozey Sofa Laughing Stock Winery REYAL Dermalogica Lavanda Blooms and Balloons Ritual Nordic Spa Elate Cosmetics Legends Haul Sahajan Enotecca Winery and Resorts Little Kitchen Academy Sarah Baeulmer Shop Epicure lululemon Scribe National Ergo Prime Inc Lupo Restaurant + Vinoteca Sea to Sky Gondola Everyday People Typewriter Poems Lusomé Sheringham Distillers Everything Wine LUX Skin Lab skoah Fairmont Chateau Whistler Mångata Apothecary Smash + Tess Fairmont Empress Manning Park Resort Steamoji Fairmont Pacific Rim Melanie Auld STIL Classics FarOut Wilderness MIFA and Co. Summerhill Pyramid Winery Flourist Mine and Yours Co. Sundays Flytographer Nala Care SUVA Beauty Footworks Relaxology Naetal Skincare Tealish Formation Studio New District Tentree Franctal Studios North Hydration LTD Tesla Friid Innovations Inc. North Point Brewing Co. The Finance Cafe Gabi & Jules Nourished The Lazy Gourmet Gayla DeHart Family Business Advising Oak Bay Beach Hotel The Rose Company Happy Gut Pro Ocean Village Resort The World of Kidtropolis Hardpops Organika Thomas Haas Harloc Hair Organized Jane Vellum Wellness Hilton Whistler Resort and Spa Pacific Reach Properties Warby Parker HIRRS Page Two Books Welleree Hollyhock Park Royal Windfall Cider JAK’s Beer Wine Spirits Peaked Pies withinUS JamJar Canteen Pedalheads ZipTrek EcoTours
28
T HANK YOU G I F T S //
SI G N ATUR E M OM ENT
Congratulations to
Thank you for being our guest at The Odlum
the three Finalists
Brown Forum Pitch Finale. Because we love to for The Odlum Brown
celebrate our community of exceptional woman
Forum Pitch Finale!
entrepreneurs from across the country, your
gift bag includes a selection of items generously
provided by those entrepreneurs.
RBC is a proud supporter of
The Forum and its incredible
work uplifting women
entrepreneurs
F ORMUL A FIG
formulafig.com
JUDY BR O OK S
immerseyourself.ca
C AT HY T HORN OF E VER YDAY
PE OPLE T YPE WRIT ER P OEMS
everydaypeopletypewriterpoems.com MY WOR D:
LIF ELONG
BU CHA BRE W
buchabrew.ca The experience, insight, expertise,
knowledge, network and friends
E VE ’S CR ACKER S gained during the 2004 E-Series
evescrackers.com
program will last a lifetime, as
they are lifelong connections.
MAL A T HE BR AND
malathebrand.com SAN G MAH, C R EDO I N T ER ACT IVE
E-S ER I ES G R ADUAT E, 2 0 0 4
SUVA BE AU T Y
suvabeauty.comT HE ODLUM BR OWN F ORUM PI TCH FI N ALE 29
T HE F ORU M T H R OU GHOU T
T HE YE AR S
Recognizing the visionaries that have been an integral part
of our growth and evolution.
