PORTFOLIO.YVR Business & Entrepreneurs Magazine | Volume 4 | Issue 12

PORTFOLIO.YVR

BUSINESS & ENTREPRENEURS

VOLUM E 4 | ISSUE 12

ESPA NDA GHORBA NNIA

M ICHELLE RA YM OND

DONNA VERLA A N

LISA M A RIE BLA IR

A LEX YIN LIA NG

TA RA TENG

A M ÉLIE THUY NGUYEN

A LLY PINTUCCI

HELEN SIWA K

K A REN LA M

LITING CHA N

PORTFOLIO.YVR



0 0 1 EIC & PUBLISHER M ESSAGE:

HELEN SIWAK

0 0 3 ESPAN DA GHORBAN N IA:

CON VOY COM M UN ICATION S

0 17 M ICHELLE RAYM ON D:

RAYM ON D REALTY | RE/ M AX SELECT REALTY

0 27 DON N A VERLAAN :

FOUN DER | M ATERA

0 39 LISA M ARIE BLAIR:

THE SKIN GIRLS & SKIN EDITION

0 49: ALEX YIN LIAN G:

VERACITE TRUST

0 59 TARA TEN G:

EM BODIM EN T COACH & AUTHOR

0 69 AM ÉLIE THUY N GUYEN :

FOUN DER & RESTAURATEUR

0 79 ALLY PIN TUCCI:

FOUN DER | THE GIRLS TRIP SERIES

0 89 HELEN SIWAK:

ECOLUXLUV COM M UN ICATION S & M ARKETIN G

10 1 QUICKTAKE: KAREN LAM :

BLACK OPIATE EN TERTAIN M EN T

10 7 QUICKTAKE: LITIN G CHAN :

PARADISE EVEN TS IN C.

113 M ASTHEAD & PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS

EIC & PUBLISHER M ESSA GE:

001

Eleven w omen. Eleven businesses.

Eleven reasons Vancouver?s

entrepreneurial landscape looks different

in 20 26 than it did the year before.

This is Portfolio.YVR?s first all-woman issue

? and it will not be our last. It is

dedicated to the founders, strategists,

creatives, and builders who are

advancing their industries with clarity of

vision and serious intent.

Visibility matters in modern

entrepreneurship. When a story reaches

the right audience, it becomes part of a

digital record that search engines index,

readers share, and opportunities grow

from. Through Portfolio.YVR?s publishing

ecosystem and distribution network, every

profile in these pages circulates

nationally and internationally ? creating

lasting presence for the people who have

earned it.

Espanda Ghorbannia of Convoy

Communications leads this issue as our

cover story. An Iranian-Canadian luxury

marketing strategist and experiential

designer, she has built her career around

one essential question: what makes a

client choose you, and keep choosing

you? Her work spans brand strategy,

experiential design, and high-stakes

client partnerships across Canada and

the Middle East.

Lisa M arie Blair of The SkinGirls and the

SkinEdition product line brings 15 years of

expertise as a Certified Medical

Aesthetician to a growing brand built on

precision and trust. Donna Verlaan of

M atera operates at the intersection of

design, construction, and procurement,

with two decades of senior leadership

behind her.

M ichelle Raymond of Raymond Realty

and RE/ M AX Select Realty is a Hall of

Fame-recognized producer whose work in

real estate is matched by an equally

committed focus on community, inclusivity,

and diversity.

Amélie Thuy N guyen, co-founder of the

four-time Michelin Bib Gourmand

recognized Anh and Chi, channels

community, culture, and family heritage

into every venture she leads.

Ally Pintucci shapes how people and

brands show up in the world ? through

her lens as a commercial photographer

and through The Girls Trip Series, the

community she has built around

meaningful connection.

Alex Yin Liang, Partner and Vice

President at Veracite Trust , is driving

change in conventional trust models

through a modern, partnership-driven

approach. Tara Teng , author of Your Body

is a Revolution and somatic practitioner,

continues her work at the intersection of

trauma healing and human rights

advocacy.

This issue also marks a first. After years of

turning the spotlight on others, I am

stepping into it myself ? because the

questions have not stopped, and perhaps

the story has finally earned its place on

the page.

In QuickTakes, filmmaker Karen Lam of

Black Opiate Entertainment and event

designer Liting Chan of Paradise Events

Inc return with updates worthy of

everyones attention.

To every woman featured in these pages:

the work is already speaking.

Keep building.

Helen Siwak

PUBLISHER'S M ESSA GE

ESPA NDA

GHORBA NNIA :

CONVOY

COM M UNICA TIONS.

003

Espanda Ghorbannia is an

Iranian-Canadian luxury marketing

strategist, experiential designer, and

founder whose work is grounded in a

question most brands forget to ask: in

a category where customers are

never compelled, only choosing, what

makes them choose you ? and keep

choosing you?

That question has shaped her career

across brand strategy, experiential

design, and high-stakes client

partnerships spanning Canada and

the M iddle East . She works with

luxury brands that understand the

difference between an audience that

attends and one that returns, helping

them design experiences that make

that distinction matter.

As a mother and entrepreneur,

Espanda understands firsthand that

presence is finite and attention is

earned. That truth informs everything

she builds ? for her clients and for

herself.

Her thinking extends beyond client

work. As a speaker and thought

leader, she has brought her

philosophy to stages including TEDx,

making the case that the experience

others have in your presence is one of

the most underleveraged advantages

in business today.

She is the founder of Convoy

Communications, a boutique

experiential agency headquartered

in Vancouver serving luxury clients

globally.

THE BUSINESS.

Convoy Communications is a

boutique agency dedicated

exclusively to the luxury sector,

operating at the intersection of

brand strategy and experiential

design. Headquartered in Vancouver

with operations in Toronto and a

growing presence in the M iddle East,

Convoy partners with luxury brands

to build programming that serves a

business objective ? not just a

moment.

The distinction Convoy makes is not

between good events and great

ones. It is between experiences that

feel impressive and those that

endure. In luxury, customers are never

compelled. They choose. And what

drives that choice ? and sustains it

over time ? is the quality of how a

brand makes them feel in its

presence.

Every engagement begins with

strategy, rooted in research and

aligned to measurable outcomes.

Every touchpoint is considered

deliberately, calibrated to the brand,

the audience, and the relationship it

is meant to deepen.

What separates Convoy is the rigour

behind the elegance. The

productions are refined. The strategy

underneath them is sharper. For

luxury brands that understand

retention is relational rather than

transactional, Convoy is the partner

that thinks well before it executes

beautifully.

005

IN HER WORDS.

007

"Entrepreneurial spirit was never

something I discovered. It was

something I inherited.

My maternal grandmother was the first

female architect in her region of Iran

to design and build a high-rise. Her

firm went on to shape much of the

town around it. She raised nine

children, lost her husband young, and

never stopped building. My mother

chose a different kind of construction

? she became a healer and life

coach, spending her life helping

people rebuild themselves from the

inside out. These women did not talk

about legacy. They simply lived it, and

left one.

Growing up in that lineage, I always

knew I wanted to build something. For

a long time, I thought that meant

architecture. I studied it, interned in it,

and realized the discipline fascinated

me but the practice was not mine.

Then I discovered marketing, and

something clicked. I could still be an

architect ? just not of buildings. Of

campaigns, of experiences, of the way

a brand makes someone feel when

they walk into its world. The deeper I

went into that work, the more I found

myself asking the harder question: not

just how do we show up, but why would

someone choose us, and what would

make them stay?

Convoy was built to answer that.

AN EXPEN SIVE EDUCATION

My first real venture was a floral

design and e-commerce business, and

I threw myself into it completely ?

which turned out to be both its

greatest strength and its earliest

lesson. I was fixated on the product, on

getting it perfect, on the beauty of the

thing itself. What I underestimated was

the system behind it. Overhead crept

up, costs accumulated that I had not

modelled properly, and the market

was not ready. Neither was I, in the

ways that mattered most. I was a

perfectionist when the moment called

for agility.

That experience taught me that

excellence and rigidity are not the

same thing, that a great idea without

a sound business underneath it is just

an expensive lesson, and that

remaining solutions-oriented through

difficulty rather than around it is what

separates founders who endure from

those who do not. A consulting

practice in PR and communications

followed, beginning as a transitional

step but quickly becoming a proof of

concept. People were willing to invest

in my thinking beyond the structure of

a corporate environment, and that

validation gave me the confidence to

go further."

"What I carried into Convoy from those

years inside corporate organizations

? evaluating agencies, understanding

what clients genuinely needed, sitting

on the other side of the table from the

people now pitching me ? was a

perspective that differed

fundamentally from founders who had

come up exclusively through agency

life. For a long time I treated that dual

vantage point as a complication.

Eventually I recognized it as the most

precise competitive advantage I had.

Convoy was built on that recognition

? deliberately niche, deliberately

focused, and designed to serve luxury

brands with a specificity that only

comes from understanding both sides

of the equation.

A M EETIN G CHAN GED EVERYTHIN G

In the first year of Convoy, I took a

meeting that could have gone either

way. A ten-minute window in an

airport hotel lobby, across from a

C-Suite decision maker from a

billion-dollar consumer goods brand

being courted by massive global

agencies with decades of credentials

and rooms full of people behind them.

I had research, a sharp idea, and a

clear point of view on what their

brand actually needed. That was it.

I knew their business, their audience,

and the gap between where they

were and where they could be.

I walked in anxious and determined in

equal measure ? the way you feel

when you know the idea is right but the

stakes are very real. I was a first-year

founder sitting across from someone

who had no shortage of safer options.

But I won the business.

Walking out of that lobby, something

shifted. Not confidence exactly,

because confidence had gotten me

into the room. Something deeper. A

knowing that the quality of thinking,

the specificity of preparation, and the

clarity of conviction can outperform

scale every single time. That client

became Convoy?s first agency of

record, and the rest is history.

When inbound requests began arriving

from large commercial brands and

names that had lived on our vision

board since the beginning, that was a

confirmation we had not

manufactured through pursuit but

earned through reputation,

consistency, and a standard of honesty

that is rarer in this industry than it

should be. Those moments did not

produce complacency. They produced

a deeper commitment."

009

011

BUILDIN G WITH IN TEN TION

"Scaling Convoy was never about

growing fast. It was about growing

with intention and making deliberate

decisions about how the agency was

perceived and experienced at every

touchpoint."

Cold outreach was a regular practice

in the early days, always preceded by

genuine research and followed by

pitches that were specific and

considered. More importantly, I

committed early to the discipline of

listening ? understanding what a

brand truly needs before offering a

single solution is where the real work

begins, and where most agencies fall

short. That discipline became the

operating principle of everything

Convoy does.

I made an early investment in Convoy?s

creative identity that I considered

non-negotiable. If the agency was

going to serve luxury brands, it needed

to speak their language from the very

first impression. I entrusted that work to

Best Studio, a female-founded

creative agency, and the result has

genuinely opened doors. Clients have

told us directly that our branding was

what made them take the meeting.

That investment paid for itself many

times over before the first year was

through.

The final decision was to grow steadily

with a focused client roster rather than

scale volume at the expense of

relationship quality. Founder-led and

managed, we answer only to the work.

High touch, high visibility, and

consistently present throughout the

entire relationship ? not just at pitch

time ? has become one of Convoy?s

most recognized differentiators. It is

not a positioning strategy. It is simply

how I work, and always have.

THE COST OF REAL BUILDIN G

Every meaningful thing I have built has

come at a cost, and I have never

pretended otherwise. Leaving the

security of a corporate career to build

something from nothing is a particular

kind of leap ? one that is difficult to

fully articulate until you are standing at

the edge of it.

There is no safety net, no guaranteed

paycheque, and no institutional

validation to fall back on. What

replaces all of that is conviction, and

on the harder days, conviction alone

has to be enough. The financial

sacrifice was real, the emotional

weight was substantial, and the time

taken from loved ones and from rest is

something you feel deeply, even when

you understand precisely why you are

making the choice."

013

"The entrepreneurial journey is also not

always kind in the ways that matter

beyond finances. Some of the hardest

lessons came from people ? from

learning, often the hard way, that not

everyone who enters your professional

world shares your values, your

standards, or your integrity. Those

experiences were painful in the

moment and clarifying in retrospect.

They sharpened my instincts, tightened

my judgment, and made me far more

deliberate about who earns a seat at

the table. I have come to understand

that the confidence I carry today was

built in those difficult moments, not

despite them."

