Meet our New Co-Presidents, Lina & Jessica!

While December marked the end of an era for YWiB Vancouver, it also marked an exciting, new chapter. We are so grateful to have had Jasmine and Valentine fearlessly lead YWiB Vancouver and take the organization to new heights. Now, we are thrilled to introduce the new Co-President duo to continue their work - meet Lina & Jessica! 

What were your previous role(s) in YWiB Vancouver? 

Lina: I was the VP Events for YWiB from February of this year.

Jessica: I started out as an HR Coordinator and then moved into the VP of HR for the team in September of last year. 

What do you do outside of YWiB Vancouver? 

Lina: I’m the Sustainability Channel Manager at a company called debrand. My work focuses on finding a way to extend the life of our textiles, either through bringing them back into the consumers’ hands or finding the best end of life solutions for the garments. In my spare time I love to run, mountain bike and snowboard; I’ve been really grateful for nature and the outdoors this past year. 

Jessica: I work in Recruitment for an animation studio here in Vancouver! I get to work with people of many talents from artists to software developers, so I appreciate that I get to meet and work with some pretty cool people. Also, getting to see behind the scenes of how much work goes into making these incredible movies is pretty special. For hobbies: I love baking, reading, photography, and spending time with friends and family. I’m hoping to add more exercise back into my life too!

What inspired you to become Co-Presidents of YWiB Vancouver?

Lina: Learning more about the role sparked my interest and having Jessica as the Co-President was a huge bonus! Valentine + Jasmine were amazing Co-Presidents and I’m really excited to keep rolling on their initiatives and add a few of our own.

Jessica: This team has been amazing to work with, and I have worked closely with Valentine & Jasmine. I know how much passion they have for YWiB and the team. I know how much passion our volunteers have for giving back to the community. I want to continue to support the amazing work that Valentine & Jasmine have done, and I’m excited to add on to it as well with Lina as Co-President!

What goals do you have for YWiB Vancouver?

Lina & Jessica: In terms of goals, 2020 has been a difficult year for everyone, and our team has done an amazing job adapting to a new virtual world while still making our events and programs a huge success! So for the upcoming year, we will continue to build on what we’ve learned while bringing new ideas and methods on how we can further support YWiB, local businesses, aspiring business professionals and entrepreneurs as well as the community as a whole. 

How has the events of 2020/remote work/social distancing impacted YWiB Vancouver?

Lina: I think the biggest impact 2020 has had on YWiB Vancouver has been in changing our form of communication with our community. From events to programs to marketing, we migrated online (as with the rest of the world) and we found that we had to get more creative to meet the needs of our chapter’s members. We’re incredibly lucky to have such strong and engaged members and we’re looking forward to connecting again in 2021 (hopefully with a hybrid of in-person and on-line experiences)!

Jessica: Going virtual has its challenges, but also its benefits. We’ve all heard about Zoom fatigue and needing time to break away from our screens, but with online being one of the best ways we can connect right now, it does also allow us to continue that essential social connection. I think what we’ve learned from our virtual event experience this year will really guide us to brainstorm new event experiences that meet the needs of our members, the changing environment, and provide new ways to engage. I’m very excited to see how our events come together in 2021!

What advice do you have for members/readers going into 2021? 

Lina: 2020 had its challenges and perks; we all had to adapt and find our own coping mechanisms and support systems. I think we should try to keep any realizations we may have had from our experience in 2020 and roll it to 2021 and beyond. Check in with those around as things change, we’ll all react differently. Choose empathy instead of judgement when you can, although at times a bit hard, it pays off in the long run. 

Jessica: Be kind to yourself and others! Everyone is dealing with their own world in different ways, and I think even small check-ins with others really do make a huge impact. Resilience is a word that has come up a lot, and I think it really is a skill that we’ve all been building and will continue to build in 2021. This year has been difficult, but we have also seen compassion, strength, and generosity. Keep moving forward!

Lastly, as it is a new year, we would love to know - what is your new year's resolution for 2021?

Lina: Acknowledging that a lot is out of my control in terms of a “return to normalcy for 2021” I decided to make my goals more on personal and physical development rather than on adventures and bigger goals. My two main goals are: doing more guts checks with myself and listening to my body and physical needs, whether that’s in speaking up when something doesn’t feel right or taking my body on walks and runs when days feel long.

Jessica: Drink more water, exercise, breathe mindfully. Then not get upset with myself when I don’t do it all as I wanted to. Just taking the little wins, and then building on that momentum!

Our YWiB Vancouver team is super excited to see what we’ll accomplish under Lina and Jessica’s courageous leadership. Join us on this exciting journey by following us on social - we’re on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!