BCBusiness

I s an entrepreneur born or made? What is your denition of success? Is there some- thing that people would be surprised to learn about you? We put those questions and more to the contenders for the 24th annual Entrepreneur of the Year awards (p.31), which sees Ernst & Young honour the province's sharpest business minds. The diversity of the responses reminded us that everyone has their own route to success—and their own ideas about what makes work, and life, meaningful. But as our proles of the EOY nalists and winners show, the best entrepre- neurs have a few things in common: a refusal to accept the status quo, a willingness to take risks and the grit to see things through. On page 62, you'll nd my prole of some- one who ‰its this mould: Scott Menke, co- founder and CEO of Paragon Gaming, whose Parq Vancouver casino and resort just opened. Having spent time with Menke, who doesn't exactly thrust himself into the spotlight, I realized that most British Columbians knew little about the American behind this controversial $640-million devel- opment. In 2011, when Vancouver city council rejected Las Vegas–based Paragon's bid to enlarge its existing local gambling footprint, it looked like what is now known as Parq might never get built. But the company found a way to work with the City—and Menke was rewarded for his patience. Regardless of where you stand on gambling, the result is much more than a casino. Parq will add a new dimension to downtown Vancouver and its tourism industry, which has grown up since Paragon rst pitched the project more than a decade ago. It's been half a decade since we launched the 30 Under 30, our cel- ebration of entrepreneurs who are starting and establishing their careers. Sev- eral winners have become EOY nalists, the latest being West Coast Canning co-founder Matt Leslie. Last time, we received close to 350 nominations for the 30 Under 30, leav- ing us with plenty to bicker about as we nar- rowed the list down to the most deserving new talents, and I'm expecting another strong turnout for 2018. To put your own or some- one else's name forward for the fth annual awards, visit BCBusiness.ca/30Under30. But this o¢er won't last forever: the deadline for nominations is December 1. Speaking of new talent, I'm happy to wel- come Scott Neufeld to the BCBusiness team. Previously a sta¢er at the Vancouver Sun and North Shore Outlook, Neufeld brings business reporting and editing chops to his role as asso- ciate editor. Look for his name in these pages during the months ahead. 14 BCBusiness OCTOBER 2017 PORTRaiT: aDaM BlasBERg Nick Rockel, Editor-in-Chief bcb@canadawide.com / @bCbusiness editor's desk Two brothers, two leadership styles: Herschel Supply Co. founders Jamie and Lyndon Cormack IN NOVEMBER Uncommon Ground C O N T R I B U T O R S Vancouver-based Jessica Werb writes about business while juggling motherhood and a side career as a cellist. A former senior writer at BCBusiness, she returns to profile some of our EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalists (p.31). "It's always fascinating to learn about the different avenues entrepreneurs have taken to finding success," Werb says. "But one thing they all share is a spirit of independence and creativity." Photographer Melanie Dunea ("The Gambler," p.62) lives in New York but travels the world shooting high-profile subjects ranging from Jon Bon Jovi and Steve Martin to Anthony Bourdain and Patti LaBelle. When Dunea photographed Scott Menke and Diana Bennett, the Parq Vancouver resort and casino was in the final stages of construction. "Working on a construction site, there are a lot of rules," she says. "I've never shot with a hard hat on before."

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