Business of Good
After a few years as a business analyst, Kamila Alikhani decided that she wanted to do something else but wasn’t sure what, exactly. “The typical millennial problem,” the 35-year-old says with a laugh. Having just given birth to a couple of children, Alikhani thought that maybe being an ultrasound technician was for her. But while taking prerequisites for a university program, she stumbled across a book called Designing Your Life by two Stanford University professors. “At the end of the...
Closing its own gender pay gap was just the start for Unbounce. The Vancouver-based tech company is also challenging other businesses to pay women as much as men—and helping them make that a reality. It all began three years ago, when Unbounce—a landing page platform that marketers use to convert leads online—analyzed compensation across the business. “We unfortunately did find a couple of instances of a pay gap where some women were not being paid the same as men,” says...
When Ryan Tessier started at Vancouver-based workforce analytics firm Visier two years ago, he acknowledges, “we did a lot of what everyone else was doing” when it came to culture. That meant yoga classes, running groups and beer on tap, plus a slew of wellness programs for people who were physically in the office. Everything changed with the COVID-19 pandemic, which pushed the company to look at how it treated mental health for its 400 employees...
Jennifer Twiner McCarron had no illusions about becoming an artist when she began her film and television career in 1999, as an office production assistant at a local animation house. “But I loved to be around creative people,” recalls the CEO of content production studio Thunderbird Entertainment. “I quickly found that my passion was trying to create an environment where people could feel safe and honoured, no one felt like a number, everyone was treated equally, and they could do...
“We do so much stuff, it’s ridiculous,” says Tony Scott. And somehow, that doesn’t seem to come from a place of ego or bravado. Rather, the founder and CEO of Richmond-based property restoration biz Platinum Pro-Claim is simply trying to recall all of the community initiatives his company has embarked on since he launched it at age 26 back in 1991.
We were lucky to get the inaugural Business of Good Awards off the ground right before the world shut down last March. This time around, the finalists had to do more than follow a great first act—they also needed to...
Frank Giustra knows a thing or two about gardening. “I grew up as a son of immigrant Italian parents who came to Canada with not a lot of money and who had a very large garden,” recalls the Vancouver-based financier, entrepreneur and philanthropist, noting that food plays a key role in all aspects of his life. “We grew up with a cornucopia of vegetables in a one-acre plot. I can tell you for a fact, not only was the food...
BCBusiness + 34F Design Inc. The business rules have changed again. In today’s world, staying true your business model is foundational to being creative and maintaining the status quo. As businesses partner to survive COVID 19’s impact, what is the new baseline? How does one compete? How does a business maintain an...
BCBusiness + The Salvation Army That is the message Paolo Aquilini, managing partner, Aquilini Group, and community philanthropist, wishes every business owner in British Columbia to hear. “Over the years, I have spent time with people The Salvation Army helps,” Aquilini says. “The common thread in their stories is always one of gratitude.
We thought launching the Business of Good Awards was going to be a tough ordeal. And sure, anytime you start an awards program, it comes with certain challenges. But in the end, our first annual celebration of local organizations that raise the...