Jem Terra

Founder and Owner, inBed Organics

photo by Jaime Kowal

Many mothers worry about their newborns dying from crib death, but most feel they can’t do much to prevent it. Not so for one Vancouver mom. When Jem Terra arrived home six years ago with her first child, she asked herself, “What are we sleeping on?”

“We needed to find a product that would provide a healthy sleep without allergy-causing mould, dust mites, and chemicals such as flame retardants, and that would not support mildew or bacteria,” she recalls.

Now the mother of two healthy, rambunctious boys, Jem is also the “mother” of inBed Organics, a company that provides latex mattresses, pillows made of untreated wool, and 100-per-cent certified organic cotton bedding.

“Our mattresses will last for 20 to 30 years, after which they are entirely biodegradable and can be composted,” she says.

Besides bringing healthy Zs to Lower Mainlanders, Jem had another reason for launching her own company: she wanted to be a stay-at-home mom for Soren (shown upside down) and Pierce , who turn seven and five, respectively, this month. In the beginning, she took them to all her business appointments, and since then, they’ve been with her every step of the journey.

“They are the reason I do this,” she confirms. “They are our future. I really want to teach them about the consequences of our choices.”

The boys are already getting their feet wet—so to speak—in doing good works: both are involved in the Water Project (queenvictoriawaterproject.org) at Soren’s school to raise money to build a well in Tanzania. Meanwhile, inBed Organics donates a portion of its sales to the organization.

“I wanted to set the pace for them in making a difference by respecting our precious water, soil, and living creatures,” Jem says.

—Jeanne Ainslie

Martha Bowen

EO, Latin Organics

photo by Jaime Kowal

Growing up, Martha Bowen had a dream: she wanted to live the traditional life of a married woman that her grandmother had enjoyed in her hometown of Valledupar, Colombia. “I wanted to be like a matrona who, through my social help to people and to society, would set a goal for other women and other people,” Martha says.

But things didn’t turn out the way she planned. After Martha and her husband were kidnapped by guerrillas (and subsequently released), the couple decided to leave Colombia and immigrate to Canada. Ten years later, Martha is now living her dream of being a matrona in Vancouver. In 2005, she created Latin Organics, a fair trade, organic coffee company that sells specialty coffee beans purchased directly from the Arhuaco Indians, who live near her Colombian hometown, and who once traded with her grandfather.

A mother of three (Manuela, 13, Tomas, 10, and Sara, 2), Martha does not separate business and family. “We are a tribe, the five of us; we are working on this together,” she says. The kids accompany Mom to meet clients, carry orders, place labels on the coffee bags, and give their feedback on the bags’ designs.

As a tribute to their involvement, Martha called Latin Organics’ latest blend “Tomasa,” a word she created using the first two letters of each child’s first name. A believer in leading by example, Martha explains that her business allows her to act as a role model for her kids while teaching them a strong work ethic.

“I am setting that example for my children, and with that, they will be able to climb mountains and cross oceans. There will be no limits.”

—Isabelle Groc

Diane Shaskin

Co-founder, Planet Organic Market

photo by Jaime Kowal

Diane Shaskin’s world has been spinning at breakneck speed for the last seven years. “It’s been very fast-paced and furious,” she confirms over the phone from her home in Victoria. Diane is co-founder of Planet Organic Market, Canada’s largest all-natural food retailer. She opened the first Planet Organic in 2001—the same year she and her husband adopted baby Alexandre from Vietnam. Since then, both Alexandre and Planet Organic have done a lot of growing up.
Growing up organic is crucial to Diane. She stresses the importance of feeding kids well, as well as getting them involved in picking out things from the grocery store. “Kids love to choose their own food,” she enthuses. Her philosophy is that kids can’t help but choose wisely when the options surrounding them are nutritious and organic, and that teaching kids good eating habits from a young age will benefit both themselves and the world.
“When you’re eating organic food, you’re putting a deposit into your own health bank, and a deposit into the health bank of the planet,” Diane says. “Every time a person buys organic food, they’re doing something good for the Earth.”
The planet created by Diane is growing quickly. The one little store that opened all those years ago has expanded to a chain of nine supermarkets across Canada. This year Diane will be opening additional stores in Vancouver and Toronto, as well as expanding into California.
And what does Alexandre, now seven, think of all this? Diane laughs. “He’s just recently figured out that Dad’s the president, so he thinks of us as the King and Queen of Planet Organic.”
Which, we presume, would make him the Prince.
  —Jennifer Croll

