UNews - Top 40

Leading behind the scenes

trevor.kenney — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:39:46 +0000

Forget about spreadsheets and market analysis. If you want to hatch an incredibly successful idea, one of the best ways to do it is to scratch your musings on a paper napkin. The method might be unorthodox, but it's hard to argue with its effectiveness when you consider the list of businesses and ideas that got their start that way. The founders of Southwest Airlines, the professor who came up with trickle-down economics, and the duo who created the game Trivial Pursuit all used napkins as a springboard for their ideas. It's not a bad club, and it's one that Christian Darbyshire (BMgt '99) is happy to be a part of.

Darbyshire is the co-owner and operator of tinePublic Inc. (pronounced "tiny" Public) – an internationally renowned special-events company with a rather prophetic origin.

Inspiration for tinePublic struck late one night in Toronto at a restaurant in Chinatown. Darbyshire was sitting across the table from his good friend Andy McCreath, eating soup and talking the way old buddies do. The duo has known each other since the age of 12 and has a long history together. As fate would have it, Darbyshire and McCreath had professional interests in common, too.

Christian Darbyshire has been able to secure some of the biggest names in the speaking business.

After serving several years in the trenches of the television industry, Darbyshire had carved out a profitable niche as a freelance production manager and publicist. McCreath was doing publicity work for the National Hockey League. As the night wore on, the soup disappeared and the conversation between the friends got inventive. They started to wonder what was stopping them from joining forces and creating their own company. They had been planning events and doing publicity for others for years. Why not combine their expertise and strike out on their own? They envisioned putting together speaking engagements that featured big headline names, producing and promoting the events, and selling tickets for a tidy profit. Darbyshire used the proverbial paper napkin to jot down a business plan. Before the night was over, he and McCreath were partners in a new event-planning venture – tinePublic Inc.

"We wanted to create events for young business professionals," says Darbyshire. "Most of the speaking engagements at that time were big-ticket dinner events that priced a lot of people out of the market. We wanted to produce events that drew a wider audience."

tinePublic's top choice for a first speaker was former U.S. president Bill Clinton. Darbyshire sent a letter to Clinton's organization requesting a meeting to discuss his company's proposal. It wasn't a big surprise that there was no response.

"I knew it was a long shot trying to line up such a big name right off the bat, but there was nothing to lose in trying," says Darbyshire. "I sent at least half a dozen letters to Clinton's office over two years, and made several phone calls, but it didn't get us anywhere. In the meantime I kept looking for another opportunity."

The brass ring presented itself a couple of years later in the form of a reality TV star – one Bill Rancic, winner of the first season of Donald Trump's television show, The Apprentice.

"The Apprentice was a massive success and Bill Rancic was huge," recalls Darbyshire. "It was 2005, and business in Alberta was booming. It was the perfect time to bring the current icon of business success to the public."

Darbyshire and McCreath contacted Rancic's people, scheduled a meeting and flew to New York. There, in Rancic's Manhattan office, the partners laid out a plan for the first speaking engagement the pair would produce. It would take place in Calgary, the epicentre of new business in Canada, and Rancic would be the headliner.

"He jumped on board right there," says Darbyshire, describing Rancic's response. "We couldn't believe it. Suddenly we were in business. That was it. The ball was in motion."
The next 30 days were a whirlwind of big-time planning on a shoestring budget. Darbyshire and McCreath cleaned out their bank accounts to pull it off, and a month later Bill Rancic was in Calgary in front of a group of 1,800 eager businesspeople. The success of that first engagement led to five more shows at venues across North America. The Rancic tour was tremendously popular and profitable.

"That's when we knew we were really onto something," says Darbyshire.

tinePublic was enjoying its first taste of success. Darbyshire and McCreath were busy planning a stream of new engagements when one day, out of the blue, Darbyshire picked up a call from the office of the man he'd been waiting for since day one – Bill Clinton. Clinton's office had received all the letters Darbyshire had sent over the years and was impressed by the company's recent success. They offered tinePublic the opportunity to co-ordinate speaking engagements for the former president and Darbyshire accepted the job on the spot.

"It wasn't until I hung up the phone that it occurred to me that maybe we'd bitten off more than we could chew," says Darbyshire.

Putting his worries aside, plans for the Clinton engagement went full steam ahead. The event took place several months later at the John Labatt Centre in London, Ont., in front of a crowd of 6,500 riveted attendees. Darbyshire and his partner doubled their investment that day, and went on to produce 10 more events with Clinton over the next two years.

