Business Link February-2022 by Business Link Media Group

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The Business Link is published 12 times per year and distributed digitally to businesses in Niagara region and beyond.

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Any reproduction or use of the content within this publiction without permission is prohibited. Opinions and comments within this publication reflect those of the writers and not necessarily that of The Business Link Media Group. All avertising is accepted subject to the Publishers’ discretion. The Publishers will not be responsible for damages arising out of errors in advertisements beyond the amount paid for the space occupied by that portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred. Any design, artwork, copyright or typesetting supplied by The Business Link Media Group is for the exclusive use by the Publishers. Any other use not authorized is an infringement of copyright. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission of the Publishers.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE FEBRUARY

Dear Business Link Readers, February is a very busy month, with so many traditions, cultures, and love! February is dedicated as Black History Month. We recognize and honour the tremendous contribution of Blacks in Canada and United States. Black History Month is not only in February, but it is today and in every day of our lives and heritage. The Chinese New Year festival celebrates the beginning of the new year in the traditional Chinese (or lunisolar) calendar. This year, on Tuesday February 1st we celebrate the Year of the Tiger. Groundhog Day is celebrated every year on February 2, and in 2022, it falls on Wednesday. Valentine’s Day is celebrated every February 14 as couples across the globe; express their love to their spouses, partners and friends, in a loving way either by giving chocolate, wine, flowers, dinner and more. Every year the preparation for this Valentine’s season becomes more innovative and more romantic. Family Day on February 21st is a provincial statutory holiday observed by all Canadians; intended for everyone to have a long weekend doing special things with the family. Business Link Media Magazine is a great way to keep ourselves busy during the most unpredictable circumstances, while providing the latest trends in the digital market. We deliver our dose of entertainment and education through compelling stories in topics like companies, brands, artists, sports, beauty, health, art, and lifestyle. Yours in business, Darlita Bostic VP Business Development Business Link Media Group

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03 10 16 PUBLISHER’S NOTE

EDUCATION EMPOWERMENT & BLACK BRILLIANCE

06 13 21 OTE STUDIO

THE FREEDOM MARCHING PROJECT

TRUE TESTIMONY OF A COVID-19 VIRUS PATIENT RECOVERY

ROSITA STONE

26 30 42 WELCOME TO O3 OZONE MED SPA

NASHIRA COIN

28 36 45 EXPERIENCE ACTIVATION ORGANIC BLACK CUMIN OIL

THE GREAT UPDATE

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ANN SHIN

INNOVATE NIAGARA

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NEW FESHION

OTE STUDIO OTE STUDIO IS OUR ENTREPRENEURIAL VENTURE INTO THE FASHION WORLD.

THE STORY OF SARA & PARISA

WELCOME TO OTE STUDIO !

e are a Toronto-based fashion boutique that crafts one-of-a-kind pieces for sophisticated women. OTE Studio is our entrepreneurial venture into the fashion world. We create all our designs in house, carefully crafting of each piece to the highest level of quality. Our diligent search for the best

materials and workmanship empowers us to produce the best pieces for our customers. Our pieces are made with love, care, and detailed attention, and it shows. We have become known for our floral fabric ‘Termeh’, which is very time consuming to make, extremely limited in production volume, and uniqueness of the fabric.

Who are we? We are Sara and Parisa, two friends who met over a shared vision, quality fashion and a fusion of modern and traditional designs that bring out the beauty in both the client, the fabric, and the cut of each piece. We met back in 2017 while attending the same get together and were immediately drawn to one another’s sense of fashion! We struck up a conversation and found that we were also both engineers; Parisa being an electrical engineer and Sara being an architect. We both had the same combination of art, science, and entrepreneurial zeal. OTE Studio was born. We didn’t know it at the time, but we were moving up the organizational behaviour ladder from storming through to performing very quickly. We were working on a vision while talking over a coffee, and still didn’t realize that we were planting the seeds that would sprout into the fashion house that we have become today. A major force that drove us together, was our ISSUE 1 | BUSINESS LINK

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shared past as somewhat jaded engineers seeking a way, a path, or a purpose to put their engineering and artistic skills and experience to better use; to create something with style, beauty, and value. Sara was genuinely dissatisfied with er daily life as an architect, facing the common challenges

Parisa faced a similar set of obstacles. Her daily life as an electrical engineer warranted little-to-no creativity, innovation, and out-of-thebox thinking. Work became more like work, and less like something that gave her life happiness. Parisa spent her entire life working with art, developing her potential as an artist in the field of photography and image design. She was passionate about sharing her love of art, imagery, and fashion with the world, but electrical engineering did not have the outlet she needed to make her vision a reality. Over the last few years, we developed our vision into OTE Studio. OTE Studio is more than just fashion; it is art, fashion, design, engineering, color, texture, and lines that come together to form something unique, something that is very OTE Studio. Our Values are customer-centric, with a deep focus on the value we provide each client. We do not cut corners, we cut fabric. We create timeless designs that are comprised 8

of working in large organizations with a vertical hierarchy, and lack of innovative values. There was a distinct lack of meaningful purpose to what made Sara a professional, and she knew that she needed a change.

