Meet Team HAVEN!

Meet the makers of HAVEN IAQ - Team HAVEN!

HAVEN is a technology company in Vancouver, Canada, that is focused on bringing professional IAQ to the masses. We are a full stack team that does almost everything in house: designing our own hardware, writing our own firmware, maintaining our own cloud, deploying our own web and mobile apps, and providing customer support.

We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without our diverse and hard-working team members. Over the next few weeks, we’ll introduce ourselves in the thread below.

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Hey there, my name is Ben! You can find me elsewhere online through my handle - “bengizmo

If you own a HAVEN IAQ product or use it professionally, you’ll probably hear from me since I work on product and customer service initiatives for Team HAVEN. My passion is building teams and products that will make the world a better place.

I have a diverse background in technology product development - leading projects involving installing experimental RF systems on massive radio towers, deploying 600lb robots, flying drones for 3D imaging, using VR for digital twins, tracking cows through long-range RFID, and even directing a few non-profit maker communities.

Before joining Team HAVEN in 2018, I didn’t give much thought to HVAC and indoor air quality - it was an invisible attribute of the indoor spaces I occupy. I would appreciate AC on hot days, rely on the furnace in cold Canadian winters, but I had no idea how much my health was affected by the quality of the air inside my home. I learn something new about HVAC and IAQ every week, and I’m very excited to apply my new knowledge to the HAVEN product line.

Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or need help with your HAVEN products!

Ben

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Hey there folks! My name is Lucy. You can find me online as l4lucy (I don’t do twitter, but I’m on instagram if you want to check out some art and nature!)

Like many of us here at HAVEN, I wear many hats, but I’ve been moving towards a more product-focused role. My work encompasses user interface and experience design, which positions me as an advocate for our users. It’s my job to speak up for the needs of HVAC contractors and end-users that use our product, and ensure they can get meaningful value out of it that leaves them feeling empowered.

I have a pretty varied history, my parents having been in the Canadian Airforce and moving us across different cities in Canada and Germany. I think this has made me a good people watcher, wanting to understand from a young age of how to best adapt to my new surroundings. Now being a product & user experience designer, I get to apply those skills on a daily basis.

A lot of you may have met me over the course of the last several months during the first phase of our beta program, where we engaged with all sorts of professionals in the HVAC field including service techs, business owners, teachers, and sales reps. One of my favourite parts of my job is getting to chat to all these different personalities in order to understand better what makes them tick, what delights them and what definitely does not delight them – aka, steer clear of whatever that is! I’ve also been able to test out different app and web portal designs during these engagement which has been absolutely integral to our upcoming launch.

In my spare time I like to get out into nature, be it on my feet, bike, skis, fins. My latest obsession while being at home more is woodworking… This changes regularly :stuck_out_tongue:


(sorry for the selfies, I’m usually the one taking pictures of everyone else!)

Talk soon,
Lucy

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Mo chairde,

Hey, I’m Graham and I hail from Cork, a wonderful and vibrant city in the south of Ireland. More city in name than stature, we often refer to it as the world’s biggest village! It’s more than likely that at some point we’ll have a discussion on how you’re progressing with your HAVEN products, or perhaps you’re just dipping your feet in and to find out more. As the primary Customer Service Representative here at HAVEN, it’s my job to ensure your needs are understood and taken care of.

My professional background is in Commercial Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning, holding the Irish equivalency of a Red Seal ticket. Through my apprenticeship and HVAC-R career, I’ve worked on jobs as small as little under-counter refrigerators right up to buildings measured in acres utilizing industrial & CO2 plant installations for regional cold storage facilities. Within reason, the concept remains the same, big, small or otherwise. I’ve been lucky in that the companies I have worked for in the HVAC-R industry have been right at the cutting edge of technology and early adopters of smart solutions to age-old problems. That mindset has been a huge influence in my career and I take great pride in the fact that working for HAVEN, we are constantly looking forward, always looking to maximize innovation.

