Report Self-Employment Road Maps – Exploring Entrepreneurship for Newcomers

February 13, 2019

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................... 3

I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................ 4

II. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES .......................................................... 4

III. PROJECT DESCRIPTION ............................................................ 5

IV. CONFERENCE DAY SCHEDULE ............................................... 6

V. EVENT EVALUATION .................................................................. 8

VI. REFERENCES .......................................................................... 12

VII. ABOUT THE SPEAKERS ......................................................... 13

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Executive Summary

Entrepreneurship is a powerful force driving innovation, productivity, job creation and economic growth. Countries with a high level of entrepreneurial activity tend to be better off economically. Entrepreneurs have made fundamental impacts throughout the history of Canada, and today more and more Canadians from all walks of life are becoming, or thinking of becoming, entrepreneurs. (Canada, 2010) In 2010, about 5.8% of immigrants who had been in Canada for 10 to 30 years owned a private incorporated company (with employees) compared to 4.8% of the Canadian-born. (Canada S. , 2018) As previous years’ BIPT Employment annual event focused in helping immigrants and refugees (newcomers) understand Canadian Career Pathways of employment, the employment Working Group opted for a slightly different format for this year’s conference. Entitled, the Self-Employment Road Map – Exploring Entrepreneurship for Newcomers, this event turned out to be very successful with an outcome for newcomers to become self-employed and create income. According to Stats Canada their evidence indicating that the higher self-employment rate among immigrants is in part due to their inability to find a good job. The proportion who were self-employed because lack of job opportunities was higher among immigrants (33%) and recent immigrants (40%) than among the Canadian-born (20%) (Canada S. , 2018). The purpose of the conference was to empower Burnaby newcomers to pursue self-employment as a meaningful option by becoming self-employed or starting their own business. The one-day conference ignited an attendance of 120 newcomers, 20 settlement service organization representatives, employers, funders and service providers offering entrepreneurship supports. The conference opened with a keynote presentation to empower newcomers on setting their self-employment and entrepreneurship mindset and to take the necessary steps to become self-employed. The presentation was followed by a moderated Panel of newcomer Entrepreneurs covering different sectors. Following this, a presentation on the basic ingredients for starting a business set the tone for the day. As this event involved sponsors, a panel presented the services and supports for newcomers interested in pursuing entrepreneurship in Canada. Table discussions on Legal Aspects, Accounting Practices, Marketing and Social Media, Start Up Financing, Business Plan and Women in Business provided an opportunity for participants to hear directly from the experts about each of the topics. A “Ask Me About” – Market Place tables offered the attendees information on services, financing and resources available to entrepreneurs. Also, an opportunity to network and connect with entrepreneurs and experts closed the conference at the end. The Market Place highlighted BDC (Business Development Bank of Canada), Futurpreneur, Women Enterprise Centre, Vancity, , MOSAIC, ISS of BC, and SUCCESS CPA, Small Business BC, Burnaby Public Library.

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I. Introduction

The Burnaby Intercultural Planning Table (BIPT) is Burnaby’s Local Immigration Partnership (LIP). LIPs do not provide direct client services, rather they build on local services to optimize engagement, planning and coordination around newcomer settlement and integration. The mission of BIPT, is to work with its 30 members representing organizations/agencies and institutions to work collaboratively to facilitate the integration of immigrants and refugees in Burnaby. BIPT Strategic Planning (2016-2019) brings attention to the multiple challenges immigrants and refugees face when finding employment and integrating in the community. Many newcomers are employed in different sectors of their expertise, or underemployed, are encouraged to become self-employed to secure a better lifestyle and income. Previous studies suggest that to improve immigrant employment outcomes, it is important to highlight the need for providing opportunities for newcomers, to make more meaningful connections with entrepreneurs, employers, and available resources to explore pathways to integrate them into the labour market and providing resources to help them fund and start-up their business. The priorities in the 2016 BIPT Strategic Plan include: access to information and services, intercultural connections, civic engagement, cultural representation and employment support, to ensure that Burnaby continues its path towards being an exceptionally welcoming and inclusive community in which every resident, whether native born, immigrants or refugees, enjoy equal opportunities to live, work and play. The employment working group proposed an event to provide immigrant a perspective on the Self-Employment Road Map – Exploring Entrepreneurship for Newcomers so that they are empowered and have better understanding of self-employment and the entrepreneurship mindset that help them take the necessary steps to become entrepreneurs.