of hand-selected textiles and accents, which brings with it a sense of exclusivity that is tangible. In the next five years, we see the fashion industry, and OTE Studio with it, growing at a healthy pace. We see more opportunities to engage in and utilize a circular-economy strategy, implement more strategies that empower our clients follow the production of their apparel from start to finish, and ensures that the highest standard of quality is met. We will continue to utilize the ‘Termeh’ textiles in our creations because it is durable, beautiful, complimentary to many other styles and colours, and a signature of our brand’s current family of designs. OTE Studio’s future, along with the fashion industry, is a bright one, with many more opportunities for artistic expression, cutting edge designs, and engineered styles. We encourage you to visit us at www.ote-studio.com and see what we are designing next! BL.

OTE STUDIO’S FUTURE !

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BLACK HISTORY 10

EDUCATION C EMPOWERMENT BLACK BRILLIANCE

onsidering the International Decade for People of African Decent as declared by the United Nations, combined with the national social, cultural, and racialized awakening, societies are more open to learning and addressing discriminatory practices, of the status quo. Accordingly, on the heels of another successful national conference, with over 1,600 attendees, 60 speakers, and 10 panels, the Canadian Congress is positioned to educate and address many community challenges; and launch a Black History program to align with February’s Black History Month. While the Congress may focus on Black issues every day this is not so, for much of society. As a result, our month-long series will seek to educate and share knowledge and strategies to address many of the challenges faced in the Black community; as well as celebrate past / current notable national leaders.

WEEKLY PROGRAM • Lunch and Learns • Intimate Fireside Chats • Programs that highlight Black Brilliance

TOPICS

Moy Fung Director of Strategic Partnerships and Head of Central Canada

• Economics – How to empower and build Black Economics • Education – Learning from the experiences of Black students • Workplace – How to address racism and microaggression in the workplace • Community – How to advocate and build stronger communities • Youth Engagement – How to embrace youth, channels for social advocacy • Mental Health – How to address disparity within the Black community

SPEAKERS • • • •

Henry Luyombya Director, Mental Health & Atlantic Canada Office

The Hon. Senator Don Oliver Former Member of Parliament – Celina Caesar-Chavannes Former Canadian Idol Judge – Farley Flex Former U of T Professor Dr. Leonie Brown ISSUE 1 | BUSINESS LINK

Chrissy Benz Director of Operations and Head of Western Canada

Alex Ihama Executive Director

Kelly Fran Davis Director of Indigenous Education & Enlightenment

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ABOUT THE CANADIAN CONGRESS

The Canadian Congress on Inclusive Diversity & Workplace Equity is a platform where highly profiled, deeply experienced, intellectually stimulating and spiritually therapeutic experts in social justice topics leverage their diverse lived and corporate experiences and academic qualifications to support organizations that are remarkably committed to engaging their staff, coaching their executives, transforming their corporate culture transformation, and strengthening their brand equity. We achieve this through open and free events and forums for thousands of participants across Canada to exchange 12

ideas and be equipped and empowered with strategic tips, tools, training, and techniques to become Diversity Ambassadors who are committed to transforming the culture of their organizations Our collective work in racialized communities impacts many ethnic groups, many aspects of society, from the financial and educational sector to the judiciary, law enforcement, and the healthcare sectors. Our programs and services are used by many organizations and communities to empower women and youth, strengthen family units, protect the civil rights and religious freedom of people, and offer leadership, entrepreneurship, and social justice training for thousands of people in over four decades. With some of our experts in this field for over four decades, backed by PhDs, MBAs and Bachelors in many related subjects, our collective experiences in the field of social justice, organizational psychology, the elimination of racism and discrimination, development of training curriculum, and corporate strategy and suite of analytical tools like a diversity dashboard, is over two hundred years. This is the amount of transformational power we bring to any organization.BL.

