November/December Advocate 2020

N o v e m b e r | D e c e m b e r 2020

Philanthropy and the

Importance of

Supporting Local Businesses

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advocate November | December 2020 www.greaterkwchamber.com

features

Cover Story

editor-in-chief:

Elizabeth Heald

editor:

Feature

design and production

16 Innovation in Philanthropy

Art Sinclair Heather Hutchings

23 Pulling Together to Help in a Time of Need Iain Klugman

Feature

25 New Members of the Chamber Board of Directors

M&T Printing Group advertising and sales:

Bonnie Frank - bfrank@greaterkwchamber.com Dana Walton - dwalton@greaterkwchamber.com Lisa McDonald - lmcdonald@greaterkwchamber.com contributing writers: Elizabeth Heald, Iain Klugman, Ian McLean, Jenna Petker, Art Sinclair, Adam Smith contributors:

Natalie Hemmerich, Carolyn Marsh advertising and copy deadlines:

November 20, 2020 for January-February 2021 January 15, 2021 for March-April 2021 March 15, 2021 for May-June 2021 July 16, 2021 for September-October 2021 September 17, 2021 for November-December 2021 subscription and back issue inquiries:

Darlene Jones djones@greaterkwchamber.com submission policy:

Proposals and articles are accepted via mail or email c/o Editor - Advocate. Please do not send originals.

All contributors articles must be accompanied by a head shot in a jpg file and a 40 word author’s bio. publications permit: #40026716 for permissions and reprint requests

Heather Hutchings - hhutchings@greaterkwchamber.com

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departments

Message from the Chair

New Members

4 Fuelling Connection is what We do Best

Adam Smith

10 June 1, 2020 to

12 Mark Your Calendar

Message from the President

September 30, 2020 Events

5 The Increasing Importance of Waterloo Region Charities

Ian McLean

Networking

Advocacy

Hi-lighting Members

7 Public Scandals and Other

Observations on Charitable Donations Art Sinclair

Perspective on Health Care

Continues Jenna Petker

PUBLICATION OF:

14 Event Highlights 19 Home for the Holidays

Member Notables

28 Chamber Members Achieving Success

postmaster address changes c/o

Advocate - Publications Office 80 Queen Street North, PO Box 2367 Kitchener, Ontario N2H 6L4 519.576.5000 The Advocate is a bi-monthly membership benefit publication of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.

Advertising content and the views expressed herein are those of the contributors and do not constitute endorsement by the Chamber. The Advocate follows the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards (1990), copies are available through the Publisher. The Chamber cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions that may occur and has the right to edit material submitted. The Chamber will not accept advertising with competitor comparison claims and has the right to refuse advertising that is deemed to be false, misleading, or inappropriate.

8 Need for Family Physicians

advocate November | December 2020

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message from the chair

Fuelling Connection is what We do Best I have been fortunate enough to have lived and worked in Kitchener-Waterloo my whole life, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. We have a vibrant community of people who are eager to connect and support each other’s businesses, and who strive to better the neighbourhoods we all live, work, and play in.

When I first joined the GKWCC in 2009, my business, My IT Guy, was growing. I had just hired my first employee and I knew I needed to start connecting with other business owners to keep that positive trend going.

Without a doubt, I made the right choice. I attended events like the Chamber Young Professionals, Business After 5, and many others. I was pleased to see my network expand considerably as I met new clients and made new friends.

Chamber initiatives like the Business Success Series, Accelerator Programs, and Peer2Peer groups, were incredibly valuable as I continued learning, improving, and growing my business.

I was grateful for everything I had gotten out of the Chamber, and I wanted to give back. I volunteered on the Chamber Young Professionals committee for several years, before eventually joining the Board of Directors in 2016.

As I got to know more and more of the people driving our dynamic business community, I realized I wasn’t alone in wanting to give back. Connections I’d first met through the Chamber were doing incredible things for our community.

They were each working towards bettering our community, whether it was to promote environmental sustainability, impact investing, or rallying us all to get directly involved, among many, many other commendable goals. One of the organizations I’m most proud to be a part of, “100 Men Who Give a Damn”, was formed in 2015 by William Wallace, who I first met a few years prior, through the Chamber (of course).

I’m sure you won’t be surprised to know that many of our members are also Chamber members, all of whom have helped us collectively raise over $250,000 for local charities. I would also encourage you to look into the organization that first inspired William, “100 Women Who Care”.

The challenges we’ve all faced this year present new opportunities: to make sure we’re looking out for each other and our neighbours, and crucially, to ensure we’re connecting

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with one another. Fuelling connection is, after all, what the GKWCC does best. The GKWCC staff have already done an exemplary job of adapting previously in-person events into fully digital, yet still interactive, engaging events that continue to draw crowds of our fellow community members together.

The GKWCC has also worked tirelessly with all levels of government, advocating for better support, not just for our members, but for ALL businesses, and to ensure they have the information and resources at hand to protect their staff and customers.

Our digital evolution is ongoing, and aims to bring even more of us together through new initiatives that will see us all come out of this for the better, having learned, connected, and grown our businesses, and ourselves.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam Smith CHAIR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Adam founded My IT Guy in 2004 and has grown the business substantially over the past 16 years. Today, Adam and his team deploy their collective expertise in helping small and medium sized businesses wisely invest in technology solutions that make them more efficient, more productive, and more profitable.

Adam is also heavily involved with the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce since 2009, currently serving as Chair of the Board of Directors, as well as volunteering with and co-hosting the quarterly meetings of 100 Men Who Give a Damn.

message from the president

The Increasing Importance of Waterloo Region Charities As Waterloo Region’s population continues to grow and the COVID-19 pandemic persists, fiscal and other pressures will increase on all levels of government to provide the necessary social and related services for supporting our most vulnerable residents.

foundations have been strongly committed to ensuring our hospitals can deliver services for our expanding population and economic base, in many ways. These include guaranteeing front line workers have the PPE they need to stay safe as they care for our community.

Not for profit organizations in Waterloo Region, across Ontario and throughout Canada often fill the gaps in our communities by providing food, clothing and essential programs that assist residents in settling and belonging within their communities.

Our Region is well known across Canada for the tremendous community services we provide to immigrants arriving from around the world. When the federal government required communities to assist with Syrian refugees, Waterloo Region through our commitment to collaboration and cooperation was and will continue to be there for support.

Many of these organizations are highly visible and recognizable to local businesses. They deliver services to the poor, support local and national health care, assist with youth services and education, and manage settlement programs for recent immigrants. Since March of this year and the start of a pandemic, the need for these important community organizations has been brought into clear focus.

One of the factors that separates Waterloo Region from many other communities across Canada is the unique cooperation between local charities and local business. Staff and volunteers from not-for-profit organizations serve on the GKWCC board of directors and member committees along with assisting on event planning. Our Chamber represents employers of all sizes, across all sectors in the Region and collectively our capacity to make a significant difference on the lives of our most vulnerable can be and is immense.