Sharon Chai

Founder and Owner, Bamboobino

photo by Jaime Kowal

When Sharon Chai was a little girl in Malaysia, she named her favourite stuffed bear “Bambino.” Thirty-six years later (and married to an Italian), when it came time to brand her made-from-bamboo products for babies and toddlers, “Bamboobino” seemed as snug a fit as one of her little after-bath hats.
Mother to Elyjah, 5, and Indah, 2, Sharon equates having a new business with having a new baby ”without the sore nipples.“ “You lose sleep,” she says. “Every day brings challenges. You’re not really sure what you’re getting into—and you need to know when to turn off the business and spend uninterrupted time with your children.”

Bamboobino’s panda-themed product line is made from Moso bamboo—the kind used in furniture and chopsticks, and not the kind that pandas devour in the wild. A stand of bamboo, states the company’s website, takes in five times the volume of greenhouse gases that a stand of timber the same size does, while releasing 35 per cent more oxygen. Made into fabric, it’s soft, absorbent, antibacterial, and eco-friendly.

Sharon’s sustainability wake-up call came in ’96 when she was doing volunteer work in Guyana. Her experiences there shone new light on the old adage “charity begins at home.” “I was a new Canadian, and I’d never volunteered at home,” she recalls. When she returned to Canada, she volunteered with the Red Cross, UNICEF, and other organizations.

Now, as a busy “momtrepreneur,” Sharon is intent on setting a good example for her kids while growing her business. Coming soon is “Inda,” a plush panda toy named after the real Indah (but without the “H”), a portion of whose sales will go to local charities.

—Gayle Mavor

Arline Trividic

Owner, Smell This!

photo by Jaime Kowal

Whenever certified aromatherapist Arline Trividic concocted a new fragrance, the first thing she would do was wave an apothecary bottle under her husband’s nose and say, “Smell this!” The name stuck, and now customers in resorts, spas, and boutiques across Canada enjoy the luscious scents of Arline’s PETA-approved Smell This! beauty products.

Arline’s biggest inspiration: “Feedback, positive and negative, from my clients. Smell is personal. I love developing the right blends that appeal to their sense of smell and also help with a specific health issue.”

On the challenges of using all-natural ingredients: “Education! Pure essential oils are more expensive than synthetically produced fragrance. One has healing properties; the other just smells good. Oils come from plants, fruits, botanicals that are impacted by weather, soil, natural disasters, and even global warming.”

Smell This!’s most sought after item: “The Ultimate Skin Treat Cream, a blend of lavender, tea tree, geranium, Roman chamomile, calendula, and hemp seed oil.”

Arline’s hottest beauty secret: “Staying positive, water, and herbal teas. I drink nettles and lemon balm tea. Oh, and my facial serum ‘In Denial’ never hurts either!”

Her biggest cosmetic pet peeve: “Big companies that market their products as if they have something to do with aromatherapy.”

In her former life she worked as “a learning disabilities tutor, and a production coordinator in the printing industry. One taught me compassion; the other helped me understand labelling, production schedules, and quality control.”

Arline wishes all 12-year-old girls realized that “it’s cool to have a healthy lifestyle and it’s possible to use natural products that won’t harm their bodies, the environment, or animals, and still be pretty.” 

