With a mission to inform, empower, celebrate and advocate for British Columbia's current and aspiring business leaders, BCBusiness go behind the headlines and bring readers face to face with the key issues and people driving business in B.C.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1501233
years ago, taking over full ownership nine years later. MAKE is a permanent retail store on Granville Island and a pop-up in Gastown offering funky artisan-made goods from B.C. and Canada. "Promosapien is the corporate B2B customer sales side of the business," Hall explains, noting that its goal is to create custom "swag" for corporate enti- ties. While MAKE products have a clear local focus, Promosapien ships merch internationally. Hall and Maxwell enjoy playing a game together before talking business. "It's a great preface for a meeting... gets the creative juices flowing," says Max- well. As an open player (meaning he's in the top 25 to 35 spots in the prov- ince), Maxwell competes both locally and nationally, and he won the B.C. Men's Championship in 2020. But it's not easy to find the time to balance business and squash. Maxwell volunteers five hours a week as assistant pro at the Vancouver Racquets Club, and his discipline shines through, especially when he talks about his first time playing competitively. "It was the Pacific Northwest junior champi- onships and I remember not knowing how to act or what the etiquette was in competitive and tournament play," he says. After observing an older kid slam his racket into the wall, Maxwell did the same when he lost his first game. "And my dad comes to me very quietly and he's like, You will never disrespect your equipment ever again or you will never step on an- other squash court. And I think that's the only time I've ever thrown a squash racket in annoyance." With plans to play pro- fessionally in the U.S. next year, Maxwell is getting back in shape. In fact, the one constant in both ex- ecutives' schedules (apart from meetings) is exercise. Hall plays city league and local tournaments, but one of her most memorable moments is being invited to play with the Canadian team a few years ago at the annual Lapham-Grant event against the U.S. "I was like, Why would you invite me?" Hall remembers. "She said, 'Well, you've just been such a fantastic supporter of squash... I get it, you're not of a high level, but we just really, really want to thank you for all your sup- port over the years.'" Teamwork and compe- tition seep into business for Hall and Maxwell, who are avid supporters of squash both within the company and outside. "I've always been striving to be better, to do better, to figure out how to im- prove tiny bits incremen- tally—and I think that's followed me through my business career," says Maxwell. £ A F T E R HO U R S REVOLTING CHILDREN In the wake of the ultra-colourful and ultra-uplifting Matilda the Musical movie premiere late last year, the world has a reinvigorated love for Roald Dahl's beloved, telekinetic six-year-old. And Vancouver's Theatre Under the Stars is embracing the Matildamania: from July 6 to 26, a storm of the city's youngest triple threats will be taking the open-air stage at Stanley Park's Malkin Bowl. Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical tickets start at $20—and the fireflies are free. Tickets at tuts.ca. STREET PARTY Live music meets food meets mahjong at the Vancouver Chinatown Festival. The fest, now in its 21st year, takes place July 15 and 16 where Georgia and Keefer streets meet. Be on the lookout for your favourite food trucks, an artisan market with local crafts, art displays and a historical walking tour. There's no cost for entry—but don't worry, those food trucks will provide plenty of opportunities for spending money. More information at vancouver-chinatown.com. ■ MEETING SPACE At Vancouver-based not-for-profit Nestworks, kids are free to visit their parents in the coworking space when they're not in the dedicated gym, indoor playhouse or open read- ing areas. The Nestworks team says that, once acclimatized, most kids will naturally choose to play instead of hanging out at their parent's desk. For now, the Mount Pleasant company is a pop-up prototype— support them by signing up for three hours of childminding/coworking time ($50 in total) in September. ■ HAVE IT ALL Produckidvity provides childcare for kids aged five and under all over B.C. (the HQ is in Kelowna, but there are locations in Vancouver, Victoria and Calgary). There's an in-house chef and meal program for the kids, and adult members get access to the pet-friendly coworking space and some spiffy amenities (we're looking at you, Peloton bikes). Memberships start at $50/month for coworking, and drop-in childminding is $99 a day. ■ THE WORKS In addition to office space, startup consulting and its onsite Children's Atelier (childminding service), Vancouver's OneSpace offers well-being workspaces: rooms that can be rented by practitioners like counsellors, massage therapists and the like. Yes, that means that you can get a massage during your lunch break while your child is being cared for. Hot desks are $37/day and childminding is $20/hour, but set booking and membership options lower that hourly rate. £ ON T R E N D TOP: SHAWN BUKHARI 106 BCBUSINESS.CA JULY/AUGUST 2023 WORK PLAY BALANCE Childcare meets coworking in these new hybrid spaces By Alyssa Hirose