Last Thursday, I was invited by my friend and fellow photographer, Javier Salazar, to photograph the Junior Achievement Alberta Business Hall of Fame gala which was held at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta. This year marked the 30th anniversary of this event which was launched “to identify and honor the lifetime achievements of Alberta’s most outstanding individuals who have helped shape our province through their business success, entrepreneurial spirit and philanthropic contributions serving as role models for society.” This year’s inductees included: Bill Fountain, John Hokanson, and Larry Anderson.

As a former participant in Junior Achievement, I was delighted to see how much the program has grown and that the interest amoung students, educators, and the business community in Edmonton remains strong. It seems like a lifetime ago that I served as the company president and treasurer for JA-Mart – our little upstart company which designed and sold re-usable lunch bags long before the environmental movement had even gotten off the ground. During the evening’s event, over 150 JA participants got up on stage  to share what JA meant to them and I started reflecting back on some of the great business lessons that JA taught me and what a great feeling it was to reconnect with JA again but this time as a small business owner. It was great to see so many young people learning about how to start and run a small business and equally as great to see the support they receive from the local business community. If you are interested in getting involved with Junior Achievement, they are always looking for volunteers who are intersted in giving their time to work with young people to help them develop their entrepreneural skills. Be sure to check out their website if you are interested in getting involved with JA.

Here are some photos from the evening’s event.