Category: Profiles

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Alumnae Spotlight: A Fledgling Vegan Ice Cream Business Takes Off

From L to R: Phoenix, Joyce, and Lisa (Class of 2014)
From L to R: Phoenix, Joyce, and Lisa (Class of 2014)

Starting a small business in the middle of a pandemic can be a daunting prospect but for three Yorkies Joyce Chen, Phoenix Lai, and Lisa Mo from the Class of 2014, it has been the silver lining in an otherwise challenging year.  

  1. Please tell us how Moon Milk Creamery came into existence?
    Joyce, Phoenix, and I have been childhood friends since our Junior School days at YHS. However, we went to different colleges, studied different majors, worked in different cities, but we all happened to reconnect upon our return home to Vancouver due to COVID. Moon Milk Creamery started from wanting to create something positive during a negative time with an inclusive and welcoming brand message. We really enjoy coming together with our different backgrounds, but with a common love for delicious treats: creamy, dairy-free ice cream!

2.What were your next steps for all of you after graduating in 2014?
Lisa: After graduating from YHS in 2014, I studied Business Administration at the University of Southern California. Throughout college, I was heavily involved in a student-run Marketing agency on campus, which worked with small businesses. This inspired me to dream of having my own business one day.  

Joyce: Similar to Lisa, I also studied Business Administration at Boston University. I concentrated in Accounting, but was heavily involved with the School of Hospitality since I was interested in the service industry, specifically in Food and Beverage. I loved the feeling of seeing people happy, whether it was from excellent food or service.

Phoenix: Graduating alongside Lisa in 2014, I studied Industrial Design at Pratt Institute and continued to work in New York for a few years in the design field. I have always had a passion for food, thought about attending culinary school at some point, and wanted to start something I could be personally invested in, so Moon Milk Creamery became the manifestation of those aspirations—and with the right people, the stars aligned!

  1. Why did you decide on the vegan ice cream business?
    When we first agreed upon starting a vegan ice cream business, we dreamed of starting a brand that was retro-futuristic. On one hand, we really believe in learning from traditional artisanal techniques. On the other hand, we understand the future of food is plant-based, sustainable, and inclusive.

Interestingly enough, the three of us are not vegans, but we believe that everyone (and the environment) can benefit from a plant-based diet. Little steps such as changing what you snack on or what ice cream you indulge in could help both your body and lessen your carbon footprint. There are some great options in the market for vegan ice cream in Vancouver, however, we hope to bring more exciting flavours to the table so that non-vegans can enjoy plant-based ice cream as well. It’s been really motivating for us when we see people try our product and are surprised to hear that it is vegan and completely dairy-free! 

  1. Describe what each of you brings to the table? Who does what?
    Phoenix is an extremely talented designer and has always wanted to attend culinary school. Therefore, she leads our visual branding and product development. Joyce is a CPA and is responsible for our finances and ensures we have enough resources to execute our vision. I develop and carry through our marketing strategy so that Vancouver knows about our wonderful product!

We bring different but equally important perspectives to the drawing board to make what started as a passion project into a viable business.

  1. When you reflect on your years at York House as a student, is there any particular memory that has stayed with you and continues to guide you.
    Lisa: Looking back at my time at YHS, I’m very grateful for the small class sizes and encouraging teachers, because it allowed for a very collaborative atmosphere that taught me how to contribute ideas effectively and synergistically work with differing perspectives. More importantly, a lot of the discussion-based classes (such as Mr. Rob’s English classes) sharpened my ability to be a thoughtful communicator. Lastly, in my senior years at YHS, I remember being exposed to the idea of social entrepreneurship, and the notion that businesses should be guided by a social mission still resonates with me today. 

Joyce: Creating a sustainable product that lowers a consumer’s carbon footprint is important to me and stems from some of the best memories made at YHS. I want generations after me to experience what I could during these outdoor education camps.

Starting from 4th Grade, I remember participating in the annual outdoor education camps. It’s truly such a unique program that taught me to appreciate the world we live in and the natural beauty that it holds. I still recall the initial feeling of awe and peace wash over me when I sat on a cliffside journaling away during morning meditation, and the feeling still lingers within me when I see the colourful fall leaves and snow-capped mountains in the background. 

As clichéd as it sounds, there’s really no place like Vancouver. It is such a unique and wonderful place that encourages me to play my role, in whatever small ways I can, to preserve the land so that others after me can also experience similar gratitude and admiration. This is why it’s important to me to create a plant-based product that is kind to the earth, so we can sustain the beauty for future generations to come!

Phoenix: It’s hard to pinpoint specific moments, but York House definitely created an environment where I cultivated some very special relationships, memories, and life lessons that still guide me to this day. Looking back at it now, our school experience was very unique compared to most, which can allow us to see the world in different ways. To believe in things larger than just ourselves, but to still believe in ourselves as strong women in this world, and a willingness to explore worlds outside our own. These values from years at York House have shaped my outlook on life, and in terms of Moon Milk Creamery, pushed me to design for the future.

  1. What are your plans and aspirations for your company?
    At the core of our business, we hope to introduce delicious and exciting flavours to the vegan ice cream market so that more people will give vegan ice cream a chance (and with time,  maybe vegan ice cream can become the new norm!). For vegan consumers, we hope to add a new cultural experience with our unexpected flavour combinations, and also be the best ice cream they ever tasted!

In the near future, we hope to work with local plant-based cafes, grocery stores, and restaurants so more people can try our product! A big milestone for us would be to get on the shelves of Whole Foods across Canada.

For the “inside scoop” on Moon Milk Creamery, visit moonmilkcreamery.com and follow @moonmilk_creamery on Instagram!

