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What Professional Risk Have You Taken?

Phil Baudin, David Levi and Alison Lawton on taking chances and reaping the rewards. Phil Baudin, Executive Director, Modo the Car Co-op “I could have taken the systems path at IBM, but I went into sales. I wasn’t prepared for it because you needed an outgoing personality, but if I’d gone the systems route I wouldn't have developed the skills to move into management. It was a big risk, but it worked out.” David Levi, CEO, Growthworks Capital Ltd.

By BCBusiness /

Phil Baudin, David Levi, Alison Lawton | BCBusiness

Phil Baudin, David Levi and Alison Lawton on taking chances and reaping the rewards.

Phil Baudin, Executive Director, Modo the Car Co-op

“I could have taken the systems path at IBM, but I went into sales. I wasn’t prepared for it because you needed an outgoing personality, but if I’d gone the systems route I wouldn’t have developed the skills to move into management. It was a big risk, but it worked out.”


David Levi, CEO, Growthworks Capital Ltd.

“In 1992 I was a senior partner at a brokerage firm and I left to start the Working Opportunity Fund. Everything we have created – a company managing $2 billion in assets – started with me making the decision to walk away from an industry I’d been in for over 10 years to take a shot at this new idea.”


Alison Lawton, Founder, Mindset Social Innovation Foundation

“I chose to leave a $750 million company to start a non-profit organization, Mindset, and apply venture capital thinking to generate social innovations – solutions to complex social issues. It changed the trajectory of my career and life.”