One attendee provided a great summary and representative endorsement:  “The ELO Forum Online Vancouver 2020 was an incredible time of connecting, learning and being inspired by accomplished Christian Entrepreneurs! I found every session to be timely, highly relevant and filled with the practical wisdom of lived faith in the marketplace. This year's Forum helped me to cut through the fog of overwhelm and bring greater clarity to my personal direction and business goals. I was truly blessed by each speaker and fellow participant I met. Grateful to the ELO team, sponsors and everyone who helped in putting on this extraordinary event. Highly recommended!”

The ELO Forum Vancouver Online held yesterday (November 16th) featured eight expert presenters from Europe, North America and Asia. The overall theme of the Forum was to “rethink,” especially given the economic, social and personal upheaval during this year. The audience was challenged to rethink its approach to meaning and faith, the economy, diversity, innovation, leadership and relationships.

ELO adapted to the present COVID circumstances and moved its annual (in-person) Vancouver ELO Forum (dating back to 2005) to an online half-day format (please view the Vancouver Entrepreneurial Leaders Review, the Forum digital magazine, for information on the Forum and its sponsors). The response from attendees was very positive including comments such as the following:

• “Great breadth and depth of topics. Covered big picture, universal topics AND very timely current issues.”
• “The diversity of relevant topics matched with the depth of experience offered by the presenters; also the breakout room discussion.”
• “Excellent topics and presenters. Very relevant for the current climate we operate in.”
• “The ELO Online Forum with its wide array of topics and professional speakers was very current, relevant and useful to get you up to date from the entrepreneur's perspective in order to be successful in today and tomorrow's business environment! I thoroughly enjoyed the ELO Online Forum!”
• “Meaningful and helpful presentations with real take-aways!”
• “The ELO Forum Online was well-paced with a good cross-section of presenters that made for a delightfully informative half-day. The brief networking session was great to make some connections and share.”

Michael Lloyd, Principal of Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford, spoke about “Rethink: Meaning.”

The COVD-19 pandemic has spiritual implications and not just an economic impact. Michael referenced John 4 where Jesus is tired. Michael highlighted five points: Look after yourself physically; ask other people to do things; don’t retreat back into the conventional or comfortable; drink from the well; and invest in your close relationships

Jerry Bowyer, a US economist, media commentator and author, helped the audience make sense of the financial markets especially in light of the recent US election. Ron Haik, Nicola Wealth, Toronto, complemented that presentation with a Canadian perspective. Ron discussed the big picture and how it impacts Canadians individually.

Veronica Utton, Predictive Success, spoke about “Rethink: Diversity” with a focus on racial and ethnic dimensions. Veronica described how people can uncover and overcome unconscious bias and change their behaviours towards a more diversified and inclusive workplace. Creating an inclusive company and reducing unconscious biases increases retention, performance and attracts future talent.

Stefanie Hartman, a Marketing Strategist, addressed “Rethink: Diversity in reference to women in leadership. Stefanie has worked with a slew of leading authors, music producers, talk show guests. Stefanie has been a featured speaker at conferences around the world and is often the only woman in the boardroom and on the stage. She shared insights on common pitfalls she sees women do to fit in with men and she touched on why a gender-inclusive environment is a benefit for all organizations.

Graham Carter focused on “Rethink: Relationships.” Graham is an entrepreneurial executive who currently works as a principal at Vertex Developments and Maven Consulting, two companies he co-founded. Graham focused, in particular, on the value of peer relationships and getting valued input on business and spiritual/ethical matters. He discussed how to avoid the default action of isolation and independent decision-making. 

The last topic was “Rethink: Innovation.” One hotbed of innovation is China and Southeast Asia. Justin Leung and Eric Poon are experienced deal-doers based in Hong Kong with a regional reach. They have invested in and worked with pre-IPO/late-stage “new economy” champions in Greater China. Eric’s firm primarily invests in three types of companies – cost leaders, efficiency leaders and innovation leaders in China's “new economy” sector, with anti-cyclical nature. Justin and Eric discussed their key insights on successful innovation, especially in the midst of challenging times. 

Overall, the ELO Forum Vancouver Online achieved the vision of ELO to connect, equip and celebrate Christian marketplace and entrepreneurial leaders.

Recordings of all sessions are available to Forum registrants.

To receive more information on our speakers or sponsors please view this year's conference magazine, The Vancouver 2020 Entrepreneurial Leaders Review>>