—Gayle Mavor

Luke Hogan

Owner, Royal Herbs

photo by Jaime Kowal

Luke Hogan believes it takes a healthy diet and his special brand of TLC to make his customers feel their best. A certified herbalist, this is one man who isn’t afraid to get dirty to help other people feel good. His products are homegrown and harvested with his own hands, ensuring only the best ingredients make it into ours.

Luke’s biggest inspiration: “The healing power of plants. I think it’s amazing that we can make natural health and beauty products that work and are actually good for us.”

On the challenges of using all-natural ingredients: “I came to the realization that to maintain a high level of quality control at every stage, I needed to grow the herbs we use.”

Royal Herbs’ most sought after item: “Our face creams. There’s a day cream that features CoQ10, which is an antioxidant. Many people take CoQ10 internally for cardiovascular health, but topically it will fight damage caused by the sun or the environment.”

Luke’s hottest beauty secret: “I think a healthy diet is really important. A good regime of a nice, natural cleanser, moisturizer, and you’re set.”

His biggest cosmetic pet peeve: “The ingredients found in most mainstream health and beauty products. Many of them are unnecessary and some are potentially harmful to us, and our environment.”

In his former life, he worked as “a driving instructor. When you’re sitting on the other side of the car you don’t have a steering wheel, but you have a gas and a brake pedal. I can’t tell you the countless times that I [helped] avoid an accident.”

Luke wishes all 12-year-old girls realized that “they won’t always be 12.”

—Andrea Warner

Laurel Bailey

Founder, Naked Soapworks

photo by Jaime Kowal

Laurel Bailey’s penchant for lotions and potions drove her to create Naked Soapworks. She began with handcrafted, 100-per-cent natural soaps and added spices, herbs, and flower petals from her Bowen Island garden. These days, she also makes “naked” face, body, and laundry products. “It’s about the naked truth for me—I put everything on the label even though the government doesn’t require it,” she says.

Laurel’s biggest inspiration: “When I see ads for supposedly natural products, which base their marketing on people’s fear of synthetics, I want to counter that. I talk to customers a lot about how to read labels. I’m excited to educate people—I’m a teacher by nature.”

On the challenges of using all-natural ingredients: “The biggest is consistency of product. It’s like baking a cake: weather, humidity, temperature can all affect yourrecipe. I struggle to make the product the same each time because that’s what the customer expects.”

Naked Soapworks’ most sought-after item: “The face sugar: a cleanser, exfoliator, and moisturizer in one.”

Laurel’s hottest beauty secret: “I’m all about ‘less is more’: keep it simple, and know what’s in the products you’re putting on your face. I use the face sugar and jojoba oil.”

Her biggest cosmetic pet peeve: “Deceptive advertising. Often the words ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ get thrown around by companies that are not following green practices at all.”

In her former life, she worked as…“I have a master’s in religious studies. I’ve worked as a counsellor and a teacher. And in my past life? I have an affinity for India. Whatever I did, it was probably in India.”

Laurel wishes all 12-year-old girls realized that “they’re beautiful as they are.”

—Joanne Will

Cory Dingle

Owner, Pure Pharmacy Health Centre

photo by Jaime Kowal

“It’s going to be the most beautiful pharmacy in the world,” says Cory Dingle of his brand-new baby, Pure Pharmacy. The beauty of the White Rock store extends from the lush cherry wood interior and Italian tiling, all the way to the pharmacy’s philosophy, which endeavours to change the face of medicine by housing MDs, naturopaths, nutritionists, herbalists, and pharmacists under one roof. It’s an innovative idea that reflects Cory’s creative past. A classically trained musician and former band manager, he is well versed in the arts scene, both from a performance and management stance. He has no qualms declaring, “Health is an art. My ability was always to marry art with business.”

Cory’s biggest inspiration: “Every customer that walks into my store is an inspiration. You don’t know how many times people have said, ‘I’ve had this problem for 10 years, you guys got me through it, and now I’m better.’ I think one of the first times that happened, I started weeping.”

