BCBusiness

35 B C B U S I N E S S . C A M AY 2 0 24 "I tend to find ways to bring everyone along with me because I think there's such value when people can connect with like- minded people," she notes. For Sklar, building community is not just about being in the same room; it's about representation and democratizing entrepreneurship. Equity, diversity and inclusion principles are embedded in the events, panels and conferences she plans, allowing attendees of different genders, races, experiences and skills and abilities to see themselves reflected in the identi- ties of the speakers. For example, at e@ UBC, she hosts a women's business founders' meet-up that focuses on the unique needs of female-identifying entrepreneurs. In February—Black History Month—she organized an event to launch the new Black advisory hub to be based at e@ UBC, in partnership with Toronto-based Casa Foundation for International Develop- ment. Speakers from the Black business community in Metro Vancouver addressed the crowd, giving a preview of what Black and BIPOC entrepreneurs can expect at the hub—support from people who look like them plus additional resources to advance their ventures. "For me, it's always about making sure that people feel welcomed and included and can see themselves in the commu- nity," Sklar explains. "It's about ensuring that people who are building companies feel seen and can build vital connections." Amid the serious crises society is facing—health, climate, housing—Sklar has observed more entrepreneurs enter- ing the ecosystem, more businesses being founded to tackle the world's serious problems. "We want to harness those who want to be change makers and ensure we're helping to create pathways for them to find out where they can make the best impact," she says. "These challenges are the mother of invention," she continues. "That's often when someone says, 'I've got a solution for this!'"–J.N.W. IN Vancouver, major textile brands like Lulule- mon and Aritzia have followed the lead of Amelia Eleiter, CEO and co-founder of Debrand, to prevent millions of pounds of textile waste from ending up in landfills. Debrand offers a solution to garment waste: it specializes in sorting apparel and footwear for its next best use, be it resale, donation, repair, recycling or responsible disposal."Textiles and apparel are the largest growing waste stream in our landfills," Eleiter says. "We're trying to ensure that brands recognize there's a cost associated with their waste." A UBC human kinetics grad, Eleiter got her start with a marketing agency, where promotional events for clients made her aware of the waste generated by brands. Eleiter and business partner Wes Baker founded Debrand and developed technology to assess the condition and components of textiles. A conveyer system at the company's Surrey headquarters sorts the product, readying it for resale or reuse—the clients get to choose what comes next, based on Debrand's assessment and recommendations. Her advocacy includes working with compa- nies, climate activists, waste professionals and community members to give everyone a role in decreasing fabric's harmful footprint. In February, she travelled to California to lobby for changes to a producer responsibility bill. Not only will the legislation affect Debrand's clients with operations in California, regulations in Canada also often follow suit once they're established down south. "It's going to have a massive impact on Canada and that is why we're part of those conversations," Eleiter explains. At present, there is no monetary value in recycled material that comes from textile waste. Eleiter predicts garment-recycling options are five to 10 years out. In the meantime, Debrand has built the infrastructure and network to offer a world-leading solution to sort and send textiles to their next-best use when the time comes.–J.N.W. AMELIA ELEITER CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, DEBRAND AS a new Vancouverite in 2013, Alexa Pitou- lis started volunteering at Fresh Roots Urban Farm with her two children. Six years later, she assumed the role of executive director, guiding the nonprofit through its pivotal evolution from startup to maturity. Pitoulis, a change leader, started her career with the federal government, working at agencies around Canada. Originally from Alberta, she completed a bachelor's in environmental studies at the University of Northern BC and an MBA in sustainable systems at Bainbridge Graduate Institute, now part of Presidio Graduate School in California. She joined the board of Fresh Roots in 2018, and in the fall of 2019 began her tenure as ED. Under her leadership, Fresh Roots was recognized through Charity Village in 2023 for two awards for small organizations with under 20 staff: best nonprofit employer for youth advancement and best individual contribution to advancing youth in the workplace. More than operating schoolyard gardens, Fresh Roots offers programming that helps 5,000 students a year find kinship and connection as they learn about healthy eating, gardening and ecological stewardship. The organization's schoolyard market gardens are not only the first in Canada, they also bring the broader community together to bear witness to the youths' leadership development—and to enjoy the literal fruits of the students' labour. In March, Pitoulis took her leadership exper- tise into a new industry, stepping into the role of ED with BC Family Doctors. "The work is always bigger than us as individuals," she says, reflecting on her approach to community building. "It's really about collective collaboration, getting curious about what different people are trying to do and asking, 'What we can build together?'"–J.N.W. ALEXA PITOULIS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BC FAMILY DOCTORS R U N N E R S - U P A m e li a E l e i t e r : A il e e n C h o i; A l e x a P i t o uli s : Vair d y F r ail

• Cover