Libra - The Rice People wins for Business Leadership
Eva Sun has been in the rice business since 1984, when she opened a shop in Vancouver’s Chinatown. She quickly became known as the Rice Lady.
Today, she owns Richmond-based Libra National Inc., also known as The Rice People, which was honoured by the Richmond Chamber of Commerce at its Business Excellence Awards with a Business Leadership Award.
Sun, whose company has overcome bankruptcy, introduced the concept of “authentic ethnic food” in the late ’80s, helping major grocery chains to serve the ethnic market.
Her company started using biodegradable bags for rice in 2007 and compostable jars in 2011.
“As an entrepreneur, business is not just about making money. We can use business as our platform for our passion,” said Sun.
“And my passion is to help immigrants to settle in, and not just to settle down.”
Sun’s dedication to helping others is clear. She believes much more can be done for immigrants who often work in the grocery and food manufacturing industries. She offers her employees a free proofreading service to help them improve their English, and tunes her workplace in to CBC Radio—in a bid to boost their English skills.
It’s been something close to her heart since her father immigrated from Taiwan to Canada with no English skills.
Also nominated: Alan Rae Wealth Management, Ashton Service Group.
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