II. Goal and Objectives

Goal: To empower Burnaby immigrants and refugees to pursue self-employment as a

meaningful option by becoming self-employed or start their own business.

Objectives:

Objective 1: To provide immigrants and refugees an opportunity to learn about self-employment as a career option.

Objective 2: Participant have a better understanding of the steps and characteristics of entrepreneurship or self-employment and the different forms of self-employment.

Objective 3: Increased understanding of Canadian small business fundamentals, services available and how to access them.

Objective 4: To create a platform for immigrants and successful businesses to connect and gain mutual benefit.

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III. Project Description

Project name: Employment Road Maps: Exploring Self- Employment for Newcomers

This event will discuss what you need to know about starting a business and overcoming common roadblocks to business success.

Planning Committee:

BIPT Employment Working Group: BBOT, Douglas College, MOSAIC, ISS of BC, SFU, SUCCESS, Vancity, BFL, AND IEC-BC

Project Owners Douglas College, SFU, MOSAIC, ISS of BC, SUCCESS, Vancity, BDC and IEC-BC

Sponsors BDC, Vancity, SUCCESS, MOSAIC, ISS of BC, SFU, Women Enterprise Centre, Futurpreneur/

Description:

A one-day event will bring together immigrants and refugees interested in pursuing self-employment or start-up a business.

The event will focus on various self-employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, share success stories and practical resources for those starting out and others who maybe facing challenges.

1. The event will provide educational opportunities for participants to learn:

• The do’s and don’ts of self-employment

• Process of starting-up a business

• Knowledge of Canadian accounting practices, taxes and legal aspects

• Overcoming challenges: facing new business as solopreneurs or entrepreneurs

• Importance of a business plan

• Networking and marketing for a small business

• Different types of self-employment businesses

• Sharing information on challenges and successes as entrepreneurs

• Businesses trends in BC

2. Also, the event will provide the opportunity to meet specialists in the field to ask questions and receive advice.

The event will help shed light on:

• Types of self-employment businesses

• How to start-up a business

• Importance of a business plan

• Accounting practices, taxes and legal aspects in a small business and resources available

• Shared successful experiences and challenges to overcome in business start-up as solopreneurs or entrepreneurs

• Importance of networking and marketing yourself and your business (social media)

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Keynote Presentation:

The event will start with a Keynote presentation to empower newcomers on setting their self-employment and entrepreneurship mindset and take the necessary steps to become entrepreneurs. (40 minutes)

An overview of the different types of self-employment opportunities. …(15-minutes)

A Panel of successful entrepreneurs ( various industries) 5 panelists will talk about:

• Business profile (5 minutes) followed by a Q& A (3 minutes)

• Success Ingredients (5 minutes) followed by Q & A (3 minutes)

• Business Challenges 95 minutes) followed by Q & A (3 minutes)

Basic Ingredients for starting a business (30 minutes) Business Tables Presentations

• Legal aspects of small business

• Accounting practices for small business

• Marketing your business (social media)

• Start up financing

• Do I need a Business Plan?

Professional resources (Legal, accounting, starting a business, marketing, financing) and Networking supports. The working group members will be responsible for: - the success entrepreneur stories - finding presenters and - outreaching participants - helping to find the funding for the event Market Place: The set up will be done before guests’ arrival and will be open during the duration of the Conference and will close by 4 pm.

Time 8:30 - 4:00 pm

Who will be attending Immigrants and Refugees

Date: Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Venue: Ismaili Centre, Burnaby

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IV. Conference Day Schedule

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V. Event Evaluation: Feedback from participants

The questions on the evaluation form were strategically planned by the Working group to provide feedback for the event and prompt ideas for future events. The feedback process was included in the agenda for participants to complete with time allotted for participants to provide comments. Overall, the feedback was excellent from the participants, company representatives and guests which are documented below.

