BC Business
As their mentees can attest, these leaders are staunch friends and allies. In fields ranging from finance and law to science and visual art, they mentor formally, informally—and selflessly
Mentorship roles: Advising and mentoring companies she invests in via Pique Fund and personally; Women in Leadership Foundation; Forum for Women Entrepreneurs; through alma mater University of Waterloo
Shout out: “She’s an investor personally in MuseFind, the company I run, and we’ve grown so close. She and I meet up regularly for coffee to catch up; she’s been such a source of inspiration and light in our journey .[She taught us] financial modelling, financial projecting, basic business 101 .The second thing she provided was a lot of connections and networks.” Jennifer Li, co-founder and CEO, MuseFind, influencer marketing platform, Vancouver
Mentorship roles: Canadian Bar Association’s Women Lawyers Forum
Shout out: “The area where she was of great influence for me was later in my time at Weyerhaeuser, when I started thinking about having children. For me, that was where she was a role model .I saw how she balanced her life with her kids and her very demanding job, and she did it all .When I had children, there was great support in having her be my boss and the advice and experiences she had gone through.” Wendy King, vice-president, legal, risk and governance, Capstone Mining Corp., Vancouver
Mentorship roles: Teaching and advising; Junior Achievement; connecting students to potential employers and volunteer opportunities
Shout out: “Rebecca agreed to take me on as a directed studies student in my fourth year, which is rare for a professor to do for an undergraduate. We finished the project, and then she found this conference that I was able to present at, and she went to Seattle with me and coached me through the presenting process. After graduating even she helped me refine the research and submit it for publication. I know that my grad school application will be much stronger now because of the work that Rebecca put in when she didn’t have to.” Jordyn Hrenyk, producer, Animikii Inc., web services software firm, Victoria
Mentorship roles: Co-workers; Women’s Executive Network; Loran Scholars Foundation; through alma mater Carleton University
Shout out: “Barbara hired me to be her assistant, and we started at the same time .Her taking the time to explain things to me was how the mentorship began .She was always very open to exploring what kind of avenues I’d ultimately want to pursue within the business. It was clear to me that when the time was right, if I wanted to try something else, I could absolutely do that.” Teija Beck, major gifts officer, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation
Mentorship roles: Co-founder and lead, Startup Prince George, which organizes regular events for entrepreneurs
Shout out: “I got to know Shauna at Startup Drinks, an event that she was hosting once a month. Her enthusiasm was really infectious. When I was thinking about starting my own business, I thought of her right away as someone to approach. She is also in the digital marketing world, so I was a little nervous at first going to her because I was thinking of starting a very similar business. She actually shared a lot of her strategies with me and also helped connect me with a couple of my first clients. I was shocked at how encouraging she was.” Camille MacDonald, owner, Pop Media, digital marketing firm, Prince George
Mentorship roles: Providing encouragement to young associates at Farris
Shout out: “Betty has been a fantastic role model for me in terms of my business development, and always been a big supporter in ensuring that I’m getting exposure and credit for things. But she’s also one of those people who invites you to her house and makes you feel part of her family. In the field of transactional law, there’s a high burnout rate. And she’s been very encouraging to me and other women at the firm that your first priority should always be your family and your health; you try your best for your clients, but it’s all in perspective.” Denise Nawata, partner, Farris