"What has made all of it possible is my

village. My wonderful husband, my

family, my friends, and even

unexpected acquaintances who

showed up without being asked and

held everything together when I could

not do it alone.

Raising my daughter alongside

building this business has been the

great parallel journey of my life. I took

four weeks of maternity leave, and I

would never hold that up as a standard

or a badge of honour.

It was a personal choice made from

privilege, accountability, and belief in

what I am building. Entrepreneurship

asks everything of you, and having

people who give back in equal

measure makes the asking bearable.

THE PEOPLE WHO SHAPED THE PATH

Mentorship, in the traditional sense,

was not a defining feature of my

journey ? and I think it is worth saying

so honestly, because there are women

building without a formal guide in their

corner, and that is a legitimate and

workable path.

Much of what I know was earned

through reading widely, learning

through trial and error, and drawing on

communities like The Forum and

WeBC, which offered practical

grounding and genuine connection

when I needed both.

There are people I return to with

genuine gratitude. Rick Kroetsch, my

program head during my academic

years, conditioned his students for the

reality of professional life rather than

simply preparing them for it, and his

presence in my early career carried

more weight than he probably realizes.

N ancy Williams, a formidable

executive and leader, has shaped the

way I think about luxury, leadership as

a woman, and integrity in ways that

have stayed with me through every

subsequent chapter.

My most enduring guide has always

been my mother. Her wisdom, her

example, and her unwavering belief in

me have informed not just how I lead

but how I move through the world."

"My family has been the foundation

beneath everything, and paying that

forward by mentoring young women in

the early stages of their own paths has

become one of the most meaningful

dimensions of this work.

THE LEGACY BEIN G BUILT

Convoy is at a deliberate inflection

point. The business is performing, the

reputation is earned through consistent

delivery and genuine relationships, and

the foundation beneath it is sound. The

client roster includes some of the most

recognized names in the luxury sector,

inbound interest is growing, and the

market appetite for what Convoy

offers has never been more evident.

Scaling to its full potential requires

capital, and we are actively seeking

angel investment from an aligned

individual who understands the luxury

sector, believes in where this is going,

and wants to be part of building

something that is already working on

its own terms.

Canada?s luxury experiential sector

remains strategically underserved, and

Convoy is already the most credible

answer to that gap."

The Middle East represents an even

more compelling frontier ? one where

an Iranian-Canadian founder brings

cultural fluency and operational

presence that no Western agency can

authentically replicate.

We are also seeking strategic brand

partnerships and collaborators who

operate at the same standard and

want to build something meaningful

together.

The legacy I am building is layered. To

redefine luxury experiential strategy

on a global stage.

To build a blueprint for minority female

founders in spaces not designed for

them. And to leave a lasting mark on

how brands understand human

connection ? because how you make

someone feel is the only currency that

truly compounds.

Most personally, I want my daughter to

grow up watching her mother build

something with integrity and without

apology, so that when her time comes,

she never questions whether she is

allowed to dream as big as she wants."

E S P A N D A

C O N V O Y

C O M M U N IC A T IO N S

G H O R B A N N IA

015

M ICHELLE

RA YM OND:

RA YM OND

REA LTY &

RE/M A X SELECT

REA LTY.

017

M ichelle Raymond is a

second-generation Realtor and a

Vancouver original, raised inside the

industry by parents who shaped her

understanding of real estate long

before she held a license.

Her mother, Pamela Hooper,

modeled confidence and presence in

a male-dominated environment.

Her father, M ark Raymond, taught

her the discipline of door knocking

and the value of genuine connection.

Her stepfather Barry showed her how

to bring ease, charm, and humanity

into every room.

Together, they gave her something no

formal training could replicate ? an

instinct for people and an

inheritance of integrity.

With over two decades at RE/ M AX,

Michelle has built a practice

grounded in tradition, discernment,

and care. She is known for

representing beautifully curated,

architecturally significant residences,

and for approaching each home as a

story that deserves to be understood

before it is shared.

Michelle's clients trust her not only

for her calm and decisive presence,

but for her ability to guide them with

clarity through complex, high-stakes

decisions ? knowing when to act,

when to hold, and how to position a

property with precision, particularly

in shifting markets.

At the heart of Michelle?s practice is

a philosophy of stewardship. She

collaborates closely with designers,

architects, and trusted colleagues to

ensure every home is marketed to

the highest standard, paying

homage to every professional whose

work contributed to it.

For buyers, her process begins

before a single showing ? a guided

approach that invites clients to get

clear on how they want to feel in a

space, so that when they find what

they are looking for, the decision is

grounded in something deeper than

square footage and price.

Her career has been shaped as

much by community as by

transactions. She has served as past

president within a high-end

entrepreneur?s community, hosted

monthly real estate masterminds,

and been recognized by Denise

Lin' s Glow ing Beyond 40 Over 40

campaign. She received a Lifetime

Achievement Award ? a milestone

she describes as meaningful not for

the recognition itself, but for

everything it represented: the

families served, the journey taken,

and the people who believed in her

along the way.

Michelle Raymond pairs

heart-centered intuition with

sophisticated strategy, and brings to

every client relationship the same

conviction that has defined her

career from the beginning ? that

trust, built carefully and honored

consistently, is the only foundation

worth building on.

019

IN HER WORDS.

021

"There was no single defining moment

of entrepreneurial spark ? I was

raised inside of it. Some of my earliest

memories are working the phones and

playing secretary in my mother office.

She was the only woman in an

all-male environment, and she carried

herself with a confidence that filled

every room she walked into. She still

does. To this day, she remains my

closest confidant and right-hand

partner ? she is known by all as the

M ama Bear. My stepfather Barry

brought a different energy entirely: he

showed me how to connect, how to

create experiences, and how to bring

ease and charm into a room. Deals

were done over a scotch and a

handshake at Hy?s Steakhouse, and I

was watching all of it.

On weekends, from around the age of

ten, I would go door knocking with my

father, M ark Raymond. We walked

neighbourhoods together, talked to

people on their front porches, and

prepared flyers side by side. It never

felt like work. It felt like connection.

He went on to dominate the

ultra-luxury real estate condo market

in Yaletow n and Coal Harbour, and

his dedication, class, and firm

negotiation skills left a mark on me

that has never faded.

Each of them shaped me differently ?

Barry with presence and charm, my

mother with charisma and confidence,

my father with discipline and work

ethic. I was not just learning real

estate. I was learning how to build

something of my own while honouring

a family legacy.

FAITH OVER FEAR

In 20 0 7, the market had shifted and

nothing was selling. I had just gone

through a breakup and moved into

the coach house at my father?s estate

at Ivy M anor. He was worried about

me, as any parent would be, and one

day we ended up in a highly

emotional exchange that had never

really happened between us before.

He wanted me to get a waitressing

job ? something stable. He was

coming from fear. I was coming from

frustration. I just needed him to have

more faith, and he just needed me to

make more money.

To keep the peace, I told him I would

look at options. I did not.

I stayed focused. I kept showing up,

talking to people, building my

network, and building momentum

quietly behind the scenes. By the end

of that year, I was debt-free, had

saved a down payment, and

purchased my first home."

023

"That Christmas, I showed my father the

bank statement ? what had come in,

what I had saved, and what I had built.

The pride we both felt in that moment

has stayed with me ever since.

The lesson was simple: trust your

knowing. Faith over fear. Do not allow

the noise, the opinions, or the state of

the market to dictate your outcome.

What matters most is belief in yourself

and the willingness to keep going, even

when it does not look like it is working.

RAYM ON D REALTY

One of my first roles as a licensed

REALTOR was lead generating for

Peter Carleton, and it came naturally

to me. With over 6,70 0 hours of cold

calling experience, I was consistently

bringing in a minimum of four new

listings per month. It never felt like

work. After some time, I began to

question whether it was time to branch

out on my own. I was twenty-two.

The answer arrived without warning. On

a day off, my father asked if I would

deliver calendars to his past clients. I

knocked on a door in the same

complex where Peter had a listing, had

a lovely conversation with the woman

who lived there, and encouraged her

to reach out to my father. In the days

that followed, I learned that Peter had

also met with the same woman, and

during that listing appointment she

said: she does not work for you ? she

works with her dad. The very next day,

Peter let me go. I came to understand

that he knew it was time for me to step

out on my own and was simply giving

me the push I needed.

Raymond Realty was born.

BUILDIN G THE BRAN D

Getting in front of the camera was the

thing I resisted most for years. I knew it

was what the business needed. I also

knew it intimidated me. That is the

nature of entrepreneurship ? you

usually know exactly what you need to

do to grow, and it is almost always the

thing that scares you most.

Leaning into that discomfort became a

turning point. It allowed me to grow,

expand, and step more fully into my

vision ? and to honor my clients

in a more elevated way. My brother

Brent Raymond has always said: "Leap

and the safety net will appear."

He was right.

PEOPLE WHO SHAPED THE PATH

I was hosting an exclusive VIP preview

at one of my listings and thought, why

not invite the designer and give him the

opportunity to shine. I had heard so

many incredible things about him and

that decision opened an unexpected

door.

That introduction to Aleem Kassam of

Kalu Interiors and his husband Victor

Kazakov opened a new chapter ? one

that bridged real estate and the

design community in ways that proved

transformative. The collaboration that

followed brought new networks, shared

projects, and a creative perspective

that elevated how I ? and many others

in the industry ? approach

collaboration.

Together, we co-created ?Meet the

Designer? events, not only bringing

incredible exposure to the residences,

but also inspiring the real estate

community at large."

025

"When I started in real estate, I was the

youngest in the office by twenty years

? which meant I had forty mothers and

fathers who believed in me, shared

their knowledge, and cheered me on.

M ichelle Forsberg gave me my first

opportunity as her licensed assistant.

Rose M arra and Sandra Parsons

followed, and I keep in touch with both

to this day.

Many people from the Tri Cities office

became referral partners when I

moved to Vancouver, and it was their

trust that gave me my early success.

My constant confidante throughout this

career has been Shelley Cunningham

? a genuinely extraordinary person

who has supported me from the

beginning, evaluating properties

alongside me, masterminding ideas,

and caring for my business when I am

away. More recently, Andrea Jauck, a

dear friend and exceptional waterfront

luxury specialist, has been a meaningful

source of inspiration. She embodies a

level of excellence that is even greater

than she realizes.

I also look toward the humble giants of

this industry ? Sid Landolt, Gregg

Baker, Karim Virani, Winston Chan,

Brian Higgins, Faith Wilson,

N uvola Capitanio, Jacqueline and

Sid Adler, Alfie Yang, Aleya Bhaloo,

and N ick N ikjou ? each of whom has

shaped how real estate is practiced

and elevated in this city. I am grateful

to share an industry with all of them.


My work is rooted in both strategy and

heart-centered intuition ?

understanding the data, the timing, and

the market, while also recognizing how

a home feels and who it is meant for.

I represent homes at a high level,

thoughtfully curating how they are

experienced and positioned. For

buyers, I create an experience that

begins before they ever walk through a

door ? a simple guided process that

invites clients to get clear on how they

want to feel in a space, so that when

they find what they are looking for,

they are reminded of how powerful

they are in creating what they most

want.

Stepping onto the stage to receive the

Lifetime Achievement Aw ard was a

humbling moment ? not for the award

itself, but for everything it represented:

the journey, the families I have had the

privilege of serving, and the

unwavering support of those who

believed in me along the way.

Legacy is not something I have thought

much about. But if people said that I

made them laugh, helped them see

things differently, reminded them of the

importance of faith, introduced them to

remarkable people, gave them hope,

showed them compassion, and helped

them remember who they are ? then I

think I have fulfilled what I am called

here to do.

The greatest gift we can give another

person is to see them in their highest

light and reflect that back to them. We

all rise by lifting others and in doing so,

we quietly invite them to rise into it. It is

in the being, not the doing. That is the

work. That is all of it."

M IC H E L L E

R A Y M O N D

R A Y M O N D

R E A L T Y

R E / M A X S E L E C T R E A L T Y

DONNA

VERLA A N:

M A TERA .

027

Donna Verlaan is a Vancouver-based

building materials strategist working

at the intersection of design,

construction, and procurement. With

over two decades of experience, she

has held senior leadership roles

overseeing multi-million-dollar

business units and partnering with

architects, developers, and

contractors to deliver complex,

design-led projects.