The relationship between Waterloo Region business and local post-secondary institutions has been well documented nationally and internationally. Through cooperation and collaboration, the local economy is well positioned for emerging global markets both in terms of products and skilled employees.

The same principles that have driven and guided Waterloo Region businesses towards forming Canada’s most prosperous regional economy have been translated to the non-profit sector through Capacity Canada. The local organization, led by Cathy Brothers, was founded on the belief that social innovation should benefit from the same type of resources that have helped cultivate our for-profit sector ‘s culture of innovation. By building an enabling environment that strengthens, connects and celebrates our social leaders, we can help them realize their full potential.

The Chamber’s on-going efforts in family physician recruitment and local health care advocacy are supported and made stronger by the outstanding staff and boards of directors at the Grand River and St. Mary’s Hospital Foundations. The COVID-19 pandemic has required increasing and on-going financial support from the community to maintain excellent overall patient care, particularly for severe cases of the virus. The two local

We have been blessed as a Region to have new and dynamic leaders that have emerged in the Waterloo Region not-forprofit sector. Elizabeth Heald, a contributor to this edition of the Advocate, has done a tremendous job of building on the past success and contributions of the Kitchener-Waterloo Community Foundation, and reshaped it to meet the increasing and evolving needs in our community. I am sure you will find Elizabeth’s innovative approaches outlined in this magazine to be encouraging and inspirational.

In addition, Joan Fisk, a business leader in Waterloo Region and former President of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, continues to lead the reorganized United Way Waterloo Region which funds such important programs and organizations supporting our community.

In this difficult year of COVID, and as we head into the holiday season, it will be paramount to support our community’s not-for-profits and the vital work they undertake every day!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ian McLean Ian is President and CEO of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce

advocate November | December 2020

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BINGEMANS

advocacy

Public Scandals and Other Observations on Charitable Donations The COVID-19 virus has offered many challenges in many forms for the Canadian philanthropic sector and their donors.

At the start of the pandemic, veteran Toronto Star business columnist David Olive wrote there are businesses that are heroes and those who are “anything but.” Corporate Canada was, according to Olive, slow off the mark in helping build the “arsenal of health care” akin to a wartime arsenal of democracy that was so urgently required in all communities across Canada. Furthermore, business-related philanthropy in defeating COVID-19 was far short from requirements.

The concept of “hero” pay, the term denoting temporary hourly compensation increases, bonuses and additional paid vacation days for at-risk employees was a progressive initiative for everyone. Individuals leaving their homes for onsite work, primarily necessary services, were the real heroes of the pandemic battle. Maple Leaf Foods, Loblaw, Sobeys and Toronto-Dominion Bank were some of the exemplary employers Olive identified for supporting employees who did not have the option of working remotely.

In mid-September of this year, an Angus Reid Institute (ARI) public opinion survey showed Canadian donors generally giving less than before the pandemic. Nearly two-in-five Canadians who have donated to at least one charity in the last two years indicated their donations have decreased since March.

Given that individual Canadian donors gave $10 billion to charities in 2018, this drop in donations represents a heavy volume of lost revenue for organizations providing vital health and social services in communities across Canada.

An alarming observation is the impact of the WE charity scandal on the already challenged philanthropic sector. The organization may be winding down operations but the “blast radius” extends far beyond their revenue stream. The survey found a majority of donors agreeing that the scandal is one that raises questions about governance, transparency, and management that are relevant for all organizations, while many say it has changed the way they feel about donating overall.

Within this scenario there is a widening interest in the federal government supporting charities facing significant losses.

Overwhelming majorities of residents surveyed support measures such as donation matching and direct grants to offset shortfalls and inspire Canadians to provide on-going support.

A majority of respondents from the donor spectrum – encompassing individuals who do not provide any support to those who are considered generous – consider the WE scandal as a serious issue. Large donors are least likely to consider the WE scandal a symptom of a broader problem with large Canadian charities, but over half still perceive issues that should be addressed. Four-in-five Canadians say they prefer donating to smaller local charities as opposed to larger organizations that operate nationally.

A Canadian Press report from August 3, 2020, when the scandal was in an earlier stage noted that the non-profit sector was contending with concerns that WE’s aborted deal with the Liberal government would erode trust in charities and the use of social enterprises many Canadians are dependent upon to fund services.

Stephanie Robertson, Chair of Social Value Canada, wrote in the recent Calgary Herald article We should expect more from Canadian business in a post-COVID world that Canada’s non-profit sector is facing a crisis that is not solely the work of a pandemic.

Many organizations that serve Canadians by providing necessary services have been greatly impacted. Imagine Canada has estimated $10 billion in lost donations and earnings and over 100,000 layoffs for Canadian non-profits across this first year of the pandemic.

Ms. Robertson emphasizes this sector was in a very precarious position long before COVID. The future of our charitable, citizen-serving organizations rests upon our ability to change the way we value and invest in our non-profit sector.

Businesses who can invest must and create communities and the benevolent economy that will follow the pandemic.

The challenge is there for businesses of all sizes and sectors to contribute to our future.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Art Sinclair Art is Vice President Policy and Advocacy for the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.

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perspective on health care

Need for Family Physicians Continues Having access to health care professionals – specifically primary care is critical to the well-being of the residents living in our community. Unfortunately, many families both locally and across the province, do not have the benefit of being under the care of a family practitioner. It is during times like this that the need for family physicians becomes more evident and important.

It can take some time for a retiring physician to find a replacement. Many of the new to practice physicians start their practices out small (under 1000 patient roster) and gradually increase it over time. With many retiring doctors having a larger patient roster size of 2500 plus, we are in need of 2-2.5 doctors per retiring physician’s practice to account for all of the patients.

The Chamber’s Family Physician Recruitment Program is a critical community initiative, not only for our residents’ welfare but for the health and prosperity of our business community who are looking to attract the best and the brightest talent to our Region.

We also assist the local hospitals in their efforts to recruit and retain emergency physicians and specialists. We continue to host the emergency physician residents in our Annual Family/ Emergency Medicine Resident Weekend, and they have had great success filling their openings.

With the generous investment and support of our corporate and municipal partners, the Chamber’s Family Physician Recruitment Program is able to participate in a number of programs and events throughout the year to attract new family physicians to serve the health care needs of this community. Since this critical initiative was launched in 1998, the Chamber, working with community interests, has successfully attracted over 250 family practitioners. This year alone, we have had several physicians who have made practice commitments here in Kitchener Waterloo. We could not have achieved such great results without your support.

Our successes and efforts would not be possible if it weren’t for our generous corporate, municipal, and personal sponsors and supporters of this program. On behalf of the Family Physician Recruitment Program, we sincerely thank our partners for their generous and continued support as we strive to eliminate the physician shortage in KitchenerWaterloo.

Throughout the year we have been working with new to practice family physicians as well as established family practitioners from across Ontario and Canada. Though we haven’t been able to plan in person visits since March, we have been busy connecting and arranging virtual tours and meetings. We have been very successful recruiting during these unprecedented times.