When I’m out of the office I try to immerse myself as much as possible in the outdoors, deep in the woods hiking, camping, snowboarding, and every activity in between. British Columbia has so much to offer, it’s truly incredible and I’m humbled to now call it home.

As I sign off most, if not all of my external emails - if you have any questions, ideas or issues, please don’t hesitate to give me a quick call or shoot me an email. Fundamentally I’m here to listen to you and ensure your message is heard loud and clear.

Is mise le meas,
Graham

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Hello there! Thank you for being a part of this community. I’m Kevin Hart, the CEO & founder of HAVEN. Unfortunately I am not a famous comedian, although having the same name as a celebrity has had unexpected benefits. Rather, I grew up in a suburb outside of Vancouver, BC, Canada. My parents also grew up in Canada. Our recent ancestors can be traced back to Great Britain (as confirmed by 23andme’s DNA test).

From a young age, I grew up with an insatiable desire for knowledge, autonomy, and impact, which would later progress into entrepreneurship and forming a startup. My academic and professional career started out in the trades, after taking an accelerated high school program where I worked part-time/summers, and completed my first half of electrician apprenticeship and schooling by the time I graduated. A few years later I had my Redseal Journeyman electrical ticket and was leading a wiring rough-in crew on many single-family and high-rise apartments as well as a Safeway grocery store project in South Vancouver. I worked closely with other tradesmen in HVACR, especially refrigeration, plumbing, and tin bashers.

Working on construction sites, we had weekly safety meetings and we were required to wear PPE, especially respirators due to concrete dust/airborne crystalline silica. I’ll include a few photos of me from my early 20s in full PPE drilling channels in concrete for electrical conduit. These experiences made me acutely aware of fine particulate in the air that were cancer-causing if breathed in. The initial idea for HAVEN was for a PPE indicator that detects sound decibel levels and particle concentrations, and advised when to wear a mask and ear protection. That was at the very green age of 23.

I became completely obsessed with understanding technologies for detecting particles in the air and flew all the way to North Carolina to attend an EPA conference that focused on low-cost sensors. I met professionals from WeatherUnderground, visionary academics, and some hobbyists - all speaker talks and dinner discussions strengthened my resolve for the need to create a miniature, accurate, and accessible technology that detected small particles known as PM2.5.

The past 7 years have been quite the rollercoaster with several pivots along the way to finally land where we are today. A team of passionate employees, investors, and customers have emerged & paved the way for HAVEN to become a real solution for HVAC-based IAQ detection, insights, and automation. We look forward to helping contractors help their customers, and for all to breathe better. Clean air is a right that should be accessible to everyone. I am incredulous and so grateful for the support we have received from contractors and customers. Thank you for being awesome.

In my spare time I tend to go through phases of trying new hobbies. I’ve been paid professionally for photographs and for winning video game competitions. The hobbies that have stuck the most include reading several books a month, listening to a few podcasts a day, an ongoing interest in molecular biology, trying to track and improve sleep, and growing vegetables. My latest hobby due to COVID gym closures is indoor cycling in my apartment with a Wahoo smart trainer using the Zwift software. Look me up if you’re on that platform and want to ride!

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Howdy, I’m Kyal! My role at HAVEN is Head of Marketing, responsible for marketing leadership, brand and education initiatives, as well as working with our partners to ensure they have the knowledge and tools they need to be successful with HAVEN. Prior to joining this incredible team, I spent 4 years in the HVAC industry leading for another manufacturer, where I first developed my passion for the industry. Prior to that, I started out in the Pharmaceutical/Healthcare industry (even assisting in a hospital Morgue :P), then onto Events Management & Production before a serendipitous event landed me in HVAC, but I love that the course of my career has brought me here!

