Every Kilometre Empowers a Young Entrepreneur.
This October, join Team PowerPlay and help us raise $100,000 to bring the PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs program to more than 160 grade 4 to 8 classrooms across Canada.
HELP US REACH OUR GOAL!
WHY WE RUN
Every step with Run for PowerPlay brings us closer to giving 4,000 students in grades 4 to 8 across Canada real entrepreneurial experience. For over 25 years, PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs has empowered students to build their own businesses, developing an entrepreneurial mindset and harnessing their creativity and confidence to unleash their full potential.
This October, our runners are turning every kilometre into opportunity: helping the next generation discover what they’re capable of.
Join us, as a runner donor or sponsor, and become part of the mission.
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PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs is a Canadian charity dedicated to inspiring and empowering youth with the entrepreneurial mindset.
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Our 2026 goal is to raise $100,000 by October 11, 2026 (Marathon Day). Every dollar directly supports our youth. Through your donation, you help us:
Launch of PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs in more Canadian classrooms.
Empower educators with turnkey, curriculum-based resource packages and training.
Provide mentorship opportunities and host school-based showcase events.
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How you can help power our mission:
Donate: Every dollar counts. Contribute now to help us reach our goal.
Share: Share our campaign with your friends, family, and on social media. Your advocacy can amplify our impact.
HOW IT ALL STARTED
OUR GOALS IN NUMBERS
$100,000
Run for PowerPlay 2026 Campaign Goal
4,000
Students Empowered Through PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs
160+
Classrooms Reached Across Canada
Leading the Charge
Meet our 2026 Co-Chairs and Runners
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Ben Raps is the CEO of Taurus Commercial, a commercial property management company serving Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Ask him to describe himself and he'll say persistent, silly, and relational (with a well-documented soft spot for anything chocolate). Ask him what entrepreneurship means, and the answer comes fast: innovation, creativity, and above all, courage.
Ben's connection to PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs goes back. He's a PowerPlay alumnus himself, having gone through an earlier iteration of the program 25 years ago. Now, he serves on PowerPlay's Advancement Committee and stepped up as co-chair of Run for PowerPlay 2026. What a full-circle moment!
He'll tell you a good team beats a good idea every time; a philosophy he's putting into practice by building Run for PowerPlay’s running community. And his advice to his future self is simple: enjoy the path. Right now, that path runs straight through October 11 in Victoria, BC. Support his fundraiser HERE.
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David Basche is the President/CEO of Astria Properties, a boutique industrial real estate development company building projects across British Columbia, from Kelowna to Vancouver Island.
For David, entrepreneurship is a lifelong learning process, one that rewards starting early and getting exposure sooner rather than later. He's quick to point out that entrepreneurship is just as much about failure as it is about success, and that's exactly why youth is such an asset. Young people haven't fully set their roots yet, so when something doesn't go the right way, they still have room to pivot and try a different path. Hear him explain it himself in this video.
David brings that same commitment to PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs, where he serves on the Advancement Committee and co-chairs Run for PowerPlay 2026; helping build the kind of early exposure to entrepreneurship he believes changes everything for the youth. Support his fundraiser HERE.
Meet the 2026 Runners
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Brad, currently Managing Partner at Action Contents & Moving, has helped grow the company into a 75-employee operation and he's not one for playing it safe along the way. Big risks, big rewards, that's the Brad way. He'd tell his younger self to skip the hesitation and go all-in on entrepreneurship even sooner, because betting on himself has been his single best move.
We asked Brad what it takes to succeed (watch the video here!) and he'll tell you: communication, hard work, no hesitation. Now he's running to help PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs pass that lesson on to the next generation, years earlier than he learned it himself.
Brad's lacing up for 4,000 students who deserve that same shot. Back him at the starting line. Support Brad's fundraiser HERE.
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Brett Murray founded Grime Fighters Service Group 17 years ago, building it into Vancouver's go-to team for high-rise exterior cleaning, property services superheroes, cape included. Watch this video and get to know Brett!
As a business owner himself, he knows firsthand that entrepreneurship takes real courage, and that's exactly why he's all-in for PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs: it empowers young people with the life skills and confidence to take charge of their own future.
