Barinder  is the co-founder of HAVN Life Sciences Inc., with the goal of empowering people to achieve their potential and thrive, from a foundation of evidence-informed research.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) serving Mainland B.C. is a non-profit organization focused on helping consumers to find and recommend businesses and brands they can trust. With over 100 years of experience as a leader in consumer support services including complaints, customer reviews, advertising and education, more persons continue to rely on BBB for our Business Reviews, available for free at www.bbb.org.

Beth Cougler Blom, MEd, is a learning designer and facilitator who works with clients across all sectors to help them design and facilitate great meetings and learning events, both face-to-face and online. She is the author of Design to Engage: How to Create and Facilitate a Great Learning Experience for Any Group. Learn more about Beth at bethcouglerblom.com.

Betty is a career executive with core competencies in business development and strategy across a broad range of industries.

Creative and self-directed, Betty is skilled in analyzing opportunities and developing, implementing, and achieving both short-term and long-term strategic business plans and goals. Technically savvy with the ability to drill down any project into the most minute detail allowing others to execute and accomplish with ease.

Betty has deep experience and acumen in both the creative and solopreneur world having worked with Joel Berman Glass Studios, Circle Craft Artist Co-Operative, The Railtown Design District, the Craft Council of British Columbia and the Comox Valley Arts Council.

An articulate communicator known for building highly motivated teams who has a career-long record of developing focused organizations, negotiating complex relationships and producing results. She is also the co-founder of MyCEO.ca.

Bill Erichson is a noted business trainer, consultant and business planner. He has over thirty years of experience helping small and medium sized business owners grow and develop their businesses.  Bill's approach blends the development of the Marketing, Operational, Financial, and Human Resource aspects of the business.  Unlike the 'specialist' approach of many business advisors, Bill determines the next strategic direction required for the development of the business and plans around the Key Business Sector as developed through a detailed business diagnosis.

Braeden Ralla founded Purpose Smoothie Company in Steveston, in 2017. 

As the owner of a smoothie and health food store, Braeden has been forced to quickly pivot his business approach in the face of COVID-19. Braeden had to take creative steps to evolve his business and stay resilient during this time of challenge and uncertainty.

Brian E. Rudy (B.Sc. McGill 1989, LL.B. UBC 1994) is a founding partner of Synergy Business Lawyers LLP. He is an experienced corporate lawyer who practices corporate commercial law, with a focus on privately-held corporations and entrepreneurs.

Bronwen is the HR Practice Manager at the Entreflow Consulting Group.

She is an experienced Operations Administrator and Recruiter working in the financial industry as well as with start-ups. She is highly skilled in Microsoft office and various cloud-based applications.

Bryan McIntosh – Director, Local Business and Leasing

Bryan McIntosh is a passionate leader focused on helping local businesses grow. With an extensive background in financial services, Bryan’s experience shines through as he’s worked to become a single point of contact for business owners, whatever their banking needs may be. As a strong sales professional and experienced manager, he leads his team with a clear vision and defined values, building lasting relationships with clients and members and supporting them as they reach their full potential and achieve their unique goals.

Caitey Gilchrist is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker and creative for life. As the founder of a successful brand strategy business, Caitey has built kick-ass brands for a wide range of companies and entrepreneurs, including coaches, marketers, financial advisors and more. With clients raving about her thoughtfulness and breadth of knowledge, Caitey is passionate about helping businesses and individuals uncover their authentic brand identities. She is dedicated to connecting human beings to their purpose, power and people, and empowers entrepreneurs to use their core message to create freedom in their lives and businesses.

CPA, CMA  - Vice President, VEER Business Advisors

Candice is an award winning accountant and Vice President of VEER Business Advisors.  Her focus at VEER is on exit planning and sell-side advisory for small- to medium-sized business owners.  Alongside her team, she helps business owners identify and manage the unique strategic, financial, emotional and structural implications of business transitions in a wide array of industries, working with business owners to ensure an amazing exit from their business. Previously, Candice worked as a commercial lender at the Business Development Bank of Canada.

Candice holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree (Honours) from the Sauder School of Business and is a Chartered Professional Accountant, earning the Certified Management Accountant’s Silver Medal for British Columbia in 2015.  She has been a board member for the Association of Women in Finance since 2019 and the President of the Risk Management Association of the Fraser Valley since 2020.

Chad uses technology, strong accounting practices and leadership to maximize company performance.