STAY INFORMED | GET CONNECTED | TAKE ACTION #JOINTHEMARCH A SPECIAL MUSIC PROJECT PRESENTED BY

RUFUS JOHN

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DARREN HAMILTON

DAN-E-O

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CARLOS MORGAN

TOI OTTLEY

anuary 11th, 2022/Toronto, ON -- Rufus John, award-winning black Caribbean-Canadian R&B/ Soul singer & songwriter is gearing up to release the single, Freedom Marching (Part I). The song will be available for pre-order on January 10th, 2022 and will be featured on

RUFUS JOHN

the 3-song EP, The Freedom Marching Project, which is slated to be released on February 4th, 2022. In support of the release of the EP, the project will also consist of; two official music videos, one in-studio performance video, a Call-To-Ac-

THE FREEDOM MARCHING PROJECT

John used his connections within the music industry to bring together some Juno & Grammy award winners & nominees to lend their voices and talents to this special project. Collective-

The Freedom Marching Project founded by John, was inspired by the thousands of people who had the courage to use their voice to take action by marching through streets all over the world shouting, “Black Lives Matter!” in what is hailed as the most significant civil rights movement of our generation. The goals of the Project are to use the creative power of Art, Education and Activism to; honor the community

leaders who are fighting daily on the frontlines for equity, access, diversity, participation and rights for Black, Indigenous, racialized communities, to shed light on the lived experiences of Black, Indigenous & Racialized communities and to provide resources and information to those who want to Stay Informed, Get Connected and Take Action. John’s own music tells life stories of his past. A certified youth worker and mentor, John’s goal is to bring to the fore-front, deeply embedded issues experienced by the youth he helps and to inspire those who want to do more, to listen, to learn and join the

ly the talented group is called, United Artists 4 change and the ensemble features over 40 Black and Racialized Artists, Musicians and Producers from around Canada. The EP was produced by Da-Rell Clifton, vocally produced by Gary McAuley, Rufus John & Darren Hamilton, and mixed/mastered by Dan Brodbeck. Some of the artists involved are: JRDN, Carlos Morgan, D.O, Chad Price, Dan-e-o, Owen “O Sound” Lee, Dwayne Morgan, Quisha Wint, Jason Simmons (Vocal Paint), The McAuley Boys, Nefe, Clair Davis, Aphrose, D/Shon and The Waterloo Region Mass Choir. BL.

2022.02.04

movement. John’s mandate has always been to not just connect but to engage. John’s patience & commitment comes from his own experiences & mistakes and the people that helped him. Walking alongside the youth he mentors is not only necessary for their journey but for his. Being in for the long term is important. Showing up is key.

tion Commercial, a Behind the Scenes Docu-series and a website that will feature resources and information for those who are willing to watch, listen and learn to then #JoinTheMarch.

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COVER STORY

TRUE TESTIMONY

OF A COVID-19 VIRUS PATIENT RECOVERY

BY JING ZHANG

y name is Jing Zhang from Toronto, Canada.This testimonial article represents my personal opinion only.This is my own personal experience to share with you. In April 2021, I contracted the COVID-19 Virus when the COVID-19 outbreak was at its highest rate in the Pandemic in Ontario, I was in the hospital which was a most difficult time and painful experience in my life. The doctor reminded that it would take time to go back to my normal self. With the help of my doctor, family, and friends, I did all I could to fully recover from this virus. On May 3, 2021, I received a medical report that I was no longer con-

tagious. But it took quite some time to heal from the post-Covid physical effects. I had experienced weight loss of more than 20 pounds, joint pain, angina, shortness of breath, and depression. I could not believe what I was feeling, and now I realized my body wouldn’t be the same as before. I started to make appointments with medical experts on how to bring my health back like before. I had several blood tests, heart tests, which showed some disturbing results. I was so depressed with my medical condition and did not know what to do. A friend of mine reached out to me in October 2021 and started telling me about a product that can improve my health. At this

TRUE TESTIMONY point I was desperate to find a cure, and then she told me about iHealth NMN product supplements. I researched it and watched other people who have taken these supplements of their testimony videos. and then I was convinced that I should give it a try. It was a certified product as I was telling myself, I had nothing to lose at this moment. All I had to do is to take one capsule a day and increase to two capsules daily after a week. In November, I made an appointment to do another blood test and heart test, which showed a significant improvement from before. I continued taking the NMN Product supplements, and then I noticed that my mood and energy had increased. In addition, I was breathing a lot better, my heart functioned much better since I have been able to exercise

daily. Also, I had improved my daily eating habits, including more fruits and vegetables. In January 2022, I returned to see the doctor’s office and did my tests on blood, heart, and general health checkup. I am so pleased to know that I am fully recovered and back to my normal health after contracting the COVID-19 Virus. I am confident to say that the NMN product supplements that I took and will continue to take have helped me to achieve where I am now. I would like to thank my friends, family, and iHealth for all their support during the time I was sick to a full recovery. In order to help more people, I attached my personal contact here so that you can ask me any questions at any time..BL.

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Healthy Living Helping Others Health Supplements

Financial Freedom Skin Care

SCIENCE OF NICOTINAMIDE MONONUCLEOTIDE

NMN

MITOCHONDRIA (FOR ENERGY)

SIRUTINS (FOR ANTI-AGING)

IS NMN SAFE & NATURAL?

