November/December 2018 Advocate

NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2018

The Importance of Giving & Investing in the Community

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We care about what you care about.

advocate NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2018

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features FEATURE

14 Innovation in Philanthropy – A Tool to Help KWCF Make it Easy for People to Do More Good Elizabeth Heald

COVER STORY

16 Holding up the Pillars: Reflections on Transitions, Connected Communities and the Power of Philanthropy

Peter Sweeney

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:

Art Sinclair

EDITOR:

Heather Hutchings

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

M&T Printing Group

PHOTOGRAPHY: Adamski Photography, Chamber Staff

ADVERTISING AND SALES:

David MacLellan – dmaclellan@greaterkwchamber.com Don Critelli – dcritelli@greaterkwchamber.com Karen Cross – kcross@greaterkwchamber.com

FEATURE

23 We Love to Build Community!

Beverley Cunningham

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:

FEATURE

25 The Impact of Your Investment in the Charitable Sector in Waterloo Region

Wendi Campbell

SPONSOR PROFILE

26 Enabling Business Growth, and Paying it Forward Adam Smith

Wendi Campbell, Beverley Cunningham, Elizabeth Heald, Christine Hogle, Ian McLean, Renata Rusiniak, Art Sinclair, Adam Smith, Peter Sweeney

CONTRIBUTORS:

Aislynn Cooper and Sally Burns

ADVERTISING AND COPY DEADLINES:

November 16, 2018 for January-February 2019 January 18, 2019 for March-April 2019 March 15, 2019 for May-June 2019 July 19, 2019 for September-October 2019 September 20, 2019 for November-December 2019

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.

departments 4

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR Business Needs Community (and vice versa)

10 August 1, 2018 to

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

12 Fall Networking

Ian McLean

19 Member to Member

Renata Rusiniak

5 Waterloo Region Charities

Emerge as National Leaders ADVOCACY

7 Fighting Poverty and Not Poor People

Art Sinclair

PERSPECTIVE ON HEALTH CARE

8 There is Still a Pressing Need for Family Physicians Christine Hogle

NEW MEMBERS

September 30, 2018 NETWORKING

PUBLICATIONS PERMIT:

#40026716

FOR PERMISSIONS AND REPRINT REQUESTS

Heather Hutchings - hhutchings@greaterkwchamber.com

PRINTED IN CANADA BY:

PUBLICATION OF:

HI-LIGHTING MEMBERS

Special Offers EVENTS

20 Mark Your Calendar MEMBER NOTABLES

32 Chamber Members Achieving Success

POSTMASTER ADDRESS CHANGES

C/O

ADVOCATE - PUBLICATIONS OFFICE 80 QUEEN STREETE 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.

advocate NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2018

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message from the chair

Business Needs Community (and vice versa) Businesses help create a thriving economic environment. More successful businesses in a community means greater job opportunities and population growth through talent attraction.

With population growth, comes the need for a variety of community services to support all residents. More healthcare professionals, access to public transit, infrastructure to accommodate more cars, schools, social services etc. etc. If your business is growing and thriving, you should be asking yourself “how can my business best support the community so we’re all successful?”

A Tricky Question

The answer to this question may not always be easy. There are so many good causes to support that it can be difficult to donate your profits, products, or people (volunteer time) in a way that makes sense to your business. Like all good business plans, there should be method behind your decisions regarding community investments. A good place to start is to look at what is material to your business and to your community. For example, if you operate a bakery, then access to quality ingredients is likely material to your business. You may want to look at locally sourced ingredients and supporting local farmers which is also material to the community. From there, set objectives so you can actually measure the impact of your investments. One of the most challenging parts of my job is demonstrating the value and impact of community investing. It isn’t an exact calculation of ROI. It’s usually more of an indirect measurement that may deliver positive brand reputation, increase your community footprint, engage your employees and/or make your product or service an even more attractive option to consumers.