PA ST BOARD MEMBER S & PA ST G AL A
HONOUR AR Y COUNCIL MEMBER S COMMIT T EE MEMBER S
Kathryn Adrian Valerie Lambert Christina Anthony, Co-Chair Angel Lo
Christina Anthony Julia Levy Lara Dauphinee, Co-Chair Larkin MacKenzie-Ast
Peter Armstrong Pegi Love Bridgitte Anderson Gabrielle Malette
Larry Blain Michael McCarthy Monique Badun Christine Marks
Cindy Bokitch Joanne McLeod Kristy Brinkley Nicole Olenick
Bev Briscoe Tracey McVicar Christina Brown Heather Owen
Judy Brooks John Montalbano Dave Bustos Robin Peterson
Dee Brown Tara Moultrie Amy Carruthers Tannis Pratt
Shannon Byrne Monica Murray Cheryl Carter Susannah Price
Gordon Campbell Cybele Negris Ruby Chan Andrew Reid
Cheryl Carter Kelly Niessen Tara Clark Corina Reynolds
Jason Carvalho Nicole Olenick Jenny DeJong Samatha Reynolds
Charles Chang Lisa Palleson-Stallan Laura DeMunain Amelia Sam
Nanon de Gaspé Beaubien Linda Parsons Monika Deol Nicole Smith
Mattrick
Doug Pearce Catherine Dorazio Slavka Snajdrova
Liz Dickinson
Shahrzad Rafati Katie Dunsworth-Reiach Annabel St. John
Robert Eckley
Garry Rasmussen Beth Fisher Anna Tudela
Darren Entwistle
Zahra Salisbury Vicki Gabereau Jennifer Twiner McCarron
Catherine Gibson
John Seminerio Tracey Germaine Poonam Varshney
Bill Gibson
Nicole Stefenelli Robin Gill Ambrosia Vertesi
James Hatton
Tamara Vrooman Alexis Glover Joanne Younker
Elizabeth Harrison
Brigitte Wagner Zdenka Gomes Fereshteh Zeineddin
Wayne Henderson
Liz Watson Pei Lyn Hui
Roxanne Hoffman
Brandi Wingrove Julie Isaac
Mike Jagger
Kevin Zakus Margot Jagger
Karen Keilty
Jacki Zehner Soha Lavin
Peter Ladner
Samantha Legge
Louise Lalonde
Sheryl Lim30
E V EN T PAR T N ER S The Kingswood Group
of Companies
SP OT LIGHT E VENT PAR T NER S The Kingswood Group of Companies and its
Formula Fig principal shareholders, the Segal family of
Judy Brooks Vancouver, having proudly given back to our
SUVA Beauty local communities for over 70 years.
We extend our warmest
E VENT PAR T NER S The Kingswood Group of Companies
congratulations to
Bucha Brew Thethe Forum Group
Kingswood for Women
of Companies and its principal share
Entrepreneurs
family on this
of Vancouver, having proudly given back to our loca
CountDown Events 20th
over anniversary of
70 years.
DJ Pri selfless dedication
Wein
extend our warmest
mentoring andcongratulations to the Forum for Wo
Eve’s Crackers this 20th anniversary
on supporting womenofinselfless dedication in mentori
Everyday People Typewriter Poems women in achieving
achieving their
their goals.
goals.
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
Fairware
Fuoco Photography
Givergy
Innovation Lighting
Mala the Brand
NUVO
Nyoka Design Labs
Pro Show Audio Visual
Rich&Jay
Stand & Deliver Performance CoachingT HE ODLUM BR OWN F ORUM PI TCH FI N ALE 31
MY WOR D:
PERSPECT IV E
Looking back, so many years
ago, this is where I gained the
understanding of perspective.
At the time it seemed impossibly
hard to step out of our business
every Monday evening to meet
up with a group of women in
very different businesses. But we
learned that despite us all being
in very different businesses, we
were all dealing with the same
issues. E-Series was my firsthand
experience of what it really means
to belong to a “group.” I like to
think our group was special, but
VOTING INFO I think Christina had a tremendous
impact on cultivating this culture,
which is very much felt today.
When it’s time to cast
your vote, scan the LOR I JOYC E, C UPCAKES
E-SER I ES G R AUDAT E, 2 0 0 3
QR code here or go to
digitaljoyengage.com
and enter code 27293THANK YOU ODLUM T IT L E SP ON S OR BROWN FORUM PITCH FINALE SPONSORS PITC H C APITAL SP ON SOR SILV ER SP ON S O R S BR O N ZE SP ON SOR S DIA M O ND PAR T N ER MED IA PAR T N ER WI NE PAR T NER
You can also read
