VANESSA CHASE LOCKSHIN

President THE STORYTELLING NON-PROFIT AGE: 28

LIFE STORY: Raised in rural northern California, Vanessa Chase Lockshin looked to her dad, an entrepreneur who had worked in Silicon Valley, as a role model. Chase Lockshin moved to Vancouver in 2006 to study English literature at UBC; after graduation her first job was raising money from alumni. She then worked as a development officer at the Union Gospel Mission before launching the Storytelling NonProfit in 2013. As a consultant to not-for-profits, Chase Lockshin offers services from online training to workshops that help clients raise more funds by crafting compelling stories. “I like the idea of being able to empower people to learn skills that they need to do the work themselves,” says the Canadian permanent resident, noting that the U.S. alone is home to some 1.5 million non-profits. “There's a huge opportunity to continue to offer innovative training.”

THE BOTTOM LINE: Chase Lockshin has helped about 30 non-profits raise a total of more than $10 million and trained some 9,000 professionals. This year revenue will rise 50 per cent, from just under six figures, she projects. —N.R.