The 80/20 Rule

Truth be told, your community investments are not always going to align 100% to your business strategy. Corporate giving should be strategic but also allow flexibility for important, prominent community needs. If you run a tech company, your employees need the same access to doctors that all other community members need. They need efficient transportation to get to work, they need access to mental health resources, good schools, and the list goes on. Sometimes, you just have to do what is right, even if it doesn’t completely fit your giving

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objectives. Applying the 80/20 rule is helpful here. 80% of the time, try to make sure you are being strategic in aligning your giving to your business but 20% of the time, it’s okay to go offstrategy for the betterment of the community.

How much does Impact cost?

While there are no hard, fast rules about how much your business should be giving to community, there is a movement towards 1%. Organizations like ‘Pledge 1%’ hope to create a new normal in which giving back is integrated into the DNA of businesses of all sizes. Pledge 1% encourages and challenges individuals and companies to give 1% of equity, profit, product, and/or employee time to community cause. Thousands of businesses in almost a hundred countries have taken the pledge and through any combination of product, equity, profit or time, strive to give back a minimum of 1%. Regardless of the size of your business, this should be a target within reach.

Whether you give locally, nationally or globally, depends on the scope of your business. Whether you give to many different causes or few, depends on what is material to your business.

Whether you give product, profit, equity, or time depends on the stage of your business growth and what is realistic. When it comes right down to it, all that matters is that you’re thinking about it and doing it. A community can only be as strong as the people within it so let’s demonstrate the strength of our humanity.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Renata Rusiniak

CHAIR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Renata Rusiniak manages corporate giving at Manulife and believes businesses are set-up for success in Waterloo Region.

Renata is an advocate for community giving and lives this value in both her career and personal volunteer commitments.

message from the president

Waterloo Region Charities Emerge as National Leaders As Waterloo Region’s population and economy continues to grow, 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.

The many gaps in services in Waterloo Region and across Ontario and Canada are often filled by the hundreds of not-forprofit organizations who provide food, clothing and essential programs that assist people in both settling in and surviving within their communities.

Many of these organizations are highly visible and recognizable to local businesses. They deliver services to the economically disadvantaged, support local and national health care, assist with youth services and education, and provide settlement services to recent immigrants.

One of the many 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, committees, and assist with event planning along with other regular functions. Our Chamber is an organization of employers of all sizes and in all sectors, public, private and non-profit across the Region and collectively our capacity to make a difference 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 the emerging global economy 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, lead 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 greatly enhanced by the outstanding staff and boards of directors at the Grand River and St. Mary’s Hospital Foundations. Fiscal restraints at Queen’s Park over the past decade have required increasing financial support from the community to maintain excellent patient care and the two local foundations have been strongly committed to ensuring our hospitals can deliver services for our expanding population and economic base.

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 has been and will continue to be there for support.

Looking forward to the future, a new group of leaders have emerged in the local not-for-profit sector. Elizabeth Heald, a contributor to this edition of the Advocate and a previous edition, has now assumed management of the KitchenerWaterloo Community Foundation after many years of exemplary service by former Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce board Chair Rosemary Smith.

Joan Fisk, a business leader in Waterloo Region and former President of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, is now leading the reorganized Waterloo Region United Way, an organization that delivers important programs locally and across North America.

The success of our local not-for-profit sector is always and ultimately based on the response of committed employers and individuals so as Chamber members I ask you to support these vital organizations.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ian McLean

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

advocate NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2018

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feature

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Discover what it means to own the place where you bank.

libro.ca • 1-800-361-8222 @LibroCU

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Libro Credit Union

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@LibroCU

Libro Credit Union

advocacy

Fighting Poverty and Not Poor People The American network Home Box Office, or HBO, ran The Newsroom from 2012 from 2014. The series revolved around the fictional Atlantis Cable News organization with Jeff Daniels playing anchor Will McAvoy. The show was created by Aaron Sorkin, who is perhaps best remembered for his other major series The West Wing which ran for seven years on NBC.