I grew up in Northern Canada, and spent most of my time in the equestrian world, professionally competing in dressage, hunter/jumper, cross country etc. Today, I live in beautiful Vancouver, living that stereotypical coastal BC lifestyle. Skiing, hiking, boating, etc! When forced to be inside (because in Vancouver we do have the occasional rainy day ;P) you’ll find me creating feasts for my friends and family, I love to spoil my people! Of course, rain or shine, some local craft beer is usually involved. I’ve also been lucky to visit and explore 16 countries over the past decade, which have helped inspire most of my culinary creations, and I’m looking forward to continuing my world travels once this pandemic is under control.

I’ve always been inspired by innovation and solutions that improve the lives of people. Our vision here at HAVEN is to reduce air pollution for millions of household members by increasing the efficacy and accessibility of indoor air quality products. I’m proud to be part of a team that is dedicated in providing IAQ solutions for people to live a more safe, healthy and comfortable life!

I’m committed to building meaningful win-win relationships with customers and partners, and I hope to connect with you in the future!

Let’s connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyal-fleck/

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Hi, I’m Alex VB. My role at HAVEN is partnerships and business development. What that translates to is corporate matchmaking between HAVEN and other businesses with similar goals and interests to provide a mutually beneficial, long-term relationship. My professional background has always been driven by a desire to leave a significant, positive impact on the physical environment we live in. I’ve dabbled in many aspects of greening the building envelope (lighting, HVAC, plumbing, and waste management for example) all the way to exploring alternative energy sources & storage to green the grid. Ultimately, I want to make sure my great-great-grandchildren get to enjoy the same things I can enjoy today!

I’ve had the privilege of growing up in Switzerland for my early years, the USA for my angsty teenage years, and Canada post-high school until present. I’ve recently moved from Toronto, ON to Vancouver, BC so there’s a slight East vs. West internal torment. I believe having exposure to these different environments has really shaped my love of travel and getting to know people in a meaningful way.

I’m always up for learning a new sport…the latest I’ve been indoctrinated into is Spikeball (I highly recommend it). If you feel like picking up a racquet, I’ll gladly be your tennis/squash/pingpong buddy.

Drop me a line, I’d love for a quick chat to see how we can best work together.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexvanballegooie/
604-339-9729

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Hello, I’m Max. I have a mixed background in motion graphics, e-commerce and software development. I joined HAVEN in June, before that I was the UX developer for a sports marketing software company for three years.

Here at HAVEN, I’m responsible for developing the Pro Portal. I work closely with Lucy and Ben and many others to make our Pro Portal the go-to software for HAVEN Pros.

Outside of work, I’m usually in Japan (not this year yet), my typical week in Japan would be split equally between SEGA, Yoshinoya and amusement parks with ridiculous roller coasters.

  • Favorite TV show:(Agatha Christie’s) Poirot
  • Favorite movie: Master and Commander
  • Currently obsession: James Hoffmann’s coffee videos :coffee:

Awkward in front of camera

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Hi all, my name’s Phil Tsao. I’m on the engineering team here at HAVEN. I formally have an Electrical Engineering degree, but I’ve branched out pretty wide and do software, firmware, electrical and mechanical design…the latter of which I taught myself entirely.

I’m a very passionate problem solver which is likely why I’m drawn to engineering. Design, prototyping, manufacturing, design for manufacturing, are all things that I enjoy and am passionate to work on here at HAVEN in order to make the best product possible.

I grew up in Richmond, BC and now live in Vancouver. I play a lot of sports and used to compete provincially and nationally in badminton. Since retiring from badminton, I’ve started playing volleyball in competitive leagues, although I’ve been really missing any type of sport due to COVID. I also love cooking and seriously considered a career change to a chef at one point in my life, working in an Italian restaurant part time to experience the job before jumping ship.

I’m also very passionate about 3D printing and rapid prototyping in general and have my own business Ember Prototypes, where I manufacture parts for startups and local engineers.

Lastly, I’m a proud corgi parent and have a lovely little fur baby named Milou :slightly_smiling_face:

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Hello there! This is Scott Krasman. My primary focus comes down to three main objectives: building relationships, solving problems and transferring information. As the Account Manager at HAVEN, it’s my job to make sure you are happy - and that means I will go to war to ensure you are enjoying the customer experience. My goals are to work with contractors to develop business strategies, gather intel regarding product performance, and ultimately streamline the customer experience to its fullest potential.

