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the story: "It took until graduate school to realize that I sucked at research," says Alex- ander Graves. "But I needed to figure out another way to be involved in the science." After finishing his biochemistry degree at Western University in Lon- don, Ontario, Graves decided to move west—first to pursue cancer research at the University of Mani- toba and then on to Vancouver, where he launched Symvivo with a friend from undergrad, Mark Fox. Symvivo is an early-stage pharmaceutical company that researches, tests and patents cancer-fighting drug-delivering systems that can be licensed to large drug manufacturers. Drug development is a long and expen- sive process that typically takes place over decades, with most drugs taking well over $1 billion in investment to bring to market. Graves and Fox decided to start at the bottom: developing patents for aspects of the drug delivery process that can eventually be licensed to drug manufacturers. Markers oF success: Symvivo has raised over $2 mil- lion from a local venture capital firm and has received grants of $100,000 from the National Research Council. In early 2015, the company began conducting tests on its delivery system for lung cancer drugs in animals—a significant milestone in the multi- year drug commercialization process. —J.P. a L i c e s o y u n g p a r k Founder and ceo, go2gether inc. age: 27 the story: As a business student driv- ing each day from her Surrey home to SFU's Burnaby campus, Alice Park knew there had to be a better way to brave the daily commute. And so Go2Gether—a ridesharing platform that encourages large employers to support carpooling—was born. The app allows driv- ers who belong to a member organization to post their future trips, which other members (potential passengers) can then view over a secure network; organizations pay a subscrip- tion fee to belong, but members use the app for free. For campuses and companies tight on parking space and conscious of the envi- ronmental impact, the app takes an average of 15 to 25 cars off the road each week. Park launched Go2Gether in 2013 (with a $50,000 loan from the federal government) shortly after graduating, and already she has a series of Lower Mainland employers, including her alma mater, on board. Still, her parents aren't sold. "My parents had brought me to Canada to get a good education and expected that in a business faculty, I would get a job at a large company," says the South Korean native. Markers oF success: Go2Gether currently generates enough revenues to cover costs for Park's seven-person operation and has signed pilot contracts with Vancity, SFU and the Vancouver Airport Authority. Park hopes to officially launch the Go2Gether app in Septem- ber 2015, at which point she hopes to sell to universities, colleges and corporate campuses across Canada. —J.P. "The best part of knowing a little microbiology is the ability to make good beer and cheese at home" a little-known Fact aBout Me is... 3 0 u 3 0 M y B i g g e s t F e a r "Running out of money and losing good people" a L e x a n D e r g r a v e s Founder and ceo, syMViVo inc. age: 29 bcbusiness.ca april 2015 BCBusiness 43

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