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/383533
66 BCBusiness OctOber 2014 Vern Brownell CEO, D-Wave Q uantum computers may sound like science fi ction, but for Vern Brownell, CEO of D-Wave Systems, they're a business. D-Wave's cus- tomers include Google, NASA and Lockheed Martin, and already the company's $10-mil- lion machines can fi nish tasks faster than traditional computers in controlled, albeit scientifi cally controversial, tests. The Burn- aby-based company, which graced the cover of Time this February, is hoping the medical and fi nance industries will adopt its tech- nology in the near future. "Five years from now, the services we provide will be avail- able through the cloud for any developer," Brownell says. As for the 55-year-old Boston native, running D-Wave has "been the most invigorating thing I've done in my career." What's more, he's fallen in love with Van- couver: "I'm becoming a Canadian citizen in order to stay." —Trevor Melanson Franck Point Owner, Faubourg Paris C all it a mid-life crisis, but six years ago Franck Point realized he needed to leave France and become an entre- preneur. "Vancouver is booming," the 48-year-old says, adding that Europe is less open to new ventures. "My business would never be successful in France." And so, a decade and a half after his fi rst visit, Point moved his family to Vancouver and in 2010 opened a Parisian bakery, Faubourg, on 41st Ave. in Kerrisdale. Faubourg has since expanded to three locations, its most recent opening this past February, and now has 75 employees. Point is considering Toronto and Seattle next, and then who knows. He's open—for the most part: "I would never con- sider Europe." —T.M. f i n a l i s t i knew my business was a success when… BROWneLL: We published a paper in Science magazine that proved that we were in fact a quantum computer. i get my best ideas when … TuninGLeY: i network. understanding what is going on in the business, other industries, the economy, your community, your supply chain, your resources—it's a game of memory. People tell me the phrase i most overuse is … BROWneLL: "Keep pushing." The most underrated trait of an entrepreneur is … POinT: Generosity. Giving back to your staff and cus- tomers alike lets them know they're appreciated and helps to ensure the business's longevity. if i weren't doing this i'd be… POinT: On the road, hitchhiking around the world. i live for adventure. The person i learned the most from was… BROWneLL: a boss at Goldman sachs—she would push you till you were ready to jump out the window and then back off just a bit. she was able to push people to their limits so they could fi nd out what they could really do. f i n a l i s t iLLustratiOn: carsOn tinG 6 QUES T IONS E m e r g i n g would never be successful in France." And so, a decade and a half after his fi rst visit, Point moved his family to Vancouver and in 2010 opened a Parisian bakery, Faubourg, on 41st Ave. in Kerrisdale. Faubourg has since expanded to three locations, its most recent opening this past February, and now has 75 employees. Point is considering Toronto and Seattle next, and then who knows. He's open—for the most part: "I would never con- sider Europe." longevity. if i weren't doing this i'd be… On the road, hitchhiking around the world. i live for adventure. The person i learned