Entrepreneurial Leadership Wins The Race - Joel Young
The Okanagan Valley region of British Columbia, through its citizenry, visitors and tri-levels of government & politicians, have known for many years of the innate enterprising nature and spirit of the people who reside here from throughout the world and choose to call the Okanagan…home.
And, through this identification and realization of our Valley potential also comes an acceptance that with socio-economic success comes the champions who lead it.
Entrepreneurship has become the symbol of business tenacity and achievment. Entrepreneurs sense of opportunity, their drive to innovate and their capacity for accomplishment have become the standard by which free enterprise is now measured.
It is this perspective that has revolutionized the way venture creation is conducted at every level in our nation and is a perspective that has reinvigorated individuals to once again reach into their inner self and find the innovative spirit that resides in all of us. It is, in effect, the essence of entrepreneurial leadership.
No question, dear readers, that entrepreneurial leaders translate their vision into a reality by their capacity to influence those around them to buy into and contribute to their vision or goal for change. I am so pleased this week to share with you the story of one such leader, Jason Richards, the CEO of one of the top information technology companies in our midst, Vineyard Networks, and discover how his leadership and vision is winning the race for positive change in our Okanagan region.
Jason Richards was born in Victoria with a younger brother and sister and a father who was a business owner in his own right. From an early age within the university environment, Jason began his journey of excellence completing Bachelors of Math and Physics seeing himself on a post-graduate course in the sciences. But, as with many entrepreneurs-in-waiting, Jason veered off his original course and after graduation from UBC decided to take a position in 1999 in Kelowna with, at the time, a highly successful company entitled Workfire. This baptism of entrepreneurial fire, if you will, lasted about a year whereupon Workfire was bought by a large Silicon Valley corporation who invited Jason to work in their various U.S. installations in technical sales mostly in the western U.S.
From 2000 to 2008, Jason became immersed in much of the U.S. company's work environment, enjoying his success, the travel and marrying his love interest in the mix. Interestingly, Jason shared with me that while working successfully with the large U.S. company that same company was then acquired by a much large company giving way to some serious thought for a new direction for Jason and his wife.
The genesis of the idea that translated into Jason's first and significant entrepreneurial venture came while a sales director for the U.S. company where a vision, almost an epiphany as the saying goes, of an opportunity to satisfy a need in the marketplace for simple network reporting and monitoring solutions i.e. network management. Richards seemed to embrace his vision quickly and assuredly as he listened to his existing customers and discovered what they wanted and needed and through asking a lot of questions determined there was an unusually large market opportunity before him.
Richards shared this view of his destiny with his wife and was joyously overwhelmed when his wife said " if you see this as an opportunity for you and for us, just do it…." and in 2008, the couple with their three children moved to Kelowna and ORIC to begin the new challenge in moving from behaving entrepreneurially within the U.S. company landscape to becoming a genuine entrepreneur himself.
In the fall of 2008, August to be exact, after 5 months of excited preparation and research, Jason and 2 others of his new entrepreneurial team formed Vineyard Networks. By January 2009, there were 6 personnel and the team was building product.
Vineyard Networks builds innovative technologies and solutions that bring network traffic monitoring and management solutions to small and medium enterprises throughout the world. What is so remarkable and easily attributed to the vision and leadership that Jason exudes when you are in the same room with him is that this new entrepreneurial venture has been highlighted in several of the leading I.T. magazines in North America as a Top 10 Company to Watch in its field.
For the first few times I met Jason before our interview for this column last week, I was readily impressed with his commitment to his wife and children and, the pride he shared of the team he has created within Vineyard Networks - but, then I realized this is a man who has a vision for change, not only for his life and those of his family and employees, but for our beloved Okanagan region.
As the current Chairperson of the Okanagan Science & Technology Council(OSTEC) he has been inspirational in nurturing the amalgamation of both ORIC & OSTEC towards a new technology strategy for the region and will see our Okanagan entrepreneurs, in all sectors, achieve new possibilities for their future.
Jason Richards never stops being an entrepreneurial dreamer - from building a world class company to aiding the building of a world class region of British Columbia. Glad you came home… See VineyardNetworks.com
Joel Young is an entrepreneurial leadership consultant, coach and educator and Founder of Okanagan Valley Entrepreneurs Society at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. & www.ovesociety.ca