Her work is defined by an ability to

translate creative vision into

commercially viable, well-executed

outcomes, with an expertise rooted in

understanding how materials move

through a project.

She brings clarity to the points where

decisions can shift or quietly fall

away ? from early architectural

specification through to what is

ultimately built ? ensuring the

integrity of a design is carried

through to its final expression.

Donna is currently developing

M atera, an emerging platform

designed to support greater

alignment between architectural

intent and the realities of sourcing

and building.

Matera is a platform designed to

bring greater intelligence and

alignment to the building materials

landscape.

THE BUSINESS.

Much of the industry continues to

operate through fragmented, largely

analog systems ? reliant on

spreadsheets, siloed information, and

relationships that function well at

smaller scale but become

increasingly strained as projects

grow.

Materials are thoughtfully selected

during the design phase, yet that

vision can shift as projects move

toward construction, often due to

limited visibility into pricing,

availability, and sourcing. The result is

a consistent disconnect between

what is imagined and what is

ultimately realized.

Matera is being developed to

address that gap ? bridging

specification and procurement

through closer supplier alignment

and a more considered approach to

sourcing.

By translating design intent into a

clearer path forward, the platform

supports better decision-making

earlier in the process, with a natural

reduction in unnecessary waste and

a stronger through-line from concept

to completion.

029

IN HER WORDS.

031

"The instinct to build has always been

there ? not in the physical sense

alone, but in the way ideas, people,

and systems can be brought together

to create something cohesive. There

was no single defining moment that

set me on an entrepreneurial path. It

developed over time, shaped by

years of working at the intersection

of design and construction,

translating a designer?s vision into

something that could actually be

realized within the constraints of

budgets, timelines, and procurement

realities. That position ? the one that

lives between imagination and

execution ? is where my focus took

root.

What sharpened that focus was a

pattern I could not ignore. Again and

again, across different projects,

teams, and contexts, materials would

be carefully specified with clear

design intent, only to shift as the

project moved through procurement

and into construction. The gap

between what was envisioned and

what was ultimately built was rarely

the result of carelessness. It was

structural. The industry was still

operating through fragmented,

largely analog systems ?

long-standing relationships, informal

communication channels, and

processes that had not evolved

alongside the scale and complexity

of modern projects.

I spent years navigating that gap

from the inside. Eventually, I became

more interested in asking why it

existed at all.

EARLY LESSON S IN EXECUTION

One of my earliest ventures came

during my university years, when I

began importing small collections of

home objects after spending time in

Europe and traveling through Turkey.

I was drawn to the design, the

cultural richness, and the sense of

history embedded in those pieces ?

how different they felt from what was

available locally.

Securing my first retail buyer,

Chintz and Co., was a pivotal

moment. It was the first time I

watched something move from idea

to commercial reality, and it made

the entire process feel tangible in a

new way.

It was also instructive in ways I did

not fully appreciate at the time. I

learned quickly how many elements

must align simultaneously ? sourcing,

pricing, timing, logistics, and the

confidence to move forward despite

uncertainty. Even small missteps could

shift the outcome considerably. That

early experience planted a lesson I

have carried through every

subsequent chapter: the gap

between vision and reality forms

most easily when those foundational

elements are not fully in alignment".

THE LON G GAM E

"My father built and led his own

business, and growing up inside that

environment gave me an early and

lasting understanding of what it truly

means to create something. Not just

the outcome, but the responsibility,

the decision-making, and the people

who make it possible. That

perspective shaped how I

approached every leadership role

that followed.

Early in my career, the focus was on

execution ? building teams,

delivering results, and bridging the

priorities of designers, contractors,

and suppliers.

Over time, that shifted. I became less

interested in managing complexity

within existing structures and more

curious about why that complexity

existed in the first place. Rather than

a single defining setback, it was an

accumulation of experience ?

moments where things required far

more effort to hold together than

they should have ? that led me to

step back, question the system, and

begin thinking about how it could

function more effectively.

That progression, from executing

within the industry to rethinking how

it could operate, is what ultimately

led me to build Matera.

BUILDIN G WITH IN TEN TION

Scaling, for me, has never been

about speed. In leadership roles, it

meant stepping back from the

day-to-day to take a more holistic

view ? reorganizing teams, refining

processes, and ensuring the structure

of a business could support what was

being built without unravelling under

pressure. Growth without integrity is

not growth worth pursuing.

That same discipline shapes how I am

approaching Matera. The priority at

this stage is getting the foundation

right ? understanding the problem

clearly, working through it in a real

and practical way, and ensuring that

what is being built reflects how the

industry actually operates.

Conviction did not come from a

single breakthrough moment. It came

from watching the same pattern

repeat across enough projects and

organizations that it stopped feeling

like a series of isolated challenges

and became something far more

consistent ? and far more solvable."

033

THE VALUE OF COM M UN ITY

"Mentorship and community have

been quietly essential throughout this

journey. My father?s example

established the foundation. Beyond

that, being part of founder-focused

organizations ? among them The 51

and The Forum ? has offered both

perspective and access. These

spaces create room for honest

conversation around capital, growth,

and long-term vision, and they

provide the kind of grounded insight

that comes only from being

surrounded by others who are

building, navigating complexity, and

thinking at a similar level.

I have participated in those

communities as both mentee and

mentor, and that dual role has

reinforced something I believe

deeply: there is a level of clarity that

emerges when you are asked to

articulate your thinking to someone

else. It sharpens what you know and

surfaces what still needs work.

THE WORK WORTH DOIN G

If there is advice I would offer to

those earlier in their journey, it is this:

understand the problem deeply

before attempting to scale a

solution. There is persistent pressure

to move quickly, to prove something

faster than the work actually

requires.

But the time spent truly observing

how a system functions ? where it

holds and where it begins to fracture

? is precisely what leads to more

meaningful and more durable

innovation. I underestimated that

early on. I no longer do.

My definition of success has evolved

accordingly. It is no longer primarily

about outcomes or milestones. It is

about building something thoughtful,

resilient, and genuinely aligned with

how things work in practice ?

something that sustains its integrity

as it grows, rather than simply

scaling quickly and hoping the

structure holds.

M ATERA

At its core, Matera is focused on

closing the gap between how

projects are designed and how they

are actually built. Today, materials

are frequently specified without

clear visibility into sourcing,

availability, or cost, and as projects

move forward, that disconnect

produces inefficiency, unnecessary

change, and outcomes that differ

from the original vision.

Matera is being developed to bridge

that space ? introducing a more

intelligent and connected approach

to how materials are sourced,

evaluated, and brought into a

project."

035

"By creating greater visibility

earlier in the process, it supports

better decision-making and more

consistent outcomes. As Matera

moves into its next phase, I am

actively seeking collaborators

within the design and construction

community, experienced technical

partners with backgrounds in

platform development and systems

thinking, and aligned investors who

understand both the scale of the

opportunity and the importance of

building the right foundation at this

stage. What I am looking for, above

all, are partners who value

long-term thinking ? because that

is precisely how Matera is being

built.


Legacy, for me, is not about scale

or recognition. It is about

contributing to a shift that outlasts

any single project or platform ? a

quieter, more systemic change in

how the design and construction

industry operates.

If Matera can support a more

thoughtful approach to how

materials are selected, sourced,

and brought into a project ?

reducing unnecessary change,

improving outcomes, and naturally

limiting avoidable waste ? then it

will have made a contribution that

extends well beyond the business

itself. The built environment shapes

how people live and work every

single day. The decisions made

during the design and construction

process are rarely visible to the

people who ultimately inhabit those

spaces, but their impact is constant

and lasting.

The legacy I hope to leave is one of

greater integrity in that process ?

a more connected relationship

between what is designed and

what is realized, where clarity and

consistency are the standard rather

than the exception. That is what

drives the work, and it is what I

want Matera to stand for long after

the foundations have been laid."

D O N N A

M A T E R A

V E R L A A N

037

LISA M A RIE

BLA IR:

THE SK INGIRLS

& SK INEDITION.

Lisa M arie Blair is the founder of

The SkinGirls in Vancouver and the

SkinEdition medical-grade product

line. With over fifteen years of

experience as a Certified Medical

Aesthetician, she has built a reputation

for clinical precision and consistently

exceptional results.

As a sought-after Celebrity Facialist,

Lisa Marie works with a discerning

clientele who trust her deep

understanding of skin physiology and

her exacting approach to treatment.

Her work is defined by a commitment

to safety, efficacy, and the kind of

individualized care that produces

lasting outcomes rather than

temporary fixes.

That same standard of integrity

extends to SkinEdition, a line of

medical-grade products developed to

deliver transformative, clinically

supported results for clients beyond

the treatment room.

039

THE BUSINESS.

Launched in June 20 17 by Lisa M arie

Blair, The SkinGirls provides clients

with results-driven clinical treatments

tailored to each individual?s unique

skin profile.

The practice offers a comprehensive

suite of advanced aesthetic services,

including medical-grade facials,

neuromodulators, fractional

resurfacing, and non-invasive body

contouring.

Led by a team of highly educated,

clinically certified practitioners,

The SkinGirls combines technical

precision with a patient-centered

approach.

Every protocol is evidence-based,

every outcome is intentional, and

every client leaves with a deeper

understanding of their skin and a

clear path forward.

041

IN HER WORDS.

043

"Two suitcases out of three packed

with skincare products ? that was

how I arrived in Vancouver from

M ontreal in 20 0 6, and it tells you

everything you need to know about

where my priorities have always

been. The move was not part of a

grand business plan. It was simply the

natural direction of a lifelong

obsession with skincare that had

been building for as long as I could

remember. I walked into a medical

spa as a client one afternoon and

noticed they were hiring for the front

desk. I applied, got the job, and fell

completely in love with the work.

From that moment, the path forward

was clear. I pursued medical

aesthetics with everything I had, and

I never looked back.

The mobile medi-spa service came

first, a model that allowed me to

bring the work directly to clients and

build the relationships that would

become the backbone of everything

that followed. By 20 13, that

momentum had grown into something

that needed a permanent home, and

The SkinGirls found one in a discreet

location that reflected exactly the

kind of experience we wanted to

offer.

BUILT WITHOUT A BLUEPRIN T

Building The SkinGirls was never a

deliberate strategy. My parents

raised me to work for everything ?

my father flipped houses alongside a

career in logistics, and my mother

sold antique dolls. Neither believed

in simply giving us things. That work

ethic became the foundation of how I

operate, even though owning a

business with a full team was never

the original vision. The goal was

simply to do the work, and do it well.

The mobile service grew entirely on

its own momentum. One day I was

operating solo out of a passion that

felt more like a calling than a career,

and the next, demand had expanded

well beyond what one person could

sustain.

Employees joined, contractors came

on board, and suddenly I was at the

helm of something I had never set out

to build. It was not the result of a

five-year plan. It was the best

possible outcome of loving what you

do and refusing to do it any other

way."

THE DECISION THAT DEFIN ED US

"Early on, there was a piece of

technology circulating through the

industry. Competitors were offering

it, clients were requesting it, and the

financial case for bringing it into the

clinic was entirely straightforward.

But we did not believe in the

technology.

We had serious reservations about its

safety and efficacy, and so we

declined ? and kept declining, even

as the inquiries continued and the

pressure to follow the market

mounted.

Years later, the FDA issued warnings

about that very technology, citing

risks including scarring and fat loss.

What had felt like a costly decision

turned out to be one of the clearest

expressions of who The SkinGirls are.

Clinical integrity is not a value we

revisit when convenient.

It is the operating principle behind

every treatment we offer and every

product we stand behind. That

experience shaped the culture of this

business in ways that no marketing

strategy ever could, and it told our

clients and our industry exactly

where we stand.

THE COST OF THE WORK

Balancing the professional and the

personal is something I am still

actively learning. The honest answer

is that I am not great at it. Work has

always come first ? the casts and

productions I serve send messages

late at night, someone needs to be

seen first thing the next morning, and

being available for that is simply

part of what I do. My husband is

enormously supportive. Sunday is the

one day I genuinely try to protect.

The deeper truth is that I believe I

waited too long to have children.

Now that I am in my 40 s and my

husband and I were trying, I find

myself wishing I had made different

choices at different crossroads. That

particular sacrifice ? the one that

cannot be undone by working harder

? is the one that has most profoundly

shaped my perspective on what

success actually means. I define true

success as loving the work, building a

supportive environment, and feeling

balanced across all areas of life. The

first two I have. The third remains a

work in progress, and I hold that

honestly. More of us in this industry

need to say that out loud."

