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girlactionfigure · 3 years

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She was alone when she died on February 7, 1965. She was 50 years old.

Before the incident happened, she had been a successful businesswoman. But after the incident, in which she suffered physical injury, humiliation, and injustice, the personal and professional repercussions were just too much. Her marriage ended, she had to close her business and move out of the city, then out of the country.

And, even after her death, just this past October 2020, a sign at the cemetery giving directions to her head stone was vandalized with “highly offensive racial slurs”, according to the Halifax Police.

What did she do “wrong”?

Like Rosa Parks, she refused to give up her seat . . . but at a movie theatre.

At a movie theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, a white ticket-seller told her “I’m not permitted to sell downstairs tickets to you people.” Desmond then refused to move to the segregated section of the movie theatre for black patrons.

She was dragged out of the theatre by police, arrested, thrown in jail for 12 hours and fined.

She is called “Canada’s Rosa Parks,” although the theatre incident occurred nine years before Parks refused to give up her seat on a city bus to a white passenger in the United States.

Her name is Viola Desmond, now a civil rights icon in Canada, who confronted the racism that Black Nova Scotians routinely faced and brought nationwide attention to the African Nova Scotian community’s struggle for equal rights.

This is part of an ongoing series on the Peace Page for Black History Month.

“Viola Desmond was born in 1914, the daughter of a middle-class mixed-race family in Halifax,” according to Parcs Canada. “When Desmond graduated from high school she worked as a teacher in Black schools, one of very few employment avenues open to her. Black women in Nova Scotia were restricted from going to beauty salons and studying beauty culture (hair-styling, cosmetics, or wig making), so Desmond attended schools in Montréal and New York. When she obtained her diplomas she opened a salon and eventually a beauty school beside her [husband]’s barbershop in Halifax. As an entrepreneur, she achieved financial independence and became a role model to African-Canadian women through the success of her enterprises, which included skin and hair care products for Black women that had previously been unavailable to Nova Scotians.

“In November of 1946, Viola Desmond was travelling on business from Halifax to Sydney, Nova Scotia, when car trouble obliged her to stop overnight in New Glasgow. She attended a local movie theatre where she encountered segregated seating rules.”

“To be a black entrepreneur was ground-breaking,” Henderson Paris, a New Glasgow town councillor and founder of the Run Against Racism, said in 2015.

“She was building her business and through this – this incident unfolded. Being the strong woman she was – she wasn’t standing for it. It was not right, and something needed to be done.”

Desmond was no stranger to systemic racism, according to Amanda Coletta of the Washington Post. When she left her teaching job to launch a career as a beautician, Desmond was forced to travel out of the province for training because beauty schools in Nova Scotia barred black people from enrolling.

“Canada had no Jim Crow-like laws, but it did have policies that enforced segregation,” said Constance Backhouse, a law professor at the University of Ottawa who has written extensively on Desmond.

The policies were “just as bad as Jim Crow,” Backhouse said, but they were written in a way that “masked” their racist intent.

Desmond was unaware that the Roseland Theatre was segregated, according to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

“The segregated movie theatre relegated black patrons to the balcony at the time, while floor seating was reserved for whites,” according to Global News Canada.

“Desmond was shortsighted and needed a better view, and tried to buy a floor seat, but was refused because she was black. She then bought a balcony seat (which was one cent cheaper) but sat in the floor area – until theatre staff called the police and had her dragged out,” according to The Globe and Mail.

She “was charged with tax evasion for failing to pay 1 cent — the price difference between the floor and balcony seats,” wrote the Washington Post. “Despite the theater’s refusal to sell her the more expensive floor seat, she was convicted and fined $26.”

Let us emphasize that again:

“She was charged and convicted of tax evasion – over a single penny,” wrote The Globe and Mail. “She did not have a lawyer at trial – she was never informed she was entitled to one.”

“Her arrest and conviction on spurious charges . . . concealed racial discrimination behind the arrest,” according to Parcs Canada.

“Protests from Nova Scotia’s black community and an appeal to the provincial Supreme Court proved fruitless,” according to The Globe and Mail.

“Now a symbol of the struggle for equal rights, Viola Desmond’s defiance in the face of injustice became a rallying cry for Black Nova Scotians and Canadians determined to end racial discrimination,” according to Parcs Canada.

Desmond’s defiance spurred a broader fight for racial equality that helped end segregation in the province,” wrote Coletta.

She died in 1965 without any acknowledgment of racial discrimination in her case, according to The Globe and Mail.

“It would take 63 years for Nova Scotia to issue Desmond . . . a posthumous apology and pardon,” according to Global News Canada.

“In 2010, Nova Scotia gave her a free pardon – and the black lieutenant-governor signed it into law. “Here I am, 64 years later – a black woman giving freedom to another black woman,” Mayann Francis recalled in a 2014 profile about the pardon, which called Ms. Desmond’s case a miscarriage of justice and said she should never have been charged. “I believe she has to know that she is now free.”

Desmond’s story went largely untold for a half-century, but in recent years she has been featured on a stamp, and her name graces a Halifax harbour ferry.

“More than 53 years after her death, Desmond [also] became the first black person and the first woman other than a royal to appear on the front of a regularly circulating Canadian bank note, replacing Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first prime minister, as the face of the new vertically oriented $10 bill,” according to the Washington Post.

“She was an everyday person... this tiny little woman, it’s such an example of strength and determination and education and dignity, respect that was this whole little woman,” Desmond’s sister, Wanda Robson told the Cape Breton Post ahead of the first Nova Scotia Heritage Day in 2015, which honoured Desmond. Robson is the author of “Sister to Courage: Stories from the World of Viola Desmond, Canada’s Rosa Parks.”

“She laid the foundation in regards to justice and how black people were being treated in Nova Scotia. Even though it happened in New Glasgow, similar incidents were happening all over the province,” said Crystal States, an educator with the Black Educators Association and the representative for the African Nova Scotian North Central Network told The News in 2015.

“It was a breakthrough in social justice that had predated the civil rights movement in the (United) States,” States said ahead of the first Nova Scotia Heritage Day, which honored Desmond.

"At the end of the day, we're all just human beings," her sister Wanda Robson said. "We're just people. There are people with different colours, different skin shades, different hair, but at the end of the day, as I said, we are just people."

Update:

This past week, Novia Scotia issued a check to refund Desmond’s family in a symbolic gesture after 11th grade student Varishini Deochand wrote to Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil asking that the province repay the court costs handed to Viola Desmond.

The court costs of $26 would amount to an estimated $368.29 by today's standards, but the province has since increased the award amount to $1,000, which was given to Desmond's only surviving family member, Wanda Robson, who chose to donate the money to a one-time scholarship at her alma mater, Cape Breton University.

"I strongly hold that one should not pay a fine for a crime they did not commit," Deochand said during a virtual ceremony.

"While we may not be able to travel back in time to right our wrongs, we can show that we care in the most sincerest of ways."

~ jsr

The Jon S. Randal Peace Page

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simply-shakera · 3 years

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Top 100 Black Women In Canada - 2020

"2020, the year we celebrate our possibilities" - Rose Handy (Founder of CIBWE)

I could not have agreed more with the quote above. This year has revealed to us so much about ourselves and the world. We have been challenged, we’ve grieved, we’ve persevered, we’ve learned and still we rise. It is important through it all to celebrate ourselves, give ourselves grace, and remain open to the endless possibilities that life has to offer. It is further more rewarding when others recognize our efforts, growth and impact of our work too.

Last month I was notified that I was selected as Canada’s 100 Black Women to Watch in 2020 by CIBWE - What an honour! My heart is full and I am motivated to keep going!!! Although it has been a tough year for me both personally and professionally, I will continue to do my part in helping women unlock joy while building confidence through dance, fitness and culture.... even if it takes a thousand more zoom meetings!!

The Canada International Black Women Event (CIBWE) sets out to symbolize the boundless legacy black of women who are building in Canada and beyond through their achievements, leadership and successes.

CIBWE has a clear goal to:

Offer a unique platform where black women from different walks of life can meet to share, network, learn and celebrate

Offer an atmosphere to explore possibilities and connections

Offer an opportunity to share knowledge, experience and network.

Showcase success stories of accomplished Black women

Raise funds in support of scholarship program for young girls and young mothers in Makak, Cameroon

The 100 Black Pearls Gala 2020

On Saturday, October 17th CIBWE hosted a virtual gala where all 100 ladies, friends, family and supporters had an opportunity to come together and celebrate this momentous occasion. Here is a video of the speech I submitted for the event. Organizers pushed though technical difficulties and welcomed an inspirational keynote by Brampton councillor Charmaine Williams.

When You See It, You Can Be It!

Black women continue to blaze the trail in a variety of professions, roles and circles. Not only am I inspired by the exceptional leadership and talent and that Black Women display but I am sure the future generation of women will be too.

