Last week our Youth Mean Business Program Coordinator Evan Dizak talked with City of Kelowna Councillor Ryan Donn about the YMB program, click the link below to check out the video for more information about the program!
NEWS RELEASE
DECEMBER 16, 2014
Laneway house grand opening and solar panel fundraiser
What: Open house and media tour of the Ethel Lane House, with photo/video/interview opportunities for a new green residential building project
When: 3:30pm, Wednesday December 17, 2014
Where: 1949 Ethel St., Kelowna (located off the alley behind 1951 Ethel St.)
KELOWNA, BC – The sustainable house of tomorrow is here today.
The first registered Living Building Challenge project in Kelowna will be move-in ready for its new tenant in time for Christmas.
The Ethel Lane House is a pilot project undertaken by the Thompson-Okanagan Collaborative of the Cascadia Green Building Council. Registered with the global Living Building Challenge, the Ethel Lane House meets the world’s most rigorous design and construction standard and certification program.
The 640-square foot laneway home includes water and energy saving features in its design and has been built to suit the needs of an assisted-living adult. In order to increase energy efficiency, the family has started an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to raise funds to purchase photo-voltaic solar-panels to help the home meet its energy-saving targets. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/energy-efficient-lane-home-for-adult-w-disability
Deren Sentesy, building contractor with EnCircle Design Build Inc., led the design and construction of the Ethel Lane House.
“It was such a wonderful experience building for Jordan and his family,” says Sentesy, who chairs the Thompson-Okanagan Collaborative of the Living Building Challenge.
“I look forward to seeing him move in and experience independent living in a home that is good for him and for the environment. I am excited to see how the building performs over the next year and obtain official Living Building certification. The photo-voltaic solar-panels are a crucial component of that certification process.”
The Ethel Lane House is hosting a move-in party for the occupant. An open house, including a tour of the sustainable home, takes place at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 17, at 1949 Ethel St. The laneway house is located off the alley behind 1951 Ethel St. Media organizations are invited to tour the Ethel Lane House and interview members of the Thompson-Okanagan Collaborative of the Cascadia Green Building Council, and invited guests.
The Living Building Challenge comprises seven standards of high-level building performance: site, water, energy, health, materials, equity, and beauty. Builders with registered projects must meet these rigorous standards to claim their project as one of the most sustainable and green buildings in the world.
More information:
www.ethellanehouse.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Thompson-Okanagan-Branch-Collaborative/114561941959300
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BACKGROUND:
CONTACT:
Deren Sentesy
Thompson-Okanagan Collaborative of the Cascadia Green Building Council
cascadiagbc.org
Flexible work and life
Una Gabie
Una Gabie, 32, is co-owner and partner at Touchstone Law Group in Kelowna. She is the 15th nominee for the Kelowna Top Forty Under 40 program to be profiled in this newspaper. Nominations are being accepted at
Kelowna lawyer Una Gabie likes to work from Mexico for two or three weeks in November and again for three or four weeks in January. “Remote technology has made this possible,” said Gabie, 32, a co-owner and partner at Touchstone Law Group. “My husband and I have a condo in Mexico and we want to enjoy it. Owning my own firm with a partner gives me this flexibility.” For the most part, Gabie can keep up with her work-holiday via email. And when face-to-face client meetings are necessary, her business partner and fellow lawyer, Jennette Vopicka, steps in. “Jennette and I spell each other off and most clients are comfortable with that because they have met and trust both of us,” said Gabie. However, Vopicka has required all these plans to take on more flexibility this year. She just had a baby and is on maternity leave, meaning Gabie will forgo the jaunts to Mexico this winter. “It’s about teamwork and working together,” said Gabie. “I will get to Mexico for shorter times and after Jennette returns to work.” The same sort of flexibility is afforded to staff.
“We all have flexible work arrangements,” said Gabie. “And each month we sit down and ask for input from everyone. Everyone has job descriptions, but we all jump in to help out if one person or one project needs it.” Both Gabie and Vopicka have worked for law firms, large and small, in the past. “Us starting our own law firm really just happened naturally,” said Gabie. “We met through a mutual friend, who also just happens to be a lawyer, and we found we think and work similarly. We both wanted flexibility and to work in a modern and innovative way with our clients and staff.”
Two women starting and heading up a law firm is not the norm in a profession where men still dominate at the top. Touchstone practices mostly business and real estate law and helps people with wills and estates. “Having my own firm also allows me to be involved in the business side of the practice, which I really enjoy,” said Gabie. “I like business development, marketing and strategic planning.”
While proud of Touchstone’s female roots, the firm is not women-exclusive. The articling student is a man as is the firm’s general manager.