045

047

STILL REACHIN G

"I do not truly feel I have hit that

pivotal moment of arrival. As an

entrepreneur, the stress of it all

potentially falling apart never fully

leaves you. Everything rests on your

shoulders, and that weight does not

disappear simply because the

business is thriving. The comfortable

threshold ? the one where you finally

feel settled ? remains just out of

reach. That is not a complaint. It is

the reality of building something that

genuinely matters to you.

THE WOM EN WHO SHOWED UP

My success has never been a solo

achievement. From the very

beginning, women in this industry

showed up for me with guidance,

belief, and the kind of generous

support that is difficult to quantify but

impossible to overstate. The

philosophy of women supporting

women is not a slogan I display ? it

is the lived reality of how this business

was built.

Among those integral to my journey:

Lacey Kondi of Kondi Fitness, Katie

M cKenzie of All M ethod, M ary

Zilba, Ronnie N egus, Corinne Clark,

Katie Cassidy, Caity Lotz, Danielle

Panabaker, Kari Anderson, Danielle

Fow ler, Candice Stafford Bridge,

and Anna Bosa. Their belief in me

during the early days made a

difference I carry with me still.

The relationships I have built over

nearly two decades in this industry

are among the most valuable things I

have ? not a luxury, but a

foundation.

PAYIN G IT FORWARD

Someone helped me when I was

starting out, and that shapes how I

show up for others now.

Supporting other women in business is

not something I do strategically ? it

is simply who I am, built by parents

who modelled hustle and by a

community of women who modelled

generosity.

The SkinGirls operates every day of

the week. The pace is relentless and

the demands are real, but within that

I try to remain someone others can

lean on.

I stay true to the values that built this

business, I invest in the people around

me, and I keep showing up.

The reaching is not a sign that

something is missing. It is the sign

that the work still matters and that

The SkinGirls is still becoming what it

is meant to be."

L IS A M A R IE B L A IR

F O U N D E R

T H E S K IN G IR L S

S K IN E D IT IO N

A LEX YIN

LIA NG:

VERCITE

TRUST.

049

Over more than two decades,

Alex Yin Liang has built a career

defined by growth, transformation, and

an ability to navigate complexity

across financial services.

Her experience spans banks, credit

unions, capital markets, private equity,

family offices, and global asset

management ? giving her a broad

and nuanced perspective on how

institutions evolve and compete.

She currently serves as Partner and

Vice President at Veracite Trust,

driving change in conventional trust

models through a modern,

partnership-driven approach.

At the core of her work is a distinct

strength: translating complex ideas

into clear, actionable strategies.

Her expertise includes wealth

management, insurance, trust and

estate planning, and global asset

distribution, alongside strategic

partnerships, business development,

and credit structuring ? underpinned

by a strong emphasis on financial and

operational excellence.

Her path into finance was not

conventional. Initially set on a career

in medicine, she made an early,

defining choice to pursue a different

way of helping people ? one rooted

in guidance, trust, and long-term

impact. She leads with a

relationship-driven approach,

grounded in strategic clarity and a

belief that meaningful connection

drives lasting results.

Outside of her professional work, she is

an avid cyclist, passionate gardener,

enthusiastic home cook, and a

self-described terrible golfer.

THE BUSINESS.

Veracite Trust represents a shift in

how trust and estate services are

delivered across the financial

ecosystem. Built as a modern,

partnership-driven platform, it

challenges conventional trust models

that have traditionally been complex,

siloed, and inaccessible to many

independent wealth and financial

firms.

At its core, Veracite Trust enables

these firms to offer fully integrated,

holistic solutions to their clients

without building in-house trust

capabilities. Through a white-label

approach, partners can seamlessly

extend their value proposition ?

delivering trust and estate services

under their own brand while

maintaining full control of the client

relationship.

Clients increasingly expect

coordinated, end-to-end advice that

goes beyond investment

management to include legacy,

protection, and intergenerational

planning. Veracite Trust empowers

advisors and institutions to meet that

expectation by removing traditional

barriers and simplifying access to

sophisticated trust structures.

More than a service provider,

Veracite Trust operates as a strategic

partner ? aligning with institutions to

enhance advisor capabilities,

deepen client relationships, and

unlock new growth opportunities,

making trust services more

accessible, relevant, and integral to

a comprehensive client offering.

IN HER WORDS.

051

"Entrepreneurship, for me, was never a

label I reached for. Looking back, it

was more about survival ? and then,

gradually, about seeing things more

clearly than the system around me

seemed to. My parents worked

incredibly hard, and they were not

always around, so from a young age I

took on responsibility for my siblings.

That experience shaped how I think.

I learned early to solve problems, to

make things more efficient, and to

question why things were done the way

they were done. It was not ambition in

the conventional sense. It was necessity,

applied with intention.

That same instinct followed me into

financial services. The industry gave me

a strong foundation ? a deep

understanding of how the system works,

how institutions operate, and what

clients actually need."

053

"But the deeper I went, the more clearly

I saw where it fell short. Advice was

fragmented. Solutions were confined

within organizational silos. Clients were

left without truly coordinated, holistic

guidance, not because advisors did not

care, but because the structure made it

difficult to deliver anything else.

That gap stayed with me. Rather than

accepting it, I focused on bridging it ?

building partnerships, challenging

conventional approaches, and helping

teams think differently about growth

and client experience. That mindset

shaped every subsequent role, including

work that took me across more than

forty institutions. When that chapter

closed, it led me to Veracite Trust.

THE FIVE DOLLAR LESSON

Some of the most enduring business

lessons arrive unexpectedly. Mine came

at thirteen, working the front counter of

my family?s bakery and Chinese

restaurant. I had grown up in that

environment ? rolling dough, baking

cookies, learning the rhythms of a

working kitchen before I understood

what any of it was building in me. By

the time I was trusted with the cash

register, I felt capable.

Then a customer came in, bought a loaf

of bread, and asked me to exchange a

five-dollar bill for quarters. Very

specific quarters, he said ? from the

left corner of the till. I followed his

instructions exactly. At the end of the

day, my aunt asked where all the US

quarters had gone. A grown man

had successfully out-negotiated a

thirteen-year-old over five dollars

in coins.

It was not funny at the time. It is now.

But the lesson it left was neither small

nor forgettable: do not follow

instructions without understanding the

intent behind them. Ask questions.

Understand the problem. Think through

the outcome before you act. That

principle has shaped every significant

decision I have made since.

AN ACCIDEN T OF IM PACT

Early in my career, I was building as an

advisor at a major bank, growing a

client portfolio from the ground up,

gaining traction quickly, and moving

forward with real momentum. Then

everything changed.

I was involved in a serious car accident.

In an instant, I lost feeling in my legs

and much of my left side. My health, my

career, and my sense of stability came

to a complete halt. I went from being

the primary provider to someone who

needed to be cared for. Around the

same time, I became a parent, which

reshaped my priorities in ways I had not

anticipated.

Recovery was not linear. I had to

relearn how to walk, manage ongoing

pain, and work through the emotional

weight of rebuilding ? not just

physically, but mentally. What carried

me through was a deliberate shift in

perspective. I stopped focusing on what

I had lost and started focusing on what

I could reconstruct. That period taught

me resilience, patience, and the

discipline to move forward even when

progress felt imperceptibly slow."

055

"It also taught me that pushing harder is

not always the answer. Balance, I came

to understand, is not a perfect split

between competing demands. It is

alignment. Some days I show up

stronger in one role than another ?

as a leader, a mother, a partner, a

daughter, a friend. It shifts. I often

describe myself as a balanced

portfolio. Some days are in the

negative, others in the positive,

but over time the trajectory is steady

and moving forward.

BUILDIN G ACROSS THE IN DUSTRY

Following my recovery, I moved into

broader roles across wealth, asset

management, and insurance distribution

? driven by a desire to understand the

system at scale. Working closely with

advisors, brokers, and institutions across

banks, credit unions, and independent

firms, I helped them grow, strengthen

distribution, and improve client

outcomes. Supporting more than forty

institutions gave me a distinctive

vantage point into how different models

operate, where they succeed, and

where structural gaps limit both growth

and client experience.

That exposure expanded into real

estate, private equity, commodities, and

debt structuring ? advising on complex

transactions and growth initiatives,

particularly those aligned with

sustainability and long-term value

creation. I worked alongside investors,

operators, and leadership teams to

connect capital with opportunity and

scale businesses across different stages

of maturity. Throughout all of it, I came

to understand that financial outcomes

are a result, not the primary driver.

What has consistently motivated me is

the opportunity to build better solutions

and create impact that extends beyond

the transaction itself.

VERACITE TRUST

For decades, trust and estate services

have been largely confined to the

major banks. Veracite Trust exists to

change that.

The conviction behind it did not arrive

in a single moment. It came from a shift

I noticed in the conversations ? a point

at which institutions and advisors

stopped needing the concept

explained and began to see themselves

in it. They understood the gap we were

solving and recognized how addressing

it could meaningfully elevate their client

offering. That shift, from curiosity to

alignment, was when I knew we were

building something that should exist.

Veracite provides a modern,

partnership-driven, white-label

platform that enables credit unions,

independent firms, and family offices to

offer trust and estate services without

the complexity of building the

capability themselves. Our model allows

partners to integrate these services

seamlessly into their existing offering,

under their own brand, while

maintaining full ownership of the client

relationship. This empowers advisors to

move beyond siloed conversations and

deliver genuinely holistic guidance ?

supporting clients not only in wealth

accumulation, but in protection, legacy,

and intergenerational planning. Clients

do not think in silos. Their financial lives

are interconnected, and they expect

advice that reflects that reality."

057

THE PEOPLE WHO SHAPED THE PATH

Mentorship, for me, has never come from

a single source. It has come from

everyone I have encountered along the

way ? supervisors, colleagues, friends,

and mentees alike. Some through

guidance, others through challenge.

Often the hardest lessons have been the

most valuable.

Among those who left a lasting imprint:

Jessie taught me presence; M ichael,

conviction; Jennifer, candor; Henry,

resilience; and David that culture is

everything. Wanda sharpened my

ability to recognize gaps, and Rob

reminded me that if you love what you

do, it becomes a lifestyle. Lyle

reinforced the importance of

community, Frank of opportunity, and

Daniel that reinvention is always

possible. Brian brought positivity,

Lorraine vision, Ken the value of working

hard for luck, Kevin simplicity, Ben

kindness, Will continuous learning,

Brendon laughter, and Gunn the

wisdom of not taking everything too

seriously.

One person stands apart. Trish Vale, my

former manager at a major bank, is a

leader I deeply admire. Strong, fair, and

consistent, she has a rare ability to bring

out the best in people ? taking the time

to understand what motivates you,

offering candid feedback that stays

with you, and genuinely caring about

the outcome. To this day, when I face a

difficult decision, I find myself asking:

what would Trish do?


Legacy, for me, comes back to access

and intention. Trust and estate planning

has been treated for too long as

something exclusive, complex, or

secondary. It should be a natural part of

every financial conversation ?

accessible, integrated, and thoughtfully

delivered through the institutions and

advisors clients already trust.

Beyond the industry, the impact is more

personal. It is about helping people

make better decisions ? not just for

today, but for the generations that

follow. Helping families carry forward

what they have built, with clarity,

confidence, and purpose.

As we move through 20 26 and beyond,

we are seeking forward-thinking

institutions ready to move beyond

traditional limitations, experienced

operators who understand how to

connect strategy with execution, and

aligned capital partners who see the

long-term opportunity in reshaping

access to trust and estate solutions

across the independent channel. If you

see the gap, believe in the opportunity,

and want to be part of building

something that lasts ? there is a place

here.

That, to me, is what makes the work

meaningful. Not just the growth, but the

stronger relationships, the better

conversations, and the more human

approach to financial guidance that

follows.

A L E X Y IN L IA N G

V E R A C IT E T R U S T

TA RA TENG:

EM BODIM ENT

COA CH &

A UTHOR.

059

Tara Teng (she/ her) is an

Embodiment Coach working at the

intersection of spirituality and

sexuality. She helps people find their

way back to their bodies ?

overcoming shame, healing trauma,

and dismantling purity culture in

alignment with their own values and

beliefs, so they can build a healthy

sexual ethic and thrive in freedom and

wholeness.