We also continue to work with several physicians nearing retirement and beginning to think about transitioning out of practice. These physicians are starting the process of looking for prospective physicians to take over their practice. We encourage retiring physicians to start their search well in advance and provide them with the necessary resources to ensure a smooth transition.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jenna Petker Jenna is Physician Recruitment Lead for the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.

Thank you to our dedicated sponsors for helping the Chamber continue its goal of eliminating the doctor shortage in Waterloo Region.

PLATINUM

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

COMMUNITY

SMALL BUSINESS

Individual Contributors

VIDEO SPONSOR

AL HAYES

IAN MCLEAN

new members

June 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020 (2759529 Ont Inc) o/a Shack Shine Property Maintenance Ryan Buist, Franchise Partner 17 West 21st St Hamilton, ON L9C 4M3 ryan.buist@shackshine.com shackshine.com Phone: (519) 998-3220

A2E In Store Solutions Inc. Contractors - Facilities Manny Vebit, Partner 66 Pearwood Court Kitchener, ON N2P 2L1 mannyv@a2einstore.com a2einstore.com Phone: (226) 868-2901

Abundance Canada

Byrne the Books

Accounting & Bookkeeping Services Lisa Robbins, Owner 23 Stonegate Dr Kitchener, ON N2A 2Y7 byrnethebooksbookkeeping@gmail.com byrnethebooks.com Phone: (519) 277-2665

C3 Packaging Partner

Packaging Machinery, Equipment & Supplies Christopher Cunningham, Owner 177 Woodville Place Waterloo, ON N2L 4W8 c3.packaging.partners@gmail.com Phone: (519) 501-1206

Charity Sherri Grosz, Gift Planning Consultant 50 Kent Ave, Unit 207 Kitchener, ON N2G 3R1 sgrosz@abundance.ca abundance.ca Phone: (519) 745-7821 Fax: (519) 745-8940

Cart2Curb.ca

Articulate Nursing Ltd.

CEO Capital Strategies Inc.

Nurses Cheri Petch, CEO 81 York St, Penthouse 1 Kitchener, ON N2G 1T6 appointment@articulatenursing.com articulatenursing.com Phone: (519) 743-8181

Astrodog Media

Media Production Matt Hortobagyi, Executive Producer 329 Stirling Ave S Kitchener, ON N2M 3H6 info@astrodogmedia.com astrodogmedia.com Phone: (416) 520-6611

Brain Injury Association Of Waterloo Wellington

Courier & Delivery Service Michael Dunn, Owner 290 Fallowfield Dr, Kitchener, ON N2C 2T8 sales@cart2curb.com cart2curb.ca Phone: (548) 883-2278 Business Consultants (Main); Barter, Trades & Exchanges David Velanoff, Senior Managing Partner 22 King Street S, Suite 300 Waterloo, ON N2J 1N8 Dave@ceocapital.ca ceocapital.ca Phone: (519) 954-8324

Chacko Law

Lawyers Simmi Chacko, Lawyer 2233 Argentia Rd, Suite 302 East Mississauga, ON L5N 2X7 simmi@chackolaw.ca chackolaw.ca Phone: (416) 509-9508

Charitable, Not For Profit & Community Orgs Lynda Abshoff, Executive Director 493 Lancaster St W, Suite 205 Kitchener, ON N2K 1L8 info@biaww.com biaww.org Phone: (519) 576-3535

Cogdina Inc.

Broomhilda's Residential Cleaning Service

Dean-Lane Contractors Inc.

Cleaning Service-Residential/ Commercial/Industrial Connie Hachborn, Owner/Operator 44 Locust St, Kitchener, ON N2H 1W7 broomhilda54@yahoo.com Phone: (519) 743-7371

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Consultants Roshan Shah, CEO 383 Albert St, Unit 309, Waterloo, ON N2L 6E3 roshan@cogdina.com cogdina.com Phone: (226) 666-1140 Contractors - General Scott MacDonald, President 970 Guelph St Kitchener, ON N2H 5Z6 scott@dean-lane.com dean-lane.com Phone: (519) 585-0903

Diana's Divine Escape Mobile Spa Services For Seniors & Freeport Hospital Hair Salon & Spa Spas - Beauty & Health Diana Strickland, Owner 3570 King St E , Freeport Hospital Kitchener, ON N2A 2W1 diana@dianasdivineescape.com dianasdivineescape.com Phone: (519) 497-9501

Durrell Communications

Communication & Public Relations Consultants Melissa Durrell, President & Chief Communications Strategist 40 King St S, Unit 201, Uptown Waterloo Waterloo, ON N2J 1N8 melissa@durrellcomm.com durrellcomm.com Phone: (519) 500-4408

Edward Jones

Investments Steven Elliott, Edward Jones Associate 250 Dundas Street South, Unit 2 Cambridge, ON N1R 8A8 steve.elliott@edwardjones.com edwardjones.com Phone: (519) 740-2080

Epitome Genetics

Health Care Service & Supplies David Erb, Operating Officer 693 Belmont Ave W Kitchener, ON N2M 1P1 dave@epitomegenetics.com epitomegenetics.com Phone: (833) 374-4369

EuroFit VIP Studio

Health & Fitness Program Consultants Olesia Fiodorova, Owner 745 Bridge St W, Unit 1A Waterloo, ON N2V 2G6 olesia@eurofitvipstudio.com eurofitvipstudio.com Phone: (519) 841-1376

FABRIK Architects Inc.

Architects Elisia Neves, President 135 George St N, Suite 200 Cambridge, ON N1S 5C3 info@fabrikarchitects.ca fabrikarchitects.ca Phone: (226) 212-8322

Face Armour Inc.

PPE Supplier Wayne Thomas, Director 60 Baffin Pl, Unit 5 Waterloo, ON N2V 1Z7 Info@facearmour.ca facearmour.ca Phone: (416) 677-1578

new members

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Facedrive

Transport Services Sana Srithas, Rideshare Operations Manager 100 Consilium Pl, Unit 400 Scarborough, ON M1H 3E3 info@facedrive.com facedrive.com Phone: (289) 596-4838

Flightpath Charter Airways

Aircraft Charter, Rental & Leasing Service Glenn Thorpe, Director, Sales & Marketing 4A-4881 Fountain St N, Hangar 33 Breslau, ON N0B 1M0 info@flightpath.ca flightpath.ca Phone: (519) 648-9712

Four All Ice Cream

Specialty Foods Ajoa Mintah, Owner & Maker 75 King St S Waterloo, ON N2J 1P2 letsconnect@fourall.ca fourall.ca Phone: (519) 888-8387

Glowing Embers Counselling

Counselling Teresa Gibson, Registered Social Worker 737 Belmont Ave W, Unit 4-1 Kitchener, ON N2M 1P3 teresa@glowingemberscounselling.ca glowingemberscounselling.ca Phone: (226) 505-3031

Grand Touring Waterloo

Automobile Dealers Frank Vander Veen, General Manager 533 King St N Waterloo, ON N2L 5Z6 fvanderveen@grandtouringwaterloo.com grandtouringwaterloo.com Phone: (519) 885-5090

Healthy Hands Company Ltd.

