Business

Raghwa Gopal

A serial entrepreneur with extensive experience starting, growing & selling businesses, Raghwa Gopal is one of the most recognizable names in BC’s tech sector. In addition to his current role as President + CEO of Innovate BC, he’s a member of the Emerging Economy Task Force, the former CEO of Accelerate Okanagan, and started Kelowna’s first ever tech company.

Barbara Miller

Barbara Miller, a former pack and a half smoker is the founder of BMP Production and the creator of the BMP Method. In 2017 her 3rd improved edition of “How To Quit Smoking Even If You Don’t Want To”, won the Gold Seal literacy Award as it came back recommended by The US Review. Her book inspired her to teach the method in a one-day event. Now many years later she is preparing to tour across Canada and the US performing much larger 3-day interactive events. Barbara believes this needs to be a company benefit for workers.

Craig Skauge

Craig Skauge is President and CEO of Olympia Trust Company in Calgary.

Wayne Wachell

Wayne Wachell is the CEO & Chief Investment Officer (Founding Partner), Genus Capital. Wayne co-founded Genus Capital in 1989 and is the architect of the firm’s investment process. Genus Capital is a pioneer in Canada’s divest-invest movement and is home to Canada’s first fossil-free mutual fund family.

John Datseris

John Datseris has worked in the digital world since 1998. His knowledge of technology and marketing helps companies better understand the digital space – how it is changing, how to leverage it, how to measure it and how to integrate it into their business. John is an expert in digital and new media and in developing and building actionable strategies and properties that are results focused. He has successfully led digital transformation programs for traditional marketing and media companies and is known for designing business and marketing solutions that develop social and financial capital for enterprises.

Six years ago he co-founded GNR8R Marketing Group – which generates strategies and solutions for the connected consumer. At GNR8R John and his team work with clients, agencies, technology companies and strategic service groups to build higher value marketing solutions.

Derick Hsieh

Derick Hsieh is the Product Manager of Liv.Rent. A serial entrepreneur, he had several start up engagements under his belt prior to this, performing a variety of roles including consulting on agile development and building biomedical solutions.

He specialized in human computer interaction for biomedical applications – technologies that facilitate touchless interactions with medical imaging technology in surgical settings – think Minority Report.

A curious software engineer at heart, Derick’s interest in emerging technologies and innovative user experiences lead him to join Liv, build a team, create and oversee the product from inception to launch this summer.

Glain Roberts-McCabe

Glain Roberts-McCabe is the founder and President of The Roundtable, a company where leaders cultivate their leadership, together. The Roundtable is best known for their group and team-based coaching and mentoring systems that help organizations break down silos, increase collaboration and accelerate business all while building leadership capability. In 2014, The Roundtable was awarded a Gold Award by the Canadian Awards for Training Excellence in partnership with PepsiCo Foods Canada for their Roundtable for Leaders peer coaching and mentoring program and in 2016 they were named Best External Consulting Advisory in Canada at the Canadian HR Awards. In 2018, Glain was named one of Canada’s Women Entrepreneurs of the Year. All experiences were kind of like winning an Oscar but without having to wear sequins. Glain is the author of the Amazon best-selling book ‘Did I REALLY Sign Up for This?!’ and believes that leadership is a privilege. Her personal mission to inspire ambitious leaders to connect to their bigger purpose and passion so that work can be more fun and life can be more fulfilling.

Melissa Orozco

In 2011 Melissa Orozco founded Yulu PR, a communications and impact consulting agency mandated to champion socially innovative organizations that are making positive social and environmental impact.

Since then, Melissa was awarded a top 30-under 30 marketing professional award, was Chair of Communications for the Urban Land Institute of BC, played a key role in the ‘Fuck Cancer’ campaign earning her agency at International Stevie Award for Best Social Good Campaign, and became Canada’s first PR agency to become a certified B Corporation.

With the belief that stories have the power to drive behavior and social change, Melissa and her team embarked on an evolution of public relations. Enter Impact Relations, an organization dedicated to promoting the widespread practice of PR & communications for positive impact that works with emergent change makers across North America.