I would like you to meet four ladies who were also featured in this year’s CIBWE ceremony. Two I know personally and two I share community with by the powers of social media. Each are from different industries and backgrounds but what they all have in common is the amazing work they are doing in their respective fields. Know them - Support them - Amplify them!

Being a part of the Top 100 Black women to watch in 2020 seems unexpected. I believe that I am called to do the work that I do and I do it with pleasure so being recognized for the work that I do has truly been an honour.

I am currently the Executive Director for “CEE” - the Centre For Young Black Professionals, a charity organization with a vision to create an economy where Black youth can become financially prosperous, live high-quality lives and can contribute to the advancement of Canada. We do this through three distinct approaches: Trauma informed approach, Culturally relevant approach and Person centred approach.

When I was young girl I always thought that helping people was not going to make me any money and that I would not be able to ever make a career out of it. However, so what I would tell a teenage girl who wants to work in my industry is: that whatever you are passionate about doing and brings you joy can transform into a career.

I am incredibly grateful and honoured to have been recognized as one of the Top 100 Black Women to Watch in Canada for 2020. I am especially grateful because all too often, Black women and femme's labour are undervalued, exploited, co-opted and erased. As such, witnessing so many Black women being recognized has been inspiring. It is my hope that we continue seeing more diverse Black women being celebrated for all that they do.

I am a lawyer, writer, researcher and educator, with a focus on labour, employment and human rights law. I often work at the intersection of law, education and policy, ranging from law reform initiatives to legal education to legislative research. Currently, I am the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law's first ever Black Legal Mentor-in-Residence where I provide one-on-one and group academic and career mentorship to Black law students, as well as expertise in the development of supportive programming and anti-racism initiatives at the Faculty of Law.

My private practice centres Black (queer) women, femmes, non-binary folks, gender non-conforming folks, trans women and survivors of gender-based and sexualized violence. I offer a wide range of support, including supports that operate outside of legal systems and frameworks, for Black survivors in their respective workplaces. As an educator, researcher and writer, I also offer legal education, legal information, and advocate on their behalf in various capacities as a means to inform institutional, policy and systemic change as well as workplace culture shifts. As J Mase III so eloquently states, "there is no Black liberation without Black women & femmes". The advice that I would offer to a young Black person who aspires to work in the legal industry is: stay grounded and stay connected to your communities. There is a lot of pressure in law school, the legal community and the legal profession at large to conform. And for me at least, supporting my communities and working alongside them in the ways that I can, has nourished me in profound ways and has kept me grounded. Being connected to my communities is the reason why I remain committed to carving out space in the legal profession for Black femmes like myself who are practicing law in innovative ways.

Long story short: Dare to do law differently.

Samantha Photo Credit: Charu Sharma (https://www.charusharma.ca)

It feels very affirming to to be one of the Top 100 Black Women To Watch In Canada for 2020! It is an honour to be recognized for my service in Gender Advocacy, Community Engagement, and Social Entrepreneurship.

I am the Founder of BLACK QUEENS OF TORONTO, which is a Toronto-based global network of Black Women. My personal mission is to curate an inclusive platform of empowerment and advocacy - reclaiming narratives and creating opportunities for partnership. BLACK QUEENS OF TORONTO provides me with the platform to support that mission by creating a space where Sisters lead, learn, share and grow in both personal and professional capacities.

My advice to a teenage girl who aspires to work in Gender Advocacy is: find well-grounded female role models to be mentored by, and to create your own tribe of loved ones who support your aspirations and provide a safe space for you to grow with grace.

I am truly honoured to have been nominated and selected as one of the recipients of this award. It felt like it was a win for my community and those who have helped me along the way. After doubling down and working super hard for the last few years, it is motivating to be recognized, especially by women who are trailblazing this path, and who look like me.

My business is dedicated to helping organizations, small businesses and professionals engage with their audiences through live events. Whether that is a fundraiser event, an intimate conversation, a celebration, or a networking opportunity, I have had the honour to work with some amazing organizations making impact in their own communities. I've spent over 10 years working within the community-building space and it is a value that I truly believe in as a personal value and one that can be incorporated into business. Learn more about Minik Creations here. Through my expertise in my event planning business I have also been able to create a community myself, The Biz Mixer, that focuses on creating a space for creatives and entrepreneurs to connect, learn and grow with one another, promoting resource-sharing, collaboration and peer-learning. These are all values that I encourage my clients to do as well, and I actively facilitate them building relationships that will positively impact their initiatives. True relationship building is such a game-changer.

What advice would I give to a teenage girl who aspires to work in my industry? Make friends - and by friends I mean build relationships with talented individuals you can work with. Think about the people will consistently work with on every project ie. creative team (photo, video, audio), entertainment, decor and set design etc. Start engaging with those communities, find people that you connect with and create your own circle of influence. The stronger your circle the more successful you will be.

Thank you to the #CIBWE for building a beautiful platform to celebrate the work of such amazing women. I am honoured to be recognized as one of the Top 100 Black Women To Watch In Canada for 2020. This year has been tough for me both personally and professionally. Still I remain committed to the work that I do and continue to move forward with a heart of gratitude - moments like this remind me why. I dedicate this honour to my fellow arts and fitness leaders who have watched our industry suffered so much loss these past few months.

It want the Black community to thrive in all areas of life and I believe we all play a role in making this happen by utilizing our strengths and supporting one another. After following my vision, I started a business that encompassed my passion for dance, fitness and culture. In 2013, Carnival Spice was found and it provides fitness and entertainment with a Caribbean Carnival twist.

My mission for the company was to showcase Caribbean Carnival, its culture, and its performing artists. Our team is made up of aspiring dance artists who receive performance training, mentorship, and access to paid work opportunities. The platform has since grown to include yearly dance fitness programming and feature our global #SpiceFam community. Carnival Spice has brought positive exposure to Caribbean talent, customs, and culture. The company’s client list includes Toronto Public Library, Deadmau5, PWC, TTC as well as many other community and corporate organizations. We have also been featured on Cityline, CP24, CTV, Breakfast Television, and most recently on Season 12 of the Real Housewives of Atlanta episode 9: “A Whine of a Time”. Our masquerade presentations are such a refreshing approach to Caribbean Carnival entertainment. The experiences offer elements of education, fun and are appropriate for audiences of all ages. Many also appreciate the positive representation and connection to Caribbean culture that our programs and events create.

If I had to give advice to a teenage girl who aspires to work in the arts or entertainment industry, it would be this: Dear teenage girl, your talent is valued, you are beautiful and your ideas are valid. You have all the tools inside of you to achieve everything your heart desires. Success will require you to study your craft; train, read, and research! But most importantly, stay committed to the process. There will be a lot of “ NOs” and bumps along the way, but where you start is not where you will finish.

#sisterhood #cibwe #top 100 women in canada

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profbruce · 5 years

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An official plan for the 21st century

The city of Ottawa has an ambitious goal–to craft an official plan (OP) that is suited to a modern 21st century economy and get buy-in from the community for something that is substantially different from anything that has gone before…

Not an easy task.

As part of this effort, I was tasked, as host and moderator, to engage in a process called delegated democracy–bringing together diverse groups of people–many of whom do not necessarily agree with each other–to talk possibilities, options and solutions.

Retired Irish Supreme Court justice Mary Eleanor Laffoy did just this on the question of changing abortion laws in that nation, a very controversial measure. Madam Laffoy brought together representatives of the Church, women’s groups, medical professionals, social and economic agencies, and within two years achieved what everyone thought was IMPOSSIBLE—a 66.4% approval for new regulations in a national referendum, which is as close to a national consensus as is possible in this area.

Sound boring?

Well, it’s not, at least not if you believe as noted urbanist Jane Jacobs did that the closer government is to people, the more important it is to its citizens.

You think your neighborhood is changing too quickly? You want to have your say on affordable housing? You think current bylaws are too restrictive or not restrictive enough?

This is a chance to make your voice heard! The idea is to hear not just from the usual folks—developers, investors, BIAs, chambers of commerce, home-builders, utility companies, planners, architects, traffic engineers, etc but from tenants, social agencies, environmentalists, first-time home-buyers…

Everyone has a stake in their city’s future. Even if you are not from Ottawa or Gatineau, but you have an idea you’d like to see your city or town adopt, let’s hear it! We can all learn from each other… best practices.

Anyway, here’s the first online townhall…

youtube

We dealt with:

WHAT SHOULD THE CITY OF OTTAWA’S NEW OFFICIAL PLAN DO TO IMPACT/CHANGE/IMPROVE OUR LOCAL ECONOMY? WHAT DO YOU WANT IN A NEW OP?

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING WOULD YOU WANT OR NOT WANT TO SEE INCLUDED/PERMITTED IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS IN THE NEW OP?