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Alumnae Spotlight: Miranda Chen ’18

Embracing the unknown: Finding the courage to follow a new path

Miranda Chen ’18, in Washington, D.C.

Miranda Chen graduated from York House in 2018 and after 18 months of studying at Mercyhurst University, a summer internship inspired her to change universities and career paths. Change is inevitable but making those decisions takes courage and resilience. Miranda has both in spades. 

After graduation from York House, what did you do?

After graduating from York House, I headed to Erie, Pennsylvania, to attend the Intelligence program at Mercyhurst. My experience at Mercyhurst was incredibly eye-opening and unlike anything I had ever experienced before. I think, sometimes, at York House, we exist in sort of a utopian bubble where most students are of the same socioeconomic background and political beliefs, so it can be easy to forget not everybody comes from the same experience. 

For me, it was incredibly interesting and refreshing to attend a university that was mostly conservative and completely different from what I had grown up with in Vancouver. Especially today, with the extreme political polarization in society, I think it can be quite easy only to make friends and consume media that share and reinforce existing beliefs and opinions, so I feel very fortunate that I have been able to experience both sides of the coin; I can also now say I view the world much differently than I did before. 

In terms of academics, it was definitely challenging. Still, York House prepared me very well, and I couldn’t have had a better education in terms of developing leadership and interpersonal skills and establishing the ability to articulate myself clearly through public speaking and writing. All in all, my experience at Mercyhurst was quite intense and challenging at times, but it truly made me grow as a person, and I will always be grateful for that. I also made some incredible friends who I know I’ll stay in contact with for the rest of my life!

Why did you change direction? What was the catalyst?

I had the great privilege of interning at the Embassy of Canada to the United States in Washington, D.C., last summer after my freshman year. I worked in the Trade Division, specifically focusing on trade policy between the United States and China. As part of my internship, I was able to attend and report on Congressional hearings and think tank events on Capitol Hill and around the D.C. area, as well as produce reports and briefing memos for senior-level staff at the Embassy.

In addition, we were able to hear from many high-ranking officials, including Marvin Hildebrand, the Economic Minister who oversees trade; David MacNaughton, Canada’s last ambassador to the United States; and Kirsten Hillman, the current ambassador. As I was one of the youngest in my intern cohort, it was also wonderful to connect with some of my older peers and hear their experiences and advice for university.

During my time there, some especially exciting moments included working on the USMCA agreement and meeting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when he visited the Embassy in June 2019. I also became quite close with some of the other interns, and we still talk today! It was truly an incredible experience but also one that informed me that this was not what I saw myself doing in the near future.

What are your future plans?

I am currently studying finance and real estate at New York University, and I hope to pursue a future career in real estate investment banking and eventually in real estate development.

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Ysabella Delgado ’18: Earring Designer and Insta Slayer

On Being a USC Student and Running a New Business

A graduate from 2018, Ysabella Delgado embarked on a very different type of university experience when she enrolled in the Iovine and Young Academy Bachelor of Science in Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation degree program at the University of Southern California (USC). This four-year study program provides students with in-depth learning in the arts, design, engineering, computer science, business and venture management. Bella’s enthusiasm and passion for her studies shines through as we connect over Zoom about her university experience and how the past few years have evolved.  

“I am part of a really weird program,” she says. “It has definitely been a very not-expected university experience. The way my school works is there are 26 of us and we go to all our classes together. In first year, we had classes in Disruptive Innovation, Digital Toolbox in illustration, audio production, Photoshop; a lot of different courses. I also had to take seminars as part of USC general education classes and one in particular was on vampires and monsters in Art and Fiction. That was a very cool experience”. 

When Bella left York House, little did she think she’d be going from a small school to a smaller school. She says her Disruptive Innovation class was taught by a professor who basically detailed why businesses have failed throughout history and also analyzed how businesses succeed. At the end of the class, they were put in a group and given $200 to create a business/product. As Bella recalls, “Our little group had to come up with a business, sell it on campus, and try to make as much as we could. In the end, we created custom-fit filters for the USC dorms to help with dust and other pollutants. In my program, it’s not one person who does everything. There will always be someone in your group who can do something you can’t do.”

The importance of being bored
Summer after freshman year was over, Bella and her boyfriend Quinn drove up to Vancouver and stayed for part of the summer. When Quinn went back down to LA to be with his family, Bella says she got really bored and was sitting around doing nothing. She decided it was time to get creative again. She took a trip to Michael’s and decided she’d make earrings to go with her makeup looks and then did some shoots with her earrings on. Quinn is a coder and when he saw the earrings, he was really encouraging. He suggested they start a website to sell her creations and he offered to code it. Kikay was born!

She recounts, “I started posting images on Instagram stories and a girl I had met at an event saw me on Instagram. She contacted me and said that she ran these backyard indie rock concerts and her earring vendor had dropped out. The show would be in San Diego in two weeks and she asked me if I might possibly want to sell the earrings I was making. I made some more earrings, packed up our car and got ourselves to San Diego. In the meantime, Quinn had the website up and running. We sold out at that first show. After that, we did another show and that also sold out too. I stress-made another 100 pairs of earrings and spent the rest of the summer making and vending earrings in the California area”.

Bella noticed that when they started, a lot of other earring brands were charging $50-60 for earrings, and she says she was sitting there thinking to herself, “I have some acrylic, I have earring parts, and I have my own time; that’s a really big mark up. When we were selling at these shows, a lot of people were my age or younger. People got very excited when they came to our booth and discovered that our earrings were so cheap. People’s faces lit up when they realized they could afford them.” 