The rest, as they say, is history. tinePublic has gone on to organize touring events for Tony Blair, Alan Greenspan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Colin Powell, George W. Bush, Sarah Palin, Rudy Giuliani and Lance Armstrong among other cultural and political icons. The company has also expanded its business scope to include concert promotion (they've worked with performers like Elton John and Diana Ross). In addition to his work with McCreath, Darbyshire runs a public-relations firm that works with major finance, cosmetic, oil and gas, and mining companies across North America. In recognition of his hard work, Darbyshire was named to Canada's Top 40 Under 40™ in 2011.

Stories and anecdotes about the famous people Darbyshire has met are just under the surface of his speech, but he's far too professional to let any cats out of the bag. The most he'll tell you is that everyone he's worked with is quite candid, and the insights he's gained from high-profile people are extraordinary. When it comes to sharing the secret of his own success, however, Darbyshire is a lot more forthcoming.

"You can't let fear stop you, in life or in business," Darbyshire says. "I've been scared plenty of times, but I've always followed through. If you really work at something, it will most likely end up being OK, or really good, or even spectacular. You've got to use fear in a positive way. Never give up. And think big."

This story first appeared in the Fall 2011 issue of SAM magazine. For a look at a flipbook version of SAM, follow this link.

Campus Kudos - May

trevor.kenney — Fri, 13 May 2011 21:18:50 +0000

Dr. Brian Black (Music), Dr. Edward Jurkowski (Music) and Dr. Emily Luce (New Media) all received internal Social Sciences Humanities Research Council grants valued at $4,500 each.

U of L alumnus Christian Darbyshire (BMgt '99) was named one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40™. As a partner with tinePublic Inc., Darbyshire has been instrumental in securing names such as Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Lance Armstrong and Arnold Schwarzenegger for educational speaking engagements in Canada. It is the second consecutive year that the U of L has had someone recognized by the Globe and Mail's Top 40 Under 40™ program. Dr. Olga Kovalchuk was honoured last year.

Joshua Seerattan, a U of L student from the Faculty of Management, and Courtney Lockhart from the Faculty of Arts and Science, have been awarded a $5,500 USD grant from Alberta Advanced Education and Technology for their participation in The Washington Centre – Alberta Internship Program for summer 2011. Both students will spend six weeks in Washington, D.C. Seerattan will be participating in the Global Trade and Regional Integration program, while Lockhart will take part in the International Affairs program.

Dagmar Dahle's (Art) work is included in the exhibition ANIMAL, at Museum London in Ontario.

Laura Lavigne (BA '06), the co-ordinator, International Programs & Exchange, in the International Centre for Students was awarded a full scholarship ($3,000) to participate in the International Educators Training Program this summer at Queen's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

Denton Fredrickson (Art) has made the long list for the 2011 Sobey Art Award, Canada's pre-eminent prize for contemporary Canadian art. Following a three-month nomination process, the Curatorial Panel announced the 25 artists vying for this year's award.

Music major Matt Groenheide (percussionist) won the Young Artist Competition presented by the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra. In addition to a cash prize, he receives a guest solo spot with the LSO during their 2011-2012 Masters Series.

Marg McKeen (Office of Research and Innovation Services) is retiring this summer after 33 years of service to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. She began her career at the U of L as an Academic Secretary in the Department of Sociology and was hired by the Office of Research Services in 1986. Since that time, she has served in a number of roles and worked with numerous faculty members and students. A retirement reception will be held on Wednesday, June 8 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Markin Hall Atrium. Anyone wishing to send written messages of congratulations to Marg can contact Penny Pickles (picpj@uleth.ca). Those wanting to have their live messages taped can contact Jane Allan (jane.allan@uleth.ca).

Jazlyn Dow (BFA '10) has been accepted into the Master of Arts in Visual Culture: Costume Studies program at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development at New York ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ supports EDL initiative

trevor.kenney — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 15:53:41 +0000

Economic Development Lethbridge (EDL) – with community partners including the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge – has launched a marketing campaign designed to highlight the often little known but significant benefits that Lethbridge has to offer.

The campaign, which is intended to increase awareness as well as bust myths and misconceptions about Lethbridge, is built around 'mind blowing facts' which promote the excellent business, education and lifestyle opportunities in the city.

The U of L's first contribution focuses on the recent selection of Biological Sciences researcher, Dr. Olga Kovalchuk, as one of Canada's Top 40 under 40.

City of Lethbridge Mayor, Robert Tarleck, says, "Lethbridge truly has something special that can deliver real business and lifestyle results. An initiative like this is needed to promote the characteristics that demonstrate the value Lethbridge offers to our province and country."

The participation of partner organizations has contributed tremendous value to the implementation of this high-impact, high profile campaign.

"Our goal is to ensure that Lethbridge is recognized and respected as a vital player in the provincial and national marketplace," says EDL chief executive officer Cheryl Dick.

