echelon club, ari nitikman, folioyvr, helen siwak, yacht, cruise party, vancouver, granville island, yvr

Echelon Voyage: Connecting Entrepreneurs On the Waves [PHOTOS]

Hosted by Vancouver-based entrepreneur Ari Nitikman, the first Echelon Voyage set off from Granville Island on the Royal Vancouver I. Guests included a cadre of like-minded entrepreneurs dressed in their finest ‘nautical casual,’ like the DYNE Technologies C-Suite below (Arnav Mishra, Eric Grosser, Parsa Riahi), Bub Marketing’s Tianna Lee, Flax Labs‘ Zach Oldham, Peter Chen of Tality Wellness, and many more.

L-R: Eric Grosser, Parsa Riahi, Arnav Mishra | Image: Helen Siwak

echelon club, ari nitikman, folioyvr, helen siwak, yacht, cruise party, vancouver, granville island, yvr

What is Echelon?

Echelon is a highly-vetted community where a current member must refer prospective members before passing an application and interview process. Its mission is to redefine the social and professional landscape of Vancouver. The venture will achieve this through an exclusive physical club space where emerging leaders can congregate and collaborate, moving beyond traditional boundaries. Echelon aims to curate intimate events that foster meaningful interactions, catalyzing relationships that will shape the city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

When asked what inspired this new undertaking, Ari replied, “The spark that grew into Echelon Club came from my first mastermind retreat in Whistler. It was the first time I was surrounded by entrepreneurs, and it felt like I had finally found my people.”

Currently, the club is attracting and vetting 50 Founding Members. When it formally launches, Echelon will provide an opportunity to come together and network away from Vancouver’s traditional private clubs through unique monthly events, from stand-up comedy to live music, movie screenings, outdoor adventures, and intimate concerts.

“With Echelon, I am creating an upscale and exclusive space where the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders can work, play, and create deep connections with like-minded peers,” shares Nitikman.

Who is Ari Nitikman?

Ari is a two-times Team Canada Ultimate Frisbee player who, in 2016, co-founded Elevate Ultimate. This groundbreaking initiative evolved into a premier ultimate frisbee program that saw the participation of over 10,000 children. In January 2023, he launched Echelon, an ambitious project born from his profound concern for the absence of vibrant third spaces catering to budding entrepreneurs and professionals in Vancouver. (Follow Ari on LinkedIn here).

Are you interested in learning more? Click here: Echelon Club

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Echelon Event sponsors included:

WiseSponsor: Connects event hosts with a curated network of interested sponsors (Startups/small businesses), providing a seamless way to manage sponsorship for both parties.
WingZ: An app dedicated to managing business expenses with an eye on your growth and impact. WingZ uses AI to analyze purchase receipts, providing insights on performance compared to peers, offering saving suggestions, and showcasing to customers local involvement.
Tality Spa: Gave away two free passes to their amazing sauna + cold plunge spa.
No Days Wasted: Provided free packages of Vancouver-based recovery product, DHM Blend.

Author Profile

Helen Siwak, Luxury Lifestyle Observer: Helen Siwak is the founder of EcoLuxLuv Communications & Marketing Inc and publisher of Folio.YVR Luxury Lifestyle Magazine and PORTFOLIOY.YVR Business & Entrepreneurs Magazine. She is a prolific content creator, consultant, and marketing and media strategist within the ecoluxury and luxury lifestyle niches. Helen is the west coast correspondent to Canada’s top-read business magazine Retail-Insider, holds a vast freelance portfolio, and is an EIC for Hire. Connect with her here: [email protected].