DARCY NYBO/Special to The Daily Courier Judie Barta of Meadow Vista was at last year's speed networking session at Meet Your Maker in West Kelowna.

Meet Your Maker is coming back to the Okanagan. It's a great opportunity for anyone wanting to market their product, and for buyers to meet the people who provide produce.
"At Meet your Maker, the energy is palpable, it's a hive of networking," said Jennifer Vincent, Okanagan event organizer. "Attendees are proud of what they offer and they want to grow their business
Meet Your Maker is organized by FarmFolk CityFolk and is held in three regions - Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island and for the second year, the Okanagan. In addition to the speed networking and open networking, there are workshops offered.
This year, social media guru Allison Markin will
present Social Media 101, while FarmFolk CityFolk's Barbara Joughin will highlight the secrets to building
relationships buyers and growers.
Okanagan College's Culinary Arts Program students, overseen by chef Roger Planiden, will prepare
a locally-sourced lunch for the event.
The event, sponsored by Overwaitea Food Group, is March 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in West Kelowna at the Westbank Lions Communiuty Theatre.
You can get more information at farmfolkcityfolk.ca,
contact Jennifer Vincent at 250-328-4894 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Tickets are $50 for the all day event.

New in town
Esther Simmons Foot is the new owner/pharmacist at Prescription Health Studio that opens on March 1 at
540 West Ave. in the South Pandosy area of Kelowna. It's an integrated pharmacy that focuses on alternative and complementary therapies. In particular, they stock nutraceuticals and will be carrying medical-grade vitamins and supplements.
"As a pharmacist, I was disheartened by what I saw," said Simmons Foot. "People are taking pills for certain
diseases without understanding what the drugs were doing or if they were working. Just popping pills doesn't make everything OK.
"I think you have to take a step back and look at what you are putting in your body and do some preventative lifestyle changes.
"The supplements you get at other stores may be hard for the body to absorb; I make sure I have pharmaceutical-grade supplements that can be more easily absorbed by
the body."
Once the store opens, you can pop in anytime between
8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
Visit them online at prescriptionhealthstudio.com, or call 778-478-1303.

Back in the business
Kimberly Timpany has gone back to real estate and
has joined Team Innovation with Realty Executives.
"I would like to ask for your continued support by
entrusting me with your business and the referral of your friends and family as you did in the past," said Timpany.
Go to teaminnovation.ca or call her at 250-215-9884.
Getting a kickstart
The first Startup Week Okanagan will take place in Kelowna March 1 - 10.
Organized by community volunteers and members of Digital Okanagan, Accelerate Okanagan and Creative Okanagan, it promises to be 10 action-packed days that combine music, education, art, entertainment, business, and technology.
Startup Week Okanagan wraps up with Startup Weekend, where designers, coders and business-savvy
individuals gather to create and pitch a startup in
52 hours.
The weekend includes six to seven meals and drinks
(rumour has it beer is provided), prizes, giveaways and lots of fun.
For more information and to register, check out
okanagan.startupweekend.org/

Breakfast of Champions
Would you like to know how to reduce business costs and increase profits while protecting natural resources?
Check out the third Breakfast of Champions at the Best Western Plus Feb. 27. The Fresh Outlook Foundation event is sponsored by Fortis BC and runs from 7 to 9 a.m.
The days starts with a hot "green" breakfast (and I don't think they mean green eggs and ham), followed by presentations on energy-saving green changes, geothermal, solar, waste and water management and e-glass.
Chef Boreham of ORA will do a talk on green food service and there will be a tour, demonstrations and more.
For more info and to register go to freshoutlookfoundation.org.
Got news about your business? Send it to darcy@
alwayswrite.ca. Darcy Nybo is an award-winning writer, freelance journalist, book and online editor.