Tell Us Your Story. What motivated you to start your business? Why are you passionate about what you do?

The idea was born on the seabus heading to downtown Vancouver. I knew ultimately I'd be back on the Sunshine Coast and wanted to create a product that would eventually evolve into a coffee shop within the community I grew up in. 8 years later we have two locations in Gibsons and have grown every single year. We represent the Sunshine Coast Vibes and are passionate about being a business based in Gibsons and love everything about the Sunshine Coast lifestyle.

Describe and demonstrate, including metrics, your community support. How do you support and uplift your community, and how do they show that support in return? Minimum 25 words, maximum 2500 characters.

Beachcomber has always been embedded within the community since its inception, we decided to make a log of our community support last year: Jan - Donated coffee to a local fundraiser for Ukraine Feb - Donated $500 to Sunshine Coast Minor Baseball March - Donated $1,000 to Gibsons Public Art Gallery to local youth artists April - Donated $500 to the local Girl Guides April - Donated $250 to a local athlete representing Team Canada in powerlifting April - Donated $250 to a local cyclist to raise awareness around mental health May - Donated $2,500 to Gibsons Elementary School for their fundraiser May - Donated $100 to Elphinstone Secondary as part of their yearbook fundraiser May - Donated $250 to the local Younglife Canada group for their fundraiser June - Donated Coffee and Merchandise to the Shishalh Nation Soccer Fundraiser July - Donated $250 + 18x hats to Sunshine Coast Baseball Association July - Donated coffee and merchandise to Frglsk8 worth $500 for their youth skateboarding programs July - Donated coffee for local Theatre students fundraiser November - Donated coffee to St Barts Hot lunch program November - Donated coffee to the annual fire fighter dinner This doesn't capture all of our community involvement but highlights the continued support we make to the community. We just finished another fundraiser with Gibsons Elementary this month and it looks as though we will be donating thousands back to the school for the most recent fundraising efforts. Being embedded within the community is important to us as supporting coastal has always been a part of what we do.

Why do you deserve to win the Business Impact award?

I'm not a fan of the word 'deserve' as I'm sure there are many businesses that should be recognized or their efforts within the community. I feel like we go above and beyond many, if not all local coffee companies when it comes to giving back to the community and supporting various community initiatives. We also spend a lot of time and energy on promoting the sunshine coast which benefits everyone that lives and does business here. Our focus has always been around creating an amazing workplace and re-investing into the community when possible. We've taken this approach since launching out first brick and mortar location and Beachcomber is known as a community champion and someone you can go to if you need support or help with fundraising or exposure. Support Coastal is a term we came up with years ago and we even built a microsite during the pandemic, setup a GoFundMe and raised $5,000 to donate back to people in need on the Sunshine Coast. It's one of many examples but one that stands out as a good example of making a local impact.

Tell Us About Your Culture. How are you creating a sustainable and healthy workplace where everyone feels welcome? Provide examples of leadership you show in interactions with clients, vendors, contractors, staff and others.

Our mantra is that we don't filter people, we filter coffee. Beachcomber is known for having an inclusive workplace that fosters a fun, positive culture. Food & Beverage typically experiences a high churn rate but we have employees that have been with us for 4 years and strive to create a workplace that everyone enjoys.