Summary Participant Evaluations

To continuously improve our programs and work related to the settlement and integration of immigrants and refugees, BIPT would appreciate your feedback of the event.

Please grade the conference using and X or check mark

The Conference was informative and useful 0 0 5 11 29

The panels presentations increased my knowledge and understanding of entrepreneurship

0 0 4 17 24

What did you like the most about this conference? 1. Board of Trade presentation and table presentations 2. What is required (legal aspects), marketing, research to start a business from an idea. 3. Current entrepreneurs sharing their experience (failure, challenges, etc.) 4. The organization, -> the way it was organized 5. The BBOT and Guidebook provide very practical information 6. I enjoyed everything – the speakers, service providers and participants. Great energy and everyone wanted to learn about self-employment. 7. Sponsors panel 8. The table discussions, the information convened 9. The panel of entrepreneurs – very helpful 10. The ideas, guidance for new entrepreneurs 11. Marketing plan and Business Plan 12. I really like how they asked some entrepreneurs, questions 13. It is great to invite professionals from different fields / industries to come

Which of the tables was most useful for you?

Very useful

useful neutral Somewhat useful

Not useful

Legal aspects 11 12 15 3 1

Accounting Practices 7 17 7 7 2

Marketing & Social Media 17 18 7 4 0

Financing 15 21 4 3 0

Women in Business 14 13 11 1 3

Business Plan 5 6 1 1 1

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together: educational institutions, professional associations, financial institutions. Community service providers. 14. Panel interviews are great to provide the audience with an opportunity to hear from different perspectives 15. Table discussion, all the speakers were professionals in their businesses 16. Marketing and women in business 17. Very useful. Thanks for organizing it. 18. Sharing ideas, networking level 19. Basic ingredients 20. Great network event. Get some information and where to get help 21. It opens a new view for me 22. Very informative and diverse 23. Best way to start a business: Financial Planning, Accounting (CPA) Legal aspects 24. To understand how… 25. Organization of presentations, panel discussions, table discussions 26. The panel entrepreneurs, where the business person shared them experiences how they started, challenges, etc. 27. How to find information free of charge! That was awesome 28. Well organized and informative 29. Organized and responsive to inquiries. Also, thank you for considering food choices of the participants 30. Having opportunity to meet exports 31. Open of mind and knowledge about self-employment 32. overage of all topics 33. All the information that give to me 34. Everything! 35. It is better to focus on detail in few aspects more 36. I like the good organization, the control of time and the quality of experts you bring to the tables. 37. I increase my knowledge for marketing and legal, accounting and Burnaby resources 38. Every aspect and topic were great and informative 39. Entrepreneurs panel 40. The diversity of the panel and networking 41. The entrepreneur’s panel was very useful 42. This conference was more organized and well informative 43. Professional people, great leaders 44. I learned about the entrepreneurial environment in Canada What suggestions do you have for improvement?

1. Make a person to person advisory table for entrepreneurs

2. Have more time for discussion

3. Too much presentation/speech in the morning. Maybe shift “entrepreneurs’ panel” to

afternoon session

4. A short presentation about the typical business plan

5. Maybe it will be better if the goal /the main theme / target is clearer during the

registration of the conference. This rundown is good for those who have no solid idea

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but just having a thought of starting a business, however, not much information for those

already have something but looking for practical information.

6. N/A

7. Have Wi-Fi password at the registration table. Some people were chatting at the back of

the room and it was a bit distracting.

8. Location more accessible would be great

9. One of the presenters (Cory) talked too fast which is fine for me but considering some

people in the audience were new immigrants, it would be good to make presenters

aware of this

10. If the table hosts could prepare key-points of take always for their specific topic it would

be more helpful. Some hosts really didn’t share useful information or none.