Over the last 11 years, Chad has been practicing as a CPA both inside and as an external resource to small and medium sized businesses. During this time Chad founded the Construction Forum with the Chartered Professional Accountants of BC (CPABC) with the purpose of creating best practices for CPAs intent on transforming an industry that has lagged most in productivity and efficiency.

Chad has experiences over the past 20+ years spanning most mission critical parts of businesses large and small. Holding leadership positions in project management and accounting, to sales and marketing, information technology, he understands how they are all important towards company growth and viability. With business partner, Matt Wong, they co-founded Purpose CPA in 2019 to “help good people build good businesses.”

Cheryl Farmer is a Senior Business Advisor at Women’s Enterprise Centre, a non-profit organization devoted to helping BC women start, lead and grow their own businesses. Women's Enterprise Centre provides business loans, skills training, mentoring, advice and resources from our three offices in Kelowna, Vancouver and Victoria.

Cheryl works directly with women business owners to provide one-on-one complimentary business guidance. She reviews and provides feedback on business plans, evaluates loan applications, and provides support to current loan clients. She holds a Master’s degree from the University of Calgary in Learning in the Workplace and previously taught business at the college level.

Cheryl enjoys working with new business owners.  “The path to success can be challenging and I really enjoy providing the guidance to propel women business owners closer to their goals.”

Chris Legler is the CEO and founder of Axios Growth Consultancy, a firm dedicated to optimizing client businesses. Chris is a growth-oriented leader who defines and implements strategic plans. His experience includes 20 years as a senior executive and over 10 years as a management consultant. As the former owner and operator of a wholesale coffee roasting company in Marin County, California, Chris truly understands the needs of the small business owner and strategies that can achieve success.

Chris Moscatello is the Director Small Business Banking at Coast Capital Savings. With close to two decades of experience in the financial services industry, Chris is a well-seasoned professional not only in the personal and investment banking space, but also when it comes to supporting entrepreneurs and identifying business banking solutions. Having spent over 17 years with Coast Capital, Chris has progressed through several managerial roles in a number of divisions at Coast. In his role as Director, Small Business Banking, Chris leads a team of dedicated business advisors who are committed to supporting Coast Capital’s small business members through our Business Advice Centre and various regional networks. Chris holds a MBA from Royal Roads University with specialization in Executive Leadership, as well as a BA from the University of Saskatchewan. Chris resides with his family in Surrey, BC, and in his spare time enjoys crab and salmon fishing, as well as cheering on the Vancouver Canucks.

The principal of Liberate Leadership Coaching & Consulting, Christina Nikiforuk is an ICF certified professional leadership coach, trainer, and facilitator with a passion for inspiring people to discover and optimize their potential.

A seasoned Human Resources with over twenty years of experience, Christina works with businesses to support their leadership development needs.  She sees self-development as a lifelong journey and strives to create motivating and fun learning environments. Her expertise lies in the areas of enhanced self-awareness, communication skills, interpersonal and team effectiveness, values discovery, authentic leadership, life balance, resilience, and renewal.

Christina S.W. Kwok is a lawyer with Oyen Wiggs Green & Mutala LLP, a boutique firm practicing in the area of intellectual property law.  Christina’s practice includes advising clients on all aspects of intellectual property law, with a particular emphasis on trademark filing and prosecution and patent prosecution in the areas of chemistry, biotechnology and mechanical devices.

A true HR Generalist, Christina is the leading authority on what it takes to build powerful teams and respectful workplaces. Christina is passionate about helping connect awesome employers with awesome employees.  There is no better call to make than the one telling a candidate that they got the job and there is nothing better to hear than clients telling her how much they love the candidates! 

After 20+ years in HR. Christina founded Praxis Group in 2014 with the idea of helping connect business leaders with practical, applicable solutions to solve tricky employee issues. Through Christina’s favourite HR activities of recruitment, training and culture building, Christina elevates teams and organizations.

She is a Chartered Professional in Human Resources and certified by Psychometrics Canada in the Myers Briggs Type Indicator training. Her pursuits include fitness, providing time & energy to her community and family, and when all else is complete, curling up with a good book. Want to see her light up? Chat about the advancement of women and girls, or geek out about logic puzzles, your favourite hikes, or your shared love of DQ Blizzards.

Owner of Courage Space Coaching & Consulting, Dagmar believes that obstacles can be an opportunity for growth and courage is a catalyst for change.