Beyond her coaching practice, Tara

hosts women?s circles, workshops,

online classes, and retreats on

embodiment, justice, sexuality, and

relationships. Her debut book, Your

Body is a Revolution: Healing Our

Relationships w ith Our Bodies, Each

Other and the Earth, was published in

June 20 23 by Broadleaf Books and

Dundurn Press, and is available in

print, e-book, and audiobook

everywhere books are sold.

Tara has spent over a decade

advancing the socio-economic status

of women, working to diminish sexual

violence and end human trafficking.

Her advocacy has helped pass new

laws in Canada protecting victims of

trafficking and established Canada?s

first M unicipal Action Plan to

Combat Human Trafficking.

A TEDx Speaker and former M iss

Canada, Tara was named Canada?s

Woman of the Year in 20 11,

recognized as one of the Globe and

M ail?s Top 25 M ost Transformational

Canadians, and awarded the

Queen?s Diamond Jubilee M edal for

her human rights work.

THE BUSINESS.

Tara Teng?s practice is rooted in

somatic healing, working primarily

with individuals healing from religious

trauma, purity culture, and sexual

trauma.

Drawing on somatic therapy, she

helps clients rebuild their connection

to their bodies, reclaim trust in their

own intuition, and develop a sense of

safety in their nervous systems ?

particularly those deconstructing

from high-control religion.

The sexuality piece is central to this

work: helping clients return to a

sexual expression that is authentically

their own, after years of being told

their bodies do not belong to them, is

work that is both profound and

transformative. Tara also works with

men navigating deconstruction,

supporting them in embodying a

masculine identity and sexuality that

feels honest, healthy, and shame-free.

Beyond one-on-one coaching,

Tara is a community organizer

facilitating monthly Reclamation

Women?s Circles, co-founder and art

curator of Reclaiming Art ? an artist

collective using creativity as a

pathway to healing and social

change ? and the creator of

N ot Bible Camp, a consent-based,

trauma-informed summer camp

experience for ex-evangelicals and

friends seeking the joy and nostalgia

of camp without the religious

baggage.

Everything she builds is grounded in a

single conviction: that confronting

what is wrong in the world must be

matched equally by multiplying what

is right.

061

IN HER WORDS.

063

"The morning after winning M iss BC in

20 10 , I woke up and noticed

something had shifted ? not in me, but

in the room. Nothing about who I was

had changed overnight, but suddenly

people were listening differently. A

crown had arrived, and with it, a

platform. I have spent every year since

asking what to do with it.

The answer came quickly and without

ambiguity. A neighbour from my

community in Langley had been

trafficked. When I learned what had

happened, I could not look away. That

was the spark ? not a business plan,

not a market opportunity, but a gap in

the system that was leaving people

vulnerable to harm, and a refusal to

pretend I had not seen it. That refusal

launched a career focused on ending

violence against women and sexual

abuse that continues to define

everything I build.

ACTIVISM AS ARCHITECTURE

All of my work begins in activism. Give

me a microphone and it will become a

protest or a rally in some form. My art

shows, my community organizing, my

writing ? all of it is an act of protest

and a prayer to reimagine the world

in a more humane way.

My early years were focused on

human trafficking and violence

against women. Over time, that lens

widened to encompass the full

architecture of systemic harm.

The interconnected forces of

patriarchy, colonialism, and capitalism

that perpetuate violence, scarcity,

and the vulnerability that creates

these crises in the first place.

Working closely with the local

Indigenous community and as part of

the team at Decolonial Clothing ?

an Indigenous activism movement and

social enterprise based in the

Dow ntow n Eastside and Chinatow n

? has deepened my understanding

profoundly, while also reconnecting

me to my own mixed Asian and

second-generation immigrant roots. I

am a student of the women?s liberation

movement, LGBTQIA2S+ rights,

Occupy, Black Lives M atter, Idle N o

M ore, Land Back, Stop Asian Hate,

and M e Too. Indigenous elders and

the wisdom of the ecosystem around

me have been among my most

important teachers.

LEARN IN G TO BUILD IN COM M UN ITY

My first entrepreneurial project

outside of activism and public

speaking was Justly M arket , an online

ethical marketplace launched in 20 17

with the goal of creating a genuine

alternative to platforms like Amazon.

It was ambitious, necessary, and

ultimately ahead of its time. Ethical

sourcing is always more expensive

than cheap, inhumanely produced

goods, and the logistics of shipping,

sourcing, and inventory proved more

complex than the market was ready

to absorb."

065

"My business partner stepped down

shortly after launch due to family

circumstances, and I found myself

building alone ? which, as I would

come to understand more clearly, is

simply not how I work best. I closed

Justly Market shortly before the

pandemic in 20 20 , carried the lessons

forward, and did not look back.

What that experience clarified was

fundamental: I am a community

builder, not a solo operator. Every

venture that has thrived since has been

built on partnership, collaboration, and

shared ownership of the work. I run my

business like a matriarchal community

? with sliding scale offerings,

work-trade exchanges, and teams

built on genuine partnership rather

than extraction. That model is not just

more aligned with my values. It is more

effective, more sustainable, and

considerably more joyful. As a

late-diagnosed ADHD person, finding

neurofriendly ways of getting things

done has been equally transformative.

Both realizations changed everything.

THE WORK THAT GREW

In 20 19, I went deep into researching

the ways women have historically been

made to feel shame about their bodies

? and specifically, about

menstruation. After sharing that

research publicly, I hosted a gathering

to explore the reclamation of it all.

Those gatherings became

Reclamation Women?s Circles, a

monthly sell-out event that has been

running consistently in person since

April 20 24, with an online chapter

through the pandemic years.

That same year, somatic coaching

found me rather than the other way

around.

After leaving the high-control religion I

was raised in, I spent significant time in

therapy, disentangling myself from

harmful teachings and discovering

somatic therapy as a modality for

healing. I trained as a Somatic Sex

Coach and never advertised my

services. People simply began arriving,

asking for support. Since then I have

worked with hundreds of clients around

the world as they heal from trauma

and reconnect to their bodies and

sexuality.

In January 20 20, a literary agent in

the United States approached me

about writing a book. From 20 20 to

20 22 I wrote Your Body is a

Revolution ? an exploration of how

trauma is perpetuated by systems of

oppression, and all the ways we can

be liberated from it. Published in

June 20 23 by Broadleaf Books and

Dundurn Press, it has since been

translated into Portuguese for a

Brazilian edition. I narrated the audio

version myself, and it is available

everywhere books are sold.

Reclaiming Arts launched in M ay

20 25, born out of a conversation at

one of my women?s circles. The goal

was to create space for artists to

share meaningful work rooted in

healing and human experience. We

have since built workshops, retreats,

and large artist showcases that take

place twice a year.

My newest venture, N ot Bible Camp,

arrives this July in Fort Langley ? a

consent-based, trauma-informed,

community-centered summer camp

experience that reclaims the fun,

whimsy, and nostalgia of camp, without

the religious trauma."

067

THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM

"The biggest shifts in my thinking have

come not from mentors in the

traditional sense, but from movements

and communities that challenged me

to keep growing. I am a student of

every liberation movement I have been

part of, and I have been humbled

repeatedly by how much I did not know

and continue to learn.

My partners and collaborators are the

architecture of everything I build.

Oldhand Coffee hosts my women?s

circles and art shows. Deb Jarvis is the

co-founder of Reclaiming Art.

Decolonial Clothing, Broadleaf Books,

Dundurn Press, and The Bindery

Agency have each been essential to

bringing different dimensions of this

work into the world. These are not

vendors or sponsors. They are

co-creators.

THE SKILL OF N OTICIN G

The best advice I can offer is simple,

and it is the foundation of everything I

have built: develop the skill of noticing.

Noticing always leads to magic.

When you are present in your body and

able to notice the world around you,

you will find the magic you seek.

And with that information, you can

create something special that the

world genuinely needs ? not

something optimized for a market, but

something called into existence by

paying attention.

Every project I have built began with

noticing. A neighbour who needed

protection. Women carrying shame

about their own bodies. Artists who

needed a room to share their work.

A community that needed a summer

camp without the trauma. None of it

began with a strategy. All of it began

with presence.


My Chinese name is Oi Kw an. It means

loves groups of people ? loves

community. That is the legacy I am

building toward, and it is the most

honest description of everything I do.

I want people to feel seen, feel

supported, and a little less alone

because of this work. I want to watch

systems of oppression fall as we

reclaim what it means to be human ?

from the forces of patriarchy,

colonialism, and capitalism that have

for too long defined the terms of our

existence. I want us to remember that

we belong together.

The next steps are clear. Reclaiming

Arts is ready to grow into a registered

society, which would open access to

donations, grants, and financial

support to widen the work. My next

book is ready to be written ? a love

letter to survivors, exploring the

reclamation of vibrant, embodied

sexuality after trauma.

The legacy I hope to leave is not

measured in revenue or reach. It is

measured in how many people felt less

alone, how many bodies were returned

to themselves, and how many

communities remembered what it

means to be human together.

That is the work. That is all of it."

T A R A

F O U N D E R

T E N G

& A U T H O R

A M ÉLIE

THUY

NGUYEN:

FOUNDER &

RESTA URA TEUR.

069

Amélie Thuy N guyen is a

Vancouver-based restaurateur,

entrepreneur, and creative whose

work sits at the intersection of food,

community, and culture.

Holding a Bachelor of Human

Biological Sciences and a M aster of

Public Health, she has worked across

multiple countries in population health,

equity, and diversity and inclusion.

Amélie is the co-founder of Anh and

Chi, one of Vancouver?s most beloved

restaurants and a four-time M ichelin

Bib Gourmand recipient.

Passionate about amplifying IBPOC

stories and brands through community

collaboration, film, and food, she

draws on her family?s heirloom recipes

as the foundation for that work.

In 20 22, she founded M e?s

M arketplace by Anh and Chi,

crafting locally made, artisanal

sauces and provisions now available

in over fifty boutique shops and

grocers across British Columbia ?

and expanding eastward across

Canada.

Outside of her ventures, Amélie writes,

directs, and hosts culinary and

neighbourhood tours, and spends her

remaining time outdoors with her two

daughters ? skiing, biking, and eating

their way around the world.

THE BUSINESS.

Launched in Vancouver?s M ount

Pleasant district in 20 16, Anh and

Chi is an award-winning, family-run,

community-minded restaurant

reimagining and redefining the

Vietnamese dining experience.

Bringing people together for one of

the city?s most celebrated casual

fine-dining experiences, Anh and Chi

offers an ever-changing menu of

authentic food and inspired

cocktails, prepared with fresh, local,

and seasonally inspired ingredients

? served with care in a refined yet

relaxed enclave on M ain Street.

A leader in team culture and

community impact, Anh and Chi

extends its values of family beyond

the restaurant through its

Reservation by Donation program,

which has raised and donated over

half a million dollars alongside staff

and patrons to support at-risk

populations across British Columbia.

A four time M ichelin Bib Gourmand

restaurant, ten years running, Anh and

Chi?s vision is to reimagine

Vietnamese cuisine in restaurants,

homes, and retailers around the

world ? now alongside Good Thief,

the rebellious cocktail bar next door,

and M e?s M arketplace by Anh and

Chi, a line of locally made artisanal

sauces and provisions.

071

IN HER WORDS.

073

"The call came the moment the BC

government announced restaurants

had to close. My brother was on the

line, and he asked me to be creative

? to find a way to keep our team of

fifty people together. In that moment,

everything became clear. We had our

family, we had our people, and we

had our sauces. We started bottling

by hand. Every single staff member

was retained. And when Anh and Chi

reopened, something unexpected had

taken root alongside the restaurant ?

a product line with a life entirely its

own.

M e?s M arketplace by Anh and Chi

officially entered the consumer

packaged goods market in 20 22, one

hundred percent women-led, and has

been expanding ever since. Our

sauces are now carried in over fifty

retailers across British Columbia, and

this year, we are heading east. What

began as a pandemic pivot has

become one of the most meaningful

chapters of this entire journey.

WATCHIN G AN D LEARN IN G

I grew up watching my parents work

in the restaurant ? long hours, always

good food, always genuine

hospitality. What I absorbed was not

a business strategy. It was a way of

being. Food brings people together,

and I saw that truth lived out every

single day before I ever had words

for it.

