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Meet Jay Starnino. He's from a small town outside of Calgary called Bragg Creek. It’s only about 500 people so don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of it.
Who is your favourite person to spend time with and why?
Definitely my girlfriend Sabrina. Over the last five years we’ve been on so many amazing adventures.
What is your favourite local store in Kelowna and why?
Well that one has got to go to Fresh Air Experience by default. The guys there are amazing. I have a tendency to be hard on gear and with the amount of cycling I do I’m in there almost daily in the summer getting things tuned or fixed up.
Describe yourself in one word.
Passionate.
If you could go anywhere in the world right at this moment where would you go and why?
Home. My dad just had a kinda complicated hip replacement and it’s killing me that I can’t be beside him through the recovery process.
What is your favourite activity in Kelowna?
Mountain biking! It’s amazing how quickly you can get away from the city here. Plus, the local trails and riding community are awesome so it’s really something I look forward to every day after work.
What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?
Over the years I spent in contracting and forestry I feel like I learned that nothing is really that embarrassing if you just embrace that you’re a human and be vocal about the mistakes you make.
What is the most inspiring thing that has happened to you?
Throughout my life I’ve always been taught to draw inspiration from the little things, most importantly the beauty of the outdoors. I can’t help but feel a little rush of inspiration every time the wind picks up or the sun breaks through the clouds.
Tell us your favourite childhood memory.
I was lucky enough to have a pretty great childhood. We had big forests and rolling hills right out our front door so when I think of my childhood the fondest memories are those of exploring the seemingly endless wilderness with my parents and friends.
Where do you volunteer or give back to in the community?
In the summer my time outside work goes into inspiring others to spend more time outdoors exploring. I often act as a group guide for community rides and have been acting as board representative for MTBCO for the last few years. More recently, Chris Siemens and I started The Highline MTB, a coaching group that offers affordable weekly skills clinics for people who want to get more comfortable pushing their fitness and skills, but don’t want to pay the big money for more extravagant guiding outfits elsewhere.
If you could change one thing in the world what would it be?
Universal access and willingness to education. I feel like so many of the problems humanity faces on a global scale are due to people just not knowing any better. It makes it even worse that people seem to celebrate naivety and bigotry for some reason.
Where would you sneak away to in Kelowna to spend some time alone?
There’s stellar lookouts around town atop the biking and hiking trails. The local geography has an influence on the way I think and behave, so often times the best thing I can do for my mental health is get above the clouds and gain a fresh perspective. My favorite spot has to be the lookout atop the trail 'City on the Edge of Forever'.
Where would you like to see positive change in Kelowna and why?
There are a lot of really great changes happening here. Kelowna is starting to gain recognition as a center for tech and entrepreneurial business, and gaining distance from the previous association with the party and tourism scene. I’d love to see the other trendy communities come to the cultural forefront. We have amazing access to the outdoors, great breweries and food, and so much more that makes Kelowna a really great place to be a part of. I can’t help but feel like some of the local hot spots don’t necessarily get the same recognition as they might in a place like Banff or Whistler.
What do you think makes Kelowna great?
The people. I moved to BC for the landscape but stayed here for the people.
What are 3 things on your bucket list?
My bucket list changes depending on what mood I’m in, but here are a few that have been on there for a while:
1. Design and build a gorgeous Net-Zero Energy/Off-the-grid house with my girlfriend, who happens to be a very skilled and creative carpenter
2. See Ludivico Einaudi perform in a concert house
3. Ski tour the Cordillera Blanca mountain range in Peru
Tell us something that not everyone may know about you.
I can cook a pretty mean Italian meal. Thanks Grandma.
How do people connect with you, personally, through social media? (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.)
People can follow my adventures and business endeavours through Instagram and through LinkedIn.
What is the name of your business/organization?
I’m working with two companies right now and I’m really excited about where both are headed. The first is Highstreet Ventures, a local award-winning development company that brought me on to help them reach their sustainability goals. They are building some really beautiful homes in the Okanagan right now and are leaders in building energy efficiency, so they are great to learn from. The second is The Highline MTB, a small mountain bike coaching and guiding outfit that I started last summer with another local athlete, Chris Siemens. For the sake of this article I’ll talk about sustainable development with Highstreet, but if you mountain bike in Kelowna I suggest checking out The Highline MTB on Facebook, it’s pretty sweet.
Why did you get into/start this business?
My life goal is to share the outdoors with others and maintain the longevity of the natural world as we know it. When I see a need I try and fill it regardless of whether I have time or resources to do so.
What is the goal of your business?
I’m pretty young still, and as much as the businesses around me have great goals and values that I can learn from, ultimately my own goals will drive where I end up. I want to contribute as much knowledge to the building community as I can, teaming up with other equally as passionate individuals to harness the creativity of architects and the technical genius of modern engineering to make inspirational buildings.
What has been your biggest struggle either in work or life?
Almost daily I find myself wishing there was more time in a day. Not necessarily so I can work harder, seems like I do too much of that already, but just because I think there is a lot of value in taking your time and stopping to smell the flowers.
If you could start all over again would you do things the same or would things be different?
I love my life and have no regrets.
What do you always find yourself saying?
'No worries'
Tell us your best piece of life advice.
A personal favorite is 'Doing a good job means doing everything in your power to make the next guy’s job easier' – Tim the Tree Faller, 2014.
If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select?
The snowboarder, Jeremy Jones. I feel like there is a lot of wisdom and artistry in human motion. When I watch him ride I can’t help but feel like he just 'gets it'. On top of that he’s a technical genius when it comes to mountaineering, and a powerful advocate for climate change.
Why do you think it is important to shop locally?
The more we invest in products produced close to home the more we invest in ourselves. I think there is a lot of value in neighbourly trade, and it’s great when businesses can generate income and credibility locally.
What has been your proudest accomplishment?
I try to stay pretty humble. I don’t think I’ve ever really let any one accomplishment instill a memorable sense of pride. In saying that, I’m four months away from being done an engineering degree that’s a little overdue and I’m excited about that.
Give someone you think that deserves it a shout out and explain why!
The whole team at Highstreet Ventures. They hired me straight out of a construction background and really fostered my interest in buildings and gave a lot of direction to my career. They are smart, compassionate people and I wouldn’t be here without them.
My choice for the KelownaNow In Focus spotlight is:
Tyson Schutte, the organizer of the Salvation Army ToyRun.
Some general comments I would like to share are:
We live in a beautiful world! I challenge everyone that reads this to get above the valley clouds of the city now and again to re-center. We can learn a lot from nature if we allow ourselves to.
We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE.
In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition for the people, businesses, and organizations that help make our city great.
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