2021 Top 40 Under 40 List Revealed
Today Avenue Magazine Calgary has revealed its 2021 list for Top 40 Under 40. Amongst the recipients is 4Seasons CEO: Brooke Garcia!
The Top 40 is a celebration of the best and brightest in the city and an in-depth look at the diversity of opportunities and achievements happening in Calgary. Their work has already changed and will continue to change, the city, and their respective industries, from non-profit innovators to masters of the C-suite, from leaders in the arts to groundbreakers in medical research — the Top 40 Under 40 demonstrate the breadth and depth of what is being achieved in Calgary.
Avenue’s Top 40 Under 40, presented in association with the University of Calgary, creates a snapshot of what being young and successful looks like in Calgary in a particular year. While the Top 40 Under 40 class of 2021 represents a diverse group of individuals over a wide range of industries and sectors, one of the common threads this year is that many are building capacity for others to succeed. This is a group whose members aren’t just out to succeed for their own gain, but to succeed at creating a more equitable, accessible and just society.
Why 4Seasons CEO Brooke Garcia is a 2021 Top 40 Under 40
Brooke Garcia provides compassionate transportation to Calgary students living with disabilities through 4Seasons Transportation, a company she started with as a driver and now oversees as CEO.For students living with disabilities, the bus ride to school can set the tone for their whole day. It’s a responsibility Brooke Garcia doesn’t take lightly as CEO of Calgary-owned and operated 4Seasons Transportation.
“We are really the vessel for them to be successful in their day,” Garcia says. “If they have a bad bus ride, these children are set up for failure. A successful bus ride is a successful day.”
Creating a commute that allows all students to thrive and have access to equal education is central to Garcia’s mission. The 4Seasons buses transport students with disabilities to and from school and other programs, daily and year-round. Ridership includes students with cognitive, mental, intellectual and behavioural disabilities.
Garcia started as a driver for 4Seasons in 2010, one of just eight employees. Previous to that, Garcia ran a day home serving a similar demographic, so she was familiar with the gap in quality services offered to the disability community. Looking to better address this gap, Garcia began to learn the ins and outs of the organization, including payroll, dispatch and vehicle maintenance. While doing so, she also took the lead on signing contracts with large public and private school boards in Calgary and the surrounding area. Quickly rising through the ranks, she took over as 4Seasons’ CEO in 2018.
Now in her 11th school year with 4Seasons, Garcia has grown the company to more than 400 employees and increased ridership by twentyfold. Already a case study in expansion, Garcia says she has no plans in slowing down while there’s still potential to serve a community that is near and dear to her.
“Growth is exciting to me; more growth is fantastic,” Garcia says. “It just means more children that we can impact.”
Congratulations to every Top 40 Under 40 award recipient! See the full list and feature article on 4Seasons Transportation CEO Brooke Garcia here.