Our previous YES Talks have featured an amazing lineup of speakers all of whom have a great deal of experience as business owners, advising business owners and teaching business owners. Their stories and practical advice hit the mark in terms of resonating with the personal experiences and challenges faced by the entrepreneurs in attendance.

A bestselling author, speaker, and entrepreneur, Eric Termuende is co-founder of NoW Innovations and on a mission to change the way we talk about work.  Eric has been featured in Forbes, Inc., Thrive Global, the Huffington Post and many others. Eric was recognized as a Top 100 Emerging Innovators under 35 globally by American Express, is a TEDx speaker, G20 delegate, and has spoken on over 150 stages all over the world. If you're interested in his book, Rethink Work, feel free to pick it up on Amazon.ca or in bookstores across the country.

Recent features: Speaking | Forbes

Website | Speaker Profile

Follow Eric @termuende

Chris Sacré is an entrepreneur disguised as the President and CEO of the Sacré-Davey Group. He joined the firm in 1988 as an estimator, evolved to project management and design and sales and in 1994, bought the business from the estate of his father before almost bankrupting the Company in 1998.  In 1999, with some mentorship, Chris led the company’s development from a regional civil engineering and project management firm into a global, full service, multi-disciplinary engineering and technology firm.

Using his entrepreneurial skills and the Engineers behind him, Chris was a founding shareholder of both HTEC Hydrogen Technology and Energy Corp, and  S2G Biochemicals Inc. – A company sold to Fortress Global Solutions earlier in 2018.

Chris Sacré is also a Director of Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Canada, Chairman of HTEC, as well as a past Director  and Chairman of S2G Biochemicals Inc.  He is a past Chair of the Advisory Board for the National Research Council for Fuel Cell Innovations, and presently sits on the National Advisory Board for the National Research Council of Canada.

When not “playing” in the office, Chris can be found mixing business and pleasure on mountain bikes, windsurfers, skis, or at the race track.

Valerie is a bold and compassionate leader who lends her voice for leaving the earth better than how she found it. A young but fierce founder, the team looks to Valerie for organization and strategic thinking. Outside of work, she is an avid speaker at women and youth in business, entrepreneurship, and STEM.

About AVA:

This is the way we think food should be enjoyed. AVA was founded in 2016 by an epicurean chef and an organic food marketer with one simple but revolutionary idea: enable anyone to grow fruitful harvests just like skilled farmers. Our outsourced food systems today have disconnected us from the very source of our food. So, our bold ambition has become to unlock the green thumb in anyone, anywhere, to grow the freshest, healthiest and most delicious ingredients at home, all year round. By using modern technology to bring farming into the 21st century, for 21st century urbanites - from NASA-inspired LED technology to artificial intelligence - we aim to redefine the way millions of people consume groceries, to growing their own, right at home. As food-lovers, we truly believe that good food can be good for the world too. Let’s get growing!

AWARDS + ACCOLADES

2018 Small Business BC Awards - Best Innovation Award

2018 Silicon Valley Agtech Program

2017 Air Canada Sustainability Award

2017 Gray’s Design Pitch Tank Winner

2017 The Next Big Thing Alumni

Owner and President of Level 10 Fitness Inc. for 22 years. Has 30+ employees. Level 10 provides full spectrum services for fitness and rehabilitation as well as facility management, consulting and education. Level 10 has become known as a key provider of high performance training for Olympic and Professional athletes as well as being a conduit for general population that need to rehabilitate from acute injury back to full health. Level 10 provides a non-intimidating environment where all clients feel appreciated and highly valued.

Level 10 has received numerous awards for Excellence in Customer Service, Entrepreneurship, Community Service and for being a Top Rated Fitness Facility.

Outstanding Results and Best Practices are hallmarks that the Level 10 brand has come to be known for.  

Anthony has trained 14 Olympic medallists and 2 Paralympic medallists, cancer survivors, 92 year old great grandads, expecting mothers and pro athletes in every major professional sport in North America. His lists his major accomplishments as having longevity with staff and making a difference in people's lives everyday.

Anthony started entrepreneurial pursuits when he was 12 years old. Found out that his real passion was 'people', and that is what led him into his business journey.

Excelling as a player, coach, general manager, director of soccer operations, and now president, Bob Lenarduzzi has been involved with Whitecaps FC for four decades.

Playing with his hometown Whitecaps FC (1974 to 1984), Lenarduzzi was the North American Soccer League's all-time leader in games played with 312. A key member of Vancouver’s championship-winning team in 1979, Lenarduzzi was the only Canadian to win the North American Soccer League’s Player of the Year award.

Internationally, he represented Canada 47 times as a player, helping them qualify for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games and the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. For his efforts, Lenarduzzi was named among CONCACAF’s top 30 players of the past century.