THE CITY OF OTTAWA HAS 6 MAIN ENGINES OF GROWTH–GOV’T, TECH, EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, TOURISM/ENTERTAINMENT/FESTIVALS, REAL ESTATE; ARE THERE ANY OTHERS YOU THINK SHOULD BE A PRIORITY?

BEING ABLE TO PRODUCE FOOD LOCALLY IS A CONCERN IN MANY JURISDICTIONS; WHAT SHOULD THE CITY OF OTTAWA DO IN THIS AREA IF ANYTHING, FOR EXAMPLE, IS AGRITAINMENT/BUILDING A FARM STAY NETWORK/GROW LOCAL SOMETHING THAT THE CITY SHOULD BE LOOKING AT?

GOVERNMENT INTEREST IN FUNDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING—ITS MAINTENANCE, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION—IS NOTABLE; OTHER THAN OPENING THE FUNDING SPIGOT, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THE CITY OF OTTAWA’S OP CAN DO TO ENCOURAGE MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING?

HOUSE PRICES AND RESIDENTIAL RENTS ARE SOARING; SHOULD THE NEW CITY OF OTTAWA’S NEW OP SEEK TO MAKE MORE LAND AVAILABLE FOR PROVISION OF ALL TYPES OF HOUSING OR SHOULD THE CITY MAINTAIN ITS EXISTING URBAN BOUNDARY AND FORCE DEVELOPMENT TO BE BOTH MORE INTENSE AND DENSE?

THE CITY OF OTTAWA AND ITS AGENCIES SHOULD: A) FOCUS ON ATTRACTING MORE MULTI-NATIONALS TO LOCATE OFFICES/LABS/SUBSIDIARIES HERE OR B) FOCUS MORE ON ASSISTING HOME-GROWN ENTREPRENEURS?

THE CITY OF OTTAWA SHOULD: A) REGULATE OR BAN THE SHARING ECONOMY–SERVICES LIKE AIRBNB, VRBO, UBER, LYFT, SKIPTHEDISHES… OR B) EMBRACE THE SHARING ECONOMY?

THE CITY OF OTTAWA SHOULD: A) EMBRACE URBAN EXPERIMENTATION LIKE THE NOV 2016 BYLAW THAT PERMITS COACH HOUSES OR B) DO MORE TO PRESERVE EXISTING CHARACTER OF NEIGHBORHOODS?

Q10

THE CITY OF OTTAWA SHOULD: A) ASSIST PROJECTS AND DEVELOPMENTS THE CITY BELIEVES CREATE A NET BENEFIT OR B) NOT DO THAT BECAUSE IT SETS A BAD PRECEDENT?

Q11

THE CITY OF OTTAWA SHOULD: A) ENSURE THAT ROADWAYS GIVE PRIORITY TO EFFICIENT MOVEMENT OF CARS, TRUCKS, BUSES OR B) LOOK TO DEVELOP MORE WOONERF ROADS WHERE PEDESTRIANS ARE PRIORITIZED OVER VEHICLES?

Q12

THE CITY OF OTTAWA SHOULD: A) DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY AND PURSUE ACTIVE MEASURES TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE AND GREEN ISSUES OR B) IT’S NOT PART OF THE CITY’S MANDATE?

Q13

THE CITY OF OTTAWA IS IN A WORLDWIDE COMPETITION FOR TALENT; WHAT CAN THE CITY DO TO ATTRACT/RETAIN SUCH PEOPLE?

Q14

THE CITY OF OTTAWA ALREADY HAS A HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS (CANTERBURY); SHOULD IT ALSO HAVE A HS FOR THE TECHNOLOGICAL ARTS, FOR TRADES, FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP, OTHER?

Q15

HOW CAN THE CITY OF OTTAWA HAVE CLOSER INTEGRATION WITH OTHER MUNICIPALITIES/TOWNSHIP IN EASTERN ONTARIO AND WEST QUEBEC NOT TO MENTION MONTREAL AND TORONTO?

Q21

IF YOU WERE QUEEN OR KING OF THE CITY OF OTTAWA FOR DAY, YOU WOULD…?

Bruce M Firestone, B Eng (civil), M Eng-Sci, PhD

Real Estate Investment and Business coach

Century 21 Explorer Realty Inc broker

Ottawa Senators founder

1-613-762-8884

[email protected]

twitter.com/ProfBruce

profbruce.tumblr.com/archive

brucemfirestone.com

-MAKING IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE

Please also read, How economic development is impacted by a city’s zoning and official plan, https://profbruce.tumblr.com/post/184665700874/how-economic-development-is-impacted-by-a-citys

#official plan #delegated democracy #city of ottawa

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samanthasroberts · 6 years

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Canada is North Americas up-and-coming startup center

Conrad Egusa Contributor

Conrad Egusa is the CEO of Publicize.

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Victoria Stunt is a journalist based in Colombia and is a writer at Publicize.

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Austria: The up-and-coming early-stage investment capital of Europe

They say that nice guys finish last and Canada, with its reputation for polite citizenry and its charming prime minister, is used to being overlooked. Sure, Canada may tower over the United States in physical size, but many countries of similar stature G7 nations, for example dismiss the Great White North as nothing more than Americas top hat.

This is a mistake.

Canada, with nine percent of the worlds forests, is a land of plenty. As well as an enviable array of natural resources, Canada also boasts incredible support for entrepreneurs, both homegrown and international. Many household names, such as Slack, Hootsuite and Shopify which may be mistakenly considered as U.S. products hail from north of the border. This proves Canada is capable of delivering on startup success.

And its no surprise that startups excel in the country. Sure, there is less access to VC funding and the persuasive call of Canadas southern neighbor, but the Canadian government is working hard to build and keep successful startup ecosystems. There is a huge selection of government aid available to small businesses, some of which includes grants that dont have to be paid back.

Alongside substantial government backing is Canadas array of world-class universities. The University of Waterloo increasingly known as Canadas answer to MIT sees incredible numbers go to Silicon Valley every year, while others all over the country produce thousands of talented grads.

While eventually losing out to Colombia, Canada was shortlisted as country of the year by The Economist in 2016. The United States northern neighbor boasts world-class universities and resources to develop talent and, currently, the Canadian dollar is 0.75 cents to the American dollar. This means a highly educated workforce is available for less capital for entrepreneurs all over the world who are ready and willing to make the leap to Canada.

Origin story

Canada has a proud history of technological innovation. Communications company Nortel pushed expansion in the 1970s, bringing talented telecom engineers. In 1983, after a wave of deregulation, Nortel gave way to Bell Canada Enterprise (BCE), which signaled an era of telecom preeminence.

If that werent enough, a year later, in 1984, Research in Motion (RIM), which today is better known as BlackBerry, was founded. While the sun may have set on BlackBerry, the impact of their phones and the eponymous messaging service has left a lasting impact on cellular phone technology.

Fast-forward to the nineties and the Canadian government expanded its Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax incentive program to allow for assistance to companies performing research and development. The legacy of this decision is clearly illustrated by Canadas fervent support of startups in recent times.

Since the turn of the new millennium, Canada has been determined to churn out initiative after initiative to support new business. The opening of the MaRS Discovery District in 2005 a 1.5-million-square-foot complex located in Torontos downtown provided entrepreneurs with skills via its venture program, and included a network of 1,000 high-potential-growth startups that collectively generated more than $1.3 billion in revenue from 2008-2015. Just two years later, Maple Leaf Angels set up shop in the city center, with a focus on investing in early-stage companies.

The MaRS Discovery District in Toronto. Photo courtesy of the MaRS Discovery District.

Universities across the country have worked to provide space and support for startups to grow, too. In 2010, Ryerson University founded the Digital Media Zone (DMZ), a combined incubator/accelerator program that has assisted more than 130 companies.

In later years, a wave of funding opportunities and globally recognized accelerator programs took root across Canada. The Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) deployed $180 million in early-stage startups between 2011 and 2014, while BDC Capital launched its IT Venture Fund II, a fund worth $150 million. 2014 saw U.S. heavyweight The Founder Institute, founded by Adeo Ressi and Jonathan Greechen, open its first Canadian branch. In March 2016, 500 Startups announced its $30 millionCanada fund.

With such a strong foundation of startup initiatives and technology success, its no wonder that Canada is in such a strong position now.

Toronto-Waterloo corridor

Despite a population of just 2.8 million, Toronto has been named the most diverse city in the world. About half of its residents were born outside of Canada, and the city is home to 230 nationalities. As Canadas largest city, its quite naturally the countrys commercial, industrial and financial center. It stands to reason that this would make Toronto stand out as the countrys biggest tech hub, too.

As an example, Toronto-born FreshBooks, an accounting platform for small businesses, has more than 10 million users, and a 43,000-square-foot office in the city, which houses 245 employees. Self-publishing company Wattpad, which lets writers share their work on the platform, has 45 million users worldwide. In November, the company signed a deal with Universal Cable Productions the creator of Suits with the idea to sift through the stories online to turn the popular ones into TV shows. On-demand platform AskforTask has more than 150,000 taskers, and has doubled its business each year since launching in 2012.