One of the most memorable scenes in The Newsroom’s short history is a panel discussion where McAvoy is asked why America is the greatest country in the world. His response, which can be easily found on YouTube, is that America is in fact not the greatest country in the world.

The nation used to be great, according to McAvoy, but not anymore. America once governed itself on principles and ethics which apparently no longer have relevance. As an example the United States used to fight poverty and now they only fight poor people.

Addressing poverty and debates around social assistance rates cut across geographic and demographic boundaries throughout Canada. Realistically, no one supports an increasing number of people on the system. The questions generally revolve around what is and is not a reasonable level of support for recipients.

The Ontario debate over social assistance landed heavily across the provincial conscience in 1995 when Mike Harris as leader of the third-place Progressive Conservatives proposed a major overhaul of the system. Two major reforms were advanced to the electorate – firstly rates would be cut because Ontario was overly generous compared to other provinces. Secondly a workfor-welfare or workfare system would be implemented where able-bodied recipients are required to perform community service in return for their benefits.

The Liberals and NDP were astounded. Their position at the start of the 1995 campaign was that Ontario voters would never support this platform. The Liberal Party under Lyn McLeod, sensing a shift in the electorate, devised their own workfare program called “mandatory opportunity,” a term that was probably developed on a campaign bus at 11:00 pm after a party pollster arrived with the daily results. We now know the final opinion of the electorate in 1995.

The Harris position was based on the belief that previous governments of all parties were apathetic towards individuals on social assistance. Governments paid people and did not assist them in moving out of poverty. His reforms would provide resources for training, networking and creating new prospects for recipients. The term applied was a hand up and not a hand out.

MacLeod announced the province was cancelling the Basic Income pilot project commenced under the Wynne administration. The government’s position is that the pilot is expensive and not sustainable over the longer term.

Generally, a basic income program provides support to people living on low incomes regardless of whether they are working or not. For the Ford administration, adding to the public criticism for the termination was a vitriolic response from Senator Hugh Segal, an individual with Conservative Party credentials longer than anyone in Canada. Segal worked for Bill Davis and the father of Ontario Attorney General Caroline Mulroney. He ran for leadership of the federal party in 1998 and was subsequently appointed to the Senate.

When the Wynne administration wanted advice on basic income they found Hugh Segal who became a major contributor to the design of the pilot project. He called the cancellation a horrific mistake and was embarrassed to be a Progressive Conservative.

Social assistance as inferred above is a highly divisive issue.

John Milloy once noted that the starting point of our collective fight against poverty can’t be about a job at any cost. It has to be about human dignity. Hugh Segal and some Progressive Conservatives would agree.

The Newsroom ended in 2014 which probably indicates American voters were questioning their principles and values long before Donald Trump moved into the White House. We have, unfortunately, no definitive answers in Canada either.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Art Sinclair

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

Social assistance again landed in the provincial conscience last August when Minister of Community and Social Services Lisa

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perspective on health care

There is Still a Pressing Need for Family Physicians Health care is a significant issue for all of us and having access to health care professionals is critical to the well being of families living in our region. Unfortunately, many families, locally and across the province, do not have the benefit of being under the care of a family practitioner.

The Chamber’s physician recruitment program is an important community health care initiative, not only for our residents’ well being but for the health and prosperity of our business community who are looking to attract the best and the brightest talent to our Region.

With the generous investment and support of our corporate and municipal partners, the Chamber Health Care Resources Council is able to oversee a number of programs throughout the year to attract new family physicians to serve the health care needs of the community. Since this critical initiative was launched in 1998, the Chamber, working with community interests, has successfully attracted well over 200 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.

We have been working with new family medicine physicians who just graduated this past summer as well as established family practitioners from across Ontario. Personal community visits are arranged for these practitioners – meeting with local family physicians and a number of other practice opportunities within Kitchener-Waterloo.

We continue to work with a number of physicians nearing retirement and are in the process of looking for prospective physicians to take over their practice. We encourage retiring physicians to start searching for a replacement well in advance and provide them with the necessary resources to ensure for a smooth and stress free transition.

