Forty Under 40

Nominate now

BIV is accepting nominations for its 2025 Forty under 40 Awards program. Now in its 36th year, this program recognizes outstanding B.C.-based entrepreneurs, executives, professionals and leaders who have achieved remarkable success before the age of 40, and who share a deep commitment to community.

Nominations for the 2025 program opened February 14 and will close on June 30 at 12 p.m. All applications are reviewed by BIV's team, and all eligible nominations are shared with a volunteer judging committee that will select 40 individuals to recognize in 2025. The committee includes BIV's editor-in-chief, and Forty under 40 alumni. Winners will be selected and announced in late summer.

The Forty under 40 Class of 2025 will join an alumni community of approximately 1,400 individuals who are making significant contributions to life, work, industry and philanthropy in British Columbia.

Eligibility:

The following criteria must be met in order for an individual to be eligible for this awards program. A nominee must:

Be 39 years of age or younger on December 31, 2025
Be a resident of British Columbia
Conduct most of their work and volunteer activity in B.C.
Have not previously received a Forty under 40 Award

Individuals who have previously been nominated and have not won this award are eligible.

What you will need:

A completed nomination form (see this example)
An up-to-date CV that includes the nominee's contact information
Two letters of support
A high-resolution headshot

Judging criteria:

Winners are selected based on their successes and contributions across four broad areas: Career achievement; innovation, vision and leadership; power and influence; and community involvement. Each success journey is different, and judges will consider the context for success, such as the challenges an individual may have overcome in order to progress and excel in their career.

This awards program has proudly recognized individuals outside of business, such as leaders in health care, the non-profit sector and sport. In these cases, a clear connection to business must be established, either through entrepreneurial efforts or industry engagement.

In considering each candidate, judges will use the following weighting:

30% Career achievement

Significant business accomplishments
Career advancement
Company/organization contributions
Past distinctions and awards
Professional designations, certifications and licences
Educational qualifications

30% Innovation, vision and leadership

Innovation in business
Industry and team leadership
Industry disruption

20% Power and influence

Committee, board or task force appointments
Roles in key decision-making

20% Community involvement

Board or committee member of an industry association
Member of an industry association
Participation as a mentor
Non-profit and community work

Notes:

All information in the nomination package must be accurate and may be published if a nominee is selected as a winner.
Nominations will be fact-checked.
To ensure accuracy, we strongly recommend working with a nominee, and putting their name forward with their knowledge.
Background checks will be completed on short-listed nominees, results from which may disqualify a nominee.
A $50 fee will be collected via credit card to submit a nomination.
Once submitted, information cannot be edited.
Nominators may submit nominations for more than one individual.
Self-nominations are accepted.
Please do not submit multiple nominations for one individual.
Please do put past nominees forward for this year's program.
You can view a copy of the full nomination form here.