Michael Wiebe is a lifelong entrepreneur, business advocate, and civic leader with deep experience supporting small businesses at both the street and policy levels. He launched his first business, Toon-upz, in high school, working out of his mom’s garage, and later owned and operated the Mount Pleasant restaurant eight 1/2 for over a decade, giving him firsthand insight into the opportunities and challenges faced by independent businesses.
As President of the Mount Pleasant BIA, Michael helped lead an award-winning arts plan that strengthened the local economy and contributed to Mount Pleasant becoming one of Vancouver’s most dynamic commercial districts. He later served as a City Councillor and Deputy Mayor of Vancouver, where he championed a shift in how the City works with small businesses, advocating for policies that reduce barriers, modernize regulations, and position local government as a service partner rather than an obstacle to entrepreneurship.
Michael currently co-owns a multi-use community space and runs a consulting practice supporting small businesses and community organizations. He serves on multiple boards, including the Art House Society, created to save the Rio Theatre, and works with a charity focused on connecting people to nature. As the inaugural Chair of the Small Business Association of Vancouver, Michael brings a rare combination of business ownership and political experience, using his understanding of systems, advocacy, and policy to ensure small businesses and the legacy shops that define our neighbourhoods not only survive, but thrive.

Zahra is the CEO of Vantage Point, a non-profit that strengthens and supports non-profits in BC. Zahra has worked in the non-profit sector for over 15 years with experience in international development, housing and homelessness, community development, microfinance, governance, fundraising, and leadership.

Zahra is an active volunteer in the community. She is Co-Chair of the Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society Board of Directors, is Chair of the Board Governance Committee of Cuso International, and is on the Board of Lookout Foundation and BCIT. She is also Chair of BC’s Poverty Reduction Advisory Committee, an independent committee that advises government on policy developments related to poverty reduction and prevention. She was recognized as one of Business in Vancouver’s Forty Under 40 in 2019, was nominated for a YWCA Women of Distinction Award in 2022, and received a King Charles III Coronation Medal in 2025.

Zahra gratefully resides on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples with her husband and school-age daughter. She’s passionate about social justice and equity, and believes in the power of the non-profit/social purpose sector.

Angela Evans has been with the Collingwood BIA since 2007 and in 2010 became the Executive Director. The community is one of Vancouver’s most diverse in residents and business ownership.
Angela is the Safety Committee Chair for the Vancouver BIA Partnership and part of the Restorative Vancouver Collective – Helping to create a Restorative City. Vancouver will be the first in Canada.
Angela has also taken part on steering committees such as the Collingwood Days, SAFE in Collingwood (Sex work Awareness for Everyone), Intercultural Committee, System Change Certificate Program, Anti Racism, Diversity at Work, community Clean Ups and the Renfrew Collingwood Community Response Network.

Corinne Lea is the Founder and CEO of the Rio Theatre, Vancouver's Premiere Independent Theatre. Ms. Lea is both an entrepreneur and producer who has founded several successful local businesses in Vancouver such as: Flux Studios, Havana Restaurant Gallery & Theatre, and Scout Boutique & Gallery.

Since 2008 she has owned and operated The Rio Theatre and Shameless Lee Productions, adding Xcalibur Productions in 2014. She also owns...

Jude Kusnierz is the founder and Executive Director of the Beaumont Studios, a 25,000-sq-ft creative hub supporting 1000's of artists, makers, performers and cultural entrepreneurs in Vancouver. For over twenty years, she has led the organization she built from an underused industrial site into a thriving piece of cultural infrastructure, advocating consistently for affordability and long-term sustainability in the arts.
With deep experience in creative entrepreneurship, community building, and hands-on operations, Jude brings a practical, business-minded approach to cultural space management. She joins the Vancouver Small Business board committed to strengthening connections between the creative sector, local business, and municipal partners and championing a Vancouver where creativity and commerce can grow together.

Louise Schwarz is the Co-founder and Co-owner of 3 Vancouver based waste innovation companies: Recycling Alternative, amongst Vancouver’s first recycling companies, Terraforma Systems, a clean-green tech composter manufacturing company and Regenerative Waste Labs, a science research and materials testing lab, focused on circular bio-materials.