I have spent the past seven years in various different roles in the Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC/R) space - these include Service (3rd Year Technician), Construction, Sales and Account Management. I also have two certifications (Forced Air / Ventilation) from the Thermal Environmental Comfort Association (TECA). This gives me the perspective required to truly empathize with my customers, as I have worked in and sold to all levels of the industry (Contracting, Wholesale, Manufacturing). Making the shift to the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) industry means that I can bring the experience I have to support HAVEN’s mission to become the gold standard in IAQ solutions, and I am very excited to work with a stellar team of well-rounded contributors to that cause.

Some of my main hobbies include music writing and production (I play guitar, keys, bass and drums), disc-golf and anything outdoorsy. I am a bit of a music nerd and try to find ways to enjoy aspects of all genres of music, even if it might not be my exact cup of tea. I am also heavily involved in self-development and try to read a new book every two weeks, primarily focused on communication and the way we interact with each other on a daily basis.

Let’s get connected, and we can work together to build your customer experience at HAVEN to deliver spectacular results to your business.

https://ca.linkedin.com/in/scott-krasman-04a129127
scottk@haveniaq.com

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Hello everyone! I’m Beka, the new Community Manager at HAVEN. You’ll be seeing me around the forum as well as on our other media channels. If you ever have any questions or feedback about our product - or even about the topic of indoor air quality (IAQ) - please don’t hesitate to give me a shout!

I’m super passionate about health and well-being, which is why I joined the team. I strongly believe that the path to wellness starts with a clean breath. My vision is to build a Community where we can all come together to find solutions for our respective IAQ issues and improve our quality of life.

Outside of work, you can find me hiking, paddle boarding, playing volleyball and Spikeball, or settling down with a good novel. I am also a self-proclaimed foodie and take way too many photos of my food.

Feel free to reach out any time! Looking forward to seeing you around :slight_smile:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-chen-0246157a
rebeccac@haveniaq.com

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Hello! I am Christy, the Multimedia Designer at HAVEN! I have a multidisciplinary background in design, UX, video and motion graphics - hence I tend to project hop around. But my main goal is to ensure that our marketing materials not only excite our partners, homeowners and pros about HAVEN but also, that they help promote awareness and decisions about indoor air quality (IAQ).

My hobbies include dancing, photography, making videos, sewing and eating lots of good food! I grew up in Richmond, British Columbia, surrounded by delicious cuisines, desserts and bubble tea…hence being a foodie is in my blood. I also do food photography for restaurants and I would be one of those people who make you hungry at night as you scroll through Instagram. I also love to travel, mostly to Asia, and I used to go to Japan once a year until the pandemic.

A big part of my life has also been volunteering in my community at cultural events. I’ve been doing this for about 5-6 years. I love the feeling of community and connectedness I feel when I’m able to work and engage with people from different cultures and walks of life. I find that it opens up my perspective and gives me insight into other people and their stories.

Feel free to connect with me and see you around!
Christy

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christy-chan-291b5759/

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Hello everyone, my name is Jeel Vakil. I am on the hardware engineering and the operations team at HAVEN. I joined HAVEN in 2021, prior to that I was working as a Production Technician at a Fuel cell company. I moved to Vancouver, Canada in 2018 to acquire academic and professional knowledge.
My role at HAVEN is to keep the production line running. This includes QA/QC checks for the products, calibrating the HAVEN Monitor in the EOL(end of line) system, and aiding the product development team with fabrication for prototypes. I have recently completed my Master’s in Energy Management. My educational background made me interested in working at HAVEN, I was always interested in working at a startup company that had a vision reconceptualizing HVAC products.