When Anh and Chi launched, I was still

working full time in Population and

Public Health, advocating for

marginalized communities through

health equity policy and regional

initiatives.

The family business came back into

my life quietly at first, to support my

mom and brother in their new venture.

Slowly, my role evolved into branding,

marketing, and communications ? I

became the bridge between my

family?s story and the story of a new

generation of Canadians doing

remarkable things.

That dual existence taught me more

than any single path could have.

Understanding people, understanding

community, understanding what

moves them ? that foundation sits

underneath everything I build.

THE M OM EN T THAT CLICKED

The first time I truly saw the potential

of our sauces was through a

collaboration with Fresh Prep .

Their distribution channel of

ready-to-cook recipe boxes was the

perfect vehicle ? and the results

were immediate. Within eight weeks,

our sauces reached twenty thousand

homes."

075

"That collaboration became

Fresh Prep?s highest grossing and best

reviewed meal kit. It confirmed two

things I have never stopped believing:

our sauces are genuinely loved, and

great things happen when great

people work together. I am forever

grateful for that partnership

and for what it showed us about

what was possible.

BUILDIN G WITHOUT EXITS

I do not believe in leaving behind

what I love. Every venture I pour my

heart into, I intend to keep. Anh and

Chi is the core ? a family business

built on team culture, consistent food,

and a story that runs deep. Two

Michelin Bib Gourmand designations,

four consecutive years for Anh and

Chi and now one for Good Thief next

door, confirm what our community

already knew. Global recognition is

meaningful, but the real measure is

the people who come back, and they

keep coming back.

Good Thief is my brother's passion

project, a rebellious cocktail bar with

a crew of chefs, bartenders, and

front-of-house staff whose work

deserves to be seen and celebrated

? and just named among the Top 50

Best Bars in Canada.

M e?s M arketplace is my newest and

most consuming focus ? a

growth-stage CPG business that

demands everything production,

logistics, and marketing have to offer,

and then some.

We are hiring, and if you want to be

part of a founding team building

something genuinely special, the door

is open.

There is also The Colour Yellow , a

creative company built to amplify

feel-good stories through film and

content ? currently paused while I

give Me?s Marketplace the attention

it deserves. I have learned that you

can build many things, but it is better

to make one truly great before

pouring yourself into the next. The

creative work will always be there.

For now, the sauces come first.

THE PEOPLE WHO M AKE IT POSSIBLE

My mother is my most important

teacher. I watch her work ethic, the

way she leads her team, the

selflessness she brings to her family,

and the quiet humility with which she

does all of it. She has taught me that

the measure of a successful person is

not what they achieve in the spotlight

? it is how they conduct themselves in

the ordinary moments when no one is

watching.

Commitment, discipline, and hard

work, practiced daily and without

performance. That is the standard she

set, and I try to honor it every day.

Sacrifice is real in this industry.

Personal relationships take the weight

of long hours and full attention."

"My approach has been deliberate

? I build my business around the

experiences that matter most, and I

schedule trips with my family because

those moments are not optional.

Somehow, the average holds. The

kids are doing well. The businesses

are doing well. Balance may be a

moving target, but the overall score

is good.


My father?s passing crystallized

something I had always felt but never

fully articulated. Legacy became

non-negotiable.

I dream of building something bigger

than our family ? something that

stays on this earth well past me and

my children, something that continues

to bring people to the table long

after we are gone.

The largest contribution our family

has made to Canada is translating

our heirloom recipes so that others

can eat, enjoy, and connect over

extraordinary food.

Bottling our sauces is half of that

legacy. The other half is documenting

how delicious and diverse Canadian

food truly is ? earning shelf space in

retailers across Canada and, one

day, across the world. Made in

Canada. Built on love, time, and

flavour packed into every bottle.

Me?s Marketplace is that legacy in

motion. To continue building it with

the focus it deserves, I am seeking a

Fractional CFO, Production

M anager, M arketing M anager, a

distributor and third- party logistics

partner, an e- commerce platform,

and $50 0 ,0 0 0 in investment.

I am prepared to put everything on

the line for this next phase of growth

? because I know what we are

building, and I know it is worth it."

A M É L IE T H U Y N G U Y E N

F O U N D E R

R E S T A U R A T E U R

077

A LLY

PINTUCCI:

FOUNDER &

PHOTOGRA PHER.

Helping shape the way people and

brands show up online (and IRL),

Ally Pintucci is a Vancouver-based

commercial photographer, creative

director, and community builder

whose work captures stories for

notable global brands, real people,

and beautiful places around

the world.

Known for a refined, story-led

approach to brand building, she

works with both local teams and

globally recognized brands to help

them connect more meaningfully with

their audiences ? creating elevated

visual and campaign assets rooted in

place, people, and experience.

Her work is thoughtful, collaborative,

and grounded in storytelling that

feels as considered as it is

accessible.

As the founder of The Girls Trip

Series, Ally leads an ever-growing

community of women through

meaningful travel experiences.

She also brings warmth and presence

to her work as a host and speaker,

creating spaces that spark genuine

connection and conversation.

079

THE BUSINESS.

The Girls Trip Series is a global

travel and social club designed for

the solo female traveller who craves

connection with like-minded women,

without the rigidity of traditional

group tours.

Founded by Ally Pintucci, the brand

curates intimate, design-forward

trips for women in their thirties to

fifties who are done waiting on

others to see the world.

Born from a decade of experience in

the travel industry and a firsthand

understanding of what was missing

for women travelling solo, The Girls

Trip Series was built to remove the

friction that keeps meaningful travel

from happening.

Schedules that never align, friends in

different life stages, the uncertainty

of group dynamics ? the Series

solves for all of it. Retreats felt too

structured, tours too rigid.

What Ally built instead is something

more considered: small, curated

groups, thoughtful itineraries, genuine

cultural immersion, and a community

that forms before the trip begins and

lasts well beyond it.

Eleven adventures across the globe

have reinforced what the concept

set out to prove ? that connection is

as compelling as the destination, and

that the right group of women can

make anywhere extraordinary.

081

IN HER WORDS.

083

"There was no single defining moment.

Looking back, that feels important to

say ? because the story of how I got

here is really the story of paying

attention over a long period of time.

Working across sales, operations,

brand, agency work, and eventually

photography in both Toronto and

Vancouver, I kept collecting lenses.

Each role showed me something

different about how businesses run and

how brands connect with people. What

I noticed, slowly and then all at once,

was that I was most alive when I had

ownership over my work, creative

freedom, and the flexibility to choose

who I worked with and where I worked

from.

That realization pushed me to go

freelance in 20 18. Agency life was not

the right fit, and I wanted to build

something more aligned with how I

actually wanted to work and live ?

collaborating with local teams and

global brands, creating thoughtful,

story-driven work on my own terms. The

decision felt natural by the time I made

it. I like to say I traded one boss for

fifty. It suited me perfectly.

BUILT ON EARLY FOUN DATION S

My mother shaped my entrepreneurial

thinking before I had language for it.

She did not believe in sitting around,

and she brought me into her world

early ? having me help with office

administration when I was still young.

It gave me a foundational

understanding of how businesses

operate behind the scenes, long

before I ever worked in one officially.

As a teenager, I worked as a camp

counsellor and in community programs

with the City of Toronto. Those roles

taught me how to lead, adapt quickly,

and connect with genuinely different

kinds of people. I went straight into the

workforce at eighteen, and what was

meant to be a gap year turned into

nearly a decade in the travel industry. I

learned how to sell, plan,

problem-solve, and create

experiences that actually resonate. I

learned, above all, how to read

people.

Launching The Girls Trip Series felt like

a full-circle moment ? returning to the

travel industry, but this time on my own

terms, with everything I had built in

brand, photography, and community

folded into something I could take

around the world. Those early jobs

never felt small. They built the

foundation for everything I am doing

now.

THE WORK THAT CON FIRM ED IT

One of the first real shifts in my

perspective came from booking a

$20 ,0 0 0 photoshoot. As a young

aspiring travel photographer, that

number felt surreal.

Being flown around the world to

shoot for brands like Four Seasons and

Air Canada validated something I had

been quietly building toward ? that I

could operate at a high level while

doing work I genuinely loved.

But launching The Girls Trip Series has

been the most meaningful milestone

by far."

085

"The first trip exceeded every

expectation I had. Watching women

open up, form real friendships, and

share how profoundly the experience

had moved them was something I had

not fully anticipated ? and something

I have never stopped being grateful

for. Eleven adventures later, that

feeling has only deepened. The

business side matters, but what stays

with me is the human side ? the

connection, the growth, the shift you

can actually witness in real time. Even

on the trips that lost me money, I have

never once questioned whether this is

the right work.

LEARN IN G TO RIDE THE WAVE

My entrepreneurial journey has been

anything but linear. I often compare it

to something people say about healing

? it does not move in a straight line.

There are highs where everything

clicks, and moments where you are

forced to adapt faster than feels

comfortable.

The pandemic disrupted the business

significantly, and global events

continue to affect travel in real time.

When your work is tied to industries like

travel and hospitality, you feel every

shift immediately. Early on, I believed

success came from having a clear

plan. What I have learned instead is

that resilience and adaptability matter

far more. I have had to get

comfortable making decisions with

incomplete information and trusting my

ability to pivot.

Before the pandemic, I launched a

small agency. When COVID hit,

most clients paused or pulled

budgets overnight.

Rather than forcing something that

was not working, I returned to

freelance and focused on my own

clients and flexible contracts. I also

launched a podcast, Unfiltered w ith

Ally Pintucci, which surpassed fifty

thousand downloads before I made

the difficult decision to end it ? one I

still think about. Every one of those

chapters, including the ones that did

not go as planned, led me to where I

am now.

WHAT SOLO COSTS

The biggest sacrifice has been

stability. When you work for yourself,

there is no guaranteed income, no

clear path, and no real off switch. I

have run trips while sick, managed

logistics on the road while completely

depleted, and dealt with homesickness

while still needing to show up fully for

the women in my care. The mental load

does not simply turn off because you

are somewhere beautiful.

It can strain personal relationships too.

The schedule is unconventional, and

there are times you are physically

present but still working, or missing

things because you are away. I will not

pretend that is easy, because it is not.

What it has given me, though, is equal

in measure. It has made me more

resilient, more self-reliant, and more

intentional with my energy. Balance is

not something I have perfected. It is

something I am constantly adjusting.

But I have learned how to make space

for both meaningful work and the

relationships that matter most, and

that ongoing negotiation has made me

someone I am genuinely proud to be."

THE GIRLS TRIP SERIES

"I did not start The Girls Trip Series

with a master plan to build a massive

company. Honestly, I did not think the

world needed another tour option ?

there are already so many. But as a

solo traveller with over a decade in

the industry, I kept feeling that

something was missing for women like

me.

Solo travel is easy when you are

younger. You meet people effortlessly

and everything feels social. As you get

older, those environments do not

always fit, and while solo travel can be

deeply fulfilling, it can also feel

isolating. I found myself wanting to

share meaningful experiences with

someone ? but the existing options

did not feel right. Retreats were too

structured, tours too rigid, and there

was always uncertainty about the

group dynamic.

What I built instead are small, curated

trips for women in their thirties to

fifties who want genuine connection

without feeling stuck. The friction of

getting friends to align ? mismatched

schedules, different life stages,

careers, relationships, families ? is

removed entirely. I curate the group,

hold the space, and create the

conditions for something real to

happen. It is not about checking off

destinations. It is about how you feel

while you are there, and who you

become when you go.


Legacy, for me, is measured in the

women who leave each trip carrying

something they did not arrive with. A

friendship they did not expect. A

version of themselves they had not yet

met. A memory that belongs entirely to

them.

The world is becoming more digital by

the day, and I believe women are

craving real, in-person connection

more than ever. That is not a trend I

am chasing ? it is the foundation of

everything I have built, and it is what I

intend to keep building.

I am seeking aligned brand partners

and tourism boards who value

connection-driven experiences,

sponsors who can contribute both

budget and creative collaboration,

and support for scholarship initiatives

to make travel more accessible.

Longer term, I am building a team

across content and operations, and a

network of aligned hosts to expand

The Girls Trip Series globally ? while

protecting the experience that makes

it what it is.

I am working toward is a world where

women do not wait for everything to

line up before they say yes. They show

up, they connect, and they come home

changed. That is the work and what

drives every decision I make."

