1999 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards

Sector Category Winners Overall Category Winners

Inspiration 2005
Inspiration 2004
Inspiration 2003
Inspiration 2002
2000 Awards

Sector Category Winners

Retail

The decline in his employer's Asian business resulted in drastic company downsizing. Bob was one of the casualties. With a strong desire to control his own destiny, the experience and skills developed in over 19 years in the interior design field and the business training provided by EASE, Bob launched his own window covering business in 1997.

Bob Mastico, Heritage Window Coverings

Business Service

Expressing her creativity, taking control of her financial destiny, and working with like minded people were the motivating factors in the establishment of this business. With the training provided at Westcoast, Janet set out to carve a niche for herself in the corporate recognition industry. Janet selects artists, manufactures, and distributors who stand behind their work, practice fair labour and responsible waste reduction.

Janet Helm, Janet Helm Presents

Tourism

A love of her city and research indicating a lack of historic tours offered to tourists and interested individuals were key factors in the establishment of this business. Add hours of historical research, the careful mapping of routes and solid business training. Calling on her background in the theatre and the support of family and friends, Margaret launched her business. Margaret can be found, in period costume, sharing with others her love of Vancouver.

Margaret Leonard, Walkabout Historic Vancouver

Consulting

The desire to replicate the balanced family and work life she grew up in, an in-born creative flare, years of training in her field and skills acquired as both a business owner and employee contributed to the launch of this business endeavour. Creating complete visual business environments for clients which provide the stage for magical customer experiences, is her passion. Renee has succeeded at designing a work life, which satisfies her goals of financial and creative independence balanced with time to explore and create a rich personal life.

Renee Safrata, Safrata Group Inc.

Construction / Trades

After many years as an employee in the construction industry, experiencing first hand the business cycle reality of that industry, he took control of his own destiny and founded his own company. He provides service to multi-unit family dwellings in the area of restoration and water leakage related problems. They also deal in emergency repairs related to water or fire damage and occasionally do home renovations and expansions. The current building envelope crisis in the lower mainland ensures work for the future.

Ron Anderson, Craftwell Construction

Manufacturing

This entrepreneur is a committed environmental, social and political activist. She founded her business incorporating those values, which she holds so dearly. The flexible schedule of "being her own boss" allows her the freedom to pursue her many other personal interests. A background in herbal medicine and selling natural products at the retail level, led her to the production and marketing of her own organic hair care products. VanCity understands her goals and provided financial support when others refused.

Laura Fong, It's All Good

Artisan

A graduate of Emily Carr College of Art and Design she continues to create art. Functional art,, which is both visually pleasing and useful. An apprenticeship at a pottery production facility enabled her to hone her technical skills at the same time as exposing her to the reality of running a self- sustaining craft business. The hours have been long, time management a challenge and her garden has gone to ruin, but she would not change a moment of the past year.

Jacqueline Robbins, Fireborn Designs

Entertainment / Food / Beverage

Music has been an integral role in her life since the age of seven. Plans to turn a hobby into a business were realized with the training and assistance she received from the staff at EASE. Her short- term goal is to establish a reputation as an excellent teacher, coach and conductor and a resource person for beginning conductors and trainers. Her ambitious long-term goal is to establish a school and community centre for amateur musicians.

Ieva Wool, Gotta Sing

Perseverance

Establishing a home-based business has been the answer to the challenge of creating employment income while managing a life of the chronic pain due to the condition, Fibromyalgia. Her writing talent enhanced by the business skills learned at the Self Employment Program, EASE, has enabled Tonya to publish her own creative works. The mission of Lilith Productions is the empowerment of girls and women through the publishing and manufacturing of different gift product for the self-help and new age retail industries. The company is committed to creating a positive and creative work environment free from all discrimination and to supporting those less fortunate with gratis products and services as a component of her marketing plan.

Tonya Yaremko, Lilith Productions

Overall Category Winners

YMCA - New Ventures Program

Executing creative expression, dealing directly with customers and the variety of challenges running a small business continually fuel Toby's enthusiasm and drive. Leaving the security of employment and overcoming the fear of starting out on his own, he established his company in 1998. A company, specializing in creating personalized works in crystal and glass for the high end corporate awards and promotions market. He is truly appreciative of the strong network of family and friends who support his goals.

Toby Barazzuol, Eclipse Awards

Surrey Self Employment & Entrepreneur Development Society (SEEDS)

Providing a unique service in a highly professional manner is the key to this company's success. The company specializes in expert translations and creative voice-overs in more than 40 languages, including American sign language. The company plans and coordinates multilingual projects from coaching and writing, to editing, voicing and production. The company provides services to the a full spectrum of disciplines that cover legal, technical, medical and entertainment. Having built a strong team of certified professionals and with a base of satisfied customers in Canada they are able to expand their business into the US market.

Maria Jose Doyle, Universal Voices

Westcoast Community Enterprises

Supporting herself for ten years planting trees in the summer, she secured a B. A. in Dance and Kinesiology, BCRPA certification as a fitness instructor, certification as a Pilates instructor and most recently certification to teach instructors. Establishing her business in her home in 1996, she soon outgrew the space and moved into a studio. Rapid success driven by demand and lack of qualified instructors followed so rapidly that it was several months before she was able to attend to the design and production of her promotional material and mount a sign to identify her business location. Continued customer satisfaction, commitment to on-going self development, training additional instructors, providing a collaborative work environment for her employees, expanding her business into equipment, clothing and health food product sales through her web page are just some of her goals. But first, she must hang that sign.

Monique Haziza, Pilates Unlimited

SE Program for Equity Group Entrepreneurs

The arrival of her first child and balancing the desire to care for her child herself while continuing to earn an income required a change in her employment strategy. The baby shower gift she produced, a tie-dyed cotton article of clothing, was the catalyst. Her home-based, cottage-industry business was born in 1998. Self-financed, the business is experiencing successful cautious growth. The company is the "proudly Canadian" manufacturer and distributor of colourful, comfortable quality cotton children's clothing at reasonable prices. Time management is a "nightmare" for this single parent providing at home care for her daughter Maddison and managing her business but she would not have any other way.

Kimberly Mara, Maddi-Bear Infant Wear

Entrepreneur Assistance Society of EastVan (EASE)

John established his business in 1996. He feels that his success is due to superior service, a quality product and company reliability. His challenges have been managing cash flow and dealing with business debt. The business has grown from a Vancouver operation to a Canada-wide enterprise with the support of his business partner and wife, Cynthia. His products and services include first aid training and the sale of first aid kits and supplies. His customer base range from individuals to large corporations and government agencies.

John Baril, Life Force First Aid & CPR Training