Instagram influencers can be anyone
Kikay is a two-person operation and her and Quinn run the company together. For the business, Bella focuses on the earring design, production, outreach, and Instagram marketing, while Quinn does the laser cutting, the coding, the customer service and accounting. When Bella did her research, she realized she wanted to create a brand modelled after the makeup industry, tap into that industry, but not sell makeup. Rather, she wanted to create something to accompany makeup looks. They started marketing using this model and built a following. 

“Earrings and makeup on a profile photo work really well as they go perfectly together,” she says. “We spoke with makeup artists and created a community around ourselves which we are super thankful for. We’ve been working a lot with influencers so much so that we don’t create any of our own content anymore. It’s created by other artists. Initially we would create these looks and encourage people to post them and do their own makeup looks. Being in quarantine, people are really exploring fun makeup and fun fashion. In the past you’d only see looks by influencers but now people have started to realize that they can be influencers too. We wanted to create something that people can feel super comfortable in; a gateway statement into doing fun big things with your looks and making it accessible to everyone, not just influencers. We are really young and engage people.”

Kikay and growing social activism
Bella has always wanted to have a social activism aspect to their business.  As they have grown bigger, it has taken Bella a while to get her head around the fact they are actually a fully fledged business and have established a growing community of people they can outreach to. 

Bella reflects, “We have this chance to make a change and difference in the world. I wanted to work towards hiring as production gets bigger and I thought about what kind of community would benefit. One idea we had was hiring retired Filipino childcare workers. I grew up around this community. They come here with not very much education and after they finish up working for a family and they retire, they don’t have many options open to them. This was going to be our first social activism project but then everything took off with the US protests and we veered quickly in another direction”.

In the first week of June, when commentary regarding the Black Lives Matter movement exploded on Instagram they decided to use their platform to post, repost, and create opportunities to make a change. Kikay made a decision to donate 100% of their profits to the Black Owned Business Relief Fund for that week.

“Our business supports the black community and we will be here for them and that was the decision making behind that,” says Bella. “We had no idea how it would go but it was one of our best selling weeks. We had a lot of messages of support. USC is in a predominantly black neighbourhood. It was a culture shock coming out of Vancouver when I moved there and I realized I had to step up my game and get on top of educating myself. I needed to be educated on black history and culture.”

Bella credits her social activism to her high school days. She adds, “I do think that a huge part of my social activism came from monthly civvies days at York House. For us, you wore your civvies and donated money and that happened every month. It made you think about who you were giving to and why you were giving back.  We are going to continue doing social activism projects. It’s Pride Month and we will dedicate a week where all proceeds go to LGBTQ+ Youth and continue with that one model every month.”

The “new normal” in the fall
In the fall, Bella is excited to return to LA. “I’m very lucky that our school is not online. USC put out a statement that there’d be a mixed curriculum depending on which school you attended. My school got special permission to run. As we only have 26 per class, we got permission to do it in person.”

With focus also on their growing business, Quinn and Bella are converting a bedroom in their house and setting up a whole new workshop for Kikay down there. 

A life-changing moment last year for Bella was also getting diagnosed with ADHD. “Two-hour lectures made me really anxious and I couldn’t focus for that long. Earrings have been a big part of my strategy in coping and managing ADHD as I realized I had to be doing something while I was in class. Each class, I bring a kit of earrings to make as I listen to the lectures. It’s really helpful. I can absorb information while doing something else that is productive. My professors allow me to do it and it has completely changed my life. It’s been transformative.”

When Bella reflects on the past year, she says starting Kikay has given her a lot of confidence. “I think if I want to go out there and do something, I have the chance, ability, and foundation to step up and try to do it. I did have some doubts and in the early days I wanted to quit, but Quinn kept me going. We definitely help each other out. Looking ahead, we want to be able to set up a system and work in an environmentally responsible way, a financially responsible way and a socially responsible way.”

(Kikay has since announced a new microgrant project for LGBTQ+ artists and creatives for Pride Month. See below).

https://kikay.shop/
@shop.kikay
#kikay

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Public Health, Nutrition and FED: Q+A with Saba Marzara ‘07

 

You graduated from YHS in 2007. Where did your post-YHS journey take you?

After graduating from York House I went straight to UBC. I wasn’t too sure what I wanted to do, but knew I wanted to study a field related to science and food. In my 3rd year I took an International Nutrition course which got me interested in Public Health, specifically looking at the immense impact nutrition can have on health at a population level. After finishing this course I knew I wanted to work in Public Health. I decided to get my Masters in Public Health Nutrition in The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), where I focused primarily on epidemiological research methods, statistics, and policy. As part of the LSHTM curriculum, I took a position with the International Potato Centre (CIP) where I worked with the sub-Saharan Africa team in Kenya on a unique Bill & Melinda Gates funded project, which was looking at the effects of providing new agricultural techniques on the health status of pregnant women.  From there I stayed in Europe for the next 4 years and worked for the World Health Organization in Geneva and The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations in Rome. At FAO I was involved in the nationwide integration of a new indicator: the Minimum Dietary Diversity Women (MDD-W) in the national survey of Tajikistan. We helped build awareness around the importance of eating a varied diet and nutrient dense foods, especially for women of a reproductive age.

Now I’m back in Vancouver and I’ve co-founded Fed, a nutrition startup that produces ready to eat meals. Our meals provide 100% of all your daily nutrients through real food! Fed has allowed me to bring together my passions in health and nutrition, and apply them in a fast-moving startup. Our vision is to improve people’s health at a micro and macro level—all through real food.