Louise brings over 35 years of experience as a local business owner, while also working closely with industry regulators at the municipal, regional and provincial levels of government, as recycling regulations and requirements continue to evolve. Louise understands the significant hurdles Small-Medium Enterprises (SME’s) face in our cities, and is committed to community collaborations and partnerships.

Louise sits on the Management Board of Canada’s National Zero Waste Council, Recycling Council of British Columbia’s Board of Directors, Encorp’s Community Advisory Committee, Share Reuse Repair Initiative’s Steering Committee; she chairs Downtown Community Court’s Advisory Council and co-chairs Urban Core’s Executive Committee.

Recognized for her leadership and work in the field, Louise received the ‘Woman of Distinction Award’ in May 2012, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013 and the City of Vancouver’s Award of Excellence for Greenest City Leadership in 2014.

Louise is currently working with community partners and local green innovators to create Vancouver’s first Green Industrial Innovation District (the GrIIDTM), focusing on creating the first circular economy and inclusive employment district in the Flats.

Born and raised on the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, Curtis Thomas currently serves in his 3rd consecutive term on TWN’s elected leadership Council. On the Council Curtis currently holds the Economic Development portfolio, in the past he served on the Community Climate Action Committee, the TWN Housing Committee, and the TWN Land Tenure working group.

Curtis is a red seal plumber and gasfitter gaining both certifications at BCIT. Curtis has 20+ year’s experience in the construction industry running his own mechanical contracting company Warrior Plumbing Ltd. Making it part of his business plan to focus on hiring Indigenous people whenever possible to offer apprenticeships and mentoring, and a chance at a well-paying career. This has proven to have a huge impact on Warrior Plumbing “why” we are in business. Creating real tangible opportunities that directly impact the Indigenous communities is a pillar within the company.

Working with many reputable industry professionals over the years has strengthened Curtis’ skillset and aligned him with a broad network within the Lower Mainland. Curtis is passionate about mentoring Indigenous people and believes Kʷasən Enterprises (2nd business venture, co-founder with Dennis Thomas) is another viable avenue to achieve this and offering various opportunities outside the mechanical industry. Kʷasən Enterprises is actively working on development and construction projects advocating for social procurement, cultural education, and embedding local Indigenous values in every project.

The Founder and Principal of Table Architecture Collective.
With over 25 years of experience in architectural design and construction services, Bill's approach to design is to work with clients closely to ensure that each project has its own particular character and atmosphere suited to the client's vision.
Whether the project is for bustling new brewery lounge or a playful daycare, Bill and his team bring an inventive use of materials and details to spaces that encourage social interaction and conversation.
Bill has guided over one hundred development and building permits through cities and municipalities and understand how to merge thoughtful design with pragmatic code considerations to achieve a highly functional and beautiful project.

Julie Strilesky has nearly 20 years’ experience accelerating climate impact in both the public and private sectors. She has worked for the BC and Ontario governments in policy development as well as for two Vancouver city councillors conducting public engagement. She has worked for lululemon and HSBC Canada, and two clean technology startups. Julie is an inspired leader who is adept at communications and consensus-building to achieve results. She has secured grants, government procurements and advanced climate innovation by securing $1.7M in funding for accelerators such as MaRS Discovery District and Creative Destruction Labs.

She studied English and International Development at Queen’s University, and received her Masters in Political Economy at the London School of Economics. Julie enjoys traveling, volunteering for environmental and refugee causes, teaching yoga, cycling, skiing and finding peace in the great outdoors.

Eileen brings her background in sustainability, start-up clean energy R&D, and government policy to SBV. She holds a BSc in chemistry from the University of British Columbia and received an Excellence Award for her undergraduate research project promoting the student voice in chemistry curricula development. Eileen is passionate about enabling cross-sector collaboration and supporting Vancouver’s diverse circular economy, biotech, and indie game industries.

She seeks to leverage the public voice to influence policy and promote “buy local” initiatives to support farmer’s markets, local artists, and the many local restaurants and cafes who contribute to Vancouver’s vibrant food scene. In her free time, Eileen can be found volunteering at Indie Game events and trying the newest seasonal desserts!