BCBusiness

26 BCBUSINESS APRIL 2019 H A N N A H B E R N A R D + S A M A N T H A E L L I S Co-founders ROOTS + ARDOR AGES: 27 + 28 LIFE STORY: Samantha Ellis and Hannah Bernard refer to meeting at a charity event as "serendipitous." UBC grad Ellis was working in social media, and BCIT alum Bernard was doing freelance video. "We just immediately clicked," Ellis says. "And it wasn't long before Hannah was like, We've got to do something together." The result was social media force Roots + Ardor ("roots" because both are originally from the Prairies and it's a reminder to stay grounded, and "ardor" because of their enthusiasm). At first, all they had were their origins and their pas- sion. "When we started, Hannah and I were literally the company; we were videographer and photographer," says Ellis. Adds Bernard: "We'd be walking in, sweating, like, OK, done this shoot; now have to go to the next shoot." The hard work paid off. Since landing their first retainer client, Macdonald Realty, five months after incorporat- ing, the duo have more than held their own in the competitive Vancouver PR industry. But perhaps more impressive is the firm's insistence on giving back, something that has its roots in the founders' meet-cute. Taking on pro bono clients is a regular part of doing business (for charities like Backpack Buddies, One Girl Can and Raw Beauty Talks), as is holding monthly "Ment-her-ship" events to connect with the community (proceeds go to One Girl Can, which helps build schools in developing countries). "We've been really passionate about working with brands that we mesh with, as far as our personalities and our whole groundwork of social consciousness," Bernard says. BOTTOM LINE : Roots + Ardor has four employees and some 25 clients on retainer. –N.C. M E L I S S A Q U I N N Director of corporate strategy LEFT TECHNOLOGIES + RIGHTMESH AGE: 28 LIFE STORY: Returning to her hometown of Langley after complet- ing a BBA at SFU's Beedie School of Business in 2015, Melissa Quinn took a maternity leave HR contract that turned into a much bigger job. At Maple Ridge–based Left, she quickly moved into corporate development with the tech outfit, which had worked in the web domain name busi- ness but was turning its attention to blockchain and cryptocurrency. The company's RightMesh division has built a software-based mesh networking platform that lets people communicate with electronic devices even if they aren't connected to the Internet. The spark for this technology: while working with its team in Bangladesh, RightMesh saw "the need to connect the 3.9 billion people who lack the human right to connectivity," Quinn says. RightMesh, whose initial focus is on remote regions and developing countries, is incorporated in Switzer- land. As Quinn explains, that nation was a friendlier host than Canada for its 2018 initial coin offering, which raised US$30 million. "My long-term hope is that they'll come to us and we can be an example for how other companies can do it right," she says of Canadian and global securities regulators. BOTTOM LINE : Since Quinn arrived, Left has expanded from 15 to about 50 employees in Maple Ridge, with another 100 in Bangladesh. Last year, the company finished 16th in Deloitte's annual ranking of the 50 fastest-growing Canadian tech firms and 101st in its Technology Fast 500 list for North America. In 2017, Left won B Corporation certification, which recognizes high social, environmental, transparency and legal accountability standards. –N.R. B R E N N A N F I T Z G E R A L D Executive director HASTINGS CROSSING BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION AGE: 24 LIFE STORY: When Brennan Fitzgerald's family moved from their native Halifax to Morinville, Alberta, the then-19-year-old decided to introduce himself to the town's 10,000 or so people like any young person would, by running for council. "It was election year, and I've always been involved in my community, and really interested in service and contribut- ing," Fitzgerald says. "So I went in as the youngest candidate in the election, and one of the youngest running in the province at the time." He received 801 votes, good for sixth in a seven-seat council race with 19 contestants. "I think I gave voice to a lot of social and environmental issues that weren't necessarily reflected by other members of council and on councils regionally because you're in THIRTY UNDER THIRTY

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