Top 40: Ezra Cipes
Okanagan Edge Staff - Jan 12, 2018 - Columnists

Image: Contributed

This year, Okanagan Edge and the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce have partnered to showcase some of the Okanagan’s most exciting entrepreneurs, through the Top 40 Under 40 program.

Sponsored by BDO, the Top 40 Under 40 recognizes innovative young professionals in our community, and showcases their accomplishments.

Okanagan Edge will feature a new honouree each week, so check back often.

This week we recognize Ezra Cipes, of Summerhill Pyramid Winery.

Image: Contributed

Ezra Cipes is well-known as the CEO of Summerhill Pyramid Winery, but he’s also held several leadership roles in both the provincial and national wine industries.

Cipes was first elected to the British Columbia Wine Institute board of directors in 2014, and now sits as the vice-chair of the organization. He’s also been the director of the Canadian Vintner’s Association since 2012.

Through both organization Cipes challenged labelling issues, leading a conversation that resulted in industry-wide agreement to to change wine labelling in Canada, and put to rest one of the most divisive issues in the industry.

As the chair of the BC Wine Appellation Group, Cipes also helped author a set of recommendations that helped the industry “join the bigger wine world and put itself on the international map.”

Cipes’ accomplishments at Summerhill are well-known, and on top of them he sits on the board of the Kelowna Waldorf School, the Inner Fish Theatre Society, and the host committee of the 2018 Breakout West Festival.

Cipes also advocates with local, provincial, and federal government on behalf of the David Suzuki Foundation’s “Right to a Healthy Environment” Blue Dot Campaign.


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