John Rapley is not a person who will sit still. Starting out in academia, he has bounced around various roles, even starting his own think tank at one point. But he keeps coming back to one thing – writing. It is not as simple as sitting down and writing. According to John, 90% of what is written is unseen, hidden in research and preparation. Most of what the public sees is like a small slice of the iceberg.

Dr. Marion Nestle’s journey to becoming the number-two most powerful foodie in the world (according to Forbes) started as an undergraduate who was interested in food, only to find that the only choices are agriculture and dietetics – two fields she was less than enthralled with. Instead, she found her way through the world of science, ranging from studying bacteria and molecular biology. After entering academia, she was handed a nutrition class to teach – and that transformed her world and catapulted her into the spotlight.

David Hutniak leads Landlord BC, which is an industry association that represents owners and managers of rental housing in British Columbia. His organization represents landlords across BC and balances the interests of landlords and tenants.

Rory Mullen, as the head of BioPharma and IDA Ireland, meets a lot of people, to say the least. He started studying in business and working in advertising, but wanted to expand his horizons internationally, outside his native Ireland.

Dr. Laura Alfaro is a professor and economist at Harvard Business School, which means balancing research, teaching, and meeting with faculty and other experts in the field. This has been the career she has always wanted from a young age, which she admits is “bizarre.”

Troy Clifford identifies as a paramedic, but his mission is much more. He is the president of a union for ambulance and paramedics union, which is also the profession’s de-facto organization in British Columbia. His role is to support its workers and be the face of BC’s ambulance service.

Olaf Groth wants to hear what your frontier looks like – and help you achieve it. That is his mission and purpose, as he helps people and organizations shift their strategy and thinking to meet their goals.

A catalyst and connector – that is how Bob Stamnes sees himself in his work. He likes to work with companies that make the world better and connect opportunities with the business and nonprofit worlds. He helps businesses uncover what they want to do and rediscover their brand vision.

There is no “normal” day when you work in government. That is what Brenda Bailey has learned as British Columbia’s Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation. In fact, she sees her job as a real-life crash course on British Columbia.

The aviation industry isn’t for everyone. Danny Sitnam, on the other hand, dove head-first into it with a sense of invigoration and passion. In fact, it energizes him and the thought of being at the front line of the business is what gets him out of bed in the morning.

What’s the easiest way to start your own business? Learn a trade, says Chris Gardner, who is President of the Independent Contractors Association of British Columbia. It was not a straight line to where he is today.

The life of a family doctor is jam-packed. Dr. Devyn Parsons sees between 30 and 35 patients per day. But somehow, she manages to squeeze in even more – she investigates lab results and contacts patients for follow-up, on top of even more work as an obesity specialist.

As the former CEO of Covenant House, Krista Thompson’s driving vision for helping at-risk youth is very simple – will they have a better outcome because of her work?

Matt Harper’s job at Invinity Energy Systems is all about balance. As he says, “It is a job that does not let one get bored.”

Dr. James Smith started Aegis Trust in a mission to prevent genocide. That is easier said than done.

Amani Saini took the experience of a family member’s adverse drug reaction to launch a nonprofit dedicated to furthering research and awareness of adverse drug reactions.

Before venturing on his own, Sam Cooper started as a print journalist and went into other media such as video and television. Along the way, he found the power of storytelling and “how” a story is told is just as important as what the story is – especially with the rise of social media and online media.

Christine Mallier’s passion for sustainability landed her a dream job, but she didn’t get there immediately. She worked in everything from events, customer service, public relations, and more – and that gave her a chance to know almost every department of her company and how to best work with each of them.

Jock Finlayson is only half-retired, but it doesn’t mean that he has slowed down. Working with multiple think tanks and organizations, he has to deliver accurate economic forecasts to the sectors that keep British Columbia’s economy alive.

Eli Joseph wears many hats – he is a university instructor at three institutions (Columbia, NYU, and UCLA), public speaker, and author. Even though teaching takes up the bulk of his time, he sees each speech as a unique challenge and each book as his “down time.”