In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition for the people, businesses and organizations that help make our city great. The team at KelownaNow.com is passionate about this community and the people that make it amazing. We want to show our friends, neighbours, family and colleagues that we notice them and the fabulous things that they do.

What is your name?
Ken Stober

What do you always find yourself saying?
I love my life.

If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select and why?
Richard Branson. I love his style, he seems to be having the time of his life innovating, creating and growing his many businesses that enhance the human experience. I imagine he would have great stories to tell over dinner.

If you were to receive any existing public award, what award would you like to win?
I would love for Third Space to win Corporate Community of the Year.  

If you could spend a day with any historical figure, who would you choose and why?
Leonardo da Vinci.  Absolutely brilliant mind, incredible artist, a true universal genius.  Was there anything that this guy could not do or was not interested in?

Who inspires you?
Anyone that uses their experience, story and talents to make the world a better place.

What are three things on your bucket list?
Travel, travel and more travel.

If you had an enormous yacht, what would you name it?
“Better to be lucky than smart”

If you could foresee a single day of your future in its entirety, what date would you select?
My death, and then avoid it at all costs.

What are you passionate about?
Human potential. Helping people discover why they are here and what they are passionate about. Passion plus imagination equals a better world.

What has been your favourite day of your life, up to this point?
Meeting my wife Linda…everything just got better… including my jean selection.

What has been your proudest accomplishment?
Having an awesome marriage and the fact that my 14 and 17 year old daughters still like me.

Where is your favourite place to dine in Kelowna? What do you like about it?
I am not a foodie, but you can’t go wrong with Waterfront Wines and Bouchons Bistro.  Excellent experience every time.

What is your favourite activity or event in Kelowna? Why?
Wine fest and Okanagan Suns football games – love wine, and love the pain & passion of football

What is the name of your business/organization?
Third Space (Coffee, Charity, Wellness)

What does your business/organization do?
Third Space is a collective of individuals who are passionate about creating unforgettable experiences that elevate values individually and communally.  At Third Space, we believe that changed people change the world.  We value establishing and cultivating strong relationships with all types of people, because we know people are our greatest resource.  We are all about mind, body and soul.  Most people discover us through our not-for-profit third wave coffee shop.  This leads people to lean into our services of Professional Development, Life Guidance & Spiritual Exploration.  We just launched our Third Space Life Charity and Holistic Wellness Centre.

Where can people find your business on Facebook?
Third Space Coffee

What is your Twitter account?
@thirdspacec

What is your mission?
Our mission is to change what people care about.  Because changed people change the world.

If you could achieve one thing within your field, what would it be?
We believe every individual matters.  If we could create a stronger community elevating values that make us uniquely human that would be success.

Where do you want your business/organization to be in five years?
We would love to replicate the Third Space model in other communities. We believe that ThirdSpace is more than a good idea; we believe our culture, every individual, needs a Third Space.

Who do you consider to be a forerunner within your field?
As far as we know, we are a pioneering work in progress. There are no models that we look to; rather our own team is challenged to be social innovators aspiring to add value to our community.

What three qualities do you feel that your business/organization exemplifies?
Leadership through Social Innovation
Raising values of what it means to be human
Authentic conversation

What would you like to say to your employees/volunteers?
We have beautifully talented people that care about people.  Which is exactly why they are on our team.  Every staff member, associate & barista is family.   I love our entire team and love coming to work everyday to collaborate on ways to inspire people.

How does your business/organization impact the community?
Third Space is a collective of individuals who are passionate about creating unforgettable experiences that elevate values individually and communally.  Events like our 30 Day Forgiveness Challenge in partnership with the Desmond Tutu Foundation; Pathways to Peace Multi-faith Forum in partnership with Islam Events; Gallups Strength’s based leadership initiative with Kelowna Women’s Shelter, CMHA and Kelowna Community Resources;  Speaker Series on Dr. Brene Browns Value Based Living; What it means to be uniquely Human with Erwim McManus; Educational Forums on Parenting Adolescents and Understanding Self-Injury.  And we are proudly collaborating with UBCO School of Nursing and School of Social Work. 

If you were trapped in an elevator with several wealthy investors from any field, which field would you want them to be experts in? What would say to them/talk about?
I would be happy to be in an elevator with any wealthy investor.  I would invite them to tell us how they are currently using their influence and resources to make the world better. We would love to collaborate with them on their initiative or invite them to partner with us in one of ours.

If I could change one thing about Kelowna, it would be:
The traffic problem is Kelowna’s number one issue and I do not see a plan in place to rectify the situation.  Our city’s growth is far outpacing our infrastructure.  The City of Kelowna needs to be more creative than lengthening turn lanes and installing traffic lights.  It needs to shift from a mindset of how can we keep traffic moving faster rather than how to slow it down.

What do you think makes Kelowna great?
I was born in Kelowna, and I think it is the greatest place to live in the world. The scenery, climate, a true four seasons play ground. Kelowna has it all.

My choice for the Kelowna In Focus spotlight is:
Tristica Curley from Fueling with Food

We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below, and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE. Thank you, Kelowna!