During my academic years, I have managed to work at a HVAC company as a production assistant, and that made me interested tin pursuing my career in production. In production line, I have managed to learn numerous things which also helped in shaping me outside of my work life. One of the best examples that I would like to share is that I had a habit of being impatient, but working in the production line taught me that if you don’t follow the process flow and skip the steps, you likely have to pay the price by reworking. Outside of work I like to go on intense hikes in the summer and snowboarding in the winter. I am also passionate about my health; I am more focused on body weights exercise (calisthenics). I am also fascinated towards outdoor sports games (cricket, badminton, running).
Feel free to reach out to me anytime!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeelvakil26

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Hello there! This is Ramin Dastanpour. I have a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from UBC, focused on air pollution monitoring and measurement. Since joining TZOA in 2017, I’ve been able to wear many hats. My work encompasses data science and algorithm development for our HAVEN ecosystem products; development of new metrics; design and calibration of our HAVEN Monitor; and to ensure all our products provide reliable and accurate data to the customers. I’m both an experimentalist and data science enthusiast; I enjoy planning and executing experiments, scripting for big data analysis, and developing new algorithms.

In the past 10 years, my work has been centered around

  • how air pollutions are generated,

  • how they spread (indoor and outdoor)

  • how they can be monitored and accurately measured,

  • and how they affect public health (enter and deposit in respiratory tract)

I’ve been privileged to collaborate on several air quality and emission related projects with world-renowned institutions and universities including National Research Council Canada, Ford, and Boeing. My work has been published in 18 peer reviewed journals and presented in 25+ conferences.

In my spare time I like to spend time in nature, go for long hikes, swim in lakes, and of course do hiking. Always looking forward to meet and get to know new people and their life stories.

LinkedIn

Google Scholar

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Hi everyone!!

My name is My (pronounced as /me/). I’m working as the Business Analyst on the Product team at HAVEN. I’m working primarily with Ben, Lucy, Lubov, and other cross-team members to build our HAVEN products (eg. Our App, Pro Portal…etc), so you will see me hanging around and asking for feedback.

Before joining HAVEN, I’ve worked as the Product Manager at several startups to help build and deliver products and solve problems. What I care most about is that the product I work on brings positive impacts to its users - the HAVEN products perfectly align with my goals and values.
I moved to Vancouver, Canada from Vietnam 3 years ago and still enjoy the awesome nature and people that BC has to offer. My hobbies are hiking, walking in the park, reading, travelling and food. I’ve travelled to Asia (Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan), Europe (Holland, Belgium, France) and am planning to go to South America and Africa. I have a big heart for food, especially Asian cuisine. Currently, I’m into philosophy (Stoicism): reading books and trying to apply their theories into my daily life.

I also love talking to people and hearing their stories so feel free to reach out to me anytime!!
LinkedIn: My Nguyen - Business Analyst - HAVEN IAQ | LinkedIn


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Hi there!

I am Lucas. I joined HAVEN in 2021 as a Senior Software Developer on both hardware and software team. On the hardware team I make sure HAVEN’s hardware product is supported by a suite of software that guarantees its quality among other things and minimize errors during the manufacturing process. On the software team I work on new features and maintenance of other HAVEN’s products used by homeowners and HVAC Pros. I work closely with Vlad, Lorne and Alex.

I am passionate about software development, specially when related to automation and controls, due to my professional background in industrial automation where I had the opportunity to work with pre-commissioning and commissioning of control systems for hydroelectric power plants and floating vessels offshore. Here at Haven we have the mission of improving human health through better IAQ using IOT and automation and I am proud of being part of this team.

I grew up in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil where summer is almost the 4 seasons until I had to move to China for about a year and half for work, where I met my wife and then moved to Vancouver, Canada.

Outside of work I enjoy nature, going to the beach, hiking, biking and walking. I also like other activities such as workout, play volleyball, videogame and watch movies (I am a cinephile).
I always try to keep myself busy usually studying a new topic either related to economics, software, technology and/or history. I can say I am pretty much restless (maybe that’s the way I rest :smiley:).