Many of the newer graduate physicians are looking for more of a work/life balance and are often starting their practice small (under 1000 patient roster) and gradually increasing it over

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time. With many retiring doctors having a larger patient roster size of 2000 plus, we are in need of 2-2.5 doctors per retiring physicians practice to account for all of the patients. This can cause some challenges. The majority of newer doctors are interested in practicing in a group setting, with other established physicians for mentorship, whereas many retiring physicians practice within their own private office.

We also continue to aid the local hospitals in their efforts to recruit and retain emergency doctors. As emergency doctors do not have a roster of patients, it is less complicated and more simple for them to move anywhere in the country and practice.

It is crucial that we are able to retain these doctors and ensure that Kitchener-Waterloo is a desired place to live and work.

Again this year, we will be including Emergency Medicine residents at our 20th Annual Recruitment Weekend in November. We are hopeful that they will choose to call Kitchener-Waterloo home.

Our successes and efforts would not be possible if it wasn’t for our generous corporate, municipal and personal sponsors and supporters of this program. The Chamber Health Care Resources Council sincerely thanks our partners for their generous and continued support as we strive to eliminate the physician shortage in Kitchener-Waterloo.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Christine Hogle Christine Hogle is the Physician Recruitment Lead for the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.

Photography by Adamski Photography

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new members

August 1, 2018 to September 30, 2018 A/V Design Consultants

Audio Visual Equipment & Supplies

Kerry Bestward, President/Owner 223 Coach Hill Dr Kitchener, ON N2E 1P5 bestward80@rogers.com avdesignconsultants.ca Phone: (226) 647-6479

Best4All Collaborative Practice of Waterloo Region

Divorce Services

best4all.ca

Beyond Oz Productions

Entertainment

Gabriel Mattacchione, President 119 Westcreek Dr, Unit 4 Woodbridge, ON L4L 9N6 info@beyondoz.ca beyondoz.ca Phone: (905) 805-4501 Fax: (905) 660-7496 Big Events

Event Planning

Mariette Haras, Owner 131 Blair Road Cambridge, ON N1S 2J2 thinkbig@bigevents.ca bigevents.ca Phone: (519) 241-1509

Canada Recess Guardians Charitable & Community Organizations

Mike McDonald, CEO info@recessguardians.org recessguardians.org Phone: (306) 280-7244

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Encompass Health & Wellness

Health & Wellness

Melissa Miller, Owner/Registered Massage Therapist 103 Queen St S Kitchener, ON N2G 1W1 info@encompasshealth.com encompasshealth.ca Phone: (519) 578-7070

Execucor Financial Limited

Financial Services

Eric Knight, 2 Director Crt, Suite 102, Woodbridge, ON L4L 3Z5 eric.knight@execucor.com execucor.com Phone: (888) 393-2826 Fax: (877) 498-6165 Future Focus Inc.

Leadership Development

Michael Snyders, President 109 College St Kitchener, ON N2H 5A2 msnyders@future-focus.ca future-focus.ca Phone: (519) 897-6245 Great Opportunities

Employment Agencies

Ross Evans, Owner 315 Edgehill Dr, Kitchener, ON N2P 2C8 rossevans@live.com Phone: (519) 716-4797

Heffner Cabinetry and Woodworking Inc.

Cabinet Makers

Steve Heffner, Vice President 145 Northfield Dr W, Waterloo, ON N2L 5J3 sheffner@heffner.ca heffnercabinetry.com Phone: (519) 954-4001

Heritage Martial Arts & Fitness Centre Inc.

Martial Arts & Self Defense Instruction

James Fries, President 3310 King St E Kitchener, ON N2A 1B3 info@heritagemartialarts.com heritagemartialarts.com Phone: (519) 894-6931

Indulge Natural and Organic Catering

Caterers

Paul Cummings, Owner/Chef indulgenaok@gmail.com indulgekitchen.ca Phone: (519) 572-4455

Investors Group Financial Services Inc.

