Meet our judges for this years It Starts with an Idea Pitch Competition! All of our judges are entrepreneurs and have greatly contributed to the innovation industry in Kamloops. We are so excited and honoured that they will be judging the 2020 Pitch Competition!
Jonathan Bowers
Founder – Two Story Robot
Jonathan has extensive experience in technology and entrepreneurship. He has over 20 years of experience building web technologies and has worked with, for, and on a number of tech startups. He was the first employee and head of product development at FreshGrade and currently runs Two Story Robot, a small high calibre full-stack product development team. Jonathan had mentored startups and social enterprises with Kamloops Innovation and Purppl. He holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science from SFU and an MBA in strategic management and entrepreneurship from Sauder School of Business. He is a relatively new father of a 2 year old, an endurance athlete having completed 2 Ironman Triathlons, and is currently training for Ironman Canada in 2021.
Stacey Owen
Founder and CEO – Pepper
Stacey Owen is the founder of Pepper – Your Badass Business BFF Inc. and Conference + Chill: The Virtual Photo Gathering. Knowing the behind-the-scenes chaos that can sometimes be the creative industry, Stacey decided that founding a company to help artists was the only thing that made sense. She built a powerful, Canadian-based agency that exists to help creative entrepreneurs structure, scale, and market their businesses while also taking those pesky BS (business stuff) tasks off their plate. Also, in 2020 her company launched one of the photography industry’s first-ever worldwide virtual conferences – Conference + Chill.
Natalie Peace-Young
Founder and Owner – ahhYaY Wellness Café
Natalie Peace-Young is the founder and owner of ahhYaY Wellness Café in Kamloops, British Columbia. The café specializes in made from scratch, local sourcing, and nutritionally designed nourishment. Through the pandemic, ahhYaY has expanded to Home Meal Prep and Meal Kits as well as online ordering and delivery. ahhYaY has recently been awarded #1 Catering Company, #1 Healthy Meal in Kamloops, and #1 for Vegetarian options in October of 2020. Natalie got her start in business with Booster Juice, building and selling 3 locations in Kamloops. Natalie is also a continuing sessional instructor in the School of Business and Economics at Thompson Rivers University.
Tanner Sherwood
Co-owner – Imagine the Room
As a part of a growing family business, Tanner is a proud second-generation closet shelving designer and builder, with experience in every part of the modular shelving industry. His focus is on strategic growth by working with developers and contractors to streamline the purchasing experience for their customers. He helps them develop packages to offer to their clients to customize their closets in a way that will leave smiles on their faces when they start and finish their day. Tanner shifted his studies to the New Venture Creation major at TRU when he saw opportunities to be a part of his family’s business and take it to the next level, bringing new technologies in to improve the customer experience and reach new markets. His experience gained through ongoing mentorship through colleagues and community programs like Kamloops Innovation has broadened his network and he loves bringing fellow entrepreneurs together to share their backgrounds and experience with each other.