Charitable, Not For Profit & Community Orgs Troy Miller, President 346 Arthur St S Elmira, ON N3B 2P4 info@healthyhandscompany.ca healthyhandscompany.ca Phone: (519) 403-8788

Hector Gamez Financial Consulting

Financial Planning Consultants Hector Gamez, Financial Consultant Hector.gamez8@gmail.com / Web: https:// hectorgamez.info Phone: (647) 218-5607

Island Son Canada

Food Wholesaler Jeff Davis, Owner 195 Yellow Birch Dr Kitchener, ON N2N 2P1 info@islandson.ca islandson.ca Phone: (226) 899-0569

Jacob Morris Communications

Marketing Consultants Jacob Morris, Owner 54B Westchester Dr, Kitchener, ON N2B 3L4 jacob@jacobmorriscommunications.ca jacobmorriscommunications.ca Phone: (416) 606-7643

JobJunxion

Human Resource Consultants Jack Litchfield, Co-Founder & CSO 460A Belmont Ave W, Unit 1103 Kitchener, ON N2M 0A9 jack@jobjunxion.com jobjunxion.com Phone: (226) 377-8192

Kerry Godin Graphic Design Graphic Designers Kerry Godin, Designer/Owner kg@kggraphicdesign.com kggraphicdesign.com Phone: (416) 999-3542

King Cleaners

Dry Cleaners Ayaz Lalani, Owner 49 Gordon St Guelph, ON N1H 4H2 ayaz@kingcleaners.ca kingcleaners.ca Phone: (519) 824-5464

Kitchener East Chauffeur Service

Transport Services Sean Mulder, Owner 207 Grulke St Kitchener, ON N2A 2S6 kwdd@driverseatinc.com driverseatinc.com/locations/driverseat Phone: (226) 240-2498

Kitchener Market

Farmers Market Michele McBride Roach, Program and Event Coordinator 300 King St E Kitchener, ON N2G 2L3 michele.mcbrideroach@kitchener.ca kitchenermarket.ca Phone: (519) 741-2287

Knowfee

Financial Technology Services Nikolas Morin, Founder contactus@knowfee.com knowfee.com Phone: (519) 505-6622

Le Barbershop

Barbers Leza Le, Owner/Barber 684 Belmont Ave, Unit 201 Kitchener, ON N2M 1N6 lebarbershopkitchener@gmail.com lebarbershop.ca Phone: (226) 220-9029

Les Fondations Brisson Inc. Concrete Contractor Rose Spirito, Commissioner 1345 Route 500W, BOX 981 Casselman, ON K0A 1M0 marc@fondationsbrisson.com Fondationsbrisson.com Phone: (613) 764-1530 Fax: (613) 764-3376

Luminaire Home Care

Home Health Care Service Lori Weitzel, Owner luminairehomecare@outlook.com luminairehomecare.godaddysites.com Phone: (226) 556-4440

MaidPro

Janitorial Services Mamad Saeedi, Franchise Owner 15 Westmount Rd S Waterloo, ON N2L 2K2 waterloo.on@maidpro.com maidpro.com/kitchener-waterloo Phone: (519) 584-9988

McCrory Associates Ltd.

Real Estate Developers Stuart McCrory, VP 438 Highland Rd W, Unit 3 Kitchener, ON N2M 3C7 stu@mccroryassociates.com mccroryassociates.com Phone: (519) 496-2337

Nespresso Professional - EVS Canada Food & Beverage Nathan Martine, Territory Manager 5405 Eglinton Ave W, Unit 114 Etobicoke, ON M9C 5K6 sales@evs-pro.com evs-pro.ca Phone: (416) 901-8661

NeuronicWorks Inc.

Engineers - Consulting Titu Botos, CEO 137 Glasgow St, Unit 465 Kitchener, ON N2G 4X8 tbotos@neuronicworks.com neuronicworks.com Phone: (416) 546-1575 advocate November | December 2020

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events

COVID-19: Event Impact *The health and safety of our members, event attendees, community, and staff are of the utmost importance.

As a result, the Chamber will not be hosting any live events until further notice. We will continue to support our members by offering a variety of events and networking opportunities in a virtual capacity, using an interactive and engaging virtual event platform. Please refer to greaterkwchamber.com for up-to-date event information.

Mark Your Calendar Every Wednesday

November 19th

Manulife Business Success Series

14th Annual Inspiring Women Event

1:00-2:00pm Location: Virtual Event (hosted through GoToWebinar) Members: Complimentary The Manulife Business Success Series is a free weekly event that explores timely topics and resources for businesses, giving your organization the tools it needs to thrive. Sessions are hosted live every Wednesday at 1:00pm, and a recording of each session is made available online, to watch on-demand.

8:00am – 1:00pm Location: Virtual Event (hosted through Hopin) Tickets: $65 ∙ VIP Tickets: $110 ∙ Exhibitors: $210 The Inspiring Women Event is designed to motivate, connect, and celebrate women in business, entrepreneurship, and corporate leadership. Speakers include: Sarah Nicole Landry (@TheBirdsPapaya), Diane Clemons (motivational speaker & musician), Mandy Bujold (amateur boxer & Olympian), Vanessa Craft (TikTok Canada), and more!

Title Sponsor:

Gold & Activity Sponsor:

Platinum Sponsor:

Silver Sponsor: Bronze Sponsors:

November 12th MNP Networking Breakfast Series: Building the Region Through Tech 8:30-10:00am Location: Virtual Event (hosted through Hopin) Members: $20 ∙ Future Member: $30 Hear from local founders as they share the importance of innovation and discovery, discuss the tech economy of the future, and the impact the industry continues to make in the Region.

Speakers include: Martin Basiri (ApplyBoard), Lauren Lake (Bridgit), Jeremy Hedges (The Canadian Shield) and Avvey Peters (Communitech).

Gift Bag Sponsor: Supporting Sponsor: Media Sponsors:

Title Sponsor: Signs & Printing Sponsor:

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Visit us online at www.LMICanada.com and www.erb-erb.com

· Integrity · Expertise · Commitment ·

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events

Mark Your Calendar November 23rd

December 10th

Vine & Dine

Jay Fencing Business Around 5: Holiday Edition

6:00 – 9:00pm Location: Virtual Event (hosted through Hopin) Tickets: $100 Cook alongside some of the Region's top Chefs as they guide you through your dish preparation (including dessert!), using the ingredients provided to you. Enjoy live entertainment, learn from a sommelier, and bid on auction items! This event helps shine a spotlight on the culinary talent in the Region, while helping raise funds for the Chamber's Healthcare Initiatives, including Physician Recruitment.

4:00 – 6:00pm Location: Virtual Event (hosted through Hopin) Members: Complimentary ∙ Future Members: $10 ∙ Exhibitors: $75 Tis the season to make connections with other members of the local business community as we celebrate the holidays! Dress in your favourite holiday attire and get ready for some festive fun.