Financial Planning Consultants

Todd Moser, Regional Director 4295 King St E, Unit 301, Kitchener, ON N2P 2C6 todd.moser@investorsgroup.com investorsgroup.com Phone: (519) 886-2360 InXpress Waterloo Region

Courier Service

David Klassen, Owner/CEO 118 Strange St Kitchener, ON N2G 1R3 dave.klassen@inxpress.com inxpresswaterloo.com Phone: (519) 745-4065

KW Headshots by Hannah Marie Photographers

Hannah Marie, Owner/Photographer 57 Albert St Waterloo, ON N2L 3S1 hannah@hannahmarie.ca kwheadshots.ca Phone: (226) 606-1645

Little Lakes Machine & Tool Co. Ltd. Tool & Die

Michael Eckardt, President 2812 Line 34, PO Box 949 Stratford, ON N5A 7M3 info@llmt.com llmt.com Phone: (519) 271-2835 Fax: (519) 271-4152 Mambella's

Caterers

Tina Brisbin, Owner 160 Columbia St W Waterloo, ON N2L 3L3 contact@mambellas.com mambellas.com Phone: (519) 885-2244 Mayhew Inc.

Consultants

Paul Bradshaw, Vice President, Sales 305 King St W, Suite 303 Kitchener, ON N2G 1B9 info@mayhew.ca mayhew.ca Phone: (519) 744-1228

new members

August 1, 2018 to September 30, 2018 Micrologics

Virtual Reality

Steve McKellar, Business Development Manager 50 Ottawa St S, Suite 130 Kitchener, ON N2G 3S7 stevem@micrologics.ca micrologics.ca Phone: (519) 342-3480

Mobile Storage Rentals Ltd.

Moving & Storage

Jay Riopel, Owner 68 Webster Rd Kitchener, ON N2L 2E6 sales@mobilestoragerentals.ca mobilestoragerentals.ca Phone: (519) 749-9331

Modern Mop Facility Services Inc.

Cleaning ServiceResidential/Commercial/Industrial

Alex Markovic, CEO & President 525 Highland Rd W, Suite 404 Kitchener, ON N2M 5P4 info@modernmop.com modernmop.com Phone: (800) 571-7626

Ontario Estate Consulting Solutions Inc. c/o Henry Walser Funeral Home

Estate Management & Planning

Jim Kibble, President-Partner 507 Frederick St Kitchener, ON N2B 2A5 jim@kibblefamily.com Phone: (226) 600-2984

Precise Real Estate Appraising Inc. Real Estate Appraisers

Jonathan Wollziefer, Owner, CRA, P.App 23134-500 Fairway Rd S Kitchener, ON N2C 1X3 admin@preciseappraising.com preciseappraising.com Phone: (519) 580-7732 Prep Academy Tutors

Tutoring

Nick Mehring, Owner/Education Director 294 Casselholme Cr, PO Box 306 New Dundee, ON N0B 2E0

nickmehring@prepacademytutors.com

prepacademytutors.com Phone: (519) 577-1668

Pritzker Schmitt Law Lawyers

Marcia Pritzker Schmitt, Lawyer 22 King St S, Suite 300 Waterloo, ON N2J 1N8 marcia@pritzkerschmittlaw.com pritzkerschmittlaw.com Phone: (226) 646-4454 Fax: (519) 279-0162 Qualia Counselling Services

Consultants

Thomas Brown, Co-Owner 16 Andrew St Kitchener, ON N2H 5R2 info@qualiacounselling.com qualiacounselling.com Phone: (519) 742-0500 Fax: (519) 742-0522

Red and White Realty Inc

Real Estate Brokers & Agents

David Anderson, President 267 Northcrest Pl Waterloo, ON N2J 3X4 dave@redandwhiterealty.com redandwhiterealty.com Phone: (519) 500-9677