What are your fondest memories of York House?

My fondest memories of York House would have to be our yearly camp trips. Every year starting in Grade 5 the whole class would go to a different campsite in BC. Having a sense of independence at such a young age was so exciting and being able to experience that with your closest friends is something I’ll cherish forever.

With your background in nutrition, can you give us three top tips for good health?

  • Don’t restrict yourself or follow any “rules” or diets when eating, just eat what makes you feel good. Try to avoid eating processed foods and too much meat. Its best to eat more vegetables and fruit. Also try and stick to the 80-20 principle, eat clean 80% of the time and allow for a few more “fun foods” 20% of the time.
  • Drink lots of water!
  • Variety is key! Switch it up every day and eat a variety of different foods. It will help you get different nutrients throughout the day.

You moved back to Vancouver from Italy and set up a business? Can you tell us a little about that?

Working at the UN, especially FAO was a great experience! But I felt like I needed to be in a more challenging setting in order to grow as a professional and work on a project that can demonstrate measurable impact in people’s daily lives. While in Rome, I got a call from an old friend at UBC who was thinking about a specialized meal concept, focusing on nutrition and taking a food as medicine approach and he asked me if I want to help. I decided to take a risk and leave my job in Rome; I moved back to Vancouver and we started Fed. That was 2 years ago. We now have a team of 10 people and an entire operation set up from our industrial kitchen to our delivery system. It has definitely been a challenging experience and one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had thus far.

What is your five year plan?

Over the next five years, I’ll continue working on making our vision for Fed a reality. Our goal is to be in five cities in five years, and to have a number of specialized offerings for those dealing with a variety of diet-related diseases such as diabetes.

 

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Mentors & Mentees: They Lift as they Climb

The YHS Alumnae Mentorship program was launched last September and the feedback has been very positive from both mentees and mentors. We asked Ashley Williams ’12  and Salima Remtulla ’00 about their experiences.

Ashley, you were matched with mentor Shannon Trainor from the Class of 2005. Tell us about your experience and why you wanted a mentor?

I got involved with the Alumnae Mentorship Program because I wanted to learn as much as I could from a Yorkie who had gone through a similar university experience. I also wanted advice for upcoming interviews for medical residency in Canada. It was a very worthwhile experience because Shannon gave me excellent advice about how to prepare for interviews and shared her own experiences as a medical student studying abroad. Ultimately, I felt very supported by Shannon’s empathy and genuine interest in guiding me through my residency interviews.

Did you feel comfortable connecting with her?

It was effortless to connect with Shannon as she was very friendly and easy to talk to. She always left the door open for questions and future meetings. We arranged our meetings in a flexible way that suited both of our busy schedules.

How did she help you with your career journey?

In terms of my career journey, Shannon helped by giving me some questions to reflect on as I was going through my interview process. She gave me wise advice from her own residency experience and this helped me decide which jobs were better suited to my future plans. She also gave me a good list of interview questions to practice answering on my own or with family and friends.

How did you communicate?

Shannon and I arranged our first meeting on FaceTime. We then corresponded mostly by email and we also met for lunch when I was back in Vancouver. I hope to stay in touch especially since we are both in family medicine!

Do you think it’s important for recent grads to find a mentor?

I believe it is important as it can be difficult to navigate career options post university and so connecting with someone who has been through a similar experience provides reassurance. It is helpful to have someone to talk to who is objective to your experience because they might point out options or ideas you hadn’t thought of before. Finally, in a technology-run world, I think it is crucial to keep cultivating genuine human to human connections, which this program achieves.

Salima, as a mentor, you were matched with Skylar Gordon, Class of 2014. Tell us about that experience.

There was so much I gained from the experience – a new friend, a stronger connection with York House, the opportunity to reflect on some of the key decisions I’ve made in my own life as Skylar and talked through crossroads she’s navigating, fresh insights into current events, knowledge of the start-up scene here in Vancouver (and a delightful tea company in particular!), the list goes on. I’m looking forward to building on my relationship with Skylar now that she’s moved back to Vancouver, and am also excited about getting to know the new Yorkie I’ve been matched with in the second cycle of the YHS Alumnae Mentorship Program!

Why do you think it’s important to be a mentor?

None of us got to where we are today without help – whether it be from friends, family, teachers, colleagues, mentors, or others. Mentorship is about paying the kindness we’ve received forward so that we each lift as we climb. As women, mentoring is even more critical, as the ‘gender confidence gap’ is very real. To change the face of leadership, we need to encourage other women to set their sights higher and act with the self-assurance we wish we had ourselves.

Have you had many mentors throughout your own career to date?

Too many to count! And what the most impactful ones had in common was that each of them believed in me more than I believed in myself and pushed me to take risks, do better, and ask for more. All of us struggle to some degree with self-doubt – the more people you have in your life who think you’re more capable and amazing than you give yourself credit for, the more confidence and support you will have to take leaps, and grow.

Are there any tips you can give other alumnae wanting to be mentors?

Mentees give great advice! When we don’t actively seek out different perspectives, each of us tends to operate in an echo chamber. Consider how your mentee can offer you a fresh perspective on something you hold long-established beliefs about, or how they can help you understand a new trend (hashtags, anyone?). Skylar and I had a fantastic conversation about “Millennials” in one of our early meetings that fleshed out both of our understanding of generational biases – which run both ways! – and how workplaces and corporate cultures are shifting to address the needs of an increasingly purpose- and impact- oriented next generation.

Have you any advice for young graduates looking for mentors?

