A local real estate developer may have been crowned as the city's most powerful person by Vancouver Magazine, but a 12-year-old girl is turning heads as the youngest person on this year's list.

Ian Gillespie with Westbank Projects, which has developed buildings like Vancouver's Shangri-la and the Woodwards complex, was bestowed with the honour at a gala hosted by CBC's Andrew Chang on Monday night.

The list was speckled with local politicians, government employees, and business moguls.

One person who stands out from that group is Tru Wilson — a 12 year-old girl born as a boy, who fought the Catholic school she attends so she could be treated as the gender she identifies with.

"It doesn't take much to fight for what you care for. You can fight for the littlest thing and it will make a difference," said Wilson in an interview with Chang earlier on Monday.

​Wilson said the school forced her to join boys' teams while playing sports, despite her identifying as a girl.

Her parents, Michelle and Garfield Wilson, said when they asked Tru how she wanted to handle the conflict, their daughter told them she wanted to make her battle public so others in similar situations would know they're not alone.

"It something that we're really proud of her for doing," said Michelle Wilson.

Vancouver Magazine's Power 50