BCBusiness

June 2015 BCBusiness 41 bcbusiness.ca Jacqui Cohen (a) President and CeO, army & navy; president, face the World foundation influenCe: she was the driving force in reviv- ing the iconic army & navy retail brand (more on that in "The Great Turnaround," p.24). But most Vancouverites know Cohen as the socialite whose face graced a thousand magazine pages–and has single- handedly raised millions for local charity. faCtOid: her face the World foundation gala celebrates its 25th year this June. Karen flavelle (b) Owner and CeO, r.C. Purdy Chocolates ltd. influenCe: Purdys is one of B.C.'s most iconic brands, and flavelle– who took the reins from her father, Charles, in 1997–has kept it relevant while expanding retail operations into alberta and ontario. faCtOid: richard Carmon Purdy opened his first chocolate shop in 1907 on robson street; the flavelle family has run the 64-store operation since 1963. shannon Bosa-Yacoub (c) Co-owner, Glowbal restaurant Group influenCe: along with husband emad Yacoub, Bosa-Yacoub (of the famous Bosa real estate clan) has helped turn Glowbal into a casual din- ing powerhouse. the Panel says: "not only is she one of the co- founders of Glowbal, but if you look at the number of charitable organizations that she's either sitting on committees of or leading or creating new events around, it's significant in terms of what she's raising for Vancouver charities." Meeru Dhalwala (d) Co-owner and executive chef, Vij's and rangoli influenCe: Vikram Vij is the showman, the ex-Dragons' Den dragon who made Vij's one of the most celebrated Indian restaurants in north america. But if it weren't for Dhalwala's operational acumen, Vij's culinary ambition would never have gotten out of the kitchen. faCtOid: Dhalwala was raised in Washington, D.C., where in her early career she worked with various international nonprofit organizations. lynn hsu (e) President and CeO, Macdonald realty influenCe: Taiwanese immigrant hsu has helped turn Macdonald into one of the largest full-service real estate firms in B.C– and the gateway for Main- land Chinese investors. the Panel says: "Macdonald is far bigger than even the real estate industry realizes, in terms of the amount of transac- tions. They're one of the largest residential brokers in B.C., and on the com- mercial side, the amount of real estate that they're transacting–they're doing deals that are as big as what Colliers or CBre is doing." sort of meaningful difference in the neighbourhood that's at the heart, liter- ally and †guratively, of everything that she does. In 2009, Lee established the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation and built an impressive board of directors that includes Brandt Louie, Robert H.N. Ho and Caleb Chan. Since 2014, she has chaired the Vancouver Chinatown Revi- talization Committee, working closely on several initiatives to secure senior housing, shops and institutions that are helping to preserve the district's cultural heritage. She is also vice-chair of the Asia Paci†c Trade Council. She is also now a †rst-time restaurant owner—a three-time restaurant owner, in fact—having recently purchased the iconic Foo's Ho Ho (to save Canada's old- est operating Chinese restaurant from becoming a Mexican taqueria), Garden Villa Restaurant (with the original chef and star designer Craig Stanghetta, she hopes to turn it into an upscale destina- tion Cantonese restaurant on par with Kirin) and an empty Pender Street store- front (formerly a travel agency), which she and her sister, Leslie, are turning into a Chinese teahouse and bakery that will sell stylish yet a"ordable souvenirs. So why restaurants? "My parents were like, 'You bought a what?'" she says, laughing. "People are still telling me I'm crazy. The restaurant industry is littered with failures. It's hard. The mar- gins are thin. You have to be there all the time. But the motivating factor for me is not money. It's about retaining some of the culture. Restaurants are so central to Chinese culture. And to me, they're essential to a vibrant Chinatown." —Alexandra Gill Lee's own family ties are deeply rooted inside these gated streets. Her of ce, headquarters to Linacare Cosmotherapy Inc., is located in the same building that once housed her grandfather's dry goods and furnishings store re ta il , re s ta ur a n t s +re a l e s tat e (a) (b) (c) (d) (e)

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