The hardest part is often figuring out what you want. Once you’ve identified what you want from a mentor (Help navigating a big decision? Career advice? Life advice? An introduction?), then do some research to figure out who might be able to give you what you’re looking for (Someone in your workplace? An expert in your field? A former Yorkie?), and ask!

I have yet to experience someone turning me down point-blank when asked for something I know they are able to offer – sometimes they’ll ask for some timing flexibility, other times they’ll refer me to someone they think is better able to help, but I always walk away with something! Similarly, I strive to pay that forward and give something whenever it’s asked of me.

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Paying it Forward in Kenya : Q+A with Jenna Hussein ’11

 

Jenna Hussein, Class of 2011 in Nairobi 

 

Jenna, you graduated from York House in 2011 and then went on to Claremont McKenna College. What did you study and why?

My passion for the social sciences and humanities was definitely cultivated at York House in classes with Mr. Cropley, Mr. P, Mr. Abt, and Ms. McIvor. It was not until university that I realized I was also interested in business and decided on an interdisciplinary major in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. After a trip to Tanzania in 2012 with my parents to explore their birthplace, I began to focus on development economics with an emphasis on East Africa.

You were until recently based in LA. You’ve now moved to Kenya. Please tell us how that came about.

Upon completion of my undergraduate degree, I was recruited to join an economic consulting firm in LA and worked as an Analyst for two and a half years before moving to Nairobi. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to build a non-profit consulting practice at the firm. In addition to working on private sector client engagements, I also worked on a number of projects for non-profit clients in Haiti, Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania through this practice. I was extremely excited about these projects and was passionate about their outcomes, and I decided to search for a position at an impactful social enterprise in East Africa as my next professional step.

Please tell us about your company and position in Nairobi and why you decided to work there.

Ever since my first trip to East Africa in 2012, I have not stopped thinking about the region, particularly about ways to combat economic inequality and provide basic needs to the ultra poor. During my search for a position in the region, I was introduced to one of Sanergy’s founders through a mutual connection. I was extremely impressed by their innovative and impactful business model. Nairobi’s informal settlements (slums) are not connected to the city’s sewer system and human waste is disposed in the streets and rivers, resulting in serious consequences for the community’s health. Sanergy has developed a sanitary toilet (see picture) and franchises it to the residents of the informal settlements who operate the toilet as a small business by charging customers a small fee to use it. Sanergy safely collects the waste, transforms it into fertilizer, and sells it to local agriculture companies. My role is to maximize operational efficiency for the division of Sanergy that produces and franchises the sanitary toilets. My work cuts across all areas of the business including finance, sales, customer support, and supply chain.

You exemplify the school motto “Not for Ourselves Alone” – Did this passion for community service flourish at YHS?

Yes, definitely. My desire to improve the global community is something that was nurtured throughout my 13 years at York House. I value the emphasis the school places on community service – whether that is through raising funds for the annual Terry Fox Run, committing to sponsor a child’s education abroad, or through disaster relief efforts. A particularly memorable community service engagement was my trip to Paraguay in 2010 with a group of classmates to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.

What is life like in Nairobi for a young woman?

Nairobi is an incredibly vibrant, world-class city with an amazing culture and a fantastic food scene. People here are very welcoming and it has been very easy to build a community of friends. Nairobi’s nickname is the “Silicon Savannah” due to the city’s thriving technology sector and since many private sector and social impact start-ups operate here. It is a fun city to live in and I am really enjoying my time here.

Do you have any life advice for the newly graduated Class of 2018?

Some of the brightest people I have ever met were my classmates at YHS. As Yorkies, we are so lucky to grow up in an environment full of talented and driven young women. I would advise new graduates to continue to stay in touch, continue to build their friendships, and “pay it forward” – offer advice and help to each other and continue to build a community of mutual support.

Also, I would advise new graduates to explore the world and share your skills with the global community. You will gain personal satisfaction from working to make a positive impact on others’ lives, and you will gain confidence in yourself when you move to a new city and build a new network.

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The Business of Making Puzzles: Nicole Benda ‘84 and her Entrepreneurial Journey

What did you do after graduating from YHS in 1984?  

I studied at UBC and obtained my BA in International Relations. After graduating from UBC, my first position was as a marketing assistant for a shopping centre management company and that is where I found my true career direction. I then enrolled at BCIT and studied part-time, while working full-time which made for some very long days, and obtained my Marketing Communications Certificate. From there I went on to work in a number of industries in various sales & marketing and human resources positions. In 2009, my husband and I adopted our son and I decided to stay home to raise him and became a domestic engineer ☺

What memories do you have of your time here?

I had a wonderful six years (Gr. 7 – 12) at YHS – it was an amazing learning environment which fostered great friendships, one really felt part of a close-knit community. Some of my favourite memories include the annual YHS Market, a trip to Seattle to visit the Tutankhamun exhibition, and playing centre for the basketball team. If memory serves me correctly, during our year we were only qualified as exhibition so it’s been great to see YHS become a powerhouse in basketball over the past couple of decades.

Describe your journey with Butzi Kids? What is Butzi Kids and how did it get its name?

In 2014, I wanted to buy a children’s puzzle of Vancouver and Whistler and yet I couldn’t find anything that I liked. This is what gave me the idea for Butzi Kids. As our son was about to start kindergarten, I knew this was the right time to venture off and create a business of my own – I decided that I was going to design and have manufactured children’s puzzles, placemats, and prints of Vancouver and Whistler. However, I had to learn everything from starting and running a business, manufacturing, freight forwarding to wholesaling, since I had no experience in any of these areas. I was very fortunate to have a collection of family, friends, and associates who had the relevant expertise who guided me along – it was a lengthy and challenging process but I was so motivated that it was all very exciting.