Community, health, and a mission worth chasing: Brett's running for all three. Help him cross the finish line for 4,000 PowerPlay students. Support Brett's fundraiser HERE.
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Brian Weir is a Partner at Solid Rock Steel Fabricating in Vancouver, where the work spans everything from connection design and drafting to fabrication, welding, and field installation. Solid Rock's past projects include SkyTrain stations and the Cliffwalk at Capilano, work that's equal parts precision and heavy lifting.
That same combination: precision planning and the willingness to do the hard, unglamorous work, is what PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs teaches its students from an early age. Brian's running to help give the next generation that same foundation, built one step at a time.
Support his fundraiser HERE.
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Chih Chi Huang is a REALTOR® with eXp Realty in Vancouver, and a self-described retired athlete who's found a new challenge to chase. For him, entrepreneurship isn't just good for the economy. It's a training ground for life, teaching the character and skills that help people thrive well beyond the boardroom. Hear it in his own words, watch this video!
Chih is grateful to have been welcomed into the Run for PowerPlay community, and he sees himself as still learning right alongside the young entrepreneurs PowerPlay serves. He's running to invest in his own health and to be part of something bigger: a group of like-minded people rallying around a shared goal, because that's when he believes the best things happen.
Support Chih’s run and fundraiser HERE.
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Connor Braid brings Olympic-level focus to everything he does. Before commercial real estate, he represented Team Canada at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. And that same discipline now shows up in his work as a broker at JBW Commercial in Victoria, where he specializes in investment sales for private investors, developers, and institutional clients. He's helped close deals as large as $96.5 million, managing every detail of complex, high-stakes transactions.
That competitive drive is exactly what Connor is bringing to Run for PowerPlay. Marathon training isn't so different from Olympic training or closing a nine-figure deal. It takes the same discipline, patience, and perseverance. Connor's running to help give PowerPlay students a taste of that same drive, early enough to shape how they approach every challenge ahead.
Support his fundraiser HERE.
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David Miao is the CEO of Liberate Logistics, a supply chain company built by self-described "rebel logistics nerds" who are rethinking how businesses experience shipping. Ambitious, fun-loving, and admittedly picky, David sees entrepreneurship as freedom: the freedom to build his own schedule, manage his own time, and help clients solve the complex problems that keep them up at night.
For David, the real engine behind any good business isn't the idea. It's the team. He believes the people doing the work are what make a company work, and that same philosophy is why he's running for PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs: to help the next generation build the skills, and the teams, that turn good ideas into good businesses. Watch David on the #PowerPlayHotSeat video with Natalie!
David's running the distance for PowerPlay students across Canada. Support his fundraiser HERE.
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Doug Meyers wears a few hats. He's the Founder of Better Every Day and President of GBE Ventures, and he also works in Sales and Operations at Final Touch Window Coverings, a North Vancouver company known for premium motorized and automated window treatments. It's a mix that spans building something of his own, leading an organization, and keeping the day-to-day of an established business running smoothly.
That range: founder, president, operator, is exactly the kind of versatility PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs works to build in its students early. Doug's running to help give the next generation that same head start, long before the world asks them to pick just one lane.
Support his fundraiser HERE.
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Garth White is a Principal at Avison Young in Vancouver, where he's spent over a decade advising owner-occupiers, investors, developers, and property owners on industrial real estate. He's completed more than $4 billion in transactions along the way, earning recognition as one of Avison Young Vancouver's Top 10 Producers and, in both 2022 and 2023, NAIOP Vancouver's award for Best Investment Transaction.
Behind those numbers is a track record built on advising people through some of the biggest decisions they'll make for their business. The kind of judgment that only comes from experience. That's exactly what Garth wants for the youth: the chance to start making real business decisions early, so that judgment has time to grow.
Support Garth’s fundraiser here.
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Jonathan Lalande is the Co-Founder at PlanBase 360 and Co-Founder & Lead Developer at Newbuild, where he builds apps and automations and laser-scans buildings into precise 3D models. He brings a business background to his work too, having studied at SFU's Beedie School of Business, which gives him a builder's instinct on both the technical and business sides of things.
That same instinct, spotting a gap and building the tool to close it, is at the heart of what PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs teaches its students. Jonathan's running to help give the next generation of builders and problem-solvers the same early start.
Support Jonathan’s fundraiser here.
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Kent Adamson, P.Eng., MBA, is the President of QAI Laboratories, an independent testing, inspection, and certification company that helps make sure the products we use every day meet safety standards. He's also a runner through and through, so when Ben Raps told him about Run for PowerPlay, it was an easy yes! A chance to do something he loves alongside a group of fellow entrepreneurs, for a cause worth showing up for.
Kent didn't discover entrepreneurship until later in life, and that's exactly why he's passionate about PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs: it helps youth develop essential life skills such confidence and creative thinking at an early age. He wants more young people to get the head start he didn’t have.
When he's not testing products or building his business, you'll find Kent running Vancouver's Seawall, hands down his favorite place to log the miles. Want the full story? Watch Kent's video here.
Support Kent’s fundraiser as he runs for the next generation of confident, creative young entrepreneurs.
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Matias Marquez is the CEO of ethos and a member of PowerPlay's Board of Directors. A serial entrepreneur who has built and grown several businesses, he's picked up honors and awards along the way like EY Entrepreneur of the Year and a spot on Canada's Top 40 Under 40.
His story with PowerPlay started with an invitation. Matias was invited to speak to a group of Powerplay students and walked into the room expecting university-aged attendees. Instead, he found a room full of 10-year-olds and for a second, thought he'd wandered into the wrong place. He hadn't. He stayed, spoke, and left completely won over by what PowerPlay was building. He's been fond of it ever since, and not only is he a board member, he’s also a proud supporter and ambassador of PowerPlay. Now, he’s adding runner and fundraiser to the list as he joins the Run for PowerPlay team.
Hear him tell the story himself: Matias’ Interview Video.
Matias has run plenty of 10Ks, but this marathon means quadrupling his usual distance, and he's doing it with his family cheering him on at the finish line. Support his fundraiser HERE.
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Matthias Raps is a Wealth Advisor and Portfolio Manager with The Raps Advisory Group at ScotiaMcLeod in Victoria, BC, where he's spent the past decade helping clients build long-term wealth. Off the clock, he's the Director for The Diverters Foundation, a Victoria nonprofit focused on environmental and social empowerment, and still plays competitive soccer for Vic West FC, so staying active is nothing new for him.
Entrepreneurship, though, is personal for Matthias in a different way: it runs in the family. As the brother of Ben Raps, the current Run for PowerPlay 2026 Co-Chair, he's watched firsthand what small businesses can build, and he believes they're the real innovation engine behind the economy. He's running to help grow that same spirit closer to home.
Hear more from him: Matthias’ Interview Video.
Between the networking, the community, and the excuse to finally get in marathon shape, Matthias is all in. Support his fundraiser HERE.
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Nick Bennett is a Kiwi entrepreneur and multi-studio F45 Training owner based in Vancouver. Before the gym business, he spent seven years as an Engineering Surveyor on modular LNG projects across Asia Pacific, including a stint in the remote highlands of Papua New Guinea. He loved the work, but he always wanted to build something of his own.
Five and a half years ago, Nick and his wife Kerryn took the leap, building two F45 studios from scratch. Today, F45 North Vancouver is the #1 F45 studio in Canada out of 158 locations, and the two of them are already gearing up for their next phase of expansion.
PowerPlay resonates with Nick because it's something he wishes he'd had growing up: the chance to see what's possible, think bigger, and get an early introduction to entrepreneurship. That's exactly what he's excited to help give the next generation of PowerPlay students.
After two self-supported marathons, this will be Nick's first official race. A good cause, a new challenge, and a chance to connect with other local entrepreneurs, all in one. Support his fundraiser HERE.
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Nik Gandhorkia is the Co-Founder of Foresight Recruitment Group, a staffing firm built to serve Canada's real estate sector with the specialized expertise it deserves. He knows the industry from every angle; not just through his own company, but through his work on local committees with BOMA BC and as ICSC's Next Generation Chair for BC, developing the next wave of real estate talent.
That same instinct for building people up is what draws Nik to PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs. Whether he's placing the right person in the right role or cheering on a room full of future business owners, his throughline is the same: invest early in people, and watch what they become.
Nik's running to help give PowerPlay students that same head start. Support his fundraiser HERE.
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Coming soon!
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Coming Soon!
WAYS TO SUPPORT
DONATE TO RUN FOR POWERPLAY
SUPPORT A RUNNER
JOIN THE RUN!
Interested in sponsoring Run for PowerPlay?
Please reach out to learn more about our sponsorship opportunities with the Run for PowerPlay campaign. For any questions or if you’re interested to support through in-kind donations, please email us at community@powerplay4success.com.
Thank you to everyone who started it all.
OUR 2025 RUNNERS
Ali Ozdemir
Angus Todd
Ben Raps
Brad Sample
Nicolas Harvey
Vlad Manchash
OUR 2025 DONORS AND SPONSORS
David Miao
David Basche
Mark Bonar
Jill Moffatt
Wes Block
Adam Dvorak
Alex Messina
Amrit Lalli
andrea barth basche
Andrew Lord
Anne Woodruff
Anne Stewart
Arsh Brar Personal Real Estate Corp
Arun Heed
Ashton Mechanical
Baido Yousefian
Baktash Kasraei
Beyond the build
Blake Asselstine
Blake Fizzard
Blake Gozda PREC
Bosa Properties Inc., Commercial IPP
Brian Bate
Brian Janzen
Brodie Henrichsen
Bryce J. Davis Professional Corporation
Centras Engineering Ltd.
Chuck Cosman
Citifund (Townsend) Capital Ltd
Clean Image Janitorial Services Ltd
Cody Arseneault
Cole Nakatani
Dan Greco
Dane Pan
Daniel Lee
David Case
David de Groot
David Gillard
David M Payne
David Moerman Enterprises Ltd.
Dean Ritchey
Declan Rothwell
Deoro Property Maintenance Ltd.
Derick Fluker
Dilraj (Dylan) SohiDuncan Macdonald
Executive Air Conditioning Ltd.
FTG Projektentwicklungs GmbH
Garibaldi Blue Investment Company Inc.
Graham Bonn
Haakon Mechanical Services
Hannah Nicholson
Helena Michelis
Herman Li
Jack Priestley
Jackie Wrigglesworth
James Cruickshank
Jamie Schreder
Jason Boyne
Jason Teahen
Jebb Sinclair
Jennifer Michell
Jeremy Hardern
Jesse Dhillon
Jessica Hathaway Personal Real Estate Corporation
Jim Cooke
Jim Harvey
Jonathan Young
Jordan LeBlanc
Julia Francisco
Karen Neveu
Kent Adamson
Kinpro Glass
Kris Miks
Leap Cloud Solutions Inc
Lester J Lis
Level Up Advisors
Lisa Oleson
Luc Soares
M1
Marc Blythe
Matt Davis
Matt Ilich
Matthew Dunnigan
Matthias RapsMeghan Buttle
Michael Thompson
Nanga Blaszak
Neil Davie
Nick Collett
Nico Harvey
Paragon Roofing BC
Pro Snow Solutions
Raghav Bhatia
Rainer E. Steffen-Hansen
Redic Developments Inc.
Riley Phillips
Robin Stapleton
Russell Friesen
Sabby's Transport Inc.
Sampson Davie Fane Volpiana LLP
Sasha Faris
Science & Humans
Sean Bagan
Sean Jarvis
Sean Ungemach PREC
Shaun Blythen
Shawn Lewis
Steve Brooke
Steve Joyce
Steve Ponte
Sunny Har
Tazwar Tarik
Todd Barber
Todd Walsh
Tye Reyna-Clarke
Tyler Senft
Unitus Painting Ltd.
Vince den Hertog
Vladislav Manchash
Waste Connections of Canada
Wilson M. Beck Insurance Services (FV) Inc.
Xuhui Hu
Y2K TRANSPORTATION & COURIER SERVICES LTD
Yewen Wang