Title Sponsor:

Platinum Sponsor: Gold Sponsor: Gold Sponsor: Supporting Sponsor:

Silver Sponsor: Bronze Sponsor:

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December 9th Libro Chamber Young Professionals: Holiday Edition 4:30 – 6:00pm Location: Virtual Event (hosted through Hopin) Members: $10 ∙ Future Members: $15 Celebrate the holiday season with us, as we learn to make the perfect holiday cocktail, support local with the local holiday gift guide, and play some festive networking bingo. Don’t forget your favourite holiday attire!

Title Sponsor:

SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM It’s never been more important to stay connected to news that matters to you.

In a world where it’s difficult to separate truth from fiction, you can be assured that the Waterloo Region Record provides accurate and timely news, 24/7.

Subscribe today: • circulation@therecord.com • therecord.com/subscribe • 519-894-3000 Already a home-delivery subscriber?

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advocate November | December 2020

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networking

Event Highlights Let’s take a step back – to 8 months ago. During a time where large gatherings were cancelled, it was crucial for us to find new ways to still connect our members to valuable networking opportunities. After all, creating and maintaining virtual relationships is now fundamental to maintaining mental health as well as business success. So, we quickly went on a search for an interactive and engaging way to produce virtual events.

Fast forward to the Fall, and we launched a full (and fully virtual) schedule of events for the first time ever! We’ve had a few busy months of networking events, webinars, and fullscale conferences to provide our members with the resources that they need to survive and thrive during this time.

Some of our highlights, include: • T he 2020 Manufacturing Summit in June, where we had 10 industry experts join us on the topic of “Remaining Competitive in Times of Global Uncertainty” (the theme was chosen back in October of 2019, making it more timely then we could have imagined!)

• H aving Bill Fox (FoxNet Solutions) and Eldon Sprickerhoff (eSentire) inform SMB’s how they can secure their remote workforces during the Cyber Security Summit • H osting nearly 400 guests from along the TorontoWaterloo Region Corridor (and beyond) for the 3rd Annual Canada’s Innovation Corridor Summit

It’s hard to believe, but we’re already busy planning for the new calendar year, including the 2021 Business Excellence Awards Gala! It may look different this year, but now more than ever, it’s important to recognize and celebrate the amazing accomplishments of businesses in our Region. From stepping up to fulfill PPE shortages, using this time to be innovative in their business operations, and ensuring their remote teams are taking care of their mental health - this year’s nominees have so much to be proud of during an exceptionally difficult year. We can’t wait to celebrate this night with the community at a time when we need it most.

As we go into the next few months, we are also thinking of our incredible event industry partners and members who were some of the first impacted by the pandemic, including: event production, décor, venue rentals, catering, event photography, live entertainment - and the list goes on! We’re all looking forward to a safe return to live events and creating memorable experiences again soon.

We miss the handshakes and high fives, but appreciate your continued support, willingness to embrace the change, and seeing so many familiar faces (and new ones too) at our virtual events. We appreciate all the feedback and can’t wait to host you on Hopin again soon!

Carolyn Marsh & Hannah Kelly Chamber Events Team events@greaterkwchamber.com

• E njoying some KW Oktoberfest festivities (including a virtual keg tapping and a schnitzel dinner from Concordia Club) during the Jay Fencing Business Around 5: Chamberfest Edition.

How Is Your Financial Health? ask for your business checkup!

Connect With Us! Phone (519) 249-1209 or Visit dskcpa.ca

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new members

June 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020 O2 Industries

Medical Equipment & Supplies Sarah Amos, Chief Happiness Officer/ Facilities Director 5 Michael St, Suite 002 Kitchener, ON N2G 1L7 sarah@o2Canada.com o2canada.com Phone: (226) 476-3232

Office Central Inc.

Office Supplies Rob Tanner, Account Manager 60 Leek Cr Richmond Hill, ON L4B 1H1 robT@officecentral.com shop.officecentral.com Phone: (226) 791-2810

Optimize Wealth Management

Financial Planning Consultants Leigh Hogg, Senior Financial Planner 729 Belmont Ave W Kitchener, ON N2M 1P3 leigh.hogg@optimize.ca optimize.ca Phone: (519) 744-3020

Shaver Industries Inc Manufacturers Mark Shaver, President 500 Trillium Dr, Unit 28 Kitchener, ON N2R 1A7 matt@shaverinc.com shaverinc.com Phone: (519) 894-4800

Shellflow

Information Technology Tim Grieve, Owner 600 Bonavista Dr Waterloo, ON N2K 4B3 tim.grieve@shellflow.com shellflow.com Phone: (647) 884-5095

Speedpro Imaging The Golden Triangle

cont'd from page 11

Stratus Building Solutions Cleaning Service-Residential/ Commercial/Industrial Shafiq Mohamed, President 290 King St E, Suite 100, Kitchener, ON N2G 2L3 kitchener@stratusclean.com stratusbuildingsolutions.com Phone: (519) 404-7417

The Jennic Group

Computer Consultants Kevin Jenks, Owner 193 Mary St, Unit B Waterloo, ON N2J 1S1 kevin@jennicgroup.com jennicgroup.com Phone: (519) 651-6332

Twine and Wrap

Digital Imaging, Printing & Photography Rolando Ancheta, Co-Owner 650 Woodlawn Rd W, Unit 3A Guelph, ON N1K 1B8 Rolando@speedpro.com speedprotgt.com Phone: (519) 829-2100 Fax: (519) 829-3220

Gifts Chandeep Dhillon, Owner 545 Laurelwood Dr, Unit 14 Waterloo, ON N2V 2R4 twineandwrap@gmail.com twineandwrap.myshopify.com Phone: (647) 631-1541

Marketing Consultants Dalia Mazhur, Marketing 365 Bloor St E Toronto, ON M4W 3L4 damazhar@postmediasolutions.com postmediasolutions.com Phone: (416) 383-2300

Stallion Movers

Computer Repairs, Cleaning & Service Kashish Budhiraja, Store Manager 385 Fairway Rd S, Unit 8, Kitchener, ON N2C 2N9 kitchener@ubreakifix.com ubreakifix.com/ca/feedback/kitchener Phone: (226) 646-1118

PROACT Sales Management

Restaurants Kyle Squazzin, General Manager 578 Weber St N, Waterloo, ON N2L 0C7 gm.waterloo@stateandmain.ca stateandmain.ca Phone: (226) 806-0728

Postmedia Network

Business Consultants Steven Bate, Managing Director/SMB Sales Architect 298 Waterbend Cr Kitchener, ON N2A 4L3 sbate@proact.ca proact.ca Phone: (519) 503-0919

Moving & Storage Brett Ford, President brett@stallionmovers.com stallionmovers.com Phone: (519) 502-7832

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Manufacturers Katarina Ilic, International Sales 113 Breithaupt St, Unit 100 Kitchener, ON N2H 5G9 accounting@voltera.io voltera.io Phone: (888) 381-3332

Wake Up Coffee Solutions

Real Estate Michael Macartney, Sales and Ops Associate mmacartney@propertyguys.com propertyguys.com Phone: (519) 778-7405