The Toronto and Waterloo corridor is sometimes billed unsurprisingly as the Silicon Valley of the North.

The aforementioned MaRS Discovery District is a tower of strength in the citys startup community, too. The four-story brick building takes up almost one city block, and is one of the worlds largest innovation hubs, offering funding, mentorship and facilities to the citys creators. Ryerson Universitys Digital Media Zone incubator is also a resource for early-stage companies worldwide, as are a range of University of Toronto incubators and accelerators. BetaKit, a news publication led by Douglas Soltys that documents Canadian startup news, is also based in the city.

As Canadas financial hub, Toronto is home to much of the countrys investment. OMERS Ventures has had arguably one of the biggest impacts on the Canadian startup scene. The VC firm backs startups directly, including Shopify, of which the firm owns six percent. Canada also boasts the Venture Capital Action Plan (VCAP) to encourage more Canadian private investors. For every $2 in funding, the government gives another $1 to early-stage companies.

Other financial support includes 500 Startups Canadian fund; the Scientific Research and Experimental Development Program, a federal tax incentive for companies conducting research; and the Industrial Research Assistance Program, which provides entrepreneurs with funding and advisory services to help them develop technology.

500 Startups partner Sanjay Singhal. Photo courtesy of the 500 Startups team.

Yet despite this, Toronto is yet to birth a homegrown unicorn. While there are up to 4,100 active startups in the city, none are valued at over a billion dollars, and arent necessarily household names outside the tech scene.

Just 60 miles west of Toronto, however, is Waterloo, a small city of 134,000 residents, which holds much of Canadas tech talent. Like San Francisco and the Bay Area, Toronto and Waterloo form a corridor of startup innovation between them. Yet, while Toronto is yet to see any businesses hit that magical unicorn status, Waterloo has.

Waterloo is the home of telecoms giant BlackBerry, as well as newer companies that include video optimization platform Vidyard which last year raised $35 million in Series C funding and Bridgit, a communication app for construction teams that won Google Demo Day: Womens Edition in 2015. Similarly, Shopify, considered one of the countrys most successful startups, has an officein Waterloo (as well as offices in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and San Francisco).

Waterloo boasts the MIT of Canada the University of Waterloo which sends talent to startup ecosystems. In fact, every year, recruiters from Apple, Google and Facebook, among others, flock to this Canadian tech hub to onboard new employees; graduates of the University of Waterloo are the second-most-frequently hired in Silicon Valley after students from University of California, Berkeley. The universitys students are famously inventive, too. In 2009, Kik Interactive was founded by a group of students who wished to create new technologies for use on mobile smartphones; it has gone on to become an incredible success.

The Toronto and Waterloo corridor is sometimes billed unsurprisingly as the Silicon Valley of the North. Torontomayor John Tory has said that the Toronto-Waterloo corridor has all the elements for huge success, much of which comes from the quality of universities in the area. The University of Waterloo ranks 24th in the world for computer science and information systems, and the University of Toronto one of Canadas most prestigious schools ranks 16th.

While many tech giants already have a presence in these cities, there are efforts underway to make Toronto-Waterloo rise to the top of the worlds tech scene. Following the release of the City of Torontos Startup Eco-system Strategy in 2015, the city launched StartUp HEREToronto, a website built and managed by startup influencers to feature startup news and events and put a spotlight on entrepreneurs in the Toronto-Waterloo corridor.

Other notable leaders in the region include Sanjay Singhal, partner at 500 Startups; David Crow, advisor at Venture for Canada;Mike McDerment, CEO at FreshBooks; David Ossip, CEO at Ceridian; Matt Golden, founder at Golden Venture Partners; Marcus Daniels, CEO at HIGHLINE vc; Mark Organ, CEO at Influitive; and Salim Teja, executive vice president of Ventures at MaRS Discovery District.

Vancouver

Vancouver is found in British Columbia (BC), amongst the mountains on Canadas west coast. With a population that just exceeds 600,000, the citys easygoing vibe makes it one of the most attractive places in Canada. In fact, Vancouver is rated the fifth city for quality of life in the world by Mercer, the only North American city to make the list.

Vancouver residents arent shy about being in the greenest, and arguably most beautiful, city in Canada. Theyre also getting pretty good at representing their rising tech scene. The entire province of BC now boasts more than100,000 people working in the tech sector. Employment in the industry rose 2.9 percent in 2016, compared to the national tech sectors growth at 1.1 percent. Tech in BC employs more people than the mining, oil, gas and forestry industries combined.

Boasting mountains and ocean just like Silicon Valley, Vancouver also has seen some of the biggest Canadian acquisitions. Vancouvers PlentyofFish, the popular dating website, was purchased by Match Group in 2015 for US$575 million, for example. Even more, Vancouver is home to OMER Ventures-backed Hootsuite which is valued at US$1 billion as well as everyones favorite, Slack. Although Slack the company is technically based in San Francisco, CEO Stewart Butterfield also works out of Vancouver, or Vancity as its often called.

In the hopes of fostering more unicorns like Slack and PlentyofFish and fastening BCs startup scene on the world map, the provincial government set up a $100 million fund for early-stage funding in December 2015. Since then, there have been about 14,000 new tech jobs in the province. Also located in Vancouver is the BC Tech Association. Founded in 1993, BC Tech provides growth, talent and advocacy programs to tech companies in the province.

Canada provides affordable development talent, and thousands of people graduate each year from some of the best universities in the world.

Being on the west coast, and therefore the same coast as startup hubs in San Francisco, has its advantages. Startups in the city attract a lot of outside attention, including from Silicon Valley stalwarts. In February of this year, Vancouver-based TIO Networks, which offers online and mobile solutions for bill payments, and processed more than US$7 billion in fiscal 2016, was acquired by PayPal for $304 million. Similarly, Kickstarter opened its first office outside of the United States in the same month, after acquiring Vancouver-based startup Huzza.

Traction Conference, hosted by Launch Academy and Boast Capital, is one of a number of popular conferences in the city, and, according to BetaKits Jessica Galang, puts an emphasis on helping startups learn actionable ways to accelerate their businesses. Cube Business Media, led by Mark Stephenson and Dave Tyldesley, is another organization hosting events throughout the city.

Like Toronto and Waterloo, Vancouver boasts world-class universities, such as the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University. SFU Innovates is a program from the latter, which seeks to build and support innovation and entrepreneurship across the university. It has so far contributed $1.3 billion to BCs economy. Similarly, UBCs Startup Weekend event inspires would-be founders to get set up within 54 hours in a do-or-die race to success.

Said investor Ali Saheli of 7 Gate Ventures over the phone, Vancouver allows founders to remove all of the noise that you would get from the Valley and to focus on building products. In the past couple of years the number of early-stage startups has significantly grown thanks to government grants and communities such as Launch Academy and The Next Big Thing.

Additional notable leaders in the city include investors Boris Wertz and Markus Frind, and entrepreneurs Stephen Ufford of Trulioo, Ali Davar of Qudos and Ray Walia of Launch Academy. Additional startups and events are well-documented by Alex Chuang of Launch Academy on TechCrunch here.

Montreal

One of North Americas most European cities, Montreal, Quebec, is also the second-largest primarily French-speaking city in the world, just after Paris. The city has an undeniable allure with tons of public art displays, miles of bike lanes and world-class festivals, such as Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, as well as Startupfest.

Although Montreal may host a less mature ecosystem when compared to other cities, it boasts world-class universities, including McGill University and Universit de Montral, and a host of government programs. Additionally, Montreal is home to almost 50 percent of all Startup Weekends in Canada, training close to 1,000 entrepreneurs a year.

Local government provides the best programs in North America with millions of dollars in grants, loans, innovation tax credits, and even government backed incubators without any cost to the entrepreneurs, said Montreal Founder Institute Director Sergio Escobar over the phone. As any emerging ecosystem, Montreal has many challenges. Among them, Montreal counts very few seed-stage investors and no pre-seed ones. Many times, seed investors tend to function closer to Series A investors with non-friendly term sheets and low valuations.

The Founder Institute team in Montreal. Photo by Charles Laberge, Collaboration Speciale, La Presse, 3 September 2015.

Startupfest is a three-day festival that takes place in a relaxed Tent Village. It features keynote speakers, how-to sessions and $200,000 investment opportunities from festival angel investors. Even more, the festival features a panel of infamously tough Grandmothers, to whom entrepreneurs pitch their startups.

While the city is considered the cultural capital of Canada, Montreal is also an artificial intelligence stronghold. Just in January, Microsoft announced it would double its investment to AI research and development in the city. Over a five-year period, the tech giant will gift $6 million to the Universit de Montral, and $1 million to McGill University.

