What does it take for a building to go from an idea to completion? This is part of Tillie Kwan’s job as an architect at Studio Balcaen Kwan, which she co-owns with her colleague Bettina Balcaen – she looks at what is possible and appropriate for the client’s vision and budget. This is a far cry from what she thought architects did when she graduated high school.

For Bettina Balcaen, being an architect is her primary role at Studio Balcaen Kwan, which she owns with her colleague Tillie Kwan. The wide variety of roles involved in her job keep her going, which involves not just design but also how buildings are constructed – while some architects are specialized, she also sees the values of being a generalist as well.

What is Michael Geller’s job? To him, his role has ranged from architect to urban planner to developer to real estate consultant. Not to be outdone, he entered politics by running for Vancouver city council – after all, real estate and politics are often intertwined.

What is it like to run a city? Raul Allueva knows – he has to make sure that the city stays functional, whether it be fire departments, parks, safety, public works, permitting, and more. How did he get so far? To him, the answer is ironic – “don’t look too far ahead.” Focusing on the task at hand is the key, as well as being personable and learning to support others.

Robert Barnard is the co-founder of Youthful Cities, which seeks to make our cities more youthful and dynamic. His path started as a human geography student, which fascinated him. As a self-described “serial entrepreneur,” his studies kept combining with his passion. Every step of the way, people kept asking, “What’s with all these young people?” Seeing a demand for governments and companies to market to young people led him to pivot his focus towards creating communities focused around youth and young adults.

Leslie is an author who, in her book Feminist City: A Field Guid, provides a detailed guide to feminist city-building. She points out that cities were designed with men in mind; women were an afterthought. As such, urban environments frequently put women’s well-being and safety at risk.

As a young lad, Paul Dragan was given his first bicycle which gave him the freedom to explore the world: first in rural Nova Scotia, then as a road racer in Europe and onto a life an entrepreneur. Paul loves bikes, everything about them – wheels, spokes, tires, tubes and valve stems, to name just a few of the many parts of a bicycle.