YES

Your body naturally uses the niacin (vitamin B3) in the food that you eat to make NMN.

PARP (FOR DNA REPAIR)

Taking NMN supplements safely boost your body with extra NMN to support many important cellular functions including energy production, gene expression and DNA repair.

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SCIENCE OF

NMN

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NAD+

LOVE TO THE WORLD

ROSITA STONE C

anada’s own Rosita Stone is leading the pack with a nomination for Artist of the Year at the Latin Awards 2021, Best Songwriter Award finalist for the World Songwriting Awards, and has achieved the Number One position with her sensational Global Anthem ‘Love to the World” for Central America according to the World Airplay Radio Monitor - real time radio tracking. Incredibly her song

received more spins than Dua Lipa and Elton John, Coldplay, Adele and BTS. Charting Number One in 10 countries on radio networks including Mas FM 100.7 Miami and Radio Hits FM 104.2 Spain where she has surpassed superstars such as Doja Cat, Maluma, the Weeknd, Enrique Iglesias, Nicky Jam and Ed Sheeran. She also hit the top position on radio networks across

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Latin America including Ritmo FM 95.3 Mexico, Power Hits FM 92.1 Puerto Rico, Rumba FM 104.5 and 104.9 Colombia and Play FM 88.9 Argentina to name just a few. Many stations including Rockeros VIP Mexico with over 1 million followers have played Love to the World as well as Heart Radio Mexico. In Europe, Aire Radio Network Spain and stations in 21

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Madrid, Valencia, Murcia, Ibiza and Costa Calida are spinning the track as well as stations in the UK, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, Germany, France, Switzerland, and in more than 30 countries worldwide including the USA. Several Indigenous radio networks including the massive MBC Radio Network with over 70 dials, Raven Radio Network, MFN Radio and more are spinning the track. Love to the World has also had three feature spots on CanQueer, Canada’s most syndicated LGBT talk show. Rosita has been receiving press on major media such as Google and NBC news affiliates, Colec-

tivo Melomanía and Tiempo newspaper in Mexico, LOOK Magazine in Colombia, the international Spencer Magazine, Cashbox Canada and dozens more. A recent U.S. National Times article reveals Rosita Stone is an independent artist with star song writing skills and global appeal. 22

“This song is a hit” according to Interscope’s long time National Promotions Director Mark Neiter, whose accomplishments include breaking Eminem to 50 Cent to Lady Gaga and Billie Eilish. Janet Billings Rich, “Rock of Ages” Tony Award producer & supervisor excitedly quotes *I

love love love this song! I’ve added it to my arsenal to lock it into a production”. American syndicated journalist Eunice Moseley for The Pulse of Entertainment has described Rosita as “outstanding”. It’s also worth noting that Billboard’s Program Director of the Year Eric Norberg high-

ly recommended “Love to the World” for mainstream AC radio play.

from the ashes of tragedy which took the life of her husband and father of her only child.

“I believe we are all born to bring love into the world, with unity as the ultimate goal, no matter what our spiritual beliefs, gender identity, race, ethnicity or culture is. Love will win, it has to” Rosita confidently states. Catchy and meaningful lyrics, melody and vocals stand out in her track Love to the World which is a collaboration with Top American-Mexican Producer Big Chris Flores who has worked with artists such as Fergie, Slash and Rihanna.

Rosita Stone is an award-winning multilingual artist, songwriter, producer and dancer from Mexican and Russian-Ukrainian roots. She’s opened concerts for multiple Grammy star Carlos Vives and performed with Michael Bublé. An avid animal rescuer with a background in Nutritional Biochemistry, she is on her way. Look out for her new music coming out in 2022!

The video for Love to the World features Capoeira, a Brazilian art of movement which blends martial arts, acrobatics, dance and music. Capoeira was conceived in Africa and born in Brazil, developed by the African people in Brazil fuelled by their desire for freedom and as a mechanism for resistance against their oppressors. It was also a way to create community and unity for themselves. With an unstoppable will to manifest her dreams, Stone is rising

Share the Love, watch and follow Rosita on social media and Spotify Love to the World Official Video Love to the World Spotify Rosita Stone Instagram Rosita Stone TikTok Rosita Stone Facebook Rosita Stone Twitter

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WELCOME TO O3 OZONE MED SPA OZONE SAUNA & INSUFFLATION • • • • • •

OXYGENEO & TRIPOLLAR PEMF RF FACE & BODY TREATMENT PRP FACE/HAIR, MICRONEEDLING THERMOGRAPHY BIOFEEDBACK

YOU CAN CONNECT WITH JELENA HERE FOR MORE INFO OR TO BOOK A SESSION. https://ozonesaunaspa.ca/ https://www.facebook.com/o3ozonesauna https://www.instagram.com/o3ozonesauna/

