BC Business
One of the winners of the Rising Stars category of The 2022 Women of the Year Awards is Julie Wang, founder and lead strategist at Tiny Planet Digital.
Julie Wang always knew how much thought goes into a 15-second ad. As a child, when her eyes widened at Polly Pocket, she wondered why she wanted the toys so badly. “Is it the colours?” she’d ask herself.
The Surrey native’s interest in psychology and consumer behaviour developed into a passion for marketing. But even with a degree from UBC Sauder School of Business, Wang saw a gap between what employers wanted and what she’d learned at school. To bridge it, she launched her own digital marketing agency in 2019.
“One thing we’re really big on at Tiny Planet Digital is supporting student empowerment, learning and employment,” the 23-year-old-founder and lead strategist says. Through the federal Student Work Placement Program and nonprofit Venture for Canada, her firm offers training, mentorship, hands-on experience and internship opportunities to students.
Based in Vancouver, Tiny Planet has grown to a team of six in three years. Having worked with small and medium-sized businesses across the country, it recently began focusing on the hospitality industry and environmental nonprofits. “Last year, we were able to run a Sustainable Growth Contest where we offered $5,000 of pro bono services to nonprofit and [Sustainable Development Goals]–driven organizations,” Wang says.
This isn’t the first business venture for Wang, who is also an entrepreneurship mentor for Burnaby-based, youth-focused charity YELL Canada. “I used to buy things from garage sales and try to flip them online,” she says. “I saw the opportunities that the internet presented to everyone, and it made starting your own business so much more accessible and attainable.”