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9th Annual Successful You Awards

9th Annual Successful You Awards Pan Pacific Hotel February 28, 2012 Held at Vancouver's Pan Pacific Hotel, the 9th annual Successful You Awards celebrated B.C.'s small business visionaries and go-getters. This province-wide contest recognizes the contributions of B.C.’s entrepreneurs to their local communities and the wider global economy.

By Lisa Nakamura Nguyen /

From left: Pino Bacinello, Small Business BC board member; Chris Bywater, partner of Fulford Certification and senior analyst at Industry Canada; and George Hunter, CEO of Small Business BC.



From left: Laura Patrick, founder of Kids Physio Group; Judy Brooks, chief of staff at Nurse Next Door; and Gayla Dehart, co-owner of Nurse Next Door. Kids Physio Group won Best Community Impact and Nurse Next Door was nominated for Best Employer.



Matt Williams (l), Williams and White Machine Inc. COO and president, with Murray Naughton, also from Williams and White Machine Inc. This Burnaby business won for Best Company and was also nominated for Best Employer.



From left: Devon Brooks, co-founder of Blo Dry Bar; Ryan Slater and Zack Berman, owners of The Juice Truck; and Lisa Von Sturmer, CEO and founder of Growing City. The Juice Truck was nominated for Best Concept.



Laura Arnold (l) and David MacKenzie of Pemberton Valley Lodge, the winner of Best Green Business.



Urban Foliage’s head of communications, Fred Collay (l), and president, Nicolas Rousseau. Urban Foliage was nominated for Best Concept.



World Bag Media’s Isla Traquair (l), with executive producer and head of development Heather Hawthorn-Doyle. Isla is the host of a new television series, Buy.O.Logic, airing on OWN network.



From left: Betsy Cooper, principal of b*co Communications, with Jennifer Trailer and Danielle Nesbit of On the Rocks Ice, nominated for Best Concept.



Beth Boyle (l) and Sarah Padidar of Talk Shop Media.



Cecilia Mkondiwa (l) of the Women’s Enterprise Centre, with Aly Karmali of RBC International Private Banking.



Richard Kouwenoven (l), VP client services at Hemlock, with Toby Barazzuol, president of Eclipse Awards and winner of the Best Employer category.


9th Annual Successful You Awards
Pan Pacific Hotel
February 28, 2012

Held at Vancouver’s Pan Pacific Hotel, the 9th annual Successful You Awards celebrated B.C.’s small business visionaries and go-getters. This province-wide contest recognizes the contributions of B.C.’s entrepreneurs to their local communities and the wider global economy.

For the first time in this award’s history, only self-nominations were accepted in six diverse categories, two of which were launched this year (Best Community Impact and Best Online Marketer). Companies then had to use their social network to help them secure the most votes in order to be shortlisted for the top ten spots.

Nominations came in from all corners of the province, including the small communities of Campbell River and Oliver. New businesses like MASC, a men’s skincare company featured in CBC’s Dragons’ Den, to established brands such as The Nurse Next Door all participated in the competition. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners!