Photo caption: Malcolm Brodie, City of Richmond Mayor; Danny Sitnam, President and CEO of Helijet International Inc; Greg Allen, Corporate Director and Partner at Chrysalix Venture Capital; Jennifer West, Executive Director at Richmonnd Division of Family Practice; Sarb Loodu, Director, Strategy and Business Development at KPU Wilson School of Design; and Amarjet Minhas, Market Manager at IKEA Richmond at Richmond’s Business and Partner event on October 7, 2026.
More than 100 Richmond business and community leaders gathered on Wednesday, October 7, for the City of Richmond’s 2026 Business and Partner Appreciation event, Connected for Growth: Partnerships Driving the Future. The annual event highlighted the strength of Richmond’s business community and how partnerships across sectors are creating opportunities for innovation, business growth and long-term economic prosperity.
“Richmond’s continued success depends on strong partnerships across our business community, governments, educational institutions and community organizations,” said Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “Our challenges and opportunities are interconnected, and by working together we can build on Richmond’s strengths, drive innovation and help ensure our economy remains resilient and ready for the future.”
Hosted by Mayor Brodie and City Councillors at the John M.S. Lecky UBC Boathouse, the event featured a panel discussion exploring how collaboration is helping businesses and organizations address challenges and pursue new opportunities.
Panelists shared examples ranging from Helijet's work to advance electric aviation and IKEA Richmond's community partnerships and sustainability initiatives, to the Richmond Division of Family Practice's efforts to support local physicians and KPU Wilson School of Design's industry collaborations enable students to turn real-world challenges into innovative solutions. Together, their experiences demonstrated how connecting businesses, institutions and community partners can drive innovation, strengthen the workforce and support economic resilience.
The discussion was moderated by Greg Allen, a member of the City's Economic Advisory Committee and Corporate Director and Partner at Chrysalix Venture Capital, who closed the discussion by noting that resilience comes from being connected and pointed to the many partnership opportunities ahead.
Home to almost 10,000 businesses and an estimated 145,000 jobs, Richmond continues to build on its diverse economy through partnerships that support business success and future growth.
The City is developing a new Economic Development Strategy to guide Richmond's economic direction over the next decade. Share your feedback by Sunday, November 22, at LetsTalkRichmond.ca.
Learn more about Richmond's economy and business resources at businessinrichmond.ca.