BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mark Shieh
Mark is Founder and Director of Take Root. Take Root is a network of companies passionate about using real estate to do good through developing urban projects, managing properties, and investing in place making ventures.
Mark began his exploration of commerce and culture as an Imagineer with Disney, developing new theme park experiences. Later, he was the Director of User Research at ECCO Design in New York leading new product development for Fortune 500 clients.
He has a BS in Engineering and an MS in Engineering Management, both from Stanford University. He was a Mayfield Entrepreneurship Fellow and has served on the Vancouver City Planning Commission. He also currently serves on the board of ther Vancouver Contemporary Art Gallery.
Lee Davis
Past Chair
Lee is an independent financial capital investment advisor for institutional clients. He has 30 years of experience with mergers & acquisitions, public equity and debt underwritings, and corporate banking through his positions with Vancity Capital Corporation, TD Securities/TD Bank, and Canaccord Capital. Lee has a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Queen's University and is a director of VON BC and the UBC Entrepreneurship Advisory Board
Christopher E. Gora
Governance Chair
Christopher practices intellectual property and corporate law, primarily in the areas of alternative energy, internet/software and privacy for Farris, Vaughn, Willis, Murphy LLP. He is a member of BC Technology Social Venture Partners, a philanthropic foundation employing a "venture capital" approach to supporting positive social change in the community.
Linda Coady
Human Resources Chair
Linda is a Distinguished Fellow at the Liu Institute for Global Issues at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She recently held the position of Vice President – Sustainability, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). She managed a project portfolio that included climate change, inner city inclusion, ethical purchasing and public reporting on VANOC's performance on its sustainability commitments.
Fred Leonard
Human Resources
Fred has extensive experience in both the public and private sectors after careers with the BC provincial public service and as a partner in a small consultancy. Following his retirement, he has been volunteering as a co-chair of the Vancouver Board of Trade's Downtown Eastside Task Force
Hendrik Hoekema
Board Chair
Hendrik is the Coordinator/Administrator and a Literature/Writing Instructor with the University of Victoria and Simon Fraser University (SFU) Prison Education Programs. His other projects include work with the SFU Native Education Programs. In 1985, he founded Vancouver Eastside Educational Enrichment Society (VEEES). He acts as Executive Director and Contract Manager at VEEES, which oversees the following employment programs: jobSTART, PACE2, newSTART, and newCHAPTER.
Toby Barazzuol
Creative Industries & Green Cluster Chair
Toby is the founder of the Eclipse Awards, a leading supplier of crystal recognition awards. He believes that sustainability is the greatest investment that businesses can make towards their future success. He also serves as the Vice Chair of the Strathcona BIA where he is working towards developing a green zone of sustainable businesses in Vancouver's inner city.
Gerry Salembier
Ex-Officio
Gerry began his career with the Institute for Research on Public Policy, and has 20 years of experience within the Federal Departments of Finance and Foreign Affairs and International Trade. As Assistant Deputy Minister for Western Economic Diversification Canada (BC), Gerry is responsible for a wide range of economic development funding initiatives and is an advocate for strengthening and diversifying the economy of BC and the West.