Butzi (pronounced boot-sy) is the German nickname we gave our son when he was a baby and since we made a lot of puzzles together while he was growing up, I thought it was fitting to name the company after him.

What are the most important life/business lessons you’ve learned along the way?  

A couple of key life/business lessons I have learned are attitude is everything and if you’re handed lemons, start making lemonade as there’s always a Plan B. It is important to realize that the challenges in front of one are surmountable with perseverance, and that one doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel – there are lots of people in one’s network who are more than happy to help and to share their experiences.

You attended an alumnae networking event last year. Was that your first time back at YHS since graduation?

Over the years, I had gone to the annual YHS market and it was always very nostalgic being back on the school grounds.

What challenges, if any, do you have with managing all aspects of your business?

As a one person operation, it can be very easy to procrastinate getting to the ‘not so exciting’ tasks of the business, or the tasks that aren’t ones forté, which for me was the social media aspect of the business. I am an old-school marketer so I struggled with putting out posts via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. I considered myself very lucky when I was chosen for a Shopify podcast where I received a ‘social media makeover’ with the help of Vancouver’s social media expert, ‘Miss 604’ Rebecca Bollwitt. She was fantastic to work with and learn from – the crash course in social media helped me immensely.

  1. Do you have any advice for young alumnae staring down the entrepreneurial path?

As cliché as it sounds, if you set your mind to something and you have the passion and determination, run with it, anything is possible! Do your research, gather information, and talk with as many people who have the expertise or contacts to help you along. There are so many excellent resources out there. I made good use of the internet and the library for resource books and I found Small Business BC to be extremely helpful. I felt along my journey that I kept getting the green light during the different stages of my business idea, and before I knew it, it became a reality.

 

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Fellow Yorkie Makes the Forbes Europe “Top 30 Under 30” List

 

Natasha Ratanshi Stein ’09

Natasha, what did you do after you graduated from York House School?

I moved to London after graduating York House in pursuit of a BSc in Economic History from the London School of Economics (LSE). I graduated from the LSE in 2012 and then immediately started working in the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) division at Goldman Sachs in London, where I had interned during university. After spending two years at Goldman, I moved to venture capital to work for Piton Capital, a small fund where I was the third member of the investment team and I am still there.

What kind of student were you at YHS?

To be honest, I can’t say I was the greatest student for a while. I know my mom still keeps my report cards somewhere, and I think up until around the 10th grade I had pretty average grades (I even remember something in the 50s for band when I had too much trouble waking up for morning rehearsals and never handed in my practice sheets). The great thing about York House is because of the small class sizes, it helps you find your passion, and for me that was the humanities subjects, which I realized in my last couple years at York House. Once I found that passion, and I was at a grade where there was more flexibility around picking subjects, I started to do much better as I was super excited about what I was learning about. This meant I started spending a lot of my spare time reading about the topics I was studying at school, which in turn made me a better student

How did you initially enter the investment banking field? [NOTE: I’m not in investment banking anymore, but was until 2014]

I entered finance completely by accident. My York House teachers might remember I was too much of a Marxist for Wall Street during my time there. I had gone to LSE hoping to pursue a career in international development and save the world. Suffice it to say, after attending a few career sessions in those fields I became somewhat disillusioned with the bureaucracy and I was worried about the unclear paths for progression in those fields. A friend of mine invited me to join her at a career evening hosted by Slaughter & May, a law firm, to see if law was something that interested me. What I had learned was that it wasn’t the documentation and drafting of contracts that interested me, but the financial aspects such as establishing the value of both businesses, determining the synergies, and exploring financing options. Both my parents are entrepreneurs, and being able to work with entrepreneurs and operators at a critical time for their business was something that really excited me about investment banking. Having said that, within the two years I was at Goldman, I realized my heart was with earlier stage businesses, like the ones I had been exposed to at the dinner table growing up. I had worked on some technology transactions at Goldman, which fuelled my interest in venture capital. Being closer to the operations whilst still being able to use the skills I had developed at Goldman and working in an increasingly exciting and fast-moving industry are all components in my current job in venture capital that keep me very excited.

Describe a typical day in your current position?

In venture capital, our role is to identify early stage businesses that we think are in an interesting market and at some point can provide us with attractive financial returns. Piton Capital, where I work now, is one of the few extremely specialized venture capital funds in the world. We only invest in online businesses that benefit from network effects, which means the product or service improves as more people use it. The job varies enormously day to day, so it’s very hard to describe a typical day. I would say if I had to crudely break it up, I spend about 30% of my time in meetings with entrepreneurs who are pitching their businesses, 40% of my time analyzing companies and conducting diligence and 30% of my time managing our existing portfolio, where I help them with strategic advice, sit on their boards and act as an advisor for decisions such as recruitment, new market expansion, pricing etc. I am usually travelling around once a week, mostly across Europe as we invest actively in markets such as Germany, France, Poland, and the Nordics. We’ve also done deals in Egypt and Pakistan.

Do you see yourself staying in London or moving back to North America?

It’s very hard to answer this one and attempting to answer will either anger my parents or my current employers so I’ll decline to comment.

You were recently listed in the 2018 30 under 30 Forbes Europe – Finance List.  Tell us more about that experience?

It’s humbling to be recognized in a list which also includes Kendrick Lamar, my favourite rapper. When I’m home, I frequently drive around Vancouver blasting his song “Humble”, and the Forbes inclusion has reminded me to take the (explicit) advice in that song seriously. Life can be so hectic that it can be hard to take a step back and reflect on your achievements so being part of this list was a good opportunity to do that. More than anything, the outpouring of good wishes it triggered was a reminder of how many people have supported me and how grateful I am to them.