087

A L L Y P IN T U C C I

F O U N D E R & P H O T O G R A P H E R

HELEN

SIWA K :

ECOLUX LUV

COM M UNICA TIONS

& M A RK ETING.

089

Born and raised on the Canadian

Prairies, Helen Siw ak?s creative spirit

was shaped by an early love for art,

storytelling, and an insatiable

curiosity about human experience.

She relocated to Vancouver in late

1989 and immediately immersed

herself in the city?s underground arts

and culture scene.

There, she launched In Hell?s Belly,

one of Vancouver?s first independent

publications blending art, activism,

and culture in a magazine format ?

a platform that spotlighted

alternative voices long before the

digital era made storytelling

accessible to all.

Her career evolved through artist

management, film production, and

entertainment law.

Through these experiences, she

developed a sharp understanding of

narrative, image, and impact.

By the late 1990 s, Helen was writing,

producing, and appearing at major

festivals including VIFF, TIFF, and

Cannes. Her work as a journalist and

interviewer connected her with

global figures such as Giorgio

Armani, Pamela Anderson, and

M artin Sheen, solidifying her

reputation as a perceptive voice

who could move fluidly between

celebrity, culture, and community.

Creative at her core, Helen

continues to approach every project

as both art and strategy ?

transforming stories into experiences

and elevating conversations that

define the evolving West Coast

cultural landscape.

THE BUSINESS.

EcoLuxLuv Communications &

M arketing Inc. (ELL Comms) is a

Vancouver-based independent

media and strategic content

company built on a single core

belief: publishing is not just editorial

? it is infrastructure designed for

business growth.

Founded by media strategist

Helen Siw ak, ELL Comms develops

hybrid digital publications designed

to function as scalable marketing

assets for the founders, brands, and

industries they serve.

Its flagship titles ? Folio.YVR Luxury

Lifestyle M agazine (20 19) and

Portfolio.YVR Business &

Entrepreneurs M agazine (20 23) ?

blend long-form storytelling with

measurable digital distribution

across newsletter strategy, press

syndication, international content

licensing, and social media.

Folio.YVR is Canada?s only digital

luxury magazine officially partnered

with the Luxury Lifestyle Aw ards

under the World Luxury Chamber of

Commerce, surpassing 4.5 million

reads in 20 25. Both titles license

content to news agencies in Korea

and throughout Asia, extending

their reach across international

markets while maintaining a refined

West Coast voice.

In 20 26, ELL Comms launched a

media brokering division and

entered a national strategic

partnership with Retail- Insider.com

as an official business development

partner. ELL Comms also holds

editorial leadership across several

independent titles in Western

Canada.

At ELL Comms, content, distribution,

and visibility are all instruments of

deliberate strategy to champion

Canadian voices internationally.

091

IN HER WORDS.

093

"Calgary in the 1970 s was the Wild West,

and I had a front-row seat. At six years

old, I was already earning ? my mother

would lend me out to babysit

neighbourhood kids while she and the

other mothers ?drank coffee,? and I ran

errands for nickels, bought cigarettes for

adults, and did whatever it took to keep

the peace at home with my two younger

brothers and sister. Every time we moved

? and we moved often ? I mapped out

which neighbours left food laying out and

made sure we played there. One summer,

I converted to Protestantism for the

duration of a free camp, collecting bus

rides, meals, and Jesus pencils with equal

enthusiasm. It was resourcefulness, not

mischief, and the distinction mattered

even then.

Near the end of Grade 4, we relocated

to Olds, Alberta, where my father?s

carpentry work had six of us living in a

four-person camping trailer while he built

and sold houses. The third one became

ours. As small-town newcomers, we were

shunned and bullied, and with no

allowance and no options, I noticed the

mini-mart paid refunds on bottles and

cans. My brothers and I worked the

highway until our mother found out and

shut it down ? embarrassed by our

hustling. I did not understand her pride.

The hustle was the point. That gap

between what is available and what is

needed, and the willingness to close it by

whatever honest means are at hand ?

that has been the operating principle of

my entire life.

ARRIVIN G WITH N OTHIN G

I was twenty-four when I arrived in

Vancouver in 1990 , in the middle of the

night, leaving an abusive relationship

behind with a few boxes, a suitcase,

and a cat.

I knew one person, and a month later, he

left for Haw aii in search of a Green Card.

When the landlord arrived days later, for

unpaid rent, I found myself on the street,

buzzing building after building in the

West End until a landlady took a chance

on me for $275 a month. That basement

room was my first real home.

I registered with every temp agency in

the city. Typing over eighty words per

minute kept me in steady contracts across

accounting, law, security, warehousing,

and trade show modelling. Each

placement added something to the

toolkit. None of it felt like a career at the

time. Looking back, it was the most

comprehensive training I could have

received ? an unscripted education in

how industries operate, how people make

decisions, and how to read a room before

you speak.

THE M AGAZIN E THAT STARTED IT ALL

The idea for In Hell?s Belly came the way

most good ideas do ? from noticing a

gap. Commuting daily from the West End

to UBC, where I was working as a

secretary under Dean Robert Silverman

in the Classical M usic Department, I

would arrive with newspaper ink on my

hands and skirt and think: someone should

produce a transit-friendly publication that

did not destroy your clothing. Then one

afternoon at the bus loop, I spotted a flyer

on purple paper ? a collective looking

for writers and photographers to launch a

magazine.

I attended the meeting, found a house full

of sleepy high schoolers, and quietly

walked away and formulated a different

plan entirely."

095

"Using the photocopier, glue sticks, and

markers available to me at UBC, I built

the first issue of In Hell?s Belly. I found

affordable printing in Mount Pleasant and

learned, through the printer?s guidance,

how to prepare a mock-up for camera,

select paper stock, and produce

Vancouver?s first offset-printed, half-fold

underground magazine dedicated to the

alternative music and arts scene. At one

point, we printed on hemp paper ? likely

the first publication in Canada to do so.

Two thousand copies distributed every six

weeks through tattoo parlours, cafes, and

galleries. It was scrappy, self-funded, and

entirely mine.

THE EDUCATION OF HARD LESSON S

Publishing led to artist management, and I

threw myself into it completely ?

managing and touring bands across every

genre from hardcore hip hop to alt

country, writing grants, producing music

videos, and doing anything and

everything the work required, earning the

title ?Managrrrr? from the musicians I

worked with. The momentum was real and

building ? right up until days before a

scheduled meeting with Warner Music in

Los Angeles, when September 11, 20 0 1

brought every US opportunity to an

abrupt halt. Broke, I took a weekend

furniture moving contract at

entertainment law firm Heenan Blaikie

and within a week had pitched and

secured a lucrative filing system contract.

With the artist management experience

and access to free legal advice now at

hand, that contract birthed Realia M usic

? a fully digital music licensing company

covering more than ten thousand

independent titles.

After two years of trying to rebuild music

licensing for the artists and exhausted

from my inability to change the status quo,

I sold it for $1 and quarterly commission at

the advice of my lawyer.

A few weeks later, a Vancouver music

supervisor representing two high-profile

television series called wanting access to

the catalogue. I told them I had sold, hung

up, and cried. Then I boarded a flight to

Europe for what was to be a

mind-clearing backpacking trip.

Months later, while in Greece, I

discovered the buyer had parked a

mangosteen juice company on my URL

and shut the catalogue down entirely ?

to eliminate competition to their roster.

That was my introduction to due diligence.

It remains one of the most expensive

lessons I have ever paid for, and one of

the most useful.

A DIFFEREN T KIN D OF EDUCATION

What was meant to be a month-long trip

from Paris to Istanbul became five years

of living in Athens, Greece, trying to

figure out who I was and what I actually

wanted from life. I felt I was failing

horribly. Then I found animal rescue, and it

saved me.

Three years on the ground with Kiki and

the women of Friends of Animals

N éa Filadélfeia taught me empathy and

purpose in ways nothing else had. The

work was grueling and at times horrific ?

a precursor to pushing change through

the court systems of a country that

considered stray dogs and cats

expendable. It was also the first time I

had applied my full skillset to a problem I

genuinely cared about, with everything I

had. I had found my passion, and I

understood for the first time what that

actually felt like.

What returned to Vancouver was a

married woman with four rescued

companions. What greeted us was a city

that had changed completely in five

years. Film had left. Heenan Blaikie had

imploded, and my new husband could not

work legally for two years."

097

"I did what I had always done ? I found

an opening and moved toward it.

Kitsilano Kitty?s Closet, a thrift and

designer resale operation on Craigslist

and eBay, kept us afloat alongside

Vit Vit Vegan, a weekly plant-based

meal service that fed both our ethics and

our survival instincts. That combination of

luxury resale and conscious consumption

turned out to be the perfect education ?

positioning me as a credible voice in the

luxury space just as Vancouver?s Luxury

Zone was beginning its dramatic

build-out and new friend Retail Insider?s

Craig Patterson dropped an opportunity

into my lap, taking on a correspondent

role for the fledgling VanCity Buzz, now

Daily Hive.

A M ODEL BUILT FOR N OW

This led to writing for Boulevard

M agazine, M ontecristo,

StyleDemocracy, Retail Insider,

and others, and understanding the

structural problems of traditional media

from the inside.

Advertisers were paying for placement,

readers flipped past or scrolled by, then

paywalls restricted to access content,

and editorial quality was being

sacrificed for digital volume.

Attending VIP openings for Dior, Prada,

Chanel, and YSL in the burgeoning

Luxury Zone, I began designing a

different kind of publication ? one that

appealed to the consumer, benefited the

advertiser, and financial satisfied the

publisher. Ad-free, delivered directly to

inboxes, built for genuine connection.

Folio.YVR Luxury Lifestyle M agazine

launched in 20 19 as that solution.

Portfolio.YVR followed in 20 23, and the

model has continued to evolve. The

turning point came after meeting

N eel Singh of Tropoly after a PR event.

For years, I had been educating clients

on a hybrid publishing model they had no

existing frame of reference for ? an

exhausting process that often meant

carrying the financial weight of that

learning curve personally.

Finding a collaborator who understood

both the vision and the mechanics of how

AI and automation could support it was

transformative.

I once believed I did not work

particularly well with others. It turns out I

simply had not met the right ones.

WHAT THE WORK HAS TAUGHT

I have never had a mentor in the

traditional sense. My path moved too

quickly and too unconventionally for that

kind of relationship to take hold.

What I had instead was range ?

skillsets accumulated across industries

that most people following conventional

career trajectories never encounter.

That breadth became the thing I offered

others.

During the pandemic, I worked with a

dozen individuals to establish and sustain

digital presences, and watched several

of them ? particularly those building

plant-based food companies ? move

from farmers markets into Choices and

Whole Foods and across Canada, from

small-batch production into co-packing

agreements, and from local tables to

large-scale conferences.

Watching people build something real,

with the right foundation under them,

never gets old. That work remains among

the most satisfying of my career, not

because of what I contributed, but

because of what they built with it."

099

"The advice I give now is the same

advice I wish someone had given me:

incorporate early, open a dedicated

business account, track every

connection, and research everyone you

let into your circle.

Due diligence is not optional ? it is the

price of admission for anyone serious

about building something that lasts.

Google shows you what people

want you to see; add the word

?scam? or ?court case? and the picture

may change dramatically.

The BC Court Services site exists for a

reason. Use it. Manipulators and con

artists are skilled and patient, and most

of us are trusting by nature. I learned that

the hard way. I would rather you did not

have to.


Legacy, for me, lives in two places

simultaneously, and I do not think it is

possible to separate them.

The first is personal. I arrived in this city

with nothing and rebuilt from the ground

up, more than once.

The full-circle nature of where I have

landed ? back in publishing, but with

three decades of hard-won knowledge

informing every decision ? is not lost on

me. The storytelling instinct that

produced In Hell?s Belly on a photocopier

at UBC is the same instinct behind

Folio.YVR and Portfolio.YVR today.

The legacy I carry personally is one of

resilience ? proof that survival and

purpose are not mutually exclusive, and

that the long way around is sometimes

the only way that holds.

The second is structural. Through ELL

Comms and the semi-automated digital

publishing system being developed in

partnership with Tropoly, I am working

toward something that extends well

beyond my own titles.

The vision is a portfolio of licensable and

franchisable digital publications, with

regional Portfolio.YVR issues launching

across Canada's key business centres by

20 27 ? anchored by a scalable

framework that returns control of

narrative to independent publishers,

entrepreneurs, and community voices.

