Fashion Listen Up, Shorties: This Petite-Centric Vancouver Brand Is Designing Linen “Jump Sets” You Don’t Need to Hem
41. Karen Ward + Guy Felicella Advocates for the Drug-Using Community NEW While the world sprung into action to combat the dangers of COVID, another pandemic continued to devastate, undeterred: the opioid crisis. With death tolls outnumbering that of the virus, addiction and contaminated drugs are still decimating the population of the Downtown Eastside. The province has been criticized for its lack of meaningful action, but harm-reduction advocates Karen Ward and Guy Felicella are pushing for change and support for the drug-using community and helped forward the debate on drug policy in the process. Ward, as a longtime DTES drug user, has a contract with the city to advise it on drug policy, overdose response and drug-supply safety, as well as advising on poverty reduction and information dissemination about contaminated drugs. Felicella, meanwhile, has become a sought-after motivational speaker, and TED Talk alum, who has spoken about safe supply and overcoming his own addiction. He works with VCH, the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions and school districts on outreach and numerous awareness initiatives. 42. Sangeeta Lalli Regional Advisor, Prime Minister’s Office NEW If the federal Liberals are to return to majority government status, the path to victory will undoubtedly pass through B.C. Last year, they lost six of their 17 seats—and one of their B.C. stars, former Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, left the party and beat them as an independent MP. Longtime operative Sangeeta Lalli was appointed regional affairs advisor to Justin Trudeau in February, with the task of rebuilding the party in B.C. Her biggest challenge: threading the needle on energy and the environment, given the Liberals’ unpopular decision among left-leaning voters to buy the Trans Mountain pipeline. 43. Jill Earthy CEO, Women’s Enterprise Centre NEW If you’re a woman in the finance sector in Vancouver, chances are you’ve either had coffee with Jill Earthy or you’re currently trying to. Since she became CEO of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs in 2007 (and left in 2012), Earthy has held positions at a variety of organizations centred on disrupting the investing space, including FrontFundr, Futurpreneur Canada and Female Funders. This year, she took her talents to the Women’s Enterprise Centre, where she helps the 161,000 or so women business owners in B.C. grow their companies. A natural fit, really. 44. Gerri Sinclair B.C. Innovation Commissioner Previously #31, 2017 After years championing and investing in B.C. tech through her role as managing director of Kensington Capital and the $100-million BC Tech Fund, Sinclair fittingly replaced Alan Winter as innovation commissioner in July. The former Microsoft and Vancity executive will have a large say in steering one of the province’s most important sectors through the pandemic. 45. Sonia Furstenau BC Green Party Leader NEW The Green MLA for Cowichan Valley had only been the leader of her party for a week when she found herself lambasting Premier Horgan’s decision to call an election in media interviews. But life moves fast and Furstenau, who was a high school teacher before her foray into politics, was tasked with building off the B.C. Green Party’s most successful election in its history. The party may have managed to keep its seat count at three (depending on a recount), but will have much less power in the legislature going forward. It’ll be up to Furstenau to keep the party relevant. 46. Steven Lewis Point Chancellor, UBC New After serving as B.C.’s 28th lieutenant governor, a provincial court judge and the chief commissioner of the British Columbia Treaty Commission, Steven Lewis Point can add “UBC Chancellor” to his resume. Point is a member of the Skowkale First Nation, and is the first Indigenous person to fill the role of chancellor. Point was just appointed this summer, but no doubt he’ll bring his years of advocacy work to the table as he presides over convocation and reps the university at other events. 47. Anne Giardini SFU Chancellor, Board Member Previously #44, 2019 Former forestry executive and author Anne Giardini continued her quiet impact on both business and education as she served her sixth and final year as chancellor of SFU. Under her watch, the university’s research income was the fastest growing in Canada and though she’s stepping down from this leadership role, Giardini’s impact will still be felt in her many other positions of influence in the community: she’s chair of the BC Achievement Foundation, director of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and recently was appointed to the K92 Mining and Pembina Institute boards of directors. In other words: she’ll be keeping herself busy. 48. Thomas Fung CEO, Fairchild Group Previously #33 Fung’s conglomerate has a lot of consumer-facing businesses—including the Chinese-language Fairchild TV and radio network, and Richmond’s Aberdeen Centre—which were hit hard by COVID. But perhaps the biggest long-term risk facing the Hong Kong-born mogul is the deteriorating political situation in his native city. Part of Fairchild’s success has been partnering with Asian brands, especially Hong Kong-based brands, looking for a North American presence—and that’s threatened by the recent U.S. move to revoke the territory’s special trading and economic status. Also threatened: the family’s Fairchild Capital Management incubator business, based in Hong Kong and run by Fung’s only son, Joseph. 49. Peter P. Dhillon CEO, Richberry Group Previously #41, 2019 For Canada’s cranberry king, the year got off to an explosive start: in February, in his capacity as chair of the Ocean Spray cooperative (for which Dhillon’s Richberry Group is a major supplier), Dhillon had to fire the company’s CEO after an alleged harassment case. Also that month, B.C.’s Food Security Task Force—which Dhillon chaired—released its recommendations on how the province could achieve greater agricultural independence (leaning heavily into technological innovation). As a director at the Bank of Canada, Dhillon has been providing oversight at a time when the bank, under a freshly minted governor, is taking unprecedented monetary action. 50. Kennedy Stewart + Gil Kelley Vancouver Mayor; GM of planning Previously 25 & 27, 2019 And you thought Wilkinson had a bad year? At least he was just invisible. Mayor Stewart, on the other hand, was able to alienate both sides of the Oppenheimer Park problem and push other hard decisions off to the Park Board (like booze on beaches). Councillors from both sides decry his lack of leadership, and when he does show up, it’s either to claim the city is broke or get caught on camera publicly breaking the province’s social distancing rules. GM of planning Kelley fared little better, but he squeaks in by evidently winning a power play in city hall with the departed Sadhu Johnston. So at least he has one win under his belt.