EDITOR’S DESK

Young blood

One of our favourite tasks here at Bcbusiness is choosing the 30 Under 30. OK, the selection process itself can be agonizing— every year we receive many excellent nominations, and there’s plenty of debate as the editors narrow them down to the winning group. But the 30 Under 30 competition is a pleasure, for several reasons.

For starters, we get to interview and meet the winners, who are always an impressive bunch. As innovators, leaders and decision makers with a head start on their peers, these young women and men will help shape our province’s business future. Second, we have an opportunity to show that B.C. entrepreneurship knows no bounds when it comes to gender and ethnicity, this year highlighted by the 18 females on the list. Third, by and large, these are kind and civic-minded people who see business as

more than a way to make money.

In the sixth annual 30 Under 30 (p.22), you’ll meet forward-thinking digital marketers, the CEO of a tech startup that could help millions sleep better and the 24-year-old developer of a wildly popular messaging app. But you’ll also hear from the owners of an overland adventure travel outfit, an electrical company, and a restaurant and hotel. Joining them are a workplace diversity and inclusion consultant, makers of sustainable women’s fashions and the head of a business improvement association for Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

As the 30 Under 30 celebrate their success, the 2019 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year competition for the Pacific Region is accepting nominations until April 22. A proud long-time sponsor of EOY, we will profile the winners and runners-up in our October issue. Best of luck to all of the contenders, and we hope to see you at the annual EOY gala on October 3.

Competition and cooperation are the themes of “The Promised Land” (p.40), contributor Ng Weng Hoong’s intriguing look at the recent push to build research, investment and trade ties between B.C. and Israel. By talking to key players from government and industry in both places, Ng shows that an infusion of Israeli ingenuity could give the province—which, like the rest of Canada, has fallen behind on R&D spending—a much-needed boost. While this effort gathers steam, a growing number of talented young expats from Israel are moving to the Vancouver area. Their choice to make a home here is a win for B.C.