WELCOME TO O3 OZONE MED SPA

eal your body, naturally. At O3 Ozone Med Spa, we are more than just a traditional beauty salon. We work to help you maximize a wide range of health and beauty benefits in a safe, hygienic, and comfortable environment. From pain relief and wellness to beauty enhancements, we offer an extensive suite of treatments that will have you coming back for more! We are a modern and relaxing medical Spa in Richmond Hill, Ontario with a holistic European approach to health and beauty in a welcoming, clean, caring and knowledgeable environment. Our team of highly qualified professionals on a daily basis helps clients of all ages achieve healthy life, resiliency and beauty so they can reach longevity. Our clinic’s attention is always focused towards accelerating clients healing, advises on how to maximize the effects of treatments, ensuring rapid relief of pain and the proper restoration of client’s health. We want you to leave our spa feeling your absolute best. Founded in 2018 by Jelena Solujic, O3 Ozone Med Spa is a forward-thinking clinic dedicated to healing common medical conditions and promoting healthy lifestyles. Our treatments don’t just focus on your symptoms – they concentrate on the root of the problem. Let us know how we can help you and we’ll make sure you receive the best treatment Richmond Hill can offer. BL.

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Experience

ACTIVATION

Organic Black Cumin Oil 28

organic seeds. Our special pressing process ensures that there is no damage to the oil. The finished product is stored in UV-protective Miron glass bottles to maintain quality over time. Zero damage equals zero rancidity. Plants produce seeds that hold all of the nutrition needed to support new plant growth. They are packed with life-giving nutrients, all wrapped up in a neat and tiny protective shell. For thousands of years, man has used seeds for culinary and medicinal purposes, enjoying their rich and distinctive flavours and health-promoting properties

lack cumin seed oil has a long history of use as a natural health and beauty remedy. For thousands of years, across cultures it has been used to support the immune system, beautify skin, add shine to hair and maintain healthy weight. It contains essential fatty acids, unique volatile compounds, phytosterols and vitamins that are beneficial for total body health.

While you can always consume seeds as part of your daily diet, enjoying seed oil is a great way to capitalize on concentrated and easily absorbed nutrients, especially fatty acids and volatile compounds. It’s like the nutritional punch that you get when you juice a load of fresh veggies and fruits. Your body receives a rush of nutrition that can heal and revitalize your body at the cellular level.

Every bottle contains the oil of thousands of Perfectly Pressed®

Get Moving, and get back to Black Cumin Oil Here. BL.

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Eco-friendly vehicles Alternative building projects Permaculture Organic cultivation Flow arts Digital artwork Videos creators Social media marketing Bioremediation Philosophy Health and wellness Interactive technology Musicians Educators

NASHIRACOIN

BY DEWAYNE RYINES

y name is Dewayne Ryines. I was born in Denver Colorado 1989. I had a normal childhood but I’ve always had dreams of building a new world. I’ve always been drawn to Eco-friendly projects, I’ve spent countless hours over my childhood researching those. Over the years I’ve been involved with organic community gardening projects, forest defending, natural medicine, flow arts and hip-hop

for the most part. I have one incredible daughter who absolutely loves the fact that she has her own money. She actually asked me to make her own money. I named my DAC after her because she’s optimistic about everything and I want to share that energy with everyone. Honestly, I don’t understand what a DAC is completely, so I treat it like my opportunity to accomplish everything I’ve ever wanted. I’m making all my goals into assets and I’m all in 100. NashiraCoin is going to be around for years and it’s making a ton of noise in the blockchain. “I’m making millionaires with NashiraCoin.” There’s a lot of different focal points of interest that we’re investing in. NashiraCoin’s main goal is to create a world that enables us to have an ecologically beneficial relationship with earth. I was working a job that I couldn’t stand at a seafood processing company and living in my car for the last few months. I took my last paycheck and bought an iPhone so I could learn how to trade options and work for myself. I quickly realized that I had a lot to learn to be successful in that field… so I gave up on that and started making NFT’s. I was running out of money, and didn’t want to go back to working an unfulfilling job. I knew

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I could manifest a better life. I got into the flow state at the Devine time to find UTU.ONE! I found out about UTU.ONE on YouTube while I was searching for a place to sell my digital assets after a deep meditation. I was welcomed as soon as I got on the app and my NFTs were selling. The community at UTU is incredible. They’re driven, creative, reliable and on the blockchain with dreams to take this app to the Moon! I got to work immediately making NFTs and connections. Danielle Chen invited me to sell NFTs on her DAC Farm To Table. She’s been working closely with

me, educating me about everything that has to do with working on the blockchain. I couldn’t ask for a better coach to partner with me right from the beginning. As I was really starting to put in lots of work in making NFTs. I had one individual in particular who believed in me enough to help me get my own DAC. Peter Zheng paid for my DAC and asked for nothing in return, I’m grateful beyond words for that. NashiraCoin is named after my daughter who’s named after a star that stands for good fortune. In the ancient Kemetic language, it means The Light Of Ra. The name

Nashira Coin @ 2022

of “UTU” happens to be the God Of The Sun in ancient cultures. My whole goal for NashiraCoin and being connected with the UTU project feels divinely blessed and aligned with a higher power.