Will Brexit have any impact on your career path?

Brexit is destabilizing for both the UK economy and its social fabric. My career, along with many others, benefit from the diversity and talent that Britain has embraced over the last fifty years. The Brexit vote has brought to the surface many divisions in British society and has taught us that unfortunately, many of the benefits of being an open and tolerant nation seem to be at risk. From a career perspective, many of the UK’s top entrepreneurs are migrants, from the EU and elsewhere, and many British businesses have been built by the hard work of migrants. My fund invests across Europe with our most active market being Germany, so we are not directly impacted by Brexit in any major way. We are already starting to see new hubs of activity emerge in more European cities and Europeans move back to their countries of origin. While I think this will be detrimental to the UK, our flexibility around investing across Europe will still enable us to continue to invest in the most promising companies and back the best entrepreneurs. The UK faces a lot of uncertainty in the coming years, and it’s my hope that the voices calling for a more tolerant and open society don’t lose out to those seeking to divide.

Did any one person or teacher influence you at YHS?

Absolutely. It would be impossible to pin it down to one person. York House is a place that really enables it’s students to find their passion. When I found my passion, there were countless teachers who were there to make sure I was achieving my potential. Mr Cropley, who would do weekend cram sessions with us ahead of our AP European History exam and who I am still in close contact with for when I need to ensure my career doesn’t pull me away from my socialist roots. Ms. Irani, who was extremely supportive in helping me navigate the nuances of applying to a UK university. When LSE required 5s on five AP exams despite the fact I was only doing four AP classes, I dropped math in order to teach myself AP World History. LSE didn’t like that and informed me only two months before the math provincial I had to complete math. Thankfully Mrs. Massel was there to rescue me and taught me the entire Math 12 curriculum in two months. I would say one of the best classes at York House was Mr P’s AP Human Geo class which really opened my eyes to the functioning of society and how rap music conveys societal workings (maybe this is what inspired me to start taking Kendrick Lamar so literally!)

 

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Psychiatry and a new book about sleep: all in a day’s work for Dr. Smita (Reebye) Naidoo ‘99

Smita (R) pictured with her friend and business partner, Andrea Bell.

You graduated in 1999. In terms of further studies, where did you go after York House?

After graduating, I went across the pond to Dublin, Ireland. I was there for seven years completing my medical degrees and internship training. It was an incredible time to be there as Ireland had just switched to the Euro currency as a member of the EU. A true snapshot for me of living through political and historical change.

Describe a typical working day at BC Children’s Hospital?

That’s a tough one, because there is no “typical” day. This is what drives me to working in the emergency department. I start my day checking in on the admitted patients with our entire team. We problem shoot, review medication and treatment. Most importantly, we make sure the families of the children admitted are consistently involved in the “loop of communication.” That is the only hour in my day, set in stone. The rest is dependent on who presents to the Emergency Department. We get paged across the Province and the Yukon by family doctors and paediatricians asking us for educational support on ethical or high risk situations.

You kindly came back to York House to speak to our students during Career Day a few years ago. What was that experience like?

I was so nervous! The hardest thing to do, is to inspire a group of intelligent and driven young women despite their personal experiences, cultural background, and passions. For me, speaking in front of adults, and other clinicians is the easier part of my work. Being able to look an an audience, and see why they took their time to listen to me, is definitely an art I am continuously working on. There is nothing more that matters to me then the mental health, and overall wellness of our youth. One thing that is on my bucket list, is to craft and deliver a speech to the graduates. Even better, maybe address the year one of my Yorkie nieces graduates (2025!).

Your new publication for kids is about the importance of sleep. How did this collaboration come about and tell us more about Polly & Pickles? 

Believe it or not, I met my business partner, now dear friend Andrea Bell, on a plane ride from LAX to YVR 30,000 feet above ground! We instantly matched and had a shared vision of creating children’s books with a meaning.

Within less than three months, Paper Clouds Project Ltd was born. We self-published our first book on sleep, which was just released this January 2018. We chose sleep as our first book because clinically this is the simplest way of altering the behaviour of a child and the environment of a home. Andrea was personally adjusting to having three children of different developmental ages and found that in the working-mom world, the value of sleep is under prioritized.

 Did anyone or any one experience inspire you at YHS to follow your dreams of being a psychiatrist and author?

Yes. Absolutely. Mr. B! It’s amazing the impact a few comments, experiences can influence us to the core, to our gene expression. Mr. B was like a father to me, when he was training us for track meets, and inspiring us to do more. I still remember when he was discussing muscle physiology and used me as an example. It touched me, because that authentic validation in front of my peers, truly set further ground work to a healthy self-esteem. Alongside my parents, and two older brothers, Mr. B certainly made me feel I had gifts to share with the world.

For members of our community with young children, provide three tips on how to get our kids to sleep smarter/better?

I have one word for you R.E.D.!

  • Routine! If you can make one change, create a cheat sheet for sleep with your child. Make two copies, one in the washroom, one in the bedroom. From the moment your child/youth enters home after a busy day at YHS, their routine begins! The misnomer is that if you have a “good bedtime routine” things should work out. Not true! Transitioning from a structured environment (i.e. school) to a semi/non-structured environment, sends signals to their brains making it more scattered, unsure, and even anxious. Ground a few things: homework time, dinner time, fun/social media time. This is the most beneficial and most sustainable gift you can give your child. This level of routine, trains your body clock (i.e. circadian rhythm) on when to release melatonin and other hormones promoting good sleep and brain growth.