11. Some speakers are speaking too fast

12. Some speakers speaking fast

13. We need more breaktime to network more

14. Well done. This type of workshop is more need it to all newcomers or whoever are

interest it for

15. I think the tables should be organized in a way that reflect the business startup steps. I

like what business need to do to start

16. More intense. More focus on training

17. I suggest if you can do this conference in different language

18. Comparing with current set, maybe host of each table can move.

19. I need information for better decisions

20. It was great

21. No any special suggestions

22. By making time longer

23. A bit of hassle. Little time for discussion

24. No suggestions

25. Longer time

26. Longer timing 20- 30 minutes

27. More time to talk with all experts

28. Nothing

29. Starting a business in Canada is hard as it requires intensive work, study and research

30. I suggest the tables start talk about the topic and not with questions because sometimes

focus on a specific question and probably not cover all interest

31. Follow-up

32. Nothing as such

33. Much more time

34. The working groups timing should be expanded because the topics are more general,

and the facilitators don’t have enough time to explain.

35. Orientation about the most important economic sectors in Vancouver and its trends

Can you write your take away of this Conference?

1. Do research first before “you get your feet wet”

2. Business resource guidebook

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3. Before starting the business, think carefully and act

4. It introduces some organization that can help throughout building a business

5. Thank you very much. It was well organized, for lunch and for all resources. Job well

done!

6. It was very useful, and I’ve got an idea how to start my business

7. Information about legal/accounting resources available

8. Very helpful and informative!

9. New ideas, a lot of information and references

10. Lots of information are useful

11. Entrepreneurial shift

12. There are a lot of resources available for entrepreneurs to start and run their businesses

13. Money is the king not the phrase

14. A lot of information that I need to think of and use when I start my own business

15. Got to know lots of people

16. Business register information / tax information

17. Motivated to start up my business

18. Where to start when you have a business idea and financial

19. I learned a lot and find out that small businesses in Canada are important, and a lot

difficult to start a business

20. About mindset

21. Got a better view / advice from facilitators

22. A great place to start understanding businesses in BC

23. Connections, services and workshops

24. Get to know more about organizations helping with self-employment

25. Learned a lot

26. Knowledge and confidence to start a company

27. Enjoyed

28. Thank you for the event.

29. I take a lot of information very useful for me at this point of my project

30. I would like to thank Ana Maria and the organization for their efforts.

31. I have learnt and got a better /clear picture regarding business plan and other areas

32. Experiences of others, discussion legal / accounting aspects

33. I learned what should I focus for my future business

34. I learned that roadmap how to think, process and begin my business

35. Self-confidence

Any other comments:

1. Congratulations to all the teams

2. Thanks BIPT, sponsors and volunteers and all. Food was brilliant

3. Very well organized.

4. Thank you for organizing events like this.

5. Thank you for the amazing opportunity

6. Overall Excellent

7. Good

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8. Great event! Thank you for your great effort to make this event happen!

9. Thank you!

10. Thank you

11. Great event! extend the opportunities Hope there will be more similar events in the future

12. It will be nice if this kind of topic come back again

13. I like this conference because I have learned more and feel interest to learn more

14. It was a great conference and productive for me. I do appreciate that.

15. Thanks

16. Thank you for doing this event it was very helpful!

17. Great team/ great people / great networking

18. Well organized event. Thank you!

19. Thanks!

20. Thank you so much!

VI. References Canada, I. (2010). The State of Entrepreneurship in Canada. Ottawa: Public Works and Government

Services Canada. Canada, S. (2018). Research Blog: Immigrant entrepreneurs in Canada. Ottawa:

https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/blog/cs/immigrant-entrepreneurs.

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VII. About the Speakers

Laura Aveledo is the Business Planning and International Trade Advisor for Small Business BC. Laura takes her clients on a “business planning journey” which includes research, evaluation and development of business strategies and defining actions to encourage business growth. Laura is a Biologist with an MBA as well as a master’s in international marketing. She brings to her role over 15 years of international experience developed in a broad range of businesses from international corporations to financial services and not-for-profits; she has also developed her own business. Laura has advised over 300 entrepreneurs from varied industry backgrounds and has been an instructor in Entrepreneurship, marketing and Management. Laura is a mentor for multiple organizations including Futurpreneur, UBC MBA students, and Forum of Women Entrepreneurs. Laura speaks 3 languages – English, Spanish and French.