As a player/coach, he won four straight Canadian Soccer League (CSL) championships and was twice named CSL Coach of the Year. He went on to coach Canada's men’s national team from 1992 to 1997.

Lenarduzzi served as the general manager and director of soccer operations of Vancouver 86ers and Whitecaps FC from 1988 to 1993, and 1998 to 2007. In 2000, he received the United Soccer Leagues (USL) First Division Executive of the Year award, while he was also a member of the FIFA U-20 World Cup Canada 2007 Steering Committee.

A father of two, Lenarduzzi has been inducted into the North American Soccer Hall of Fame, the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame, the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame, and the United Soccer Leagues Hall of Fame. In 2005, he received the Order of British Columbia — the highest form of recognition that the province can extend to its citizens — for his contribution to the sport of soccer.

Andrea Scott is the co-owner, co-founder of skoah Inc and CEO of skoah Franchising Inc. skoah is a Vancouver based company with 15 locations in Canada and the USA. skoah is a facials only, membership concept with a proprietary skin care product line and began in 2001. The company is on a rapid expansion path with a target of 250 franchised locations in the next 5 years. skoah has created a new category in the health and wellness space that focuses on empathy and personalization. Her vision through franchising is to create an opportunity for others to become entrepreneurs and to mentor and support those on their journey to business ownership through skoah. 

Andrea is a former elementary school teacher who then went on to run her own Sales and Marketing company in the fashion industry. She also ran her own PR and Communications Consultancy working with some top brands including Happy Planet, Grouse Mountain Resorts. She is the former Brand Manager of Lululemon Athletica. Andrea is skilled at building a strong culture and a company based on Core Values and Goal Setting. 

In 2016 she won the Veuve Clicquot Canadian Business Woman Award and has been a YWCA Woman of Distinction Nominee twice. She is an active mentor of women in business and volunteers time with the Forum For Women Entrepreneurs. Andrea is on the Board of Directors for Coast Mental Health in Vancouver, BC and is a speaker at numerous events focused on Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Core Values and Goal Setting. Andrea is also a mother of 4 children under the age of 10. 

Mr. de Jong has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of Integra Gold since 2012. Under his leadership, Mr. de Jong has attracted a high calibre team of geologists, engineers, entrepreneurs and consultants to advance Integra Gold’s Lamaque project towards production. He has been instrumental in the financing of the Company, having raised over $120 million in equity at subsequently higher prices since assuming the Chief Executive Officer position, despite the recent challenges faced by the mining sector.

Integra Gold’s strong financial positon has enabled an aggressive exploration and growth strategy which underpins the Company’s proven ability to create value in all market conditions. Mr. de Jong has embarked on a number of innovative, unconventional and creative initiatives including the transformative and opportunistic acquisition of the Sigma-Lamaque Mill and Mine Complex, valued at over $100 million, the $1 million Integra Gold Rush Challenge and the #DisruptMining event at PDAC 2017.

Mr. de Jong holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Royal Roads University and is also a Director of Eastmain Resources Inc. and GFG Resources Inc.

Andrew Hall is a passionate young social entrepreneur.

Andrew is the Co-Founder of Mealshare. Mealshare partners with restaurants, and places their logo next to a few menu items. When a customer orders a 'Mealshare Item,' they get their meal, just like normal. And, they also provide one meal to someone in need! Buy one, give one. In under four years, Mealshare has grown to over 275 partner restaurants across the country, and served more than one million meals to youth in need. Andrew's been recognized as a Top 30 Under 30  winner by both BC Business and Corporate Knights magazine, and Mealshare was honored to be Social Enterprise of the Year by Air Miles in 2016.

Andrew recevied a BCom degree from the University of Victoria. After graduating, he worked in consulting with Deloitte for a few years before following his passion to create a business that makes a difference. When Andrew's not growing Mealshare he's running, hiking, travelling, exploring personal development, or trying something new. 

Brian Scudamore is a serial entrepreneur and passionate people-person. Renowned for pioneering the professional junk hauling industry with 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, he’s since added brands in the painting, moving, and home-detailing industries under the O2E Brands banner. He’s now at the helm of a burgeoning home-service empire - each brand has franchise locations in every major metro in North America and Australia. He’s a respected industry leader and speaker, known in the business community for his belief in people and passion for innovation.

His companies have appeared on Oprah, CNBC and more. Brian is a regular contributor to Forbes and The Globe and Mail. A strong believer in ongoing personal and professional development, Brian has attended programs offered by MIT for several years. If he’s not launching a new brand or coming up with a new, big idea, he’s skiing, biking or hanging out with his family in Vancouver, BC.

