Welcome to our Asian Heritage Month spotlight, where we celebrate founders remixing heritage, hustle, and a whole lot of flavor across BC’s startup scene. Today we’re trading IPO talk for pizza talk with Jan Natividad (marketing-whiz-turned-pizzapreneur) and Steven Che (Michelin-trained chef on a carb crusade). The duo behind Just Pizza proves that two Asian guys can rewrite Vancouver’s slice game—and have a blast doing it. Jan answered every question below, walking us through the grind, the culture, and the carbs. Please note the responses below have been edited for brevity.

Q: What inspired you and Steven to launch Just Pizza?

Jan:
“We wanted to build something fun that played to our strengths. Steven had cooked in three-Michelin-star kitchens and co-owned another pizzeria, but he craved full creative control. I’d spent years in B2B SaaS marketing and was itching for a brand where I could be completely creative. Together we dreamed up a space where quality is non-negotiable and our culture shows up in every slice.”

Q: How has your Asian heritage shaped your identity as a founder?

Jan:
“Pizza isn’t the first food people associate with Asian founders, but we owned it from day one. While we were still renovating, I posted a TikTok asking, ‘What do two Asian guys know about pizza?’ and it blew up. We leaned all the way in—anime-inspired branding, flavours we grew up loving, the works. Because we embraced our identity, our community embraced us. OMNI Filipino News featured us, and Steven even won Rising Star Chef of the Year at the Chinese Restaurant Awards—pretty wild for a pizza joint.”

Q: Any barriers you had to break through?

Jan:
“Opening the restaurant almost broke us. Permits, renos, inspections—ten months of hoop-jumping before we sold a single slice. I kept my 9-to-5 product-marketing job, too. Those months still haunt me, but they also toughened us up. On hard days at the office I remind myself: nothing is harder than the pre-opening gauntlet we survived.”

Q: Your best advice for Asian-identifying founders just starting out?

Jan:
“First, find someone who complements your weaknesses. I’m detail-obsessed and slow; Steven moves fast and sometimes misses details. We clash on process but sync on vision—together we’re stronger.
Second, celebrate your heritage loudly. So many customers show up simply to support an Asian-owned small business. Embrace who you are and your community will embrace you back.”

Q: Is there a cultural value woven into Just Pizza?

Jan:
“Absolutely—food as togetherness. In Filipino and Chinese culture, meals are family-style: dishes in the centre, everyone shares. Pizza fits that perfectly. Every monthly feature pie starts with a memory of what sat in the middle of our childhood tables. Even behind the scenes, we pause at 3 p.m. for a staff meal. Sitting down together reminds us why we do this: to bring people together through really good food.”

Slice-Sized Takeaways 🍕

• Heritage can be a super-power—even in an unexpected industry.
  
  
• The right co-founder is the yin to your yang (or the cheese to your dough).
  
  
• Community love is real—show up authentically and it will show up for you.
  
  

Craving a taste? Try Just Pizza and meet the team at our VSW 2025 Opening Reception and Ecosystem Showcase on Tuesday, May 20th. Afterwards, find them at 888 Main St.—go for the char-siu slice, stay for the family-style vibes.  

Stay tuned all month as we spotlight more Asian founders turning bold roots into big moves across BC’s startup landscape.

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