Sandler Training Progressive Concepts Inc Business Consultants

Graham Rawlinson, President 847322 Township Rd 9 Drumbo, ON N0J 1G0 graham@closingbusiness.com closingbusiness.com Phone: (519) 651-1831 Fax: (519) 651-1249 Silo Wireless

Internet & Technology Products & Service

Cynthia Wiatowski, Owner 19 Sage Court Brantford, ON N3R 7T4 info@silo.ca silo.ca Phone: (519) 449-5656

Sugar Savvy Body Sugaring

Hair Removal

Emilie Scissons, Owner 684 Belmont Ave W, Unit 201, Kitchener, ON N2M 1N6 info@sugarsavvy.ca sugarsavvy.ca Phone: (226) 929-2451 Tom Diavolitsis Consulting

Top-Notch Concierge

Concierge & Personal Assistant Services

Rick Gallinger, Owner 121 Fallowfield Dr, Kitchener, ON N2C 0B3 info@top-notchconcierge.com top-notchconcierge.com Phone: (519) 577-7976 Voyageur Transportation Services Inc. Transportation

Ken Johnston, Transportation Specialist 599 Wabanaki Dr Kitchener, ON N2C 2G3

ken.johnston@voyageurtransportation.ca

voyago.ca Phone: (226) 581-0951

Wroute

Transportation

Jason Hammond, President 148 Manitou Dr, Unit B101 Kitchener, ON N2C 1L3 info@wroute.com wroute.com Phone: (519) 894-6878

Young Living Essential Oils

Health & Wellness

Valentina Gadavoff, 252 Bankside Dr Kitchener, ON N2N 3E6 valentina.aromawellness@gmail.com aromaticwholistichealthspa.com Phone: (647) 517-6457

Consultants

Tom Diavolitsis, Owner 589 Steinbeck Place Waterloo, ON N2T 1Z3 tomdiavol@yahoo.ca Phone: (519) 590-7171

2 x Medical Services 2 x Physician Offices 2 x Health Care

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networking

Fall Networking

SARAH RICHARDSON, HOST OF SARAH OFF THE GRID ON HGTV CANADA, OFFERS SOME DESIGN TIPS TO OVER 640 WOMEN AT THE 12TH ANNUAL INSPIRING WOMEN EVENT ON SEPTEMBER 20TH AT BINGEMANS. PHOTO BY ADAMSKI PHOTOGRAPHY.

THE HONEYPOT MARKETING TEAM POSES DURING THE BREAK AT THE 12TH ANNUAL INSPIRING WOMEN EVENT HELD ON SEPTEMBER 20TH AT BINGEMANS. PHOTO BY ADAMSKI PHOTOGRAPHY.

THE LIBRO CHAMBER YOUNG PROFESSIONALS KICK OFF EVENT, SANGRIA SOCIAL, ATTRACTED A FULL CROWD! THIS EVENT WAS HOSTED BY WORKPLACE ONE ON SEPTEMBER 27TH.

IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS! PASSION IS PURPOSE WAS THE THEME OF THE 12TH ANNUAL INSPIRING WOMEN EVENT ON SEPTEMBER 20TH AT BINGEMANS, WHERE A SOLD OUT CROWD ENJOYED A FULL DAY OF MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION! PHOTO BY ADAMSKI PHOTOGRAPHY.

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CHAMBER MEMBERS POSE JUST BEFORE THE BIG RACE AT OFF TO THE RACES, HOSTED AT GRAND RIVER RACEWAY IN JULY!

ALLISON BOURKE, OXFORD LEARNING WATERLOO, POSES FOR A PHOTO AT THE HEFFNER WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP SPRING EVENT LUNCH & LIFE LESSONS WITH VICKI SAUNDERS.

MURRAY GAMBLE OFFERED SOME INSIGHT ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF HIRING IMMIGRANTS FOR BUSINESS GROWTH DURING A POINT OF VIEW LUNCHEON IN JUNE AT THE DELTA WATERLOO.

THE CULINARY STUDIO TEAM PARTICIPATING IN THE HELIUM STICK CHALLENