With Principal partner Erica Sangster, and a group of dedicated and talented people at DAUSTUDIO, Franc D’Ambrosio strives to produce environmentally responsible buildings and humanistic urban design intended to help make cities more resilient, beautiful and livable. The work of Franc’s practice includes comprehensive urban plans, and the architecture of residential, commercial, and institutional buildings, all achieved in collaboration with teams of allied disciplines. DAU has designed plazas, streetscapes, special events, public art and exhibitions. 

KWENCH is a Coworking & Culture Club that leads the third wave of coworking by offering a multi-service, hospitality-focused work club. A passionate believer in the power of human connection and creating a space where people feel like they belong, Tessa McLoughlin’s purpose-driven design ensures that connection is inevitable and belonging is built into the experience. Tessa has established civic award-winning initiatives, spearheaded cultural festivals, was dubbed “The Queen of Culture” by Douglas Magazine, and has won multiple awards. Tessa has two fabulous offspring, a fuzzy pug, and a mad collection of tacky earrings.

After studying architecture at university, Eric Mutrie developed a lasting enthusiasm for telling stories about design. Over the course of his media career, he has interviewed industry titans like Frank Gehry, identified new talents and trends at international trade fairs and cast a spotlight on the social and sustainable changemakers moving the world forward. He has over 10 years of editorial experience, including previous positions at Designlines and Sharp magazines before joining Azure.

Carey Newman’s traditional name is Hayalthkin’geme. Through his father, he is Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw from the Kukwaḵ̓a̱m, Gix̱sa̱m, and Wawałaba’yi clans of northern Vancouver Island, and Coast Salish from Xwchíyò:m (Cheam) of the Stó:lō S’olh Temexw (traditional territories) along the upper Fraser Valley. On his mother’s side of the family, his ancestors are English, Irish, and Scottish Settlers. In his artistic practice he strives to highlight Indigenous, social, and environmental issues as he examines the impacts of colonialism and capitalism, harnessing the power of material truth to unearth memory and trigger the necessary emotion to drive positive change. 

Anicka Quin leads the editorial teams of Western Living, BCBusiness, BCLiving, TVWeek and Vancouver magazines. Under her leadership, these regional brands have gained a national reputation, regularly winning top honours at the Canadian Online Publishing Awards, National Magazine Awards and the Editor’s Choice Awards. She got her start in small magazines, including Alternatives Journal and id Magazine, and spent a decade teaching communications at Capilano University.

Natalie Telewiak leads interdisciplinary teams at MGA to create elegant, high-performance designs that integrate structure, systems, manufacturing, and architecture. With a background in both architecture and engineering, her work is grounded in material logic, collaboration, and a belief in design’s power to build community, enhance well-being, and reconnect us with nature. Career highlights include the Governor General’s Award-winning Ronald McDonald House in Vancouver and Google’s first mass timber developments in California. Current projects include the new Royal BC Museum PARC Campus on Vancouver Island, a cultural and community centre in Gällivare, Sweden, and First Nations-led projects across BC.

Justin Tse has a global audience of nearly 900,000 subscribers and over 160 million views on YouTube. Based in Victoria, Justin is best known for producing high-quality content at the intersection of tech, lifestyle, and modern home design. Through his platform and personal real estate ventures, Justin has developed a reputation for transforming spaces that blend cutting-edge technology with timeless design principles. His home renovation and design series—spanning several properties—has been widely acclaimed online and earned recognition from the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) with two award-winning projects.