BC Business
Co-founder
AGE: 28
COMPANY: Hua Foundation
“In 2013, she and Kevin Huang co-founded the Hua Foundation to strengthen Chinese culture, heritage and sustainability”
The Story: Claudia Li blends sustainability with preserving and honouring Chinese cultural tradition. The product of a large extended family from Hong Kong, Li was born in Vancouver and grew up in Burnaby. After graduating from SFU with a degree in business administration and honours sustainability in 2009, she launched her first nonprofit, Shark Truth, to promote shark conservation and alternatives to shark fin soup. In 2013, she and Kevin Huang co-founded the Hua Foundation to strengthen Chinese culture, heritage and sustainability. In addition to embracing Shark Truth, the foundation last year also launched the Choi Project, which aims to increase food security and food literacy in Vancouver’s Chinese community by distributing seasonal produce guides, working with the Chinatown Supermarket to label local seasonal produce and holding cooking classes. In 2014, Ashoka—an organization that funds social entrepreneurs—made Li a Global Ashoka Fellow, providing her a salary that she can share with her foundation. Her long-term vision is to become a mini Ashoka for the local Chinese community— supporting and investing in young social changemakers.
Markers of success: The Hua Foundation’s annual budget has grown from about $2,000 in 2009 to $200,000 this year; in addition to Li’s salary from Ashoka, the foundation also receives support from Vancity, Vancouver’s Greenest City Fund and various foundations and businesses. Shark Truth has saved about 8,000 sharks (80,000 shark fins), and the Choi Project has distributed 3,000 produce guides. —Felicity Stone
Meet Claudia Li and the rest of the 2015 30 Under 30 winners at this year’s celebration event!