Feel free to connect on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucassilvasantos/

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Hello, I’m Alex. I’m a software developer in the team. I tend to work from my home office which has a giant monitor, a coffee machine, a cute girlfriend, and the internet, which is like 99% of the things I need.

My TZOA/HAVEN journey started with a co-op position where I had to gradually learn how all the magic happens behind the screen. As a computer science student, I was very lucky to become a part of the dynamic startup environment which exposed me to various parts of the system. I learned how the mobile app is written, tested and released. I had a chance to implement an internal web app from scratch. I was also exposed to Haven’s cloud infrastructure such as telemetry ingestion, app hosting, CI/CD and DevOps. I am now a full-time member of the team inspired to keep learning and incorporating my knowledge into tangible results that improve IAQ in our homes.

There is a lot of empathy, collaboration, freedom, and diversity in HAVEN, which gives me a sense of belonging and acceptance. I’m grateful for being able to find my place in the team as well as my work-life rhythm which allows me to balance the comfort of the old and uncertainty of the new to strive forward.

Outside of work I like to stay in my room, eat junk food, play stardew valley, and also sleep. It’s great!



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Hey everyone! I’m Lubov (pronounced Lyubov’, which means Love in Russian :slight_smile: My family is originally from Russia, but I grew up in Belarus.

I was always very creative and shy, I took all creative classes my school had to offer: from languages to dancing, accordion, choir and theatre, but what captivated me for life was arts, psychology and technology. I received my education in Fine Arts and teaching and went on to become a Graphic Designer and later switched to UX (that’s where the tech and the arts collide and magical things happen).

At HAVEN my work encompasses user research, designing interfaces and experiences across all products. I’m looking forward to meeting you in one of our user testing sessions :slight_smile:

In my own time I read, play video games, paint, photograph, listen to music and watch movies. I have a particular liking for all things Sci-fi/fantasy in literature and film and I’m a big fan of heavy metal and synths (honestly, I have over 100 playlists on Spotify at this point :slight_smile:

I also have a cat named Cookie, I believe she is my spiritual animal.

Let’s connect and make a dent in the universe together!

lubovs@haveniaq.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lubovsoltan/

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Hey everyone! I’m Kassandra, a co-op student at HAVEN. I began in May as a data science intern on the Engineering team. My position involves testing, collecting, and processing data for the HAVEN products. The work is always changing and challenging, which has provided me with plenty of new skills and knowledge.

Currently I am in my last semester of my Integrated Engineering degree (specialized in Mechanical and Computer Engineering) at the University of British Columbia. My degree is project based, and entrepreneurial focused. I have always been intrigued by startup companies for the fast-paced, multi-disciplinary work environment; HAVEN has exceeded expectations. Outside of school and work I have many hobbies, most of which are outdoors and active. I love snowboarding, hiking, surfing, and paddle boarding but also try to make time for creative work such as painting, and playing music.

My experience at HAVEN has been nothing but wonderful, with such a patient and kind group of mentors to help me learn and grow in my career!

One last thing, I LOVE chatting so don’t hesitate to reach out about anything!
Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kassandrabuchholz/

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Hi Everybody! My name is Jesse and I joined the HAVEN team in early 2021 as a Senior Firmware Developer. My role is responsible for everything that happens inside the Monitor and Controller devices, acting as a bridge between hardware and software.

I have been working as a firmware developer for about 10 years, and I’ve been lucky enough to work with very tight knit teams. This has given me the opportunity to explore my passion for all steps of the product development cycle, which is very satisfying to me.

I grew up in South Western BC, Canada and, while I love to travel to other places, Vancouver will always be the place I call home.

When I’m not working I can be found tending to and upgrading my indoor hot pepper garden, and I also enjoy hosting games nights and/or dinner parties with my friends. During the summer months I try to get outside as much as possible, and try to take full advantage of the local trails.

Feel free to contact me through LinkedIn, I’m always happy to connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-witoszkin/

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