About 2Vancouver.com

Based out of the UBC Accelerator Center, the Internet start up 2Vancouver.com is a one-stop shop website that simplifies the travel experience for visitors, newcomers and immigrants coming to Vancouver.

The start up has raised close to $100K so far and the site reaches over 20,000 unique visitors per month.

Incorporated in January 2012, the company has received the support of entrepreneurship@UBC and the University Industry Liaison Office.

An International Team Behind 2Vancouver.com

Co-Founder + Managing Director

› Francois Roux

Born in Bordeaux and raised in Paris, Francois is a professional engineer with eight years of international experience across North America, Australia and Europe. His past employers include a US Fortune 200 company, the Australian Ministry of Transportation as well as Canadian start-ups and NGOs. Francois is a permanent resident of Canada and has made Vancouver his home.

Francois holds a Master's degree in Industrial Engineering from the Ecole des Mines / UBC and a certificate in web development from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

Co-Founder + Technical & Products Director

› Grant Willavise

Grant worked for 6 years as a Senior Systems Analyst and Developer at Intel Corporation. While working at Intel he led and played a key role on many IT enterprise projects within Finance, Marketing and Operations. Prior to joining Intel Grant held Senior Software Developer roles at Source Software & LeisureData.

Grant received a BSc in Business Information Systems Management from Bournemouth University in 2002. He is a certified Business Intelligence developer and Microsoft technology specialist.

Editors + Writers

› Yolanda Brooks | Tourism

Yolanda moved from London, England to Vancouver in 2005. After many years working as a writer and editor on local and national magazines and newspapers, she gratefully swapped big city gridlock for British Columbia. The Vancouver-based freelance writer loves to hike, bike, paddle, camp and search for the perfect view!

Yolanda holds a BA in Communication and Media Production from Bournemouth University and a post-graduate diploma in journalism from City University, London.



› Erin Stringer | Social & Entertainment

Erin has been a freelance writer for more than 10 years, and has written Vancouver-based articles on topics such as health and wellness, spas, restaurants, nightlife, dating and travel.  She was the associate editor of Vancouver.com, an online platform for locals and visitors, and has contributed to the popular VancouverMom.ca blog.   

Erin has called Vancouver home for over 13 years, and she loves trying new restaurants and spas that spring up around the city. She has previously lived in Toronto, Calgary and Kelowna.

Erin is a graduate of the journalism program at Langara College in Vancouver, and obtained a Bachelor of English from UBC in 2004.



› Rachel Roy | Culture

Rachel is a Vancouverite with family roots in Québec. Although she grew up in North Vancouver, she kept her Francophone heritage alive by attending a French elementary school.

Rachel has worked as a museum exhibition developer and program coordinator at the Canadian Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa. She has done a significant amount of interpretive, academic and technical writing for the past 6 years, and is happy to be back in her native city.  A true culture vulture, Rachel attends live dance, music and exhibition events whenever she can, and enjoys potlucking and island hopping around the Gulf Islands during her spare time.

Rachel has a First Class Honours BA in Anthropology/Sociology from Mount Allison University and an MA in Museum Studies from the University of Toronto. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Anthropology focusing on the intersection between museums and communities.



› Lori O'Connell | Relocation & Education

Lori is intimately familiar with the process of relocating to Vancouver having done so herself back in 2003. She grew up in Ottawa, moved to Japan where she lived and worked for three years before choosing to settle down in the Vancouver area.

Over the past seven  years, she has developed a thriving client base as a Vancouver copywriter and Internet marketing consultant. Lori holds  the rank of 4th Degree Black Belt in Can-ryu Jiu-jitsu, and also runs the Vancouver/Richmond BC martial arts school.

Lori graduated with honours earning a BA in Communication from the University of Ottawa. She attended the 2006 Search Engine Strategies conference in San Jose, and has attended seminars on a wide variety of web marketing and analysis topics.

