BCBusiness

T H E K I C K O F F : After growing up in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, Dominik Desbois went off to McGill to study engineering. He became a bridge engineer and was working in the Northwest Territories in the early 2010s when he hit what he calls a brick wall. "I thought to myself, 'What am I doing? I have zero passion for this. I don't want to do it for the rest of my life.'" He quit that job on the spot and moved to Vancouver to attend business school at SFU. Desbois met his wife there and, on a family vacation to L.A., she introduced him to Soul Cycle. "The entire way back she was complaining that we didn't have anything like that in Vancouver and a lightbulb went off in my head," recalls Desbois. "With the boutique fitness model, you're almost pre- selling inventory before servicing it, because people purchase credits before coming to the studio." A C T I O N P L A N : Desbois opened Spin Society's Downtown Vancouver location in November 2014, a couple of months after two competitors— Ride Cycle Club and the now-defunct Eastwood Cycle—were the first to offer spin classes in the market. F I N A L I S T Dominik Desbois F O U N D E R A N D C E O , S P I N S O C I E T Y Ten years later, both everything and nothing has changed. "What we were at the begin- ning—the essence and the cul- ture—is still there," says Desbois, "but our brand looks nothing like it did then. Still, we know who we are—it's consistent. It's almost a rhythm-based athletic ride. We don't do all the craziest moves you see on Instagram and stuff, but you still feel challenged and come out feeling stronger and sweatier and having had a great time." C L O S I N G S T A T E M E N T: In an extremely tough post-COVID period for exercise studios, Spin Society survived and is on track to have its best year ever, to the tune of some $2.5 million in revenue. The company has three locations in Metro Vancouver and around 90 employees. "We're not in the business of provid- ing a service—anyone can do indoor cycling," says Desbois. "We're in the business of problem solving—anyone who comes in might be coming in for a different reason. We want to find out that reason and help them solve that problem."–N.C. n T H E K I C K O F F : Andrew McLeod and Owen Madrick aren't just co- founders—they're also best friends. "We like doing different things, which is what makes working together really synergistic," says Madrick, who has a background in finance and accounting while McLeod has experience in sales and strategy. The duo previously held executive roles at fintech firm Rent Moola, and started Victoria-based Certn when they recognized a need in the market to make it easier for individuals and organizations to access or share global background-check information—for example, for recent immigrants who want to open a bank account or rent an apartment. "It was sometimes hard to get that information quickly," explains McLeod. "We saw all of this friction that didn't need to exist and thought we could solve that problem." And they have: Certn's systems allow you to easily access criminal record checks and other background information—for yourself, or for other individuals who have given their consent. A C T I O N P L A N : Since it launched in 2017, Certn has grown both organically and through acquisitions, with some 440 employees situated around the globe. The company's expansion ticked up during the pandemic, when people couldn't do background checks in person. "The world definitely went more remote, and that is something that facilitates our business because a lot of it is predicated on not feeling comfortable face-to-face with people, and helping create that trust," explains Madrick. Certn rode that wave to $43 million in Series A funding in 2021. C L O S I N G S T A T E M E N T: According to its founders, Certn is headed toward profitability in 2025. Though the company began with a focus in the tenancy and employment space, it is now branching into financial services and telecommunications and is about to launch a verifiable credential network wallet that will allow users immediate access to their background checks.–D.W. n F I N A L I S T Andrew McLeod and Owen Madrick C O - F O U N D E R A N D C E O + C O - F O U N D E R A N D C O O , C E R T N W H AT ' S Y OUR MO S T-U S E D A P P ? Flipboard. My day gets so busy that I try to consume what's happening in the world that way. Q+A DO Y OU H AV E A N Y E MB A R R A S S ING OB S E S S ION S ? AM: Facebook Marketplace. Q+A 33 B C B U S I N E S S . C A N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 24 A d a m B l a s b e r g

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