Before establishing Phaze 3 in 2016, Rick was President and CEO of Weston Forest Products, and the Weston Forest Group of Companies, conducting business in over 40 countries on 4 continents. Weston companies have repeatedly won a variety of awards including Canada’s Best Managed Companies, Profit 500’s Fastest Growing Companies and Waterstone Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures. In January 2021, Weston Forest Products was sold to a private equity company.Today, Rick and the Phaze 3 team operate in 3 major areas:1. The Asset Management/Investment Team manages various industrial and commercial real estate properties, invests in residential and commercial green-field and redevelopment projects, and invests in private companies in both the Venture Capital and Private Equity spaces. 2. The Philanthropy Team supports several charities with a primary focus on the Together We Stand Military Families Foundation that Rick and his wife, Lillian, co-founded in 2017 to honour and thank Canadian military families for their service. In its first three years of operation, Together We Stand has distributed almost $3 million in gifts to military families with a loved one deployed overseas during the December holiday season and led the Canadian Parliament to declare the 3rd Friday of each September as Canada’s official Military Family Appreciation Day. 3. The Advocacy Team works on behalf of various organizations to further their causes with governments, and on behalf of individuals who find themselves in need.A creative disrupter, Rick’s greatest pleasure is challenging the status quo. With extensive experience running political campaigns, Rick is a mentor to political candidates and truly enjoys working with and mentoring bright young people. Rick has advised governments on policy and has acted on their behalf to solve difficult situations. REkstein@phaze3.ca