Manufacturers Heather Jacklin, Executive Assistant 613 Colby Dr Waterloo, ON N2V 1A1 info@steridose.com steridose.com Phone: (519) 884-9660 Fax: (519) 884-0253

Queen Bees Landscaping

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Landscape Contractors & Designers Hamza Toofani, CEO 350 Conestoga Blvd, Unit B-1A Cambridge, ON N1R 8P4 hamza@queenbeeslandscaping.ca queenbeeslandscaping.ca Phone: (866) 519-2260

Construction Wade Gayowsky, Executive Vice President 18 Barrel Yards Blvd, Unit 5, Waterloo, ON N2L 1G0 info@stoneriseconstruction.com stoneriseconstruction.com Phone: (226) 647-2551

Coffee Shops Daniel Buitrago, Owner/Operator 2969 Kingsway Dr, Unit 105 Kitchener, ON N2C 2H7 info@wakeupcoffee.ca wakeupcoffee.ca Phone: (226) 606-0237 Office Support Anita Woodard, Owner/CEO 62 Driftwood Place Kitchener, ON N2N 1W3 info@wadmin.ca wadmin.ca Phone: (519) 502-4736 advocate November | December 2020

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cover story

Innovation in Philanthropy If you Google the definition of innovation, you will see phrases like “new ideas” and “new methods”. These are both true. But from a broader perspective, innovation is about looking at how we are currently doing things, and adapting those practices for greater impact and purpose.

Innovation is something we talk a lot about in philanthropy.

New solutions are needed to address big issues affecting marginalized people across our community, the country and the world. We wrote an article for the Advocate in the fall of 2018 that also talked about innovation in philanthropy, and it likely could be an annual submission. Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation (KWCF) continues to be committed to making it easier for businesses, organizations and individuals to do more good, and it’s important to adapt and evolve in the best ways to support those efforts.

Farwell approached KWCF to partner on this initiative. And by partnering with KWCF on a community-based fund, it gave local businesses an opportunity to get on-board — and according to Farwell, “that's when everything changed”.

Instead of Farwell himself washing windows or weeding gardens for individual community members, now businesses also had an opportunity to participate by donating a portion of their sales or profit to the campaign.

"Not only did it open up our campaign to a brand new and much larger audience, but it also allowed businesses to demonstrate their commitment to community,” says Farwell.

“What better way to say you’re invested in where you work than by supporting a charity where the funds raised in the community, stay in the community? It’s obvious that businesses in Waterloo Region put community first.”

That is exactly what KWCF has been thinking about and doing over the past year. And, it’s become even more important in the time of COVID-19, when so many have been negatively impacted by the pandemic. Through innovation, there is hope.

The business community has also stepped up to help with campaigns where COVID has impacted the physical donation of items. This includes the ToastyToes Waterloo Region campaign, which has been collecting socks for Out of the Cold shelters since 2013.

Today, we want to share three examples of ways KWCF is collaborating with businesses and organizations to innovate in the philanthropic space. These include: setting up community-based funds that make it easier for businesses to participate in fundraising efforts, collaborating with businesses to support needs in our community, and partnering with others across Waterloo Region to tackle critical issues like affordable housing.

In 2020, ToastyToes creator Sharon Gilroy-Dreher asked charitable organizations supporting our most vulnerable neighbours how they wanted to receive socks. They responded that having access to funds, and the flexibility to purchase socks when they needed them, would be best moving forward. Then, with KWCF’s help, Sharon was able to set up a fund that could help facilitate that. (The current campaign runs until December 10, 2020).

Community-based fundraising This year, KWCF collaborated with local community champions to help manage donations through an endowment fund that also has a flow-through component. This allows dollars raised to flow right back out in the community, during a period when funds are needed immediately, while still ensuring there are funds invested to be able to grant into the community in the longer-term.

One example is the Farwell4Hire Fund. The Farwell4Hire campaign started in 2014 with a simple tweet. Mike Farwell offered his services as a lawn-mower, car-washer, gardenweeder, and countless other tasks in exchange for a donation to cystic fibrosis. “It was as grassroots as you can get,” says Farwell.

In 2020, the campaign came together for community – helping charitable organizations that were struggling to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic while continuing to serve vulnerable people across Waterloo Region.

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“I had to reimagine how ToastyToes would happen in the community,” says Gilroy-Dreher. “Now that the shift has been made to collecting funds, I took a chance and connected with some customer-facing businesses in the retail and food services space, in addition to the traditional brick-and-mortar, office-based businesses that had supported me for years. As a result I have a real mix of wonderful businesses, some workfrom-home and office-based staff, and some new independent customer-facing companies as well.”

These are just two examples of the community-based funds created to support local fundraising efforts. Other examples include the: • Heart Beats Hate Fund, established by business and community leader Alan Quarry to help encourage kindness • Black Community Solidarity Fund, created to increase sustainability of youth-focused and community-care projects of the African Community Wellness Initiative (ACWI) and other Black-led organizations • Communitech COVID-19 Response Fund, which saw

the local tech community turn every $1 donated into $3 through Communitech’s “This, Too, Will, Pass” campaign, resulting in over $208,000 raised to support seven local charities.

Collaborating to support local action The discrimination, racial injustices and inequities facing people across Waterloo Region has been amplified in the face of the pandemic. Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) communities are being disproportionately affected

by COVID-19. In response, KWCF launched the COVID-19 BIPOC Sustainability & Recovery Fund Grant as a pilot initiative in October.

It was essential to work with a volunteer committee comprised of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour from Waterloo Region to develop the fund and make allocation decisions. Money will be distributed to BIPOCled organizations, or initiatives led by BIPOC people, that are doing important work to help local BIPOC community members recover from the impacts of COVID-19.

In this instance, the example of business involvement is through partnership. Green Shield Canada (GSC), a national health benefits specialist, upon learning about the creation of the fund, immediately stepped forward to increase the amount available to grant by an additional $25,000.

“Our purpose is to make it easier for people to live their healthiest lives, and the events of this year have heightened the need for support,” said Mila Lucio, Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Social Impact at GSC. “We were pleased to support KWCF’s efforts to help community organizations dealing with the impact of COVID-19, and are glad to have the opportunity to be involved in their new BIPOC Sustainability and Recovery Fund. We know COVID-19 has disproportionally affected BIPOC communities and as part of our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion journey we are committed to help tackle racial injustice and make our communities more equitable and inclusive. We commend KWCF for starting this innovative fund and are calling for other companies to join in giving their support.”

Partnering to solve key issues Affordable Housing is another critical issue in Waterloo Region. In early 2020, KWCF convened a collaborative innovation roundtable with representatives from the public, private and philanthropic sectors in an effort to catalyze

impact in two areas of the Housing Continuum: affordable rental housing and affordable home ownership. Together, this partnership formed a Housing Innovation Round Table (HIRT) to: • Foster and inspire innovation in affordable rental housing and affordable home ownership • Convene thought leadership • Encourage, facilitate and test collaborative approaches to address housing inequities.

