What’s your business?

We make awards that help organizations recognize their people and celebrate their milestones. We started the business to help make people feel happy and appreciated.

What’s a little known fact about you or your business?

As a child, I lived in the Stanley Park Teahouse with my family until I was 6 (my grandparents ran the restaurant then).  Afterwards we moved to the North Shore along the Seymour River.

Why Vancouver?

We opened our doors in Yaletown in 1998, but soon moved to Strathcona. The area has some of Vancouver’s last remaining industrial lands and great access to the city, so it’s a natural spot for local manufacturing. Strathcona has a strong community that supports creativity and diversity and collaboration. The Strathcona Green Zone is helping businesses collaborate on greening their operations.

What inspires you to keep moving forward in business?

Finding new ways to generate social and environmental value from our company, while continually delivering business value and excellence.

What’s the best business move you’ve made recently? The worst?

We recently implemented a Brown Bag Award program to encourage our staff to drive less, eat better and learn to cook.  So far it’s been a great in terms of staff engagement.  Worst…applying for a federal SRED grant.  Not recommended.

One piece of advice for other local businesses….

Magic starts to happen after you stop making cost the top consideration in everything you do.

You are excited about the future because…

We are more connected in so many new ways and the possibility for collaboration and community building has never been better.