We believe that education, artistic expression and collaboration are the keys to creating an ecologically beneficial way of being. I’m not only going to play a role in creating a new era of environmental abun-

dance, and I’m going to make millionaires on my DAC as well. During the first 30 days of NashiraCoin going public, the market cap had reached over $300,000 and been used in peer to peer transactions for physical real estate (not virtual) Bitcoin Conference tickets, to rent a cob house at the Inn the Woods resort and for some amazing artwork! 2022 is NashiraCoin’s year! We’re partnering with Miguel Elliott of Living Earth Structures collaboratively on creating an ecologically beneficial way of living. They’ve already been hard at work for over a decade building living structures around the world and have an amazing education programs. Like-minded people from all different walks of life are coming together and creating the world they want to see. We’re going to do everything it takes to create a world where humans become beneficial for everything instead of detrimental. I’m honored to be joined by my long time friend Kelly Lamb and the whole 0010110 algorithm. We’re especially grateful for the for the partnership and hospitality of Donell Hargrove Jr who is the Founder & CEO of YouAreTheBlockchain.com

and works closely with the Mayor of Miami in the Blockchain technology space This week Mayor of Miami will host THE NORTH AMERICAN BITCOIN CONFERENCE(TNABC Miami 2022) that I’m attending thanks to him with over 5,000 ticket buyers! Let’s take NashiraCoin to the Moon and beyond!!! BL.

Download Now! Download the UTU.ONE app from Apple store and Google Play and grab your tokens today!

Follow me on TikTok @ https://vm. tiktok.com/TTPdrjordv/ You can Follow Donell on Instagram| @Theofficialdonell You can find Kelly Lamb @ https:// vm.tiktok.com/TTPdr

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TheGreat U pdate What are NFTs?

by Joe Lioce

Joe Lioce is works in client relations at UTU. ONE. He began his journey in blockchain thanks to advice from his mentor, Marilyn Tian. He is fluent in English, Mandarin and French and knows a bit of Vietnamese and Japanese. He enjoys practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in his free time.

FTs (nonfungible tokens) have really taken off during the year 2021. In November 2021, “NFT” was named as the Collin’s Dictionary word of the year. According to JP Morgan, the NFT market is now worth over $7 billion, up from around $400 million in January 2021. Having seen this rapid growth, we can safely say that NFTs are the first practical application of blockchain technology to go mainstream. The fundamental characteristic of NFTs is their scarcity. Previously, the internet had a problem of abundance. Simply put, there is no limit to the number of times people look at a work of art or listen to a song online. NFTs solve this problem by limiting access to or ownership of the original files. However, NFTs today are becoming more and more sophisti-

Figure 1 NFTs limit the supply of a digital file, increasing the price from P1 (free) to P2 (not free).

cated and many NFTs have more features than simply recording ownership. While most people think of digital art when they think of NFTs, art is by no means the only use case for NFTs in business. This article will demonstrate the variety of potential use cases by analyzing many different NFT projects. This analysis will show that the potential for NFTs is limitless and that we still have not yet seen every possible use case.

Fine Art

Figure 2 “Everydays”, a collection of 5000 images, sold for $69 million at Christie’s Auction Source: Christies.com

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The art world was the first domain to feel the disruptive power of NFTs. This type of NFT is also the most common. The most famous example of fine art NFTs is “Everydays” by Beeple, which sold for $69 million. 37

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Figure 3 The first offline NFT art exhibit happened in 2021 in Beijing. Photo Credit: CGTN

Artists and art collectors are particularly attracted to NFTs because it solves many problems for them, particularly royalties and authenticity. Since NFTs are bought and sold on blockchain, the creator of the NFT will always receive their fair share of royalties. Likewise, since blockchain is a perfect record of ownership, collectors do not need to go through the tedious process of verifying the authenticity of the work. Collectors also do not need to worry about the physical storage of their investment. Profile Pictures (PFPs) The so-called profile picture NFTs evolved out of the fine art NFT scene. On the surface, the most important defining characteristic of these NFTs are that they are designed to be profile pictures on social media. However, the true value of these NFTs is in their community.