The HIRT is focused on collaborative action and applied research and learning methods. By June 2020, we had identified several potential experiments that built on both the skill sets within the roundtable, as well as the perceived needs and opportunities in our community. We have been somewhat organic in the nature of our process, moving between big picture system discussions and exploring very specific interventions. One of the strengths of this group is the ability to move between the two very easily, and to challenge each other on where our focus should be placed.

The diverse participants and perspectives also ensure that our actions and interventions are balanced and that we maintain a positive tension between advocacy and action.

Thank you for reading about some of the ways Chamber Members and other community-minded individuals have been partnering with KWCF in 2020. I’d love to discuss any other innovative ideas you might have to work together to create impact for those in need, while ensuring alignment with your organization’s goals and values. Please give me a call or send me an email. By collaborating, it is possible to do more good, forever, together.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elizabeth Heald Elizabeth Heald is the President & CEO of Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation (KWCF), an organization focused on “Making it Easy for People to Do More Good.” You can contact Elizabeth at 519-725-1806 x 201 or at elizabeth@kwcf.ca. www.kwcf.ca

advocate November | December 2020

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Bingemans Bingemans is Waterloo Region’s leader in entertainment and hospitality.

Bingemans is a multi-use park, conference, and event grounds. Bingemans offers the most extensive catering services at our centrally located conference centre, or offsite at one of our unique boutique venues.

Mambella’s Market Begin a new tradition this year by serving a Mambella’s meal. Classic Italian dishes and new twists on old favorites. Pass them off as your own home cooked meals. It’ll be our little secret. Quick, simple, and delicious comfort food. Frozen doesn’t have to mean compromise.

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Meals Without Madness Meet Chef Nicole, owner of Meals Without Madness, she brings her 8 years of experience and creativity to designing meals that meet specific dietary needs of her clients. Chef Nicole also shares her passion for food through virtual cooking classes.

Playgrounds Movement Training Centre Playgrounds is the only dedicated parkour gym in the tri-city area. Playgrounds offers classes, camps, parties and more! Winter Term registration will be available online mid November; drop-in classes and open gym are also available to come explore Playgrounds now!

State & Main Waterloo Looking to stay in tonight? State & Main’s bundle style offerings are the perfect choice for your family or date night. Choose from Chicken Tender bundle, Butter Chicken, Wings or our 4 Course date night for two!

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The Sign Depot Inc. This year, home for the holidays has new meaning for all of us. Sign Depot has been creating imaginative signs for cottages – she sheds – man caves and residences for over 25 years. This year the gift of a custom wood carved sign is special.

Uptown Waterloo Business Improvement Area There’s an excitement Uptown that you need to experience – from our fantastic events and programming in Waterloo Public Square to the 450+ diverse businesses that call Uptown home, including unique shops, exceptional services, world-class dining and so much more. Come on up and #chooselocal! advocate November | December 2020

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Canada's Innovation Corridor Business Council Four years ago Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade between Waterloo Region and Toronto formed the Canada's Innovation Corridor Business Council with representation from Brampton, Cambridge, Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, Halton Hills, Hamilton, Milton and Mississauga.

The original mandate was to optimize economic opportunities within the growing Innovation Corridor and lobby for appropriate infrastructure support most notably improved passenger rail service. The group was also active in the establishment of Next Generation Manufacturing Canada, the recipient of funding under the Super Cluster Innovation Fund to support the integration of Canadian advanced manufacturing and IT resources.

The work of the Business Council is strongly supported by many business and institutional partners and we thank them for making the Waterloo Region-Toronto Corridor a premier location for investment, research, and job creation.

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2020-02-10

feature

Pulling Together to Help in a Time of Need Our region is a model for co-operation, collaboration and community. From barn-raisers to capital-raisers, the willingness to roll up our sleeves to tackle problems is part of who we are.

By month’s end, we exceeded our goal of $195,000. With no more matching funds, I called Michael Litt from Vidyard, who wrote a cheque to match the extra donations. Our final total: $208,858.

It was no surprise, then, that when the COVID-19 pandemic revealed shortcomings in the health care system, our tech leaders asked: “How can we help?”

It has been gratifying to hear the response from the agencies we helped.

At Communitech, bringing people together for common purpose is our strength. Our Tech for Good ethos underpins everything we do. So, how do we apply “Tech for Good” to a global health crisis?

It started in mid-April with a donation from a tech leader who wished to remain anonymous: $50,000 USD. No strings attached. Get the money to those who most need it.

I asked our senior Communitech leadership group – informally known as The Squad – who needed help the most.

We focused on those not safe at home, those without a home and those facing mental health challenges.

We decided to build on this donation and appeal to members of the tech community – many of them impacted by the pandemic themselves – to help others.

The This, Too, Will Pass fundraiser was born.

The Squad canvassed our tech partners to raise enough to triple donations, and TD, FairVentures, Interac, Thomson Reuters, Rogers and Sonova stepped up.

The KW Community Foundation agreed to receive the donations, issue tax receipts, and disburse the funds, through its newly created Communitech COVID-19 Response Fund.

The proceeds would be shared among: Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region; Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region; Sanguen Health Centre (in support of Inner City Health Alliance); Carizon Family and Community Services; African Caribbean Black Network of Waterloo Region; The Working Centre (in support of St. John’s Kitchen); and YW Kitchener-Waterloo (in support of emergency shelters). All have at-risk clients stressed by the pandemic.

With a goal to raise $195,000, the campaign launched on May 5.

We didn’t know how this was going to go. Local startups and scale-ups are also impacted by the pandemic. But with $50 here and $100 there, the community stepped up.

Jennifer Hutton, CEO, Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region, appreciates how our community supported the campaign. “We know home isn’t safe for everyone and domestic violence rates have increased by 30 per cent amidst COVID-19. . . This community support has helped provide therapeutic programming to shelter residents, which is greatly needed during this difficult time, to help them heal from trauma and abuse.”

And Sara Casselman, Executive Director of the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region, said their funds “came at a critical time for our Centre. In the post-Me Too era, our Centre has been flooded with calls for support like no other time in our 30-year history. Because of their gift of $40,756.60, we were able to increase capacity at our Centre by hiring additional staff, effectively removing survivors from our waitlist.”

This is not Communitech’s only pandemic response. We have collected PPE, helped businesses pivot into battling the pandemic and lobbied governments on behalf of this community.

But This, Too, Will Pass showed that in one short month, the “how can we help” tech ecosystem can step up and help those who need it the most.

In this community, we can raise barns, we can raise funds, and we can raise spirits, too.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Iain Klugman Iain Klugman is president and CEO of Communitech, a public-private innovation hub in Waterloo Region that supports a community of more than 1,400 companies – from startups to scale-ups to large global players.

advocate November | December 2020

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New Members of the Chamber Board of Directors Carleen Carroll, Assistant Vice President External Relations, Wilfrid Laurier University Carleen Carroll’s career has spanned the political, private and public sector. She has held senior communication roles in health-care, post-secondary education, government, transportation and telecommunications.

