Tonight is a celebration; not just of achievement, but of resilience, collaboration, and community spirit. At a time that many businesses are navigating uncertainty, this event stands as a powerful reminder of what we can accomplish when coming together
This evening we proudly honour the individuals and organizations whose dedication, innovation, and perseverance have shaped our city not only in the past year, but over decades. Their impact extends far beyond offices, storefronts, or factory floors, inspiring progress across our community.
More than just an awards ceremony, this event is a time to connect, reflect, and look ahead with optimism. We celebrate excellence not as an endpoint, but as a shared journey that fuels Brampton’s growth and character.
Thank you for joining us in celebrating the best of Brampton. Here’s to continued success, strong partnerships, and a thriving future together!
www.bramptonbot.com
Kate Saldanha Chair, BBOT
Welcome to the 2025 Business Excellence Awards. Tonight, the Brampton Board of Trade community gathers to celebrate our leaders, our innovators, our trailblazers, and all of the businesses and business leaders who make our community great.
This year, we are delighted to recognize more than 60 nominees in 10 different award categories Much like our business community, our nominees are diverse: they include small businesses and multinational corporations; they include new businesses and well-established businesses; they have customer bases within our city and around the world; and they come from industries of all types. But as diverse as they are, all of our nominees and winners are united in their achievements in shaping our community and contributing to its excellence.
Tonight’s awards would not be possible without the time and deliberations of our judges. Tasked with selecting winners among so many commendable nominees, our judges made these tough decisions with thoughtfulness and integrity and we thank each of them for volunteering their valuable time to make these meaningful selections.
We thank you for joining us this evening to celebrate the accomplishments of our nominees, winners, and our community
AboutBramptonBoardofTrade
Brampton’sLargestBusinessAssociation
The Brampton Board of Trade is where businesses of all shapes, sizes and sectors convene, collaborate and create solutions to boost regional economic prosperity.
Brampton business leaders are focused on running their businesses cost-effectively and successfully, while handling a myriad of challenges such as technology, competitiveness, job creation and government legislation. The Board of Trade helps members make the right connections and provides solutions to the toughest problems shaping change and advocating for Brampton. Members of the Board of Trade also have access to countless tools to help grow their business, increase productivity, and control their bottom line.
In order for our city to realize its full potential and to capitalize on the tremendous opportunities ahead, businesses and all levels of government need to be aligned Brampton’s moment is now
brielLagunes ector of Marketing & Asiaermodal International, CN
2025BoardofDirectors
FredMarques Chief Operating Officer, Maple Lodge Farms
AmishaMoorjani Owner, The Food Quotient
Jason Green Director, Acquisitions & Development, Greenwin
MohitSharma President & CEO, Zochem LLC
DeepinderSingh Founder & CEO, Prudle Labs
UshaSrinivasan Founder & CEO, BRready Talent
Tonight’sEntertainment
DJ Miwako Creative Industries student at Toronto Metropolitan University
DJ Miwako is a Toronto-based DJ and third-year Creative Industries student at Toronto Metropolitan University. She has performed as a guest DJ for major brands and teams, including the Toronto FC, the Toronto Argonauts, and Guess Clothing.
An alum of Math Thru Music’s DJ mentorship program, Miwako won the inaugural Crate Clash DJ competition at Brampton's Rose Theatre. The 2020 Community Impact award-winning organization uses DJ’ing to teach numeracy, entrepreneurship, science, and social justice
Darryn DeSouza
Curator
of Re-Imagined: A Theatre Concert
With over two decades as a seasoned musician, Darryn's journey through the ever-evolving music industry has been nothing short of incredible. He's rocked the stage on epic North American tours, from symphony extravaganzas to celebrity-filled spectacles. Darryn's passion for music transcends performance, as he's a trailblazer in music education, nurturing future talents and paving the way for creative programming.
Co-Emcees
Kate Saldanha, Chair
Jaipaul Massey-Singh
SelectionCommittee
Jason Green, Paul Grenier, Paula Harvey, Upjit Kansal, Fardan Khan, Jennifer LaLonde, Nicole MacPhail, Jaipaul
Brampton Arts Organization, The Esteem Agency, Hope Endoors, Greater Toronto Executive Centre, Cookies and cupcakes by design, Maplelodge Farms, Italpasta, TD, Job Skills, Empowered 4x, Costi, Brampton Steelheads, Brampton on Stage, Pama , Jenasi Hair Studio
BillKanellopoulos President,KalloDevelopments
Born in the small village of Skala, Messinia near Kalamata, Greece, Bill was the second of four children. Growing up with limited resources, he quickly learned to assess his surroundings, build strong relationships, and seize opportunities when they arose.
At just 14, Bill left his village for Athens, securing a job as a pastry assistant. He worked tirelessly across various hospitality roles pastry shops, hotels, and bars before serving in the Greek Army. After his service, a chance encounter outside a pastry shop led him to his next big step: a pastry chef job in Vancouver, Canada.
With no English, no money, and no formal education, Bill immigrated and built a life through sheer determination. When facing deportation, he fought to stay and even after returning briefly to Greece, he came back stronger, this time with his new wife Claire.
In 1972, Bill co-founded Queen’s Pizzeria in Brampton, sparking a decades-long journey of restaurant success, property investments, and community involvement. Later, he helped lead the winning bid for Brampton City Hall and launched Kallo Developments with his sons.
Now 80, Bill remains a dedicated Brampton builder committed to fairness, growth, and giving back to the city he helped shape.
With over 30 years in advanced manufacturing, Johanne Rappoccio has played a key role in driving innovation, automation, and operational excellence within Brampton’s industrial sector. Under her leadership, precision cooling systems designed and built in Brampton now support mission-critical infrastructure worldwide from data centres and telecom to healthcare, military, and agricultural facilities.
A strategic thinker and lifelong learner, Johanne is committed to made-in-Canada, made-in-Brampton solutions. She embraces the principles of Industry 5.0 championing inclusive, tech-forward collaboration across business, government, academia, and community to build resilient supply chains and future-ready workforces
She actively promotes skilled trades, apprenticeships, and STEM education, and works closely with educators, policymakers, and industry leaders to expand access to experiential learning and workforce development programs.
A Brampton Board of Trade member for over 25 years, Johanne has served as a Board Director, Executive Vice Chair of the Finance Committee, and a champion for innovation-focused programs. Her leadership continues to shape Brampton’s economic growth and global competitiveness.
Excellence in Trade & Logistics Award Sponsor
Brampton Community Choice Award Sponsor
Excellence in Manufacturing Award Sponsor
Amir Group of Companies
Zochem
Excellence in Innovation & Technology Award Sponsor
Cookies By Design
Hidden Smirk
Photo Booth
Jensai
Hair Studio
Scooty Mobility Inc.
Emerging Leader Award Sponsor
Chris-Beth Cowie Empowered 4X
Aretha McCarthy REVIVE
Hunyan Irfan HunyahTravels
Anmol Dhalla Colliers
Michael Nandlall Data Solutions Consulting
Michael Vickers
Brampton Arts Organization
Radhika Dutta
Vidya-A Learning Experience
Upjit Kansal 100 Women Who Care Brampton / J D Factors
