In Focus | Aaron Kilback

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?
Aaron Kilback.

Where are you from and how long have you lived in Kelowna?
I live in Penticton and commute to Kelowna. We started our business here and are planning to move here next summer.

Who is your favorite person to spend time with and why?
My wife by far. I have so many great conversations with her.

If you could go anywhere in the world right at this moment where would you go and why?
I would go to Florida and help with the hurricane victims.

What is your favourite local store in Kelowna and why?
I enjoy so many local stores but I often go to Mosaic books.

What is your favourite activity?
I enjoy getting out on the water in the summer and going to the ski hill with my kids in the winter.

If you had to choose: pizza, tacos, or burgers?
Tacos. My wife makes killer salsa and pickled jalapenos!

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?
When I was a kid, I saved up for an entire summer for a new mountain bike. I was out for my first ride on the seawall at Granville Island, when I whiped out, over the edge of the seawall and had to get rescued by the fire department.

What is the most inspiring thing that has happened to you?
The birth of my two children. It may sound cliché but I love spending time with them and they constantly inspire me.

Tell us your favourite childhood memory.
Going fishing with my father.

If you could change one thing in the world what would it be?
I would provide free connectivity to everyone on the planet. Once you are connected, you have safety, shared knowledge and insight. That changes everything.

What is your favourite activity in Kelowna?
Walking on the lakeshore and having great conversations with others in the community.

Where would you sneak away to in Kelowna to spend some time alone?
Kasuai Gardens. It is amazing how calming it is to watch Koi in a pond for a while.

Where would you like to see positive change in Kelowna and why?
I don’t know what the answer is but the homeless people in Kelowna need our help. I see them everyday and it saddens me that people have to live like that.

What do you think makes Kelowna great?
The community spirit is second to none.

What are 3 things on your bucket list?
If it all ends tomorrow there are three things I will use to measure my success.
1. I raised contributing and respectful kids.
2. Created something meaningful that will continue to provide value after I am gone.
3. Made people smile.

Tell us something that not everyone may know about you.
Most people don’t know your past. The struggles that never make the Facebook posts, tweets, and conversations over coffee. I have made significant and embarrassing mistakes in my past. I think the one thing most people don’t know about me is that I spent several years doing covert investigations. This allowed me to spend time with people from every walk of life and developed a unique lens to view the world through.

How do people connect with you, personally, through social media? (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest)
If someone wants to connect with me, send me an email at aaron.kilback@yodelme.com.

What is the name of your business/organization?
yodelME.

Why did you get into/start this business?
I have always been entrepreneurial. I started this business when I was working for Progress Energy in Northern BC. I was sincerely astonished by the lack of technological advancement in this industry. I would go out every day and could not communicate with anyone unless they happened to be on a radio channel or I would drive 45 minutes to find a spot with cellular reception. If you look at this on a macro scale, this means there are thousands of people out there right now that could get injured, need information or need to coordinate with others and can’t get the help. This applies to agriculture, transportation, government, forestry, mining and more.

What is the goal of your business?
We want to transform remote mobile communications so it is simple, elegant and fun. We do this by providing a satellite terminal and an app that works anywhere, on any network! We’ve solved communications issues for government, forestry, agriculture and transportation and we are just getting started.

What has been your biggest struggle either in work or life?
Perspective. It is so easy to let your mind create problems that don’t exist or focus on the negative. This is why I love Accelerate Okanagan and the group of founders that I spend time with. It helps me find clarity in the chaos.

If you could start all over again would you do things the same or would things be different?
I wouldn’t change anything. The struggles are part of the process. I believe you shouldn’t rob yourself of hardship.

What do you always find yourself saying?
'Never waste a good crisis'

If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select?
My father. He is the wisest and strongest man I know. He is the person I look up to.

Why do you think it is important to shop locally?
I grew up in a small community so we knew lady at the post office, the guy who owned the gas station and grocery store. They would help you make choices that were good for you and not just to make them a quick dollar. We need to shop local and build those connections again.

What has been your proudest accomplishment?
There are two. The first is when I was recognized for my part in helping save a community from a wildfire in Ontario and the other was the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee medal I received for the work I did as an investigator.

Give someone you think that deserves a shout out and explain why!
I can’t just pick one! As the saying goes, you are the product of the five people you associate with most. Since I started to build a business in Kelowna, I have met so many amazing people. I want to say thank you to Robert Goltz for his mentorship and believing in me. I also have the deepest of gratitude for Raghwa Gopal and Brian Sheppard for their support and getting me out of the gate. I am also grateful to Nuri Fisher and Richard Takai for your friendship and support along the way.

My choice for the KelownaNow In Focus spotlight is:
Andrew Greer. He is good friend and he’s doing amazing things with his social enterprise accelerator, Purppl.

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.