A VOICE FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Who is Vy Catherine?

Daughter, Wife, Sister, Auntie, Friend, Entrepreneur, Connector, Philanthropist, GrandmaCand and lover of ALL shoes

I'm passionate about Diversity and Inclusion

Being a woman in a male-dominated industry for the past 20 years has made me aware of the plight of women. I don’t judge people by what I see but rather by their actions. Raising a brother with Down syndrome has also opened my eyes to discrimination based on people’s disabilities. My brother Daniel has taught me to see people for their abilities and hearts. I am a champion of the underdog, I honour everyone’s uniqueness and tend to be drawn to people who are eccentric.

Gratitude

I feel so blessed and grateful for my life. I take time to count my blessings and encourage my team to do it daily with me. I choose to be grateful. I also choose to see the good in people and live life to the fullest. Gratitude to me is maximizing my time. If it can be done today let's do it! I look for joy in the smallest things like how the sunlight hit the trees, worms after the rain. Being in gratitude is also about taking the time to look and appreciate. Trust me this was not easy for a person who moves through life at warp speed like me but I find the more time I spend in nature the easier this gets. It truly is about the practice.

I love to move!

“The first wealth is your health”
Ralph Waldo Emerson 1860

I've always been active but until 4 years ago I was not consistent. Now I know the importance of movement for my physical and mental health. At 50 I can say that I'm the fittest that I've ever been. I realize that my body is a beautiful machine that is made to move. If you don’t move your body will freeze up. So now I make movement a priority in life. Happiness is moving my body in nature as the sun rises.

Accidental entrepreneur

When I graduated from U of A in 1994, there was no job for an average accounting student. So my only prospect was a marketing job for an IT company. To be honest I don’t have knowledge of either industries, but IT takes the cake - I was computer illiterate. So how does a computer illiterate woman end up owning an IT company? Long story short - its all because I trust and collaborate with all my consultants and trust my instincts. I was not afraid to ask questions.

My main focus was making IT easy and friendly for my clients. I'm thankful for the relationships and opportunities that I have enjoyed through being an entrepreneur in the friendliest and supportive city in the world. The Edmonton business community is the main reason for my success. Of course, entrepreneurship was not always an easy road but if you want to know more about the journey - reach out to me and let's chat. I love meeting new people and sharing my journey. Its my way of thanking all the mentors who have not hesitated to share their learnings with me whenever I reach out. One of my most proudest role is that of the Threshold Impact Venture Mentoring Services for the last 8 years. It is so rewarding to give back my time and mentored other new entrepreneurs. I especially love learning from others phenomenal mentors in the program.

Life is an Adventure

Life is an Adventure and the best adventure is exploring the world. I love to travel. It doesn't have to be far. since meeting my husband Arvind 6 years ago we have travelled the world from Edmonton to as far as Vietnam. I loved every countries, and town and mountains that we've explored. So much to learn from others. Happiness is exploring a country by bikes and feet - you get to see so much more that way.

I am, I can. I will. I do

Resiliency is not just a strength, but a source within me!

My life's goal is to make an impact - I believe that we all have it in us to do this everyday. "Be the change you want to see in the world" It all start with you. 1% improvement or better than I am yesterday is what I seek. Some days are easier than other to accomplish but I know that it start with me respecting myself, then others and keeping my word is a priority always.

Like Mother Teresa says "We can do no great things, only small things with great love" If we all just focus on doing small things with great love - imagine what kind of world we can create and live together.

Catherine Vu is one of the most recognizable entrepreneurs and community leaders in our city. Those who know her, see Catherine living a life of joy, passion, and energy every single day.

A member of Synergy Network, the Stollery Women’s Network and the Board of Directors for Explore Edmonton, her passion for Edmonton is only matched by her commitment to mentoring and encouraging the next generation of female entrepreneurs and leaders. Catherine is an alumnus of the University of Alberta School of Business, a Top 40 Under 40 recipient and was selected as a 2017 Business in Edmonton leader. She is also proud to be one of 22 founding mentors of the University of Alberta Venture Mentoring Services (UA VMS) program, which now has 100+ mentors.

I am totally linked to my principles

As long as I can remember I also wanted to have a foundation like the Gates Foundation. I thought that you have to be a bazillionaire to have one. In 2019 I found out that I could have one if I want one. So I jumped at the chance and started the VU Impact Fund with $38000.00 - $1000 for every year that I've been in Canada - I forever grateful to my Dad for sponsoring my mom and 2 sisters over to Edmonton in 1981 - We tried to escape Vietnam in 78 but was caught by the communists and sent home with nothing. We begged our way back to Ho Chi Minh through the goodness of the poor villagers. It was a kindness I never forget and I want my funds to help the vulnerable people of Edmonton especially people with disabilities, children and women.

A window into the moments of my life

They say a picture is worth a thousand words - if this is true then my biography would be hundreds of books for the last 50 years. The best part is I don’t even have to write a word! (can you tell that writing is not my passion?) I love taking pictures. I take pictures of everything and everyone. I love reliving my life through my pictures. They really take me right back to the moment again. I hope you enjoy this brief peek into my life.

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