Partner Spotlight: Rosa Miller – Prince Rupert & District Chamber of Commerce President & Project Controls Manager for Prince Rupert LNG, BG Group

In December 2019, the ThriveNorth program successfully completed its five-year mandate. Managed by Futurpreneur Canada, the program helped young entrepreneurs in Northern B.C. launch and grow their businesses by connecting them with resources, financing and mentorship.

We chatted with Rosa Miller, Project Controls Manager for Prince Rupert LNG, BG Group and President of the Prince Rupert & District Chamber of Commerce, about the ThriveNorth initiative and the involvement of both BG Group and the Prince Rupert & District Chamber of Commerce.

In 2014, BG Canada and Futurpreneur Canada developed the ThriveNorth Initiative to work with the local business network to empower and enhance entrepreneurship opportunities for young people in British Columbia’s Northwest region. ThriveNorth was developed as both Futurpreneur and BG Canada shared the core belief that a mix of talent, thriving local businesses, and larger development projects were essential to building a strong, more resilient local economy.

Rosa shared with us a bit about the Prince Rupert & District Chamber of Commerce and its involvement in the community. “The mission of the Prince Rupert & District Chamber of Commerce is to lead the business community in building a diverse, competitive and sustainable economy that enhances quality of life,” Rosa shared. “We work to foster partnerships with the municipal government and liaise with local business and government organizations to encourage a positive business environment in Prince Rupert.”

We discussed with Rosa why she felt the ThriveNorth initiative was so important to both BG Group and the Prince Rupert & District Chamber of Commerce, and she shared that small business is the backbone of the economy in Prince Rupert and Northern British Columbia. “We want to do what we can now to help grow small business and create jobs,” Rosa explained. “We think ThriveNorth can play a big role in this by helping entrepreneurs in Northern BC start and grow their own businesses.”

So far in 2015, there have been some great success stories come out of the ThriveNorth initiative, including four new businesses being launched, four others being close to launching, and another four in the stage of growing their businesses. “We’re really proud to support entrepreneurship in Northern BC,” Rosa exclaimed excitedly.

Rosa shared that statistics in British Columbia tell us that over 95% of businesses are defined as small businesses and that the over 1 million jobs that these businesses provide are more than half of the jobs in our provincial economy. “Creating new opportunities for younger generations and stimulating local business are key pieces in helping Northern BC grow,” she shared.

About BG Group:
BG Group is a world leader in natural gas, with a strategy focused on connecting competitively priced resources to specific, high-value markets. Active in more than twenty countries on five continents, BG Group has a broad portfolio of exploration and production, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and transmission and distribution business interests. It combines a deep understanding of gas markets with a proven track record in finding and commercializing reserves.

About Prince Rupert & District Chamber of Commerce:
The mission of the Prince Rupert and District Chamber of Commerce is to lead the business community in building a diverse, competitive and sustainable economy that enhances quality of life. Our objectives are to be the voice of business, to act as a catalyst to promote business growth and to maximize value for our membership in Prince Rupert & District.

The Prince Rupert & District Chamber of Commerce works to foster partnerships with the municipal government. We also liaise with local business and government organizations to encourage a positive business environment.

Written By: Lauren Marinigh, Social Media & Content Creation Coordinator, Futurpreneur Canada