Carleen is the leader of the External Relations team at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario with oversight of issues management, communications, government and community relations, web services and marketing. She is responsible for elevating the University’s reputation in its mission to inspire lives of leadership and purpose.

As an accredited member of the Canadian Public Relations Society, Carleen served as Chief Examiner for the nationwide accreditation program and is a member of the Society’s College of Fellows Carleen served as a legislative assistant to the Minister of Communications in the Canadian Parliament. She is a graduate of McGill University, BA English and Western University, MA Journalism. In her spare time, Carleen is an avid reader, a volunteer dog trainer at a local humane society and an armchair fan of almost any sport.

Shelley Forwell, P. Eng. Civil Engineer, Business Unit Leader, Civil Partner, WalterFedy Shelley Forwell, P.Eng., is the Business Unit Leader for WalterFedy’s Civil Engineering Department, as well as a Partner in the firm. Shelley has been with WalterFedy since 2012 and has spent much of her career as Civil Design Engineer and Project Manager of complex site development projects across Ontario. As a valued leader at WalterFedy, Shelley is passionate about people and is particularly driven to see others succeed. She builds strong relationships that create a truly collaborative work environment. Shelley loves to spend her spare time with family and friends, as well as being active outdoors. If she’s not in her backyard, she’s likely adventuring in the Bruce Peninsula, or relaxing by the water with a glass of wine.

Nick Heffner – Operations Manager Heffner Lexus Toyota Nick Heffner is a member of the third generation of the Heffner Family to be involved in managing Heffner Motors. He is a graduate of Georgian College’s Bachelor of Applied Business – Automotive Management program. From a very young age Nick always wanted to be involved in the family business. His career has taken him through all the various departments in the business from vehicle detailing to management. Nick is also a volunteer with the Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation, the Grand River Hospital Foundation, the Trillium Automobile Dealers Association and serves as the President of the Kitchener Waterloo Automobile Dealers Association. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his wife Niomi, son William and daughter Charlotte. If there is any left over time he likes to golf, fish and read a good history book.

advocate November | December 2020

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member notables

Member Notables United Way Waterloo Region Communities distributes $646,000 through General Community Fund and COVID-19 Response Fund United Way Waterloo Region Communities (UWWRC) recently distributed $646,000 through two local funds. The COVID-19 Community Response Fund was created in March 2020 to respond to immediate community needs. The General Community Fund has recently been modernized to be more responsive to community needs and local solutions.

There is an open call for applications every three months to fund the most relevant programs and organizations, with a more agile and focused application process, including a stronger emphasis on equity and inclusion. Going forward, UWWRC will be granting all monies available on a quarterly basis. All funds are raised locally and are distributed to local organizations.

“It is critical that United Way can continue to fund organizations that require support during this unprecedented time”, said UWWRC CEO, Joan Fisk, “Through community outreach and partnerships, we are aware of the needs for front line programs and services dealing with this pandemic. But there are many organizations facing increasing demands who deal with pressing issues like mental health and isolation every day that may not be so apparent. The economic impact of COVID-19 is affecting everyone and demands on social support systems are rising while financial assistance is dwindling. It is now more important than ever that we come together as a community and provide support where it is needed most.”

International Award for Traces Screen Printing (KW) CEO Tracey Johnston-Aldworth On Friday, September 25th, 2020 Tracey Johnston-Aldworth, CEO of Traces Screen Printing was honoured as one of the top six female leaders in the screen printing industry with an international recognition through Screen Printing Magazine's "2020 Women in Screen Printing Awards."

The six winners of the inaugural annual Women in Screen Printing Awards were chosen by the editorial staff of Screen Printing and Screen Printing’s Editorial Advisory Board, comprised of 15 industry experts. All women were nominated by third parties, including colleagues, employees, vendors, and other industry observers. Nominators highlighted their candidates’ leadership, forward thinking, experience, community involvement, mentorship, awards, certifications, and more.

Despite a pandemic, Tracey and her business have continued to move forward over the past year. In February of 2020 they received the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award for Employee Engagement.

Execulink Telecom Awards Three Deserving Students with Post-Secondary Scholarships Execulink Telecom has awarded three deserving students with $500 scholarships to support them on their way to post-secondary education. Each student has newly graduated from high school and attending college or university this school year. This year’s recipients are Ruth Meyer of Waterloo, Alissa van Gaalen of Mt. Brydges, and Eric McFarlane of Norwich.

“We hope that the 2020 Execulink Scholarships help ease some of the concerns these students are facing when starting their first year at their chosen post-secondary institutions,” noted Andrea Atkinson, Vice President Customer Experience at Execulink Telecom, in a recent media release. “Pursuing higher education is an adventure and we commend these young folks for continuing to chase their dreams.” The Execulink Scholarship program annually provides three graduating high school students with one-time $500 scholarships.

Applications for 2021 will open next summer.

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member notables

Member Notables Garth Cressman Appointed as CEO of WalterFedy The board of directors for WalterFedy has named Garth Cressman, P.Eng., as the new CEO of their engineering and architecture firm and its sister company, AEC Developments. He succeeds Paul Reitzel, who is now chief financial officer (CFO).

Cressman began his career at WalterFedy in 2000 as a mechanical designer. In 2007, he moved on to a project management role with construction firm Collaborative Structures. He returned to WalterFedy in 2014 as director of energy management solutions and added the role of director of engineering services the following year.

WalterFedy, an integrated design firm and AEC, which specializes in construction management, employ nearly 200 people in Kitchener and Hamilton supporting clients across Canada with commercial, health-care, education, municipal, industrial and residential projects.

Conestoga names new Vice President and Chief Information Officer Darin Lee, a seasoned post-secondary administrator with an established history of leading teams and institutions through transformative technology and change initiatives, has been named as the new Vice President Information Technology and Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. He assumed the role on October 5, 2020.

Lee comes to Conestoga from the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) in Abbotsford, BC, where he served as Chief Information Officer, leading a departmental turn-around effort to modernize the IT Services unit, developing a Business Transformation office for project and portfolio management, and advancing the institution’s technology capabilities.

He has served as an elected board member of the Canadian University Council of Chief Information Officers, helping Canada’s post-secondary institutions excel through the innovative and effective use of IT. Prior to joining UFV, Lee spent 12 years in IT management roles at OCAD University and the University of Victoria.

Igloo Software Announces Mike Gaburo as Chief Executive Officer Igloo Software, the leading provider of digital workplace solutions, recently announced the appointment of Mike Gaburo as Chief Executive Officer. While overseeing all functions and departments at Igloo, he will be responsible for driving key areas including the company's vision, culture, strategy, and operations.

With more than 25 years of executive leadership experience, 15 of which leading software businesses, Mike has a proven track record of delivering great results for customers, employees, and investors. With a history of crafting collaborative, creative strategy supported by smart investments in technology and people, Mike's teams have consistently delivered excellence in both customer experience and shareholder returns.

Most recently, as CEO of payments fintech Brightwell, Mike led the transformation of the company's product and a rejuvenation of its go-to-market efforts, resulting in a 4x growth in the company's user base and revenue during his leadership.

advocate November | December 2020

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