BC Business
Vancouver-based BeaYOUtiful Foundation has 400 volunteer mentors and it has impacted over 4,000 youth nationally
Founder and executive director, BeaYOUtiful Foundation
Life Story: Many businesses are founded in response to a challenge, but Taylor Hui’s inspiration for the BeaYOUtiful Foundation is more personal than most. In high school, several of Hui’s friends were living with eating disorders, and Hui herself experienced cyberbullying. “I saw patterns of girls not being able to love themselves or really embrace all that they were, and it made me start questioning what was stopping that kind of education,” she says. She didn’t wait for an answer: in her senior year, Hui launched a six-week pilot program meant to foster self-confidence in young girls.
That 2013 pilot program grew into the BeaYOUtiful Foundation. In 2018, it became a B.C. society, and in 2019 a registered charity. Mentorship is the backbone of BeaYOUtiful—the roster of volunteer mentors is diverse, from university students, teachers and counsellors to lawyers, firefighters and professional athletes. “My rule is that anybody can be a mentor as long as you show up with kindness and a willingness to learn,” says Hui. Of course, she herself is part of that mentorship team, leading workshops on self-love, confidence building and mental wellness (that are also engaging and fun for pre-teens and young teens). For example, “Heart-to-Heart Week” involves PJs, chocolate and lots of emotional sharing. “Usually someone ends up crying,” shares Hui, “and, usually, it’s me.”
Bottom Line: The BeaYOUtiful Foundation now has a network of more than 400 volunteer mentors and has impacted over 4,000 female and non-binary identifying youth nationally. The foundation offers single-day workshops, a six-week confidence program and a five-week mental health program. Hui has partnered with community leaders like the Surrey Fire Service and the WickFest Female Hockey Festival. Last but not least, she launched Inspired By Her, a free full-day conference for girls aged 9 to 13, in Vancouver—and in 2023, she brought the conference to Toronto and Calgary, too. “It’s basically a big self-love party,” says Hui. “It’s my favourite day of the year.”