Website: o2ebrands.com | Twitter: @brianscudamore

Daniel is a passionate adventurer and change maker. Daniel is one of ten Canadian founders under the age of 25 that was chosen for The Next Big Thing (TNBT) first cohort in 2014. Daniel is creating a world of unlimited access to adventure as the founder of ShareShed and Guiides.com.

Daniel also spoke on stage in front of 20,000 youth at We Day, directed a film series on the collaborative economy, received a monthly grant from the Austrian government to conduct research on the European sharing economy, and has traveled to over 30 countries. Since arriving at TNBT Daniel has been named Top 30 Under 30 by BCBusiness Magazine as well as a Canadian G20 Delegate.

In his spare time you can find Daniel stand up paddle boarding off of Kits Beach and exploring the local mountains.

Website: shareshed.ca + guiides.com | Twitter: @danielmdubois

Samantha Skelly is the founder of Hungry For Happiness, an international movement to support women around the world who are suffering from disordered eating and body image issues.  Hungry For Happiness creates online accessible and affordable recovery resources to those who are suffering in silence. Samantha's mission is to revolutionize the weight loss industry by providing solutions to the internal problem. Samantha was awarded ‘Top 24 under 24’ in September 2013, and in 2014 she was a finalist as the SBBC ‘Best Emerging Entrepreneur’. Samantha Skelly is building a disruptive company in the eating disorder recovery space. Her vision is to create the largest and most impactful online resource to support those whose lives are negatively affected by issues with food and their bodies.

Website: hungryforhappiness.com | Twitter: @hforhappiness

Otis Perrick is president and founder of Disruptive Media Publishers, an independent Vancouver-based interactive entertainment company that develops and publishes licensed and non-licensed digital personalization content on Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation. Otis is responsible for leading and managing the company’s overall strategic direction. In his role, Otis has developed and secured valuable partnerships with the world’s top brands including NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB, NCAA and Warner Brothers. Under his leadership, the company has experienced a 1009 per cent revenue growth over five years and recently being recognized by Business in Vancouver as one fastest growing companies coming in at number 11. Otis was also a recipient of BIV’s 40 under 40. 

In addition to founding Disruptive Publishers, Otis is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Ripe Rides. Ripe Rides is a mid-level, point-to-point luxury sedan car service, giving customers more value, choice and transparency when it comes to car-for-hire options. Ripe introduces full smartphone integration to the GVRD, giving customers accurate wait times, cost estimates, and a dynamic feedback loop between driver and customer.

Websites: disruptivepublishers.com + riperides.ca | Twitter: @disruptive + @riperides

Dario has established himself as an entrepreneur and a global connector over the past 15 years.  He has founded a number of successful ventures in Vancouver, New York, and Los Angeles, including Quietly, Invoke, BrightKit, and HootSuite – the world’s leading social media management platform.  Dario is an active investor and currently sits on the advisory board of several technology companies.

Scotty is the President & CEO of Browns Restaurant Group. He’s responsible for brand concept and restaurant design, and he’s heavily involved in all programs and initiatives that shape guest experiences, including the music program, menu development and more. Scotty's desire to mentor and create wealth for other people led to the creation of the their franchise model; small footprints, low capital start up costs and sound processes are the trademark of the Browns Socialhouse concept.

Prior to launching Browns Restaurant Group, Scotty co-founded Cactus Club Restaurant™ as well as Cafè Cucamonga’s, a sandwich and ice cream parlor.

Don Schick is the passionate founder and executive visionary behind the Strata Health mission and culture since its beginning in 2001. With a record of consistent business success spanning 35 years, Don’s career includes executive responsibilities within global leaders Procter & Gamble and PepsiCo prior to launching his entrepreneurial career. In 1988, Don co-founded Carlyle Computer Products Ltd. which was twice named one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies prior to being acquired by Boise Cascade Corporation.  In 2001, Don founded Strata Health Solutions Inc - a pioneer in cloud-based high security health software and now a leader in intelligent patient flow across Canada and Europe.  A majority acquisition by Polaris Partners was engineered in late 2014.

Don has been a guest lecturer at a number of Canadian post-secondary institutions and has addressed the Canadian COACH eHealth Conference, the UK Trade eHealth Expo at Cambridge University, and the Australian National eHealth Symposium in Brisbane.

Don is a British Columbia Top 40 Under 40 recipient.

Bob is the founder and president of Vancouver Marketing Workshop Ltd.  He has a vast array of experience in the marketing fields, having worked in senior positions with Labatts and Earls Restaurants.  Bob is a great speaker who is known for his ability to connect with his audience.  You will find him very insightful on the dynamics of human interaction – valuable in the planning for business, human resources and, of course, marketing and sales.