Editor’s note: This is the 15th of 40 profiles for the Kelowna Top Forty Under 40 program presented by BDO Accountants and Consultants, Junior Chamber International (Okanagan branch), Kelowna Chamber of Commerce and The Daily Courier. Every week we’ll feature someone under the age of 40 who is making a difference through business, innovation and community service.
Source: Tuesday, December 9, 2014 12:38 pm by Steve MacNaull, The Daily Courier
Photo: Contributed - Facebook
Article by Wayne Moore | Story: 128626 - Dec 11, 2014 / 5:00 am www.Castanet.net
More love for a westside restaurant from the Food Network.
The Kekuli Cafe, featured on the network's 'You Gotta Eat Here' two years ago has now been featured in the program's latest cookbook.
Sharon Bond, owner of Kekuli Cafe, says after the program shot the episode at her restaurant, she was asked to provide pictures and the recipe for dishes featured on the show.
She was told they may be featured in an upcoming cookbook.
"I've kind of had that in the back of my mind over the last couple of years," says Bond.
"I went to Chapters the other day and thought 'the cookbook is out, I wonder if we are in it.' So, I'm going through it and I did find it and thought Oh my God...so I bought it."
Bond says she was so excited.
"I had to show the girl at the till."
The program filmed the episode at the restaurant in Sept, 2012
She says the exposure has been great for the Kekuli Cafe.
"I think it just brings us more to the forefront being a local restaurant/Cafe. We just try and stay in people's minds.
We do get a lot of people coming in saying they saw us on the Food Network. I guess there was a repeat of the episode a few weeks ago. You can always tell because there is an influx of people coming in and you're not quite ready for the slam."
Bond has now opened up a second location in Merritt.
The recipes in the cookbook are the same as were featured on the Food Network episode.
If you haven't seen the episode, we are not going to spoil the surprise as to which recipes are being featured.
Calling all aspiring Entrepreneurs! Do you have an idea for a business, but aren't sure how to make it a reality? Do you want to meet like-minded individuals who share your passion for great new ideas and Entrepreneurship? Do you like free pizza and drinks? If so, this is the event for you!
The Okanagan Aspiring Entrepreneurs Meet & Greet will be an opportunity for young people in the Okanagan who wish to become entrepreneurs a chance to come together to discuss ideas, seek out advice from their peers and establish a network of like-minded individuals. It will be a casual, relaxed networking event where sharing ideas and making new friends is strongly encouraged! Enjoy the free pizza and drinks while networking with some of Kelowna's most innovative and enthusiastic entrepreneurs and investors at this monthly event. As well, you get a chance to listen to and interact with each months featured guest speaker, as they share their story about being an entrepreneur in the Okanagan, giving you a chance to learn from their experience! Register today to make sure you don't miss out on this great opportunity!
For more information or to register for the event, Click Here!
A monthly community based event called “Okanagan Aspiring Entrepreneurs Social” has been bringing together up and coming entrepreneurs with successful local business people.
The unique event is put on by Evan Dizak and the non-profit corporation Community Futures. Dizak works to connect people who are unemployed and looking to start their own business with those who have found success in the community.
The most recent event featured Donnie Ungaro from Culinary Ink and was well attended by likeminded people.
“Donnie Ungaro gave an extraordinarily raw talk on entrepreneurship that seemed to shake everyone to their core- myself included,” said attendee Lisa Bissonnette. “He was very blunt in saying ‘being an entrepreneur is extremely hard and you will fail- what makes an entrepreneur successful is getting back up after you fail.’ It was by far one of the best seminars I have been to because of his honesty and integrity in creating a sustainable future. His socially conscious business model was very impressive especially with all of the battles he had faced along the way.”
With a growing population in Kelowna it’s no surprise that the younger population is looking towards small business and entrepreneurship as a future.
“There are so many different organizations that support youth entrepreneurship such as Community Futures, Accelerate Okanagan, Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, Futurepreneur and the Co+Lab, but many young people have never heard of these organizations or know that these resources are available to them,” said Dizak. “As well, most of these organizations have been competing with each other, while I am trying to get them to collaborate more as we all share a common goal of supporting youth in business.”
Dizak says he created the events to bring people together, make them aware of the resources available and give them the opportunity to interact one on one with change makers in the community. There is no cost to attend and the events are open to any community members.
The November event will take place on the 20th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. with guest speaker Shane Austin. Austin is one for the founders of the Okanagan Co+Lab and will discuss the challenges he faced in creating his organization. The event will take place at the Okanagan Co+Lab at the corner of St. Paul and Doyle Avenue.