A week before this announcement, Microsoft acquired natural language processing and AI startup Maluuba, which was founded by Waterloo graduates Kaheer Suleman and Sam Pasupalak in 2011. In February 2016, it also bought Groove, a Montreal music app that uses machine learning to come up with personalized playlists.

In terms of resources for entrepreneurs in Montreal, FounderFuel is an accelerator funded by Real Ventures, a Canadian VC firm. Entrepreneurs Anonymous is a peer-to-peer support group, which takes place at a different Montreal bar each month.

Notable leaders in Montreals ecosystem include John Stokes, general partner at Real Ventures; Sergio Escobar, managing director at the Founder Institute Montreal; LP Maurice, co-founder and CEO at Busbud; Chris Arsenault, partner at iNovia Capital; Mike Cegelski and Francois Gilbert of Anges Qubec; Alan MacIntosh, partner at Real Ventures; Daniel Robichaud, CEO at PasswordBox; and Helge Seetzen of TandemLaunch.

Ottawa and others

The three most popular cities in Canada do not exclusively dominate the startup ecosystem. There are flickers and sometimes flares of startup activity that certainly have the potential to grow larger in the coming years.

Canadas capital, Ottawa, sits on the border with Quebec, and is just about two hours from the city of Montreal. Parliament Hill is the citys main attraction and depending on the season, visitors and residents alike skate on the Rideau Canal, which winds for five miles throughout the city.

Ottawa is home to Canadian unicorn Shopify, and has been on a kick to make itself the best city in Canada to start a business. Ottawa-based SaaS accelerator L-SPARK, which is directed by Leo Lax, supports talent in the city and also hosts SAAS North, a conference that helps Canadian companies network and promotes Ottawa as the countrys capital of SAAS.

In Ottawa there is a wealth of experienced C-level executives from the telecommunications industry, and as that industry has slowed down it has created an enormous talent pool for startups, said Leo Lax over the phone. We can shortcut the challenges of building a SAAS company through the experience of the people here. Further support in Ottawa includes Invest Ottawa, a group that delivers economic development programs to give entrepreneurs a head start in Canadas capital.

The SAAS North team in Ottawa. Photo by Velour Productions.

Other notable leaders in Ottawas ecosystem include Tobi Lutke, CEO of Shopify; Allan Wille, CEO at Klipfolio, Terry Matthews, Chairman of Wesley Clover International; Jamie Petten, co-founder of SAAS North; Craig Fitzpatrick, CEO of PageCloud; Adrian Salamunovic and Nazim Ahmed of Canvas Pop; and investor Aydin Mirzaee.

Another city to consider is Edmonton, which is also beginning to carve out a place on the map in the countrys startup scene. The citys hubs include incubator TEC Edmonton a joint University of Alberta and City of Edmonton initiative ranked the worlds 16th best business incubator Business Link, as well as Startup Edmonton. For the past two years Startup Edmonton has hosted Edmonton Startup Week, which features more than 20 community events for entrepreneurs across the city.

Lastly, Labrador and Newfoundland, which are the most eastern point of North America, are beginning to develop grassroots startup communities. This includes StartupNL, a community of entrepreneurs led by Will Gough, Jason Janes and Roger Power that hosts events and programs. In 2014, the government of Newfoundland and Labrador unveiled a $15 million fund to invest in local entrepreneurs and startups, and in 2016, three St. Johns, Newfoundland startups announced funding of more than $2 million, including game developer Clockwork Fox Studios, marketing collaboration platform HeyOrcaand software provider Sentinel Alert.

Conclusion

Canadas ecosystem is still in its early stages. Companies tend to exit too early rather than focusing on growing something sustainable. It often feels like Canadians bow out where Americans for whatever reason might not. Similarly, sub-zero temperatures scare people to warmer areas, leading to a brain drain and serious demand for startup-orientated marketers. Many current marketing staff are not au fait with startup performance, due to their backgrounds in more traditional industries.

Canadian investors have historically looked at minerals and mining companies, which attract much of the capital. People tend to invest in other industries rather than startups because of their prior experience.

On the other hand, Canada provides affordable development talent, and thousands of people graduate each year from some of the best universities in the world. Founders are now beginning to enter the startup market again after their first exits, and there is a growing sense of community. In recent years there has been impressive growth in the number of people interested in startups. Government tax incentives reward companies for investing in research and development.

Then there is the Trump question. The new U.S. administrations hard stance against immigrants can only play into Canadas favor with worldwide talent flocking to the Great White North, the opportunity is Canadas to lose. Over the last five years, Canada has brought in more than 800,000 immigrants to fill holes in the jobs market. With an unfriendly U.S. approach to immigration, international talent could easily look to Canada instead of America as a land of hope and opportunity.

With 20 percent of Canadas population already born elsewhere, the country now offers a startup visa to encourage international entrepreneurs to immigrate, with permanent residence status. This is crucial to Canadas future success. By 2019, there will be 182,000 tech jobs up for grabs and nowhere near enough people to fill them. So while Canadas tech scene is growing, there is yet more to come.

There are a lot of bright things to come for Canadas startup scene.

Source: http://allofbeer.com/canada-is-north-americas-up-and-coming-startup-center/

from All of Beer https://allofbeer.wordpress.com/2018/10/28/canada-is-north-americas-up-and-coming-startup-center/

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adambstingus · 6 years

Text

Canada is North Americas up-and-coming startup center

Conrad Egusa Contributor

Conrad Egusa is the CEO of Publicize.

More posts by this contributor:

Brazil: A look into Latin Americas largest startup ecosystem

A Look into Chile’s innovative startup government

Victoria Stunt Contributor

Victoria Stunt is a journalist based in Colombia and is a writer at Publicize.

More posts by this contributor:

Austria: The up-and-coming early-stage investment capital of Europe

This is a mistake.

Origin story

The MaRS Discovery District in Toronto. Photo courtesy of the MaRS Discovery District.

With such a strong foundation of startup initiatives and technology success, its no wonder that Canada is in such a strong position now.

Toronto-Waterloo corridor

The Toronto and Waterloo corridor is sometimes billed unsurprisingly as the Silicon Valley of the North.

500 Startups partner Sanjay Singhal. Photo courtesy of the 500 Startups team.

Vancouver

Canada provides affordable development talent, and thousands of people graduate each year from some of the best universities in the world.

Montreal

The Founder Institute team in Montreal. Photo by Charles Laberge, Collaboration Speciale, La Presse, 3 September 2015.

Ottawa and others

The SAAS North team in Ottawa. Photo by Velour Productions.

Conclusion

There are a lot of bright things to come for Canadas startup scene.

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/canada-is-north-americas-up-and-coming-startup-center/ from All of Beer https://allofbeercom.tumblr.com/post/179532600127

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ewomennetwork0 · 4 months

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Building Networks that Empower: How Women Can Create Effective Business Networks

In the realm of business, networking is not just about building a list of contacts—it's about cultivating meaningful relationships that can provide mutual support and opportunities for growth. For women in business, these connections can serve as a springboard to overcome hurdles, achieve professional goals, and pave the way for future generations of women leaders. Today, we'll dive deep into how women can create effective business networks and how such networks can empower them to reach new heights in their careers.

Understanding the Importance of Networking for Women in Business

Research has repeatedly shown that robust business networks play a crucial role in the success of entrepreneurs and professionals alike. It's through these networks that we gain access to essential resources—knowledge, opportunities, mentorship, and support. However, the gender disparity within business networks is not insignificant. Women in business often find themselves contending with male-dominated networks, where access to resources may be limited. As a result, it's vital for women to build their networks proactively, focusing not just on quantity but also on the quality of connections.

Navigating the Networking Landscape

The world of networking can feel overwhelming. It's teeming with networking events, online platforms, and various groups that can sometimes feel more daunting than helpful. For women looking to build their business networks, it's crucial to navigate this landscape strategically. Consider your professional goals and target industries, and identify networking opportunities that align with these parameters. Seek out events and platforms where you're likely to meet peers, mentors, and potential business partners who share your interests and aspirations. The more relevant your network, the more empowering it will be.

Building Meaningful Connections

Once you've identified the right networking opportunities, the next step is to build meaningful connections. Networking isn't just about exchanging business cards—it's about engaging in authentic, mutually beneficial relationships. This means asking insightful questions, offering your knowledge and expertise where appropriate, and maintaining regular contact. Networking for women in business isn't about conforming to an "old boys' club" model; instead, it's about fostering relationships based on respect, empathy, and mutual

More info : Women's Entrepreneur Conference 2024

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ewnnetwork · 2 years

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Million-Dollar Success Series: Lead Generation

Lead Generation for Your Business

Generating leads for your business can happen in many different ways. The key is getting your ideal client in the door. In today’s Million-Dollar Success Series, Sandra Yancey talks with Digital Marketing Strategist, Zenovia Andrews, about lead generation.

