Joel DeYoung

Elected in May 2019, Joel DeYoung brings his entrepreneurial background and experience in technology to his first term on Vancity’s Board of Directors.

Joel DeYoung has been a Vancity member for nearly 25 years. In the 1990s, his expertise in computer science made him a suitable candidate as an early beta tester of Vancity’s then-experimental online banking system. The software came on a floppy disk and testers connected through a dial-up modem.

His long career in computer science gives him insight into the challenges Vancity faces as it keeps up with the rapid pace of technological growth.

He earned a master’s degree in computer science at the University of British Columbia. He entered the software business immediately after graduating, eventually leading teams of programmers on major projects at Radical Entertainment.

In 2006, he co-founded Hothead Games, BC's largest independent video game publisher. During Hothead’s first fourteen years, Joel led all core technology work at the company including game server infrastructure and their proprietary data and machine learning platforms.

Joel is currently Head of Engineering at PlaceHolder, a startup focused on helping companies find creative solutions to share office space. Throughout his career, he has built his leadership style on the principles of collaboration, trust and empowerment. He prefers to use evidence-based strategies to make decisions, in the knowledge that advances in data analytics enhance the capacity to arrive at the best outcome.

Joel was born in the United States and grew up in Manitoba. He credits his prairie childhood for instilling in him a commitment to cooperative business. He says he’s proud of Vancity's leadership role among co-ops in BC, and how it uses values-based banking to create healthy, vibrant communities.

From 2011 to 2018, he served on the board of Modo the Car Co-op, during a time of great growth for the carshare. He worked as chair of the board from 2012 to 2015.

Joel lives in Vancouver with his partner Michelle; their two children attend the University of Victoria. In his spare time, he enjoys running, cooking, and playing badminton at his local community centre.