Experts & Specialists

› Maggie Chandler | Real Estate

After three years of travelling around Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia, Barbados-born Maggie Chandler settled in Vancouver which has been her home since the early 1970s.

Maggie became a realtor in 1981 and has enjoyed watching Vancouver’s neighbourhoods develop and prosper. She opened her own Brokerage in 2000, and her passion for helping home buyers and home sellers achieve their goals remains undimmed.

Maggie has a Real Estate Trading Licence and Brokerage Licence, has qualified as a Member of the MLS Medallion Club for 18 years and participates in ongoing real estate education.



› Ryan Rosenberg | Immigration Lawyer

Ryan Rosenberg is a founding partner with the immigration law firm Larlee Rosenberg. The experienced immigration lawyer specializes in economic and family class applications and works with clients from around the world. Originally from Winnipeg, Ryan is a published columnist, a respected blogger and an active member of the Canadian Bar Association.

Ryan received his LL.B. from the University of Manitoba in 2002 and his B.A. from the University of Winnipeg in 1999.

› Steven Meurrens | Immigration Lawyer

Steven Meurrens is an associate with the immigration law firm Larlee Rosenberg. He practices in all areas of immigration law and has particular expertise in tax issues. Steven, who was born in Vancouver, spent several years studying and working in Tianjin and Beijing and he can speak and read Mandarin.

He is a member of the Immigration Section of the Canadian Bar Association (BC) and a regular blogger on immigration issues.

Steven was admitted to the British Columbia Bar in 2010. He obtained a Juris Doctorate from the University of Toronto in 2009 and a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Political Science and a minor in Chinese from the University of British Columbia in 2006.



› Emmanuelle Archer | Senior Coach & Consultant for Expats

Born and raised on the French Riviera, Emmanuelle has been calling Vancouver home since 2001. Now a Canadian citizen, she holds a Master’s degree in Business and Management and she assists newcomers in their job search and career management through her consulting firm Winning Away. She also takes an active part in welcoming immigrants to British Columbia through her volunteer work. 



› Baptiste Gille | Anthropology & First Nations Culture

Baptiste grew up in the south of France and he is currently completing his Ph.D in Anthropology in Paris. Baptiste recently spent 15 months in Vancouver studying First Nations contemporary issues. He has been closely involved with the local aboriginal community in British Columbia and has witnessed and participated in several ceremonial activities during his research.

Baptiste holds a Master's degree in Anthropology from the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris.



› Laure Sabini | Website Optimization

Laure grew up in Burgundy, France, the province of white wine and soccer. After studying photography in Paris and multimedia in different parts of France, she moved to Vancouver with a Working Holiday Visa at the end of 2006. She then decided to stay for good for a better future and lifestyle. Laure is now specialized in Website Optimization and has started her own company Laurizon.

Laure holds a diploma in Photography, a Bachelor of Arts and Multimedia creation, and graduated with the Award of Achievement in Web Analytics at UBC.

Professional Photographer

› Brice Ferre

Brice, who was born in Rennes, France, describes living in Vancouver as “one of the most exciting adventure of my life”.

He started his professional career as an editor in the film industry in Paris and one of the highlights included working as an assistant editor on the blockbuster documentary March of the Penguins.

In 2009 Brice followed his dream and moved to Canada. Once in Vancouver he decided to devote his professional life to his passion for photography. His candid raw images are now in demand from international clients and he works with some of the most prestigious photographers in the industry.

Brice has a degree in movie editing from Ecole Supérieure de Réalisation Audiovisuelle (Film School).

Senior Coach & Advisor

› Yves Roux | Business Strategy

Yves has 30 years of people management and business development experience in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Up until May 2010 Yves served as Vice President Africa at Nortel where he was in charge of the carrier and enterprise businesses.

Yves also held several management positions in the electronic, transportation, education and nuclear industries.

Yves holds a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Arts et Métiers in Paris.