Lead Generation is a Warm-up

One of my favorite resources for digital marketing is Hubspot. Writer and lead gen expert for Hubspot, Anum Hussain, describes lead generation as, “It’s a way of warming up potential customers to your business and getting them on the path to eventually buying.”

Zenovia Andrews explains that the best way to attract your ideal client is to make them an offer they can’t refuse. In this call you’ll learn what type of offer is yummy and irresistible.

Serving Others

If you come from a place of serving others your clients will be more attracted to you, because they feel like you care about them. People love to get stuff for free. If you can deliver some juicy content to your ideal customer, then they will want to know what else you have to offer.

More Info : Million-Dollar Success Series: Lead Generation

#women entrepreneurs network in Vancouver #Orlando women entrepreneurs network #Women Entrepreneurs Network Miami #Women entrepreneur network ottawa #Women Networking Events Dallas #new jersey business women network #Business Network events for women #women entrepreneurial network #Life transformation expert Dallas #women in business networking #Austin entrepreneur network

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allofbeercom · 6 years

Text

Canada is North Americas up-and-coming startup center

Conrad Egusa Contributor

Conrad Egusa is the CEO of Publicize.

More posts by this contributor:

Brazil: A look into Latin Americas largest startup ecosystem

A Look into Chile’s innovative startup government

Victoria Stunt Contributor

Victoria Stunt is a journalist based in Colombia and is a writer at Publicize.

More posts by this contributor:

Austria: The up-and-coming early-stage investment capital of Europe

This is a mistake.

Origin story

The MaRS Discovery District in Toronto. Photo courtesy of the MaRS Discovery District.

With such a strong foundation of startup initiatives and technology success, its no wonder that Canada is in such a strong position now.

Toronto-Waterloo corridor

The Toronto and Waterloo corridor is sometimes billed unsurprisingly as the Silicon Valley of the North.

500 Startups partner Sanjay Singhal. Photo courtesy of the 500 Startups team.

Vancouver

Canada provides affordable development talent, and thousands of people graduate each year from some of the best universities in the world.

Montreal

The Founder Institute team in Montreal. Photo by Charles Laberge, Collaboration Speciale, La Presse, 3 September 2015.

Ottawa and others

The SAAS North team in Ottawa. Photo by Velour Productions.

Conclusion

There are a lot of bright things to come for Canadas startup scene.

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/canada-is-north-americas-up-and-coming-startup-center/

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deliciouslyelegantwombat-blog · 6 years

Text

Social women entrepreneurs in kingdom of Saudi Arabia do my essay online Saudi Arabia Freezes New Trade, Investment Transactions With Canada - Reports - Sputnik Internationa

The decision follows criticism by Canada of human rights in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia Freezes New Trade, Investment Transactions With Canada - Reports. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Sunday that it was recalling its envoy to Canada, and will now consider the Canadian ambassador to Riyadh a ‘persona non grata,’ Reuters reported. According to the Saudi Press Agency, the Saudi Foreign Ministry has given the Canadian envoy 24 hours to leave Riyadh. The kingdom has also reserved the right to take further action in its relations with Ottawa, according to the agency, although what actions it may take are unknown. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia… will not accept interference in its internal affairs," the Saudi Foreign Ministry was quoted as saying by AFP after the Canadian embassy in Riyadh called for the release of jailed human rights activists. On Thursday, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said that Ottawa is “alarmed” by Riyadh’s decision to imprison Samar Badawi, the sister of Saudi opposition activist Raif Badawi. The Canadian official urged Saudi Arabia to release both. Raif Badawi’s wife, Ensaf Haidar, fled Saudi Arabia for Canada following the arrest of her husband and received Canadian citizenship on July 1. Use of Mobile Morgue in Mexico Leads to Dismissal of Forensic Official (PHOTOS) 03:43 Eight NATO Air Forces to Fly to Ukraine for Massive Drill 03:43 Alibaba Group Co-Founder Jack Ma Retracts Promise to Create 1 Million Jobs in US 03:40 Trump-Duda Photo Sparks Outrage 03:03 Child Porn Investigation Caused Solar Observatory Closure - Court Docs All news. The fact of registration and authorization of users on Sputnik websites via users’ account or accounts on social networks indicates acceptance of these rules. Users are obliged abide by national and international laws. Users are obliged to speak respectfully to the other participants in the discussion, readers and individuals referenced in the posts. The websites’ administration has the right to delete comments made in languages other than the language of the majority of the websites’ content. In all language versions of the sputniknews.com websites any comments posted can be edited. Sputnik; violates privacy, distributes personal data of third parties without their consent or violates privacy of correspondence; describes or references scenes of violence, cruelty to animals; contains information about methods of suicide, incites to commit suicide; pursues commercial objectives, contains improper advertising, unlawful political advertisement or links to other online resources containing such information; promotes products or services of third parties without proper authorization; contains offensive language or profanity and its derivatives, as well as hints of the use of lexical items falling within this definition; contains spam, advertises spamming, mass mailing services and promotes get-rich-quick schemes; promotes the use of narcotic / psychotropic substances, provides information on their production and use; contains links to viruses and malicious software; is part of an organized action involving large volumes of comments with identical or similar content ("flash mob"); “floods” the discussion thread with a large number of incoherent or irrelevant messages; violates etiquette, exhibiting any form of aggressive, humiliating or abusive behavior ("trolling"); doesn’t follow standard rules of the English language, for example, is typed fully or mostly in capital letters or isn’t broken down into sentences. The administration has the right to block a user’s access to the page or delete a user’s account without notice if the user is in violation of these rules or if behavior indicating said violation is detected. Users can initiate the recovery of their account / unlock access by contacting the moderators at [email protected].... View more ...

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atomicenthusiastturtle-blog · 6 years

Text

Social women entrepreneurs in kingdom of Saudi Arabia we write your essay Saudi Arabia Freezes New Trade, Investment Transactions With Canada - Reports - Sputnik Internationa

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Sunday that it was recalling its envoy to Canada, and will now consider the Canadian ambassador to Riyadh a ‘persona non grata,’ Reuters reported. Saudi Arabia Freezes New Trade, Investment Transactions With Canada - Reports. According to the Saudi Press Agency, the Saudi Foreign Ministry has given the Canadian envoy 24 hours to leave Riyadh. The kingdom has also reserved the right to take further action in its relations with Ottawa, according to the agency, although what actions it may take are unknown. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia… will not accept interference in its internal affairs," the Saudi Foreign Ministry was quoted as saying by AFP after the Canadian embassy in Riyadh called for the release of jailed human rights activists. The decision follows criticism by Canada of human rights in Saudi Arabia. On Thursday, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said that Ottawa is “alarmed” by Riyadh’s decision to imprison Samar Badawi, the sister of Saudi opposition activist Raif Badawi. The Canadian official urged Saudi Arabia to release both. Raif Badawi’s wife, Ensaf Haidar, fled Saudi Arabia for Canada following the arrest of her husband and received Canadian citizenship on July 1. Major Bug in Bitcoin Code Could Have Wrecked the Currency 00:49 WATCH: Indiana Cop Stops Fleeing Suspect By Ramming Bike Head-on With Squad Car 00:48 Poll: Majority of US Believes ‘The Resistance’ Is Active Within White House 00:45 Two US Women Drown in Sheriff’s Transport Van During Hurricane Florence 00:30 Australian Police Arrest ‘Young Person' Over Needles in Strawberries Crisis All news. The fact of registration and authorization of users on Sputnik websites via users’ account or accounts on social networks indicates acceptance of these rules. Users are obliged abide by national and international laws. Users are obliged to speak respectfully to the other participants in the discussion, readers and individuals referenced in the posts. The websites’ administration has the right to delete comments made in languages other than the language of the majority of the websites’ content. In all language versions of the sputniknews.com websites any comments posted can be edited. Sputnik; violates privacy, distributes personal data of third parties without their consent or violates privacy of correspondence; describes or references scenes of violence, cruelty to animals; contains information about methods of suicide, incites to commit suicide; pursues commercial objectives, contains improper advertising, unlawful political advertisement or links to other online resources containing such information; promotes products or services of third parties without proper authorization; contains offensive language or profanity and its derivatives, as well as hints of the use of lexical items falling within this definition; contains spam, advertises spamming, mass mailing services and promotes get-rich-quick schemes; promotes the use of narcotic / psychotropic substances, provides information on their production and use; contains links to viruses and malicious software; is part of an organized action involving large volumes of comments with identical or similar content ("flash mob"); “floods” the discussion thread with a large number of incoherent or irrelevant messages; violates etiquette, exhibiting any form of aggressive, humiliating or abusive behavior ("trolling"); doesn’t follow standard rules of the English language, for example, is typed fully or mostly in capital letters or isn’t broken down into sentences. The administration has the right to block a user’s access to the page or delete a user’s account without notice if the user is in violation of these rules or if behavior indicating said violation is detected. Users can initiate the recovery of their account / unlock access by contacting the moderators at [email protected].... View more ...