To bring this to life in 20 26, I am seeking

a digital sales agent with fluency in

Apollo sequencing and marketing

strategy, and one or two investors who

recognize the monetizing potential of

what has already been built ? and what

is coming.

The legacy I hope to leave through ELL

Comms is one of democratization ?

returning storytelling to a publishing

infrastructure for the people who live,

work, and build within their own

communities and beyond. Proving that

when creativity, technology, and strategy

work in harmony, independent media

does not just survive ? it leads."

H E L E N

S IW A K

E C O L U X L U V

F o l i o .Y V R

P o r t f o l i o .Y V R

C O M M S

QUICK TA K E:

K A REN LA M :

BLA CK OPIA TE

ENTERTA INM ENT.

When Portfolio.YVR profiled

lawyer-turned-filmmaker Karen Lam

last September, her fifth feature film,

Armageddon Road, was poised on the

edge of the world. The

Vancouver-based writer-director and

co-founder of Black Opiate

Entertainment had spent years

building toward a moment that would

carry her work far beyond Canadian

borders. As it turns out, that moment

arrived in the most fitting form

imaginable: a world premiere in South

America, a distribution deal, and a film

that is now preparing to travel the

continent.

In April 20 26, Armageddon Road had

its official world premiere at the

22nd annual Fantaspoa Film Festival

in Porto Alegre, Brazil. For those

unfamiliar, Fantaspoa is the largest

genre festival in Latin America,

drawing over 550 ,0 0 0 attendees

across 19 days. For Lam, it was the

largest premiere of her career.

?It was the first time screening in front

of a Portuguese-speaking audience,?

she says. ?I was thrilled ? and relieved

? to have such a warm and supportive

reception from both audiences and

critics.?

101

The screenings took place on April 16

and 17, and Lam attended in person.

Given the film?s roots ? a surreal road

trip set in 1970 s Las Vegas, written in

20 14 following the passing of her

father ? the warmth of that Brazilian

reception carried particular weight.

A story conceived in grief, held in

development for nearly a decade,

and finally brought to life through new

volume wall technology and practical

miniatures, Armageddon Road found

its first international audience on the

other side of the hemisphere.

DISTRIBUTION & THE ROAD AHEAD

The momentum at Fantaspoa

produced immediate results.

Armageddon Road has been picked

up by Toronto-based distributor Red

Water Entertainment, founded by

Avi Federgreen, for North American

rights. The acquisition positions the

film for a carefully orchestrated

release: a continued festival circuit,

followed by a limited theatrical run in

both Canada and the United States.

Broadcast and streaming are

currently targeted for April 20 27.

For a filmmaker who has always

believed that the right audience will

find the right story ? even if it takes

time ? the trajectory feels earned

rather than sudden. Lam?s previous

features have found audiences years

after their initial release, studied in

universities across Venezuela, Ireland,

Singapore, and beyond. With

Armageddon Road, the reach may

simply arrive on a faster timeline.

THE ARM AGEDDON ROAD TRIP

True to form, Lam is not waiting for the

film to find people. She is bringing it

to them.

Following the festival circuit, Black

Opiate Entertainment plans what she

has aptly named the Armageddon

Road Trip: a cross-country tour that

reimagines the film premiere as a

collective cultural experience. The

concept, developed with producing

partner Kate Kroll, centres on

bringing the film to cities that are

routinely overlooked in Canadian

distribution ? each screening

conceived as an event, complete with

the energy and celebration the film

itself embodies.

103

It is the kind of initiative that reflects

both her entrepreneurial instincts and

her longstanding belief in Canadian

cultural identity. As she articulated in

these pages last fall, her vision for

Black Opiate Entertainment has

never been simply about producing

films. It has been about building an

audience, city by city, and ensuring

that homegrown stories reach

Canadian communities in a

meaningful way.

WHAT COM ES N EXT?

Even as Armageddon Road enters its

most public phase, Lam is already

writing. She currently has two new

feature scripts in development.

The first explores a malfunctioning

sexbot ? a premise that aligns

squarely with her affinity for dark,

genre-bending work that uses the

speculative to examine the human.

The second is a coming-of-age

comedy centred on a teenage girl ?

think Bill and Ted transplanted to a

prairie town, circa 1987.

The range between the two projects

speaks to what has always

distinguished her voice ? a

willingness to move between registers

without losing authorial clarity.

THE LON GER ARC

When Lam reflected on success last

September, she described it as

incremental ? something that reveals

itself in unexpected ways, often long

after the work is done.

Armageddon Road may be the first of

her features to arrive into the world

with this degree of institutional

support and international visibility

from the outset.

The world premiere in Brazil. The

North American distribution deal. The

road trip across Canada. Two new

scripts already in motion.

For Karen Lam, the road has not

ended. It has simply opened.

K A R E N

L A M

B L A C K O P IA T E E N T E R T A IN M E N T

105

QUICK TA K E:

LITING CHA N:

PA RA DISE

EVENTS INC.

107

Liting Chan does not waste words

describing what Paradise Events does

? she describes what it creates. Since

joining the company in 20 16, she has

guided it through a fundamental

transformation: from a rental-based

business into a fully integrated

creative studio where planning, design,

décor, floral design, and production

exist under one roof, developed

collaboratively, with no detail left to

chance.

The result is a firm that now holds a

rare position in the Canadian luxury

events landscape: immediately

recognizable, consistently surprising,

and deeply trusted by the clients who

seek it out.

A STUDIO, N OT A SERVICE

That evolution from vendor to studio

was not accidental. It was a

deliberate decision rooted in a

particular philosophy about what

luxury events should actually be.

109

?That shift allowed us to move beyond

fragmented execution and start

designing weddings as complete,

immersive experiences,? she explains.

?With everything developed

collaboratively in-house, we ensure a

seamless flow across every layer, with

no detail left behind.?

The distinction matters enormously. At

the studio level, nothing is handed off.

The mood board, the floral sourcing,

the spatial logic of a grand ballroom

? all of it traces back to a single

creative vision, refined through close

collaboration with each client. It is a

model that has allowed Paradise

Events to work with venues as varied

as Hycroft M anor and the Fairmont

Pacific Rim, and clients as

demanding as Holt Renfrew and

Chopard, without ever producing

work that feels off-brand or

off-tempo.

WHERE EVERY EVEN T BEGIN S

Chan is firm on one point: quotes do

not come before conversations. It is a

policy that signals something

important about how Paradise Events

understands its role.

?Design always begins with people,?

she says. ?It is not just about logistics,

rentals, floor plans. It is about

understanding who they are, what

they value, and how they want to feel

on their wedding day.

Only after that do we begin

designing.?

That process ? listening before

proposing, understanding before

executing ? is what Chan credits for

keeping the studio?s work from ever

becoming formulaic, even after more

than 50 0 events.

With a design signature that includes

towering floral installations, dramatic

hanging elements, and custom-built

sets, the risk of repetition is real.

Chan navigates it by treating those

elements not as a fixed aesthetic, but

as a standard of execution applied

differently every time.

?Our role is to take the couple?s vision

and elevate it ? sometimes beyond

what they imagined ? while still

making sure it feels deeply personal

to them.?

BEYON D THE WEDDIN G WORLD

While Paradise Events has built its

reputation primarily in the wedding

space, Chan is deliberate about not

allowing that designation to define

the studio?s full range. Corporate work

for luxury brands has been both a

proving ground and an ongoing

source of creative discipline.

?Corporate clients are always very

clear about their message,? she notes.

?That mindset has influenced how we

approach weddings. We think more

intentionally about what each moment

is meant to evoke ? how guests feel,

what they remember, and how the

experience unfolds.?

That cross-pollination between the

emotional world of weddings and the

precision-driven demands of

corporate events has made the

studio?s output stronger in both

directions. And as Chan sets her sights

more firmly on expanding Paradise

Events?presence in corporate and

private event production, that fluency

becomes a genuine strategic asset.

A N EW CHAPTER

This year brought a significant new

development: an invitation from

Folio.YVR Luxury Lifestyle M agazine

to anchor the CELEBRATE wedding

section through a dedicated

showcase series titled Paradise

Events Presents. For Chan, it is an

opportunity that extends well beyond

profile-building.

?With such a diverse cultural

background in BC, we have couples

wanting something special, but

struggling to have the right vendors to

bring it to life,? she says. ?We wanted

to send the message that they can

dream, and we can make it happen.?

British Columbia, in her view, offers a

stage unlike anywhere else in the

country ? culturally layered, visually

extraordinary, and populated by

couples who arrive with genuine

ambition and deeply personal

traditions. The province has long been

an ideal setting for grand

celebrations. Paradise Events Presents

will document that reality in full.

As Chan reflects on a decade in the

industry, she frames her current

position with characteristic clarity. The

recognition, the awards, the landmark

events ? all of it is acknowledged

and then set aside in favour of

something more useful: a beginner?s

curiosity applied to a seasoned

practitioner?s range.

?I carry everything I have learned,?

she says, ?but I approach the next

chapter with a renewed sense of

passion.?

In an industry that rewards

consistency and punishes

complacency, that orientation is not

simply admirable. It is precisely what

makes Liting Chan one to watch.

L IT IN G C H A N

P A R A D IS E E V E N T S IN C .

111

PORTFOLIO.YVR VOLUM E 4 / ISSUE 12

Helen Siw ak , EIC & Publisher

EcoLux Luv Communications & M ark eting Inc.

PHOTO CREDITS:

FRONT/BA CK COVER: BRITNEY GILL

002: VLA DIM IROS X A NTHOPOULOS & CLA UDE.A I

003-016: BRITNEY GILL

017-026: COURTESY DENISE LIN & A NITA A LBERTO

027-038: COURTESY OF DONNA VERLA A N

039-048: COURTESY OF LISA M A RIE BLA IR

049-058: COURTESY OF A LEX YIN LIA NG

059-068: COURTESY OF TA RA TENG

069-078: COURTESY OF A M ÉLIE THUY NGUYEN

079-088: COURTESY OF A LLY PINTUCCI

089-092: VLA DIM IROS X A NTHOPOULOS

093-094: JESS SINGH

095-098: JA DE M A SSIE

099-100: JESS SINGH

101-106, 113: COURTESY OF K A REN LA M

107-112: COURTESY OF LITING CHA N & BEIGE WEDDINGS

113: COURTESY OF K A REN LA M

All content in this publication is the exclusive property of EcoLuxLuv Communications & Marketing Inc. (ELL

Comms) and is protected by applicable copyright and intellectual property laws. No part of this

publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, whether digital, print,

electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written consent of ELL

Comms.

ELL Comms retains the sole right to distribute, license, syndicate, or otherwise publish the contents of this

publication through digital and print formats, affiliates, licensing agreements, or any future distribution

channels, for the purpose of ensuring visibility and supporting the individuals and businesses featured.

All images have been supplied by the featured subjects, who expressly warrant and represent that they

hold the necessary rights, licenses, or permissions to provide and authorize publication of such images. By

supplying images, subjects further acknowledge and agree that no royalties, payments, referral fees, or

commissions are owed or required by ELL Comms now or in the future. The subjects agree to indemnify,

defend, and hold harmless ELL Comms, its officers, employees, contractors, and affiliates, from and against

any and all claims, damages, liabilities, losses, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of

or related to the use, publication, or distribution of the provided images or content.

PORTFOLIO.YVR does not accept unsolicited materials and assumes no responsibility for incorrect

information, as all information is deemed accurate as of the date of publishing. Submissions for inclusion in

PORTFOLIO.YVR must be directed to the publisher at the email address below. All submissions are subject

to review and screening for suitability at the sole discretion of the publisher.

To discuss inclusion in upcoming issues, email: SUBM IT@PORTFOLIOYVR.COM or click

here for ELL COM M S M EDIA KIT.

113

PORTFOLIO.YVR



ESPA NDA GHORBA NNIA

M ICHELLE RA YM OND

DONNA VERLA A N

LISA M A RIE BLA IR

A LEX YIN LIA NG

TA RA TENG

A M ÉLIE THUY NGUYEN

A LLY PINTUCCI

HELEN SIWA K

K A REN LA M

LITING CHA N

PORTFOLIO.YVR Business & Entrepreneurs Magazine | Volume 4 | Issue 12 | 2026

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