 

  • Environment: Make sure the child’s bedroom does NOT have a desk for study. Associating a child’s room with anything but calm, is never a good idea. A desk, if used for study, then sub-consciously associates the room of stress, deadlines and at times, poorer self esteem. Keep it minimalistic, filled with meaningful objects for your child (not your own aesthetic pleasure). By doing this, you are giving your child the autonomy to create their sanctuary with some guidance. Due to limited space, busier lifestyles, our rooms are now multi-purpose. This is one room, you want (for the entire family) to only serve for one purpose alone…sleep/relaxation.

 

  • Distraction Devices: aka iPads/mobile phones! There may be many changes with technology, but one thing which has stayed consistent over the years, are the guidelines of screen time. No screen time two hours before bedtime for the entire family. The way to avoid the “power struggle”, ALL family members, give up their devices with the EARLIEST bedtime in the home. This then creates a uniform expectation and the child/youth no longer views this as a punishment or that they are “missing out” on something.
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Dianne Whelan ‘83: 2017 YHS Alumnae Special Achiever

This year’s Special Achiever, Dianne Whelan ‘83, made a special effort to be at York House to speak at both Founders’ Day and Alumnae Day to celebrate our 85th Anniversary. In fact, a bush pilot extracted her from a remote area along the Trans Canada trail where, since July 2015, she has hiked, biked, snowshoed, skied, and canoed across the country. As she passes through some 15,000 communities along the 24,000 kilometers of the trail, she’s filming her next adventure documentary, 500 Days in the Wild.

Former York House School Head Girl, Dianne Whelan ’83, an explorer, award-winning Canadian documentary filmmaker, author, and multimedia artist, is no stranger to extreme adventure. In 2007, Dianne was the first woman to travel as an embedded media person with a team of Canadian Rangers to a never patrolled route of the northwestern coast of Ellesmere Island, Nunavut. In the middle of winter, they traversed close to 2000 km in the Canadian High Arctic from Resolute to Alert, the most northerly human habitation in the world. Her film, This Land and first book, This Vanishing Land A Woman’s Journey to the Canadian Arctic, depicts her epic journey. In 2010, she filmed her award-winning film, 40 Days at Base Camp, which recounts her eye-opening experiences on the world’s highest mountain, Mt. Everest.

In support of her journey along the Trans Canada Trail, Dianne was recently honoured to receive an expedition grant from the Royal Canadian Geographic Society for the 2,300-km paddle of Lake Superior. With North America’s largest lake behind her, Dianne is continuing along “The Path of the Paddle”, a water route in Northwestern Ontario, which follows centuries-old traditional First Nations and Metis trails. Dianne received another honour earlier this year when her film, This Land, a National Film Board documentary, made the Celebrate Canada 150 list.  

We were fortunate to be able to sit down with Dianne while she was here to talk about what her Trans Canada  journey has shown her so far.

Before setting out, Dianne had titled the trip and pending film, 500 Days in the Wild. This was when she thought she would be travelling the longest trail in the world at a pace of 70 km per day. She lets out a good natured laugh when she thinks back on her ambition. By Day 3, after leaving Newfoundland, Dianne soon came to the realization that it was going to take her considerably more time. In fact, it will likely take her four years, or 1,460 days, to complete but she is no longer in a hurry. But now, more important than how hard or fast she goes, is her interactions with people along the trail.

Now, at the halfway mark, she has been particularly impressed with the kindness that people have shown her along the way. Their generosity has confirmed for her that people truly are good in a way that we often forget.

When asked about how her expectations have changed from the start of the trip, Dianne comments, “It has definitely been harder physically than I had expected. But I haven’t been sick or hurt. I thought I would be more fearful being a woman on my own but that fear is gone. Of course, what I thought would be one film has now become a trilogy (I hope to release part one in the fall of 2018).”

“One thing I really didn’t expect is the exchanges that I have had with indigenous people, particularly the women,” she continues. “First Nations culture teaches us to honour the earth and to honour the women. A Cree grandmother shared with me their collective belief that no decision should be made without thinking of seven generations ahead, which is why I believe that the answers for sustainability are with the First Nations.

Her time with indigenous women across the country has also shown her the importance of humility and having an open heart.

“For me, my goal is to make sure that every day is a sincere expression of myself. When I filmed at Everest, I had lost my balance and went into my ego. Now I know that you need to hang onto a certain amount of humility and grace. I think I have learned from my past mistakes.”

With so much time in isolation in nature, Dianne has had much time to reflect on the importance of following her heart. While here celebrating Founders’ Day with us, she reminded us all of the importance of not forgetting where we come from and how empowering our motto, Not for Ourselves Alone, truly is.

Dianne had come to York House School in Grade 9 as a shy and quiet student, but by Grade 12 she was Head Girl. “When I graduated from York House, I had the confidence that I could do anything I wanted; I left believing in myself. For me, York House is the foundation upon which I built my dreams. We need places like York House to breed strong women,” says Dianne.

Thinking back on her path after York House that has led her to this point, Dianne recalls the eight years at McGill University where she studied philosophy, political science, and religious studies. She was on her way to law school at Dalhousie University when she had decided to take a break and work for her father’s fashion company in Vancouver, Marquis of London, where she learned multiple facets of the business ranging from marketing to production.

The realization that she needed to follow a different path led her to Langara College where she studied journalism and Emily Carr where she studied multimedia including photography and film.

She now recognizes that everything that she has learned, whether at school or in life, has led her to this journey she is on now. This journey to see and to know, that we are not alone.

To read more about Dianne’s adventures visit http://500daysinthewild.com.