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ixvyupdates · 6 years

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Highlights from the 2018 Gender Review launch in New York

“Young women aren’t the changemakers of the future, they are the here and now” said GenUN Fellow, Rabita Tareque to a room of civil society representatives, teachers, policy makers, academics and donors at Thursday’s global launch of the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report’s 2018 Gender Review in New York.

“International Women’s Day is an occasion to recall that education is the linchpin for empowering women to build a better world”, stated panellist Nora Fyles, Head of the United Nations Girls Education Initiative (UNGEI) a key partner on the publication. “There has been a lot to celebrate in recent years in terms of ensuring girls do not miss out on education opportunities and we have made huge strides in girls’ education globally since the first GEM Report Gender Review six years ago”.

The event co-hosted by the GEM Report, UNGEI and the Malala Fund was timed to coincide with the sixty-second session of the Commission on the Status of Women, a pivotal event on the international human rights calendar.

In his presentation, the Director of the GEM Report Manos Antoninis highlighted the fundamental link between gender equality and education in pushing the development agenda forward. “It is important to recall that advancing equal rights and opportunities between women and men is critical for a sustainable future. This refers to all pillars. Not just social equality but also slowing down the pace of climate change, achieving shared prosperity, and ensuring effective governance – all of which require women’s full participation.”

The event was greeted by the Director of the UNESCO New York office, Marie-Paule Roudil, and a keynote address delivered by H.E. Mr. Jean-Claude Félix do Rego, Permanent Representative of Benin to the United Nations, who referenced Benin’s significant progress in reducing gender disparities in primary education, one of the strongest rates of progress in the world. “Our government has introduced awareness-raising campaigns focused on introducing a better division of domestic tasks between girls and boys and abolished school fees for girls in the first cycle of secondary education as testament to our commitment to gender equality in education”, he explained.

Speaking at the event, the Vice-President of the National Education Association, Becky Pringle, spoke of the importance of female leaders in the spheres of politics and education. The 2018 Gender Review shows that 68% of lower secondary teachers are women, but only 45% of principals. As representative of the United Sates first and largest labour union, Ms Pringle shared her experience of overcoming the institutional barriers that women still face in getting into school leadership positions. She remarked on the importance of the annual Gender Review, which “goes beyond highlighting the obstacles faced by women and girls worldwide, but also offers solutions and best practices to address to meet these challenges”.

An intervention from Karen Sherman, President of the Akilah Institute, a network of female-only post-secondary colleges in Rwanda, reflected on the power in helping women overcome unequal and oppressive social limits and expectations so they can make choices about their lives. She presented the Akilah Institute’s unique model of education working to ensure the next generation of female leaders, entrepreneurs, and community changemakers in East Africa.

Barry Johnston, Associate Director of Advocacy, Malala Fund, pivoted the conversation tohow humanitarian aid neglects girls’ education in countries affected by or emerging from conflict. “Education should be a priority for humanitarian and development donors. However, as we know, the current 4% target is not being achieved.” He also called for more investment to improve current data collection and monitoring frameworks to better address the needs of refugee girls and to improve prioritization and targeting of funding.

The critical importance of global champions to ensure government deliver on commitments to gender equality in education was emphasised by the Malala Fund whose network of local champions advocates passionately to advance the rights of girls to 12 years of quality education.

“We work to amplify girls’ stories in their own words, we believe in these remarkable champions and we’re investing in their work so that every girl can learn and lead without fear.” said Johnston.

The discussion underscored that gender equality, however, is a responsibility of all individuals and it has increasingly been acknowledged that men and boys are also inextricably involved with gender issues and have an important role in efforts to achieve equality. Daniel Seymour, Deputy Director of Programmes at UN Women, underlined that progress towards gender equality will stimulate positive transformations in the lives of both women and men resulting in a better society, and how a systemic issue such as gender-based violence is not an exclusive concern of women but inherently connected with both genders.

Focusing on the theme of accountability for gender equality in education, the panel also emphasized the role and responsibilities of government, teachers, students as well as civil society to strengthen, monitor and prompt faster developments.

“The achievement of the 2030 Agenda depends on the world’s success in creating a level playing field for boys and girls, women and men, in education as in other sectors. Commitments have been made; the task now is to follow through to their fulfilment, by breaking down barriers and making sure that all actors play their part in the endeavour”, Manos Antoninis said, as he closed his presentation.

A final call to action from Rabita Tareque demonstrated the ingenuity, resolve and enthusiasm of young female leaders, a vital component for accelerating momentum towards gender equality and the empowerment of every girl and woman.

***

Additional launch events organized by GEM Report partners and UNESCO regional and national offices took place in London and Paris, with upcoming events in Ottawa, Nairobi and Brasilia. Such events provide forums to debate and discuss the key findings and recommendations from the 2018 Gender Review and how to strengthen accountability for gender equality in education at the local, national and international level.

Highlights from the 2018 Gender Review launch in New York syndicated from https://sapsnkraguide.wordpress.com

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terrypender · 7 years

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Tech Group Thrives, Creates Thousands of Jobs

KITCHENER — A group of Australians travelled halfway around the world to tour the Communitech Hub.

While researching ways to support startups and spur economic development, the Australians kept hearing about Communitech — a nonprofit organization in Waterloo Region that anchors one end of a world-class technology cluster.

The Toronto Waterloo Region Corridor is second only to Silicon Valley in the number of technology workers and companies. At this end of the corridor, Waterloo Region has the third-largest tech cluster in Canada, after Toronto and Montreal. Its startup ecosystem is ranked 25th in the world, according to analytics firm Compass.

So the Australians came to downtown Kitchener to see the incubators, accelerators and corporate innovation labs in the Tannery, a historic, sprawling building at Charles and Victoria streets. The building once housed the biggest leather tannery in the British Empire — making boot soles and harness leather for soldiers in the First World War, and fuel tank liners for fighter planes and bombers in the Second World War.

While waiting in the lobby, the Australians met another group that was in Kitchener for the same reason. That second group was from Australia, too. They laughed, sharing a "fancy meeting you here" moment.

The Aussies were among the 13,000 people who toured the Communitech Hub during visits to the region last year.

Communitech certainly has come a long way in 20 years. The organization, launched in May 1997, estimates its economic impact on the region last year was $1.7 billion.

Its membership last year included 717 startups, 124 mid-sized companies and 66 large ones. Collectively, they raised $255 million in private investment and hired 2,782 new employees.

The innovative Communitech model is widely copied. From Sudbury to Halifax, there are innovation hubs based largely, or in part, on Communitech. Politicians from every level of government love to visit the Communitech Hub for announcements, photo-ops or consultations on public policy.

"I think Communitech is a leader that we all look up to," said Pam Banks, executive director of the RIC Centre, an innovation hub in Mississauga that offers services to technology startups. "And they have been very good about sharing things."

Inside the Tannery building is a meeting space called the Atlas Room. It is named after a little-known group out of which Communitech emerged. The Atlas Group was formed in the early 1990s and included the CEOs and general managers of some of the region's pioneering technology companies, including Dalsa, OpenText, MKS, Waterloo Maple, RDM Corp., Watcom, Spicer Corp. and a startup called Research In Motion.

Once a month, its members took turns buying coffee and doughnuts at Tim Hortons before meeting in the boardroom of a local tech company. They talked about financing, human resources, marketing, forming boards, going public, getting investors, accounting and doing business in the United States at their early-morning meetings.

"We were exchanging stories with each other, literally learning from each other as we grew," said Tom Jenkins, chair of software company OpenText.

When the Atlas Group was formed, Jenkins was the general manager of Dalsa, a Waterloo-based manufacturer of digital imaging products. He moved to OpenText and became CEO when it had only 11 employees. The enterprise content management business now has 12,500 employees and is the largest software company in Canada.

"There really wasn't a playbook for startups in technology as there is today," said Randall Howard, a prominent angel investor in Waterloo Region who was a co-founder and CEO of software company MKS back then. He remembers the Atlas Group well.

MKS did 98 per cent of its business in the United States, and Howard shared the lessons and insights from his experience. "We were all just figuring it out, so comparing notes was probably even more valuable then," he said.

In 1993, 15 members of the Atlas Group chartered two planes to Ottawa where Howard made a presentation about the region's budding tech sector to federal politicians, and bureaucrats from the finance and industry departments. The trip was initiated by the late Andrew Telegdi, Waterloo's MP at the time.

At the time, the tech sector in the region employed about 5,000 people, but firms were growing fast with ambitious plans. They exported most of their products and services to the United States. That was, and remains, the glittery stuff of digital dreams for politicians and economic development agencies at all levels of government.