Tony Botelho is the Director of SFU Career & Volunteer Services, an office that was recognized as the Career Development Organization of the Year by the BC Career Development Association (2018). He was awarded the Rob Shea Research Award by the Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers (2014) for his research on the role of career education in the contemporary university environment and is the most recent recipient of the prestigious Stu Conger Award for Leadership by the Canadian Career Development Foundation (2019).

Maria Boublil has broad range of experience in business development and self-employment. Her first business venture was in giftware as an importer and wholesaler of hand-made art glass. She owned and operated that company for over 10 years, before shifting direction into a consulting business. Today, Maria continues to operate her educational consulting company, iSolve Consulting. She has been a guest speaker and trainer at many industry events and is a contributing author with the Huffington Post. She is a passionate entrepreneur who understands the challenges of launching a new business. As a business consultant with the Douglas Self-Employment Program, Maria brings her energy and drive to help new entrepreneurs in the start of their business ventures. Maria holds a B.A in International Relations and is trained in collaborative conflict resolution and civil mediation, where she volunteers her time with a local restorative justice organization.

Sharon Connolly is the Vice President, Newcomer Entrepreneur Success Team (NEST) at Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC). She has spent more than 20 years in commercial lending and real estate financing. Sharon endeavours to lead her teams to provide the best possible solutions to meet client needs. This is accomplished by working effectively with business partners to determine not only financing but operational needs of clients. Sharon is committed to helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses. In her role as the leader of the NEST team, she provides expertise in the Canadian entrepreneurial landscape to newcomer entrepreneurs to enable them to overcome systemic barriers and obstacles, so they can accelerate their businesses and become successful entrepreneurs in Canada. She believes strongly in working collaboratively with partners to foster the eco-system. She holds a BBA from the University of Prince Edward Island and an MBA from Schulich School of Business at York University.

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Bruce Farrend practices in Business Law, assisting companies and individuals from start-up and continuing through the life of the business. Bruce began his career with a large firm in downtown Vancouver and has practiced in smaller firms as well as being an entrepreneur and in-house counsel for a software company. His experience both as a lawyer and as a businessman has given him a broadly-based understanding of the issues facing businesses today.

Puneet Jain has been working with small- and medium-sized organizations since 2010. He works at Vancity because he wants to build a better future through creating healthy organizations that contribute to a sustainable economy. He is part of the Community Investment team as the microfinance program manager. In this role, he provides high quality and hands-on advice and support for micro-entrepreneurs, with a focus on micro-business that have high social, environmental and community impacts. Puneet draws on extensive experience in banking and financial planning to find the best solution for each client. He's eager to discuss how he can leverage experience in all areas of the financial services industry -- retail lending, investments, compliance, financial planning and business services -- to help your organization. Puneet speaks English, Punjabi, and Hindi.

Michelle Jickling is the founder of Hummingbird Translations Ltd., a multi-lingual communications company serving businesses across Canada since 2004. An entrepreneurial enthusiast, Michelle believes in the benefits of self-sufficiency for both individuals and their communities and has helped write hundreds of business plans for local small businesses. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Provincial Instructors Diploma with a focus in Online Adult Education.

Nicola Jones-Crossley is the Business Development Manager for BC at Futurpreneur Canada (formerly CYBF). Futurpreneur is a national non-profit focused on fueling youth entrepreneurship via financing, mentorship and support tools to aspiring business owners aged 18-39. At Futurpreneur, Nicola works with start-up entrepreneurs to support them in the initial stages of their business, connects with mentors across sectors and collaborates with community partners to build a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem in British Columbia. Previously, Nicola was the Founding Director of a community organization in Bangkok, Thailand that focused on promoting gender equality and celebrating female leadership. She worked extensively across Southeast Asia facilitating leadership development initiatives, implementing education curriculum and working with organizational partners to create social change.