"Partnering with businesses and organizations in our community allows us to broaden the reach of this campaign and elevate the assets and strengths of Lethbridge throughout Alberta."

The campaign uses targeted media opportunities to reach both a business audience and a more general population and will remain in market until the end of 2010.

To suggest a mind-blowing fact about the U of L, send it to communications@uleth.ca

To suggest a mind-blowing fact about the community, fill out a submission form by visiting this link.

Significant And Mentionable

trevor.kenney — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:46:20 +0000

Chancellor named Citizen of the Year

Widely known as one Alberta's most influential people, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Chancellor Richard Davidson was recognized in May as the Lethbridge Citizen of the Year by the Rotary Club of Lethbridge and the Lethbridge Herald.

"Clearly in his law practice, his work with the Chamber of Commerce, his work with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and his work with virtually every other volunteer organization you could imagine, this is one cool dude," says Lethbridge Mayor Bob Tarleck, who also presented Davidson with a key to the city. "This is the highest honour we can bestow upon anyone, and Richard is extremely deserving."

Davidson was appointed a Queen's counsel in 1986 and is a partner at the law firm of Davidson & Williams. In recognition of his many contributions to the community, he has received numerous awards including the Commemoration Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada by the Governor General, the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal, the Alberta Centennial Medal and the Law Society of Alberta Distinguished Service Award for Service to the Community.

U of L at forefront of water hub

World Water Day, on March 22, served as the perfect occasion for federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice to announce $1.5 million in funding for the creation of the Water and Environmental Sciences Water Hub at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

The Hub, which will be developed over the next two years, will serve as a data repository and will be an authoritative public source of information, providing tools to analyze water and environmental data. This data will be used by governments, industry, academia and the public to make more-informed decisions regarding water, and will create a better understanding of this resource by these stakeholders.

Prentice explains that the government needs reliable water data to make better decisions concerning water.

"To make good decisions, governments in Canada need good information – and it's not as though you can just turn on a tap to get it. We need knowledge generated by scientists and researchers who can provide the evidence for informed decisions about freshwater use," says Prentice.

Ellis welcomed as new management dean

On July 1, Dr. Robert (Bob) James Ellis will join the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as the new dean for the Faculty of Management.

Originally from Vancouver, B.C., Ellis is an accomplished administrator who successfully bolstered business programs at both the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Northern British Columbia and Wilfrid Laurier ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

With a collaborative and visionary approach, he has a strong record of attracting accomplished faculty and raising the research profile of programs. His current research focuses on increasing educational opportunities in society, specifically for aboriginal students in a business environment.

Ellis is looking forward to the creative atmosphere he sees within the Faculty.

"Throughout my career, my focus has always been to try and increase opportunities for students through the development of new courses or new programs," says Ellis. "The faculty at the U of L are very innovative, and I think at the forefront of management thought and action."

Ellis succeeds Dr. Murray Lindsay, who spent the past five years in the position and is returning to the academic community at the U of L.

Education dean O'Dea passes leadership to Loewen

After 10 years of incredible success, Dr. Jane O'Dea will step away from her role as dean of the Faculty of Education at the end of June. And while she is handing the reins of leadership over with plans to return to the classroom, she has no plans to leave the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

Dr. Craig Loewen

"Absolutely not. This is a tremendous ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. I love its size, I love its entrepreneurial innovative spirit and its emphasis on community and student engagement," says O'Dea.

Taking over the Faculty, Dr. Craig Loewen (BEd '84) will serve as acting dean for a two-year term.

A veteran faculty member, Loewen admits he will miss the classroom, but stands firmly in a belief that whatever the setting, teaching is an important calling.

"You're looking after the path, building for the future, caring about the kids of today. I find it really hard to see anything much more important than that," he says. "The person who you are can, at some point, be traced back to a teacher or mentor."

CREATE funding translates to employment opportunities

On June 10, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) announced the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as the recipient of the CREATE program award. The U of L will be the only institution in Alberta to receive the award this year.

With more than $1.6 million, the CREATE program award provides funding for approximately 50 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral candidates working in satellite and other imaging programs, including photonics, climate change, civil engineering and optical networks.

Through the program, 20 projects will receive $32 million over six years, support that will help science and engineering graduates upgrade their skills to make a successful transition to the workplace.

As part of this, participating students will complete work placements with local, national and international organizations including companies such as Iunctus Geomatics, the Alberta Terrestrial Imaging Corporation, Natural Resources Canada, NASA and several European research institutes.

U of L Vice-President of Research Dr. Dan Weeks says this will give students a strong mix of professional skills development and workforce preparation.