Figure 4 This is Bored Ape #1. It is currently priced around $120,000. Source: Opensea

Profile picture NFT projects such as Cryptopunks, Cryptopills, and the Bored Ape Yachet Club are vibrant communities of investors who actively support the growth of their community. These projects’ market cap can grow exponentially, for example, the average Cryptopunk NFT is priced in the millions of dollars. These projects often include long term plans, revenue sharing schemes and more. Check these projects’ websites to get an idea of the variety of projects currently on the market: • • •

Figure 5 Tory Lanes sold over 1 million copies of his music NFT in under a minute. Source: Twitter

•

Bored Ape Yachet Club: https://boredapeyachtclub.com/#/home#roadmap Forgland: https://www.frogland.io/ Cryptopunks: https://www.larvalabs. com/cryptopunks Sherlock 2050: https://sherlock2050. com/

Figure 6 The NFL attached NFTs such as this to 21 games during the 2021 season. Source: NFL

Figure 7 People can trade plots of land for real world currency in Decentraland. Source: Decentraland Video Game Items

Figure 8 Axie Infinity is a blockchain video game that centers around breeding pets called axies, which are NFTs. Source: Axie Infinity

Music

Tickets

The music industry seems to under leverage NFTs. Possibly, because NFTs have the power to take power away from publishers and music hosting platforms such as Spotify.

Tickets for all sorts of events are a natural synergy with NFTs, which are impossible to falsify and are nearly impervious to most problems relating to storage. However, what makes NFTs an innovation upon current online ticketing software is the collectible nature of the NFTs. Tickets issued for major events can now be traded afterwards in a way that benefits the creator since the NFT creator earns royalties from resales.

Previously, the only way to listen to music was to own a physical copy of the song, whether that be in the form of records, cassettes, or CDs. This seriously limited the average person’s access to music. Now, anyone can listen to any song however many times they want online. This is great for consumers, but a raw deal for musicians. However, by releasing music exclusively as an NFT musicians can reintroduce scarcity to their music. To date, Tory Lanes appears to be the most successful musician in the NFT space. He reports that he sold over 1 million NFTs for $1 each within the first hour of releasing a single as an NFT. Furthermore, Tory Lane stands to reap the benefits of substantial royalties as his fans trade their copies of his NFT.

Perhaps the most noteworthy example of NFT ticketing to date has been the Spiderman NFT issued by AMC Entertainment in prior to the release of “Spider Man: No Way Home”. The NFL has also announced that it will be attaching NFTs to tickets of 21 games during the 2021season. Virtual Property This type of NFT ties in closely with the metaverse, a theme covered in our previous issue of The Great Reset. This

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WHAT ARE NFTs

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type of NFT represents the deed to property in a virtual world such as Decentraland. Users can use this land in any way they want, such as advertising, virtual galleries or even pizza stands and casinos. Sale of virtual property is beginning to spread to other projects beyond Decetraland. Ember Sword, an upcoming MMORPG has also sold land to help raise fund. Earth 2, a project similar to Google Earth, also allows users to buy virtual land, however, land in Earth 2 corresponds to an actual place on Earth. Virtual real estate is a fast growing type of NFT and seems poised to become a feature of many video games and other metaverse projects into the future. For more details about how the metaverse works, please check last month’s article. Video Game Items Ownership of items in videos games is another major use case for NFTs. In the future, NFTs will even be used to allow players to use the same item in multiple games in the form of an NFT. A major pioneer in blockchain games has been Axie Infinity. The premise of the game is that players breed pets called axies, which are NFTs that they can sell for a profit. In general, the trend towards “play to earn” video games will be fueled in large part by NFTs. There are a multitude of blockchain games in development, all most all of which use NFTs in some form or other. Example NFT game projects: Illuvium: https://www.illuvium.io/ Chumbi Valley : https://chumbivalley.com/ Star Atlas : https://staratlas.com/

CONCLUSION There are myriad use cases for NFTs and our understanding of NFTs is constantly changing thanks to the innovation of blockchain developers around the globe. The above list of use cases only reflects the current landscape which is limited in scope. Business as only just begun to discover NFTs and blockchain as a whole. Government meanwhile is even slower to begin adoption of new technologies. Future use cases may include the following: •

Physical (real world) real estate / deeds: The sale of virtual property sets a useful precedent for this.

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Certifications / Licenses: Governments could leverage NFTs to issue certifications or licenses to citizens immediately after passing an online test without any bureaucracy.

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Identification: Unique NFTs could be made for every citizen and function as a general identification card with many features.

However, there are likely even more possibilities which we have not yet thought of. This article demonstrates that there is already much more to NFTs than simply digital art already. What other use cases developers will find for NFTs will be limited by only one thing, their imagination.BL.

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ANN SHIN

n a bitter cold January morning in a small farmhouse at the border of North Korea and China, I met with a human smuggler and 6 North Koreans escaping from their country. I followed them on what turned out to be a 3,000 mile journey to freedom, across China and Southeast Asia. It was a harrowing experience, dodging inspectors on trains and buses, hiding out in safehouse apartments, and hiking along smuggler routes in the jungles of southeast Asia. I was able to film the defectors’ incredible journey and produced the documentary The Defector: Escape from North Korea which won 3 Canadian Screen Academy awards. It was the first documentary for our fledgling company, Fathom, and that 42

drive and commitment to story has become our signature. We produced award-winning documentaries and series including the Emmy-nominated and Oscar shortlisted My Enemy, My Brother and Artificial Immortality. Now we have production teams in cities as far-flung as Baghdad, Seoul, Los Angeles, Beijing and we work with global broadcasters and platforms. We create new intellectual property and also provide production services, having worked with health agencies, private companies and community organizations to shape stories that speak to audiences and engage them in the stories of their lives. We have developed expertise in creating content to be shared

across media, whether it be streaming media, podcasts, social media and print; all threaded together with a honed sense of story. We’ve made Virtual Reality projects such as Eye of the Beholder, and have book publications like The Last Exiles with Harper Collins. I wrote this novel based on the experience I had filming The Defector. This story of one couple’s ultimate quest for freedom is written from raw, authentic experience, and carries a universal message. These are the kinds of stories that drive me. It’s what makes me tick, and what makes Fathom tick as a company. We are passionate about working with people to tell their compelling stories. Let’s tell some stories together. ISSUE 1 | BUSINESS LINK

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Fathom Film is a Toronto based production company known for its innovative approach to content across multiple platforms. Fathom produces original films and series, and cross-platform engagement campaigns that have garnered numerous awards including Canadian Screen Academy Awards, Digi Awards, and Emmy and Oscar nominations. Fathom productions have been sold in all territories across the globe for theatrical, broadcast, digital, SVOD and OTT platforms. From inception, Fathom Film has been committed to diversity with a women and 2SLGTBQIA+ creative team who represent diverse voices within the film industry. BL.

ANOTHER YEAR OF PERSEVERANCE Innovate Niagara supports innovative entrepreneurs and companies from a variety of industries start, grow and succeed through mentorship, market intelligence, workshops, connections and community. Visit InnovateNiagara. com to become a client; there’s no fee!

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hen our team packed up to work from home for just a few weeks in March 2020, not one of us could have imagined we would still be working remotely to support our client companies almost two years later. We’re sure we weren’t the only ones.

As true collaborators and strong partners within Canada’s innovation ecosystem, Innovate Niagara worked closely with local, provincial and national partners to meet the unique demands of the modern entrepreneur and innovator. Some of these collaborations and partnerships included:

The last 22 months have tested everyone in some way but despite all the uncertainty and near constant change, we and our client companies have continued to persevere.

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Our dedicated team of business advisors supported our clients at every stage reach new levels of success, one zoom meeting at a time. With their help, Innovate Niagara clients accessed market intelligence reports to help make strategic business decisions, raised millions in investments and created new jobs in Niagara. Entrepreneurs and business community members from Niagara and beyond attended the virtual (and one in-person!) events our team and event partners hosted this year, providing them with rich content to shape and grow their companies. Topics included Women in STEM – how to break down barriers in male-dominated fields, how to create a meaningful mental health culture, the business case for equity, diversity and inclusion, financing and fundraising for startups and more.

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Delivering webinars and workshops with fellow Regional Innovation Centres, including a Sales Bootcamp series with Innovation Factory and Haltech, and partnering on Innovation Guelph’s Innovation Expo Introducing Niagara River Lions athletes to the world of entrepreneurship through the Life After Basketball program Providing mentorship to youth entrepreneurs through Brock University’s Kickstarting Entrepreneurship program Led by the St. Catharines Entreprise Centre, we helped deliver Digital Main Street Programming, a $57-million investment by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev) and the Province of Ontario, which allowed Innovate Niagara to work with regional innovation partners Communitech, WEtech Alliance, Tech Alliance, Innovation Guelph, Innovation Factory and Haltech to support small businesses go digital. Participating in national discussions about all things innovation and entrepreneur focused as one of the 27 hubs representing Canada’s Tech Network

Interested in reading more about some of the companies we support and how they persevered through another pandemic year? Visit InnovateNiagara.com/news BL.

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Business Link February-2022

Articles inside

ANN SHIN

NASHIRA COIN

WELCOME TO O3 OZONE MED SPA

THE GREAT UPDATE

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

EDUCATION EMPOWERMENT & BLACK BRILLIANCE

THE FREEDOM MARCHING PROJECT

ROSITA STONE

OTE STUDIO