On the challenges of using all-natural ingredients: “The challenge is that people are living outside a state of nature. When we heal them using natural products, they return to a natural state of being.”

Pure Pharmacy’s most sought-after item: “Knowledge.”

Cory’s hottest beauty secret: “Water and sleep.”

His biggest cosmetic pet peeve: “The irony that things meant to make people look better generally make them feel terrible.”

In his former life, he worked as... “Which life? I’ve had a few dreams of different ones.”

Cory wishes all 12-year-old girls realized that “they are the most powerful force of nature.”

—Jennifer Croll

Frank Pabst

bluewatercafe.net

Executive Chef, Blue Water Cafe

photo by Jaime Kowal

“Jellyfish!” exclaims Frank Pabst, one of Vancouver’s most creative chefs. “It’s all about texture, and what you marinate it in.”

Pabst’s penchant for unusual seafood doesn’t end there. Seated in the brick-and-tile elegance of Yaletown’s Blue Water Cafe, he proceeds to extol the virtues of sardines, octopus, and more.

His culinary career began in Europe, where he learned to respect food, both in terms of its origins and how it is consumed. He later arrived in Vancouver, making his mark on places like Lumière and Bistro Pastis before coming on as executive chef at Blue Water. Pabst’s European background, however, continues to influence his ways in the kitchen. “Respect for food, it can be everything,” he says.

This respect underlies Pabst’s commitment to sustainability. A founding member of the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program, Blue Water’s seafood is sustainably harvested, and, whenever possible, wild—which requires some research. “Whenever a new product becomes available, we check with the Aquarium to see what they think of it.”

Sablefish and lobster are on the menu, but reliable standbys like halibut and salmon aren’t readily available during the winter months. This led Pabst to launch his “Unsung Heroes” menu, which just wrapped up its yearly, month-long run. It’s a showcase of what our wintry West Coast waters have to offer, including odd but tasty items like sea urchins and mackerel.

The menu has grown in popularity, meaning that sustainable delicacies might just be catching on. Which is great, because there’s more than enough of them for us to all have a taste. “We should eat things that aren’t going to be used up,” Pabst asserts.

“We should eat things that are abundant in the ocean.”

—JC

President, Adera

adera.com

photo by Jaime Kowal

“It’s a risky business. So you have to be cautious.” Norm Couttie’s perspective on real estate may be standard fare, but don’t be fooled by the pat remark. Through his company, Adera, Couttie is bravely leading the way in sustainable real estate development, proving that caution and innovation aren’t mutually exclusive. Couttie foresaw the future colour of housing construction years ago. “Green was the way the industry had to go,” he says. “But I was terrified of LEED.” The LEED rating system, designed for commercial buildings with a single owner, just wasn’t appropriate for Adera’s multi-family projects. “We construct buildings for 130 owners,” Couttie chuckles. “It’s hard to get 51 per cent of them to agree on anything.”
In search of a solution, Couttie enlisted Adera to assist with UBC’s Residential Environmental Assessment Program, a points-based system tailored toward multi-family dwellings in B.C. Soon after, Alberta-based Built Green designed a similar third- party verification system. Homeowners were enthusiastic, and Adera signed on.
These days, a sustainability clause is part of Adera’s mission statement. So it’s no surprise that its much- lauded Green development lives up to its name as the first residential building in B.C. to achieve Built Green Gold status. It incorporates all the basics like solar-powered heating for hot water and low- emission paints and carpets, but turns things up a notch by throwing in a car co-op membership for all residents, and making donations to maintain neighbouring Byrne Creek. Ultimately, these initiatives succeed through Couttie’s balanced approach. “We tend to put money into things that aren’t too risky, that save energy but aren’t too costly,” he says. “What I really believe in is practical green.”
—Jennifer Croll