"The exciting aspect for me is the employment rate for graduates," says Weeks. "It isn't unreasonable to expect 100 per cent employment, because we are looking at this as a model that will provide for sustainable training for research workforce preparation."

Top 40 Under 40

Dr. Olga Kovalchuk, a biological sciences and epigenetics researcher at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, can now add recipient of Canada's Top 40 Under 40TM to an already long list of accomplishments.

Dr. Olga Kovalchuk

Canada's Top 40 Under 40TM, a prestigious national award program, annually honours 40 Canadians in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors under the age of 40.

With more than 1,200 nominees, honourees were selected by an independent advisory board based on five key criteria: vision and leadership; innovation and achievement; impact; community involvement and contribution; and strategy for growth.

"This is an outstanding award for Olga, the members of her lab team, for her research collaborators here and literally worldwide – and for our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ," says U of L President Dr. Bill Cade.

"Olga has worked very hard to bring new research and new programs to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and has influenced countless young researchers. With her husband and research collaborator, Dr. Igor Kovalchuk, they have brought new people with a wealth of international talent to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community. It is an understatement to say that we are extremely proud of her achievement."

A ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors Research Chair, as well as a Canadian Institute of Health Research Chair in Gender, Sex and Health, Kovalchuk focuses her research on the effects of long-term exposure to radiation, and how that exposure changes cellular and molecular structures in animals and people.

Inspired by her experience as a high school student living in Ukraine, only 600 kilometres from the nuclear Chernobyl blast, her work examines how radiation induces secondary tumours in cancer patients, the different effects radiation has on women and men, and what can be done to protect the children of radiation-exposed parents from contracting cancer.

Kovalchuk has also played a key role in working toward establishing an Alberta Institute for Epigenetics at the U of L.

Sakamotos give back

Ron and Joyce Sakamoto

Ron Sakamoto (LLD '03), or "Sak," as he is affectionately known, has presented shows from KISS to Shania Twain. In March, the concert provider and his wife, Joyce, announced a $200,000 donation in support of students in the U of L Digital Audio Arts (DAA) program. The gift will be matched by the Government of Alberta's Access to the Future Fund, bringing the total to $400,000.

Launched last fall, the DAA program is the first of its kind in Canada and produces graduates who are experts in music technology and have skills to integrate with visual media, audio and advanced research.

"The role of audio across all media has changed monumentally from the traditional broadcast media of the past. The culture of audio and visual media is growing and evolving rapidly," says Sakamoto.

"Joyce and I are happy to support students in the DAA program. These are the people who will be superstars in the years to come, and I look forward to the contributions this group will make to the music industry."

To view the entire issue of SAM in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Dragon's Den Wilson coming to campus

trevor.kenney — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:40:37 +0000

Brett Wilson, entrepreneur, philanthropist and one of the stars of the popular CBC series Dragon's Den will speak to an audience at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge on Wednesday, Mar. 31, in the Students' Union Ballroom as part of the CMA Alberta Leadership and Speaker Series.

Wilson has built a formidable reputation in the world of business, garnering such honours as Canada's Top 40 Under 40, Alberta Venture Magazine's Business Person of the Year and the Management Alumni Excellence Award from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary's Haskayne School of Business.

He co-founded the investment banking advisory firm, Wilson Mackie and Co. in 1991 and in 1993 co-founded FirstEnergy Capital Corp., a leading Canadian stock brokerage firm providing services in the energy sector. He now makes most of his investments through his primary holding company, Prairie Merchant Corporation.

Wilson's charitable endeavours are also noteworthy and include support of research into prostate cancer, Alzheimer's and domestic abuse. He established the Wilson Centre for Entrepreneurial Excellence at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan and journeys annually to Mexico with Youth With a Mission to build homes with his family.

"He has an outstanding track record for both entrepreneurship and philanthropy," says Steve Craig, Director, External Relations/Co-operative Education for the Faculty of Management, on why Wilson was chosen for the annual address. "Social responsibility is such a big part of what we do in the Faculty of Management, so couple that with his incredible success in the business field and it was a perfect match."

Wilson's presentation will take place in Students' Union Ballroom B from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Tickets are free, but seating is limited. Those wishing to attend are asked to register by e-mail at susan.price@uleth.ca or by calling 403-394-3935. An additional presentation will be held for the general public at noon in the Grand Room of the Coast Plaza Hotel. Again, free tickets on limited seating; please register at: http://www.uleth.ca/management/forms/cma-alberta-registration or e-mail janzli@uleth.ca or phone: 403-329-2109.

Additional information about the CMA Alberta Leadership and Innovation Speaker Series is available at: http://www.uleth.ca/man/community/liss/index.shtml

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