There was only one woman among the members of the Atlas Group on that 1993 trip to Ottawa — Louise Colley, CEO of Willow Software.

"But that was the time," said Howard. "The sad thing is, it has not gotten a lot better actually, but Communitech is today, rightly so, working hard on that with things like Fierce Founders."

Last year, Communitech created Fierce Founders, an accelerator for startups founded by or led by women. It attracts entrepreneurs from Halifax to Calgary, and beyond.

The Atlas Group was a beta test for the knowledge economy, said Howard, as the members taught themselves how to build and grow tech companies. As the number of firms slowly grew, the group realized in 1997 it needed a formal association to represent its interests.

Jenkins figured he knew the right person for the job of leading the new organization — Vince Schiralli.

By 1997, Schiralli's resumé included 25 years in tech, mostly in sales, mainly in management roles. He worked at IBM, had his own startup and worked for a medium-sized tech company. Jenkins invited Schiralli to his home for a chat.

"It took a couple of bottles of wine at my kitchen table," said Jenkins.

Jenkins assured Schiralli the new job was his to define. He would have funds to get everything going, and pay himself a salary.

"We killed a few bottles, and frankly it sounded like a good deal," said Schiralli, who is now retired and living in Vancouver.

The 43 members of the Atlas Group each wrote cheques for $5,000 to launch Communitech. Among the founding supporters were the man hailed as the father of computer science at the University of Waterloo — Wes Graham of Watcom — and Jim Balsillie, co-CEO at RIM, a fast-growing company now known as BlackBerry.

"So that's sort of how it all started," said Jenkins.

Another Atlas Group member, Yvan Couture of the Taaz Group, gave Schiralli an office. The name Communitech came out of a brainstorming session there. Schiralli liked the name right away because it evokes community and collaboration.

"I was selling a concept, I was selling an idea, I was selling futures, I was telling people how good it was going to be," said Schiralli.

By the end of its first year, Communitech had 120 members. It focused on networking and peer-to-peer groups for self-help and professional development. Memberships cost $5,000 a year for companies and $500 for individuals.

Communitech lobbied for better telecommunications infrastructure, lower taxes on stock options and exemptions to labour laws so companies would not have to pay overtime to software developers. But mostly it organized events that brought techies together for sharing contacts or learning from other members and speakers.

Schiralli moved Communitech into an office at 425 King St. N. in Waterloo, in what was then the location of Conestoga College's Waterloo campus. Today, the offices of tech company Intelligent Mechatronics are located on the property.

By 2000, Schiralli was ready for the next chapter in a career that included being the CEO of a publicly traded company in Vancouver. "Those three years, there are no words to describe the fun, the feeling of accomplishment and the learnings I took away from all those great people," Schiralli said.

Jenkins then called Greg Barratt, a regional director of sales and marketing at Ernst & Young, about becoming the second president of Communitech.

"We didn't kill two or three bottles of wine, but he had me over to his house, his kids were scratching at the door, they were pretty young at that point," said Barratt.

It was a Sunday afternoon in Jenkins' den. Barratt accepted the job. He inherited a self-funding organization with a brand and its first government grants. Jenkins led the call on the board of directors to spend that money on peer-to-peer groups, and professional development breakfasts and lunches called Communitalks.

"I have to give Tom Jenkins credit for that as a board member, that was one of his things," said Barratt.

After three years as president of Communitech, Barratt left and moved into senior sales positions at tech firms Miovision and Coreworx, and Cowan Insurance Group, and also served as an entrepreneur-in-residence at Communitech. Recently, he announced he is returning to Communitech as a vice-president to oversee REV, a sales and marketing program for promising startups.

When Barratt was president, Communitech slowly expanded and moved into new offices at the Centre for International Governance Innovation at Erb and Caroline streets in Waterloo.

Iain Klugman was hired to lead Communitech in 2004. Prior to coming to Waterloo Region, he worked for the federal and provincial governments, including a short time as CEO of Tourism Ontario, and in branding and advertising roles with Nortel Networks, and ran his own consulting business for a short time.

By 2007, Communitech had moved into the Accelerator Centre, an incubator for tech startups in the David Johnston Research & Technology Park on UW's north campus. It had 400 members and a $2-million budget. But all of that was about to change as Communitech greatly expanded, gaining national and even international prominence.

Jenkins figures in that part of the story, too.

"I was saying we need to be thinking about a $10-million strategy," said Klugman, Communitech president and CEO. "And Tom said: 'Not $10 million, it has to be a $100-million strategy."

The board was looking for something bigger, and Klugman delivered.

He prepared an ambitious plan that included a move to downtown Kitchener and much larger offices in the former Lang Tannery building. Renovations to the old industrial building cost $30 million. Klugman's plan also included the launch of the Canadian Digital Media Network, a partnership with the University of Waterloo's Velocity startup support program, expanded programs to recruit talent for established companies and more resources for startups.

"So off we went to do that," said Klugman. "So far today I think the strategy is around $250 million as far as activity, contributions, investments and everything else."

Communitech's expansion was enthusiastically supported by the public and private sectors. When the Communitech Hub opened in the Tannery building in 2010, Klugman said $100 million had been raised to run it over the next five years, with 40 per cent coming from public sources and 60 per cent from the private sector.

"It was actually the easiest money we have ever raised because it was such a compelling idea," said Klugman. "People were like: 'Yeah, I'm in, that makes such good sense. How do I be part of this?'"

The City of Kitchener was in first with $500,000 and the federal government provided $5.35 million to create the Communitech Hub. The Ontario government has given Communitech $5 million every year since 2009. Last July, it announced a $1.2-million contribution to pay for another expansion of The Hub. In 2015, the federal government announced it would give Communitech $9.7 million over five years to run programs to help mid-sized startups ramp up their growth. The same year, Ottawa announced Communitech was getting $3 million to launch the Canadian Open Data Exchange. The data exchange opened in May in a former police station in Uptown Waterloo.

Since the board of directors approved the expansion plans in 2007, Communitech says it has worked with 3,500 tech companies. Last year, Deloitte estimated the economic impact of Communitech's members on the region was $1.7-billion , according to Communitech's annual report.

Under Klugman's leadership, the membership in Communitech has increased from 279 in 2004 to more than 1,300 today.

Membership increased quickly as Communitech focused more resources on incubating and supporting startups. In 2010, it worked with 115 startups. That has increased to about 400 new startups a year for each of the past five years.

A constant supply of new startups helps sustain a tech ecosystem, said Klugman. Back in 2006, Communitech hosted all manner of events, including film festivals and beer nights to get people thinking about doing a startup.

There were few takers. Then in 2010 "The Social Network," a biopic about Mark Zuckerberg and the early days of Facebook, was released.

"And overnight everyone wants to be an entrepreneur," said Klugman. It's "absolutely remarkable how it changed everything — everything. Then it was just, like: 'Hang on.'"

Communitech now employs 80 people and had revenue of $17.6 million in the fiscal year ended June 30. Just over half of its budget comes from government grants.

As it moves into its third decade, Communitech is ambitious and forward looking as it has ever been. One of its main objectives between now and 2026 is to see the Toronto Waterloo Region Corridor rival Silicon Valley as the world's top tech ecosystem.

To achieve that, it aims to create 15 new companies with annual revenues of $100 million each, see $5 billion invested in tech companies (up from $1 billion) and have 350,000 jobs (up from 200,000) in the corridor, said Klugman, who as CEO of Communitech earned $345,000 last year.

One of the biggest obstacles to achieving those goals is attracting enough talent to the region, Klugman said.

"Best guess, we need 20,000 people in the next five years, people who don't exist," he said.

"And if we don't have the talent then these companies that are high growth, they have to make some difficult decisions about where they are going to grow. It is a real risk for us."

Klugman said it was a turning point in the region's startup scene when Michael Litt and Devon Galloway returned from the Y Combinator accelerator in Silicon Valley and decided to grow their video analytics company, Vidyard, in downtown Kitchener. Founders of other startups, including Thalmic Labs, followed.

"All of a sudden they legitimized that choice and evangelized that choice and said: 'It's actually a better decision to do a startup here because of tax incentives and access to talent,' and it changed over night," said Klugman.

Klugman credits the board for its visionary leadership and support. The board at Invest Ottawa did not back expansion plans there, and Communitech eclipsed that organization years ago.

"I remember the board saying things to me like: 'We want you to put Waterloo Region on steroids, you are going to take this place and sell it to the world,'" said Klugman.

As Communitech helps grow the innovation corridor between here and Toronto, the group's first president enjoys a retirement full of golf and grandchildren. From his Vancouver home, Schiralli marvels at what happened at Communitech.

"It blows my mind," said Schiralli. "I don't think any of us had a sense it would get this big or be this successful."

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