Vancouver Is Awesome has come a long way since we first launched back in 2008. From a tiny niche blog that was never intended to bring in a dime to a successful media company (The Awesome Media Network Inc) with a few tentacles and national franchises, this entire thing has been built on positivity. At our core we've always been (and will always be) dedicated to reminding you about the things that keep you excited about your city, despite all the awful crap.
A lot of our work is done here on our blog, on Twitter (where our @VIAwesome has a following of 44,000+) and on Facebook (where our Page has 28,000+ Likes) but we also appear on radio and TV, we release magazines, we co-published a bestselling history book (Vancouver WAS Awesome), and more. We've got some serious momentum thanks to the community.
There are more than 65 thoughtful Vancouverites who you see up front contributing to this Awesome machine every day. What you don't see are our supporters who help move it forward on the back end. There are many, the most active group being our Board of Advisors. As our president and editor-in-chief I've made more than a lifetime's worth of connections to great people doing great things in this city and this board is made up of a bunch of them who really believe in what we do. These 33 below are champions of Vancouver Is Awesome, and they each offer advice to me personally whenever I need it... once a year minimum, with others offering it (or being asked for it!) once a week.
They are, from left to right:
Katie Jeanes - Program Director, Spring.is
Mark Brand - CEO, Save On Meats / Mark Brand Inc
Maggie Langrick - President and Publisher, Lifetree Media
Michael Christie - 2011 Vancouver Book Award-winning author, MichaelChristie.net
Lesli Boldt - President, Boldt Communications
Peter Ladner - Author / Former Vancouver City Councillor, PeterLadner.ca
Jason Donaldson - Director, Gulf Islands School of Performing Arts
Amanda Gibbs - Principal, Public Assembly
Justin Young - Creative Director, Village & Company
Rebecca Bollwitt - Owner, Miss604.com and sixty4media
Michael Eckford - Radio personality, CKNW
Kris Rennie - Director of Operations, Rennie
Margot White - Former Vice President, Weber Shandwick
Steven Cox - Principal, Cause and Affect
Meriko Kubota - Community Investment Manager, TELUS
Graeme Berglund - Founder/Creative Director, The Cheaper Show
Rachel Thexton - Partner, Dunn PR
Josh Dunford - Founder, Burnkit Creative
Michael Green - Principal, Michael Green Architecture
Anthony Nicalo - CEO, Dónde
Gregory Hegger - Director of Communications and Partnerships, brandLIVE
Jesse Keefer - Owner, Bodega Ridge Resort
Steve Rio - President, Briteweb
Mo Dhaliwal - Client Services Director, Skyrocket
Todd Falkowsky - Founder, The Canadian Design Resource
Leanna Crawford - Co-creative Director, Company Policy
Mark Busse - Partner, Industrial Brand
Cory Ashworth - Broadcaster, CoryAshworth.com
Brian Riddell - CEO, Pacific Salmon Foundation
Michael Tippett - Director, New Products, Hootsuite
David Walker - Partner & Co-Creative Director, St Bernadine
Steve Pratt - Director of Digital Music & CBC Radio 3, CBC Music
To these 32 (and everyone who has ever helped us in any way) I say THANK YOU. You is awesome.