Manmeet Nina Kaur -rom a very young age, Manmeet Nina was role-playing being a business woman. She remembers holding board of directors’ meetings at the kitchen table with her parents and sister and imagining one day becoming a successful business woman herself. Her journey began in 2005 when her sister decided to immigrate to Canada. Nina knew that here in British Columbia, she would realize better opportunities.

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With a Master of Science in Mathematics achieved in India in 2004, Nina had hopes of working towards her PhD at UBC. Weighing out all her costs and benefits, she analyzed that her next best decision would be to get her licensing for Life Insurance. Four years later, Nina was a single mother to a young son. She struggled to provide for her beloved child and tried to be the best mother she could ever be. Soon after, she enrolled in Douglas College’s Self-Employment Program (SEP), which paved the way to her own business. Applying everything she learned, coupled with her skills, Nina began her company: “Ethical Financial Corporation”. She eventually became a renowned Mortgage broker in Surrey. Being a Life Insurance Agent and a Mortgage Broker on top of being a single mother were more than full time job commitments. Presently, Nina is very satisfied with her lifestyle. Successful businesses, occasionally meeting clients after 4PM, and attending every one of her son’s activities. She is fulfilling her dream role of being a proud mother and savvy business woman at the same time. She is always inspired by this quote: “There will be so many times you feel like you’ve failed. But in the eyes,

heart, and mind of your child, you are super mom.” – Stephanie Precourt

Kurshid Khan is who we would call a serial entrepreneur. Starting in his youth in Kenya where he owned a civil engineering firm, to present day in Canada where is the owner of an award-winning East African restaurant in downtown Vancouver called Simba’s Grill! But it hasn’t always been an easy ride for Kurshid. When he first moved to Canada in 1997, he was dismayed to learn that his qualifications from Kenya were not recognized here in Canada. Determined to find his place in this new country, he met with a case worker from ISSofBC who suggested he follow his hobby of cooking and assisted him in enrolling in the culinary arts course at Douglas College. He then enrolled at the self- employment program also at Douglas College, all these, while working part time at a gas station. After successfully completing both programs in 1998, Khan opened his restaurant after taking out a loan from Vancity. The rest is history. Khan’s dedication and hard work serves as an inspiration for all newcomers to Canada who are interested in owning their own businesses.

Hanif Ladha is the Manager, Employer Relations, for Immigrant Employment Council of BC (IECBC), and brings extensive experience in business development and stakeholder engagement. He has worked on multiple projects within the private sector, including Fortune 500 companies, and brings a wealth of business experience as an owner-operator, a sales professional manager and a leadership program facilitator. In 2006 Hanif received the Established Business of the Year award from the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce. A dedicated volunteer, Hanif engages members of the community to participate in social and educational programs, and he is a coach and mentor to immigrants in Canadian workplaces. Hanif is passionate about helping people reach their goals and create success stories.

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Nalish Ladha is a proven executive leader with over 20 years of experience in leadership, communication, business development and entrepreneurship. She is a professional coach and facilitator, trained and certified as a Bullet Proof® Manager. She brings wealth of experience working as Employer Relations and Community Engagement Liaison with AbbotsfordWORKS, Work BC Employment Services to a Business Advisor and Coach with The Fraser Valley Self Employment Program where she assisted new Canadians with their market research for the viability of their business idea and help prepare their business plan. Prior to this, she served as Partner and Sales & Marketing Director with Avizzz Auto Services, dba, Avis Rent-A-Car in Abbotsford, BC. Her success there was increasing their market share from 8% to 32% in the first three years with the help of her partner and staff. Nalish is dedicated to help people become successful, which in return creates rewarding experiences and success stories for her.

Sarah Lubik is SFU's Director of Entrepreneurship and is focused on aligning and accelerating entrepreneurship support across faculties within SFU and with SFU's partners, including pre-SFU partnership, education and early-stage incubation. Her background is in university entrepreneurship, commercialization, innovation ecosystems and incubation. Sarah is a lecturer in Entrepreneurship & Innovation in the Beedie School and the co-champion of Technology Entrepreneurship@SFU. Prior to joining SFU, Sarah worked in the Centre for Technology Management at the Institute for Manufacturing at the University of Cambridge. She has also worked as a business coach, specializing in market analysis and strategy, and project manager and coordinator on a number of international European projects aimed at supporting start-up firms through incubation. She is also the co-founder and Marketing Director of a high-tech manufacturing startup, Lungfish Dive Systems. Sarah has a BBA (honours) from SFU and a master’s and PhD in Technology Commercialization from the University of Cambridge.

Stewart Marshall, CPA, CMA Stewart has been an entrepreneur and CPA in Canada since 2005. Since then he has worked for technology companies, mentored students and entrepreneurs and taught accounting and entrepreneurship. Stewart opened his own accounting practice in 2016, offering book-keeping, operational finance and strategic CFO services.

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Sarb Mund, CPA, CMA Founder and Owner of Commissary Connect Innovation Inc is a Vancouver-based agri-tech industry entrepreneur who has been heavily invested in creating positive communities for businesses to grow and be innovative. Since starting his award-winning Soho Road Naan Kebab Food Cart in 2011, Sarb has prided himself on always working toward a triple bottom line. From co-creating the Vancouver Street Food Society, to inventing shared use technology to power commercial kitchens, Sarb has been instrumental in leading the local food movement. Combining his direct knowledge of food processing and entrepreneurship, with expertise in accounting and strategic direction, Sarb is much sought after as an expert in the food industry throughout British Columbia. He is involved in working groups shaping Western Canada’s future in food and agriculture – working directly with UBC, BC Ministry of Agriculture, BC Innovation Council, Investment Agriculture Foundation, City of Vancouver Economic Commission and several others.

Alexandra Nestertchouk – HopKidz Technologies Inc. Alexandra worked within a variety of industries and has launched 4 startups. Her first startup has failed miserably! Her latest startup HopKidz is on the firm trajectory to become a Unicorn. Always contributing to her communities, Alexandra has organized and ran several community and cultural events. She has been a mentor and a judge in many youth entrepreneurship competitions, as well as an advisor and mentor for small businesses and impact startups. She has authored children’s business books that are available on Amazon, and has been nominated for numerous awards, including Women of Influence Tri-Cities 2018, Mompreneur Award 2019, and with HopKidz - Small Business BC 2018 in Best Concept and Best Community Impact categories. Last year HopKidz has come in Top 20 of the New Ventures BC Competition out of 170+ participating companies. Alexandra is a mother to a 3-year boy, Cosmos, and is currently residing with her family in Coquitlam, BC

Debbie Palmer - Business Consultant, Sales Trainer & Instructor

Debbie is an entrepreneur several times over having owned a real estate franchise

and an import/export business. With years of award-winning sales experience and

management, Debbie currently offers corporate sales training and presentations

through her company "Debbie Palmer Presents". Her expertise is also provided

through her work as a business consultant and instructor for the Douglas College

Self-Employment Program where Debbie delights in working with upcoming

entrepreneurs in the development of their businesses and personal growth. Debbie

holds a Provincial Instructor Diploma and offers mentorship and coaching for

Futurpreneur and Women's Enterprise Centre.

Aikay Vincent Oduoza who is the founder and Managing partner of Vincent Mark Law Corporation is a thoroughbred Lawyer and an accomplished Business Executive. He has over twenty-five years combined experience in both business and legal practice. Aikay worked in various overseas banks and corporate entities and rose to the level of Vice-President and Regional Director of Business at FCMB Bank a top-rated Retail Bank in Africa. He holds graduate and post-graduate degrees in Law as well as a PLD from the prestigious Harvard Business School in Boston Massachusetts, USA. Aikay is widely travelled across the world and has

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attended several training programs at the New York Institute of Finance, London Credit Academy and the Steven Covey Leadership Center Utah. He is the Board Chair and member of the teaching faculty at Brian Tracy Center Canada and his hobbies include traveling, reading and volunteering for worthy charitable causes. SOME AFFILIATIONS/MEMBERSHIPS: 1. Ontario Law Society 2. BC Law Society 3. Burnaby Board of Trade 4. Brian Tracy Global 5. The Nigeria Bar Association 6. The International Bar Association. 7. Vancouver Bar Association. 8. IBB International Golf & Country Club. Etc.

Ray Peterson - The Peterson Agency is a “common sense” business consultant and coach who helps companies and individuals reach and exceed their goals. Ray has helped over 500 entrepreneurs develop their business plan and then coached them in sales & marketing, operations, and finance to meet their goals. With over 40 years of experience as a large corporation general manager, franchise owner, entrepreneur, teacher, trainer and speaker, Ray is eager to bring this expertise to work for you. Contact Ray for a free consultation on how he can help your business be what you want it to be!

Cory Redekop is the Manager of Policy & Stakeholder Relations at the Burnaby Board of Trade, one of the largest and most active business networking, advocacy and economic development organizations in British Columbia. Cory works to champion the local business community with government, advocating for solutions to issues like regulation and taxes, as well as matching businesses with resources, connections, and information to help them be more successful.

Alpana Sharma is a Business Advisor with Women’s Enterprise Centre, based in its Vancouver office. Women’s Enterprise Centre is a non-profit organization devoted to helping BC women launch, lead and scale their own businesses. WEC provide business loans, skills training, mentoring, advice and resources from its three offices in Kelowna, Vancouver and Victoria. As a Business Advisor, Alpana works directly with women business owners to provide one-on-one complimentary business guidance. Innovative and entrepreneurial, Alpana has operated her own import business successfully for several years. She is a Forum for International Trade Training (FITT) professional and supports clients who plan to export or import and grow their business internationally. Alpana also keeps WEC connected through social media and public relations efforts, supporting WEC’s brand and culture.

Taimoor Tariq is the Manager for the Spark & Ignite Entrepreneurial Program at ISSofBC. Spark and Ignite programs are based on the ideology of connecting passions and are designed to give direct support to entrepreneurs by building a “socio-ecological system of support” around them and guide them through their entrepreneurial journey. Spark is designed for immigrants and refugees who are thinking of starting a business but who are unclear about their business idea, while Ignite is for those with a clear business idea or who need help in improving an existing business. Services are delivered at no cost to participants.

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Having been through the immigrant to entrepreneur journey himself, and having established a financial planning business, Taimoor understands the challenges, barriers and different stages of struggle and growth that it takes to launch a business, then take it from a sole proprietorship to a partnership and eventually growing it into a corporation. Playing provincial level competitive cricket since an early age of 13 and having played at the national level has tremendously shaped his professional beliefs and work ethics. He believes work should be done with the same passion, dedication, integrity, discipline, team work and heroics that a sportsman has for a sport he loves.

Mendi Yuda – Two Bald Bakers “opened in mid-2017, the bakery was a natural next step for Yuda and his partner Noam Dagan. Originally from Israel, the brothers-in-law now call Canada home. In 2012, Yuda moved to Calgary with his wife—a naturopath—where he worked in IT in the oil and gas industry. Chance, both fortunate and unfortunate, brought Yuda to bread-making. First, during a visit to Israel, Dagan made some bread that just amazed Yuda, who had previously thought that you couldn’t make a good loaf at home. “When I got home, I googled it and I got into making bread,” says Yuda. “Within the first year, I got so into that it slowly took over my life; I got into sourdough, into ancient grains, and then I got into milling my own flour.” After that, bread-making became a serious hobby for Yuda. He was selling bread to friends over Facebook because he was making too much. Next, Yuda was laid off along with many others in the oil and gas industry. Dagan and his family had recently moved from Israel to the Vancouver area, so Yuda decided to move closer to family. “We used the opportunity to start Two Bald Bakers,” he says. Dagan has a history as a chef and pastry chef. In Israel, he worked in fine dining and farm-to-table restaurants. “He was always drawn to baking,” says Yuda." Reunited in Port Coquitlam, Yuda and Dagan knew it was time to give the bakery a shot. Their philosophy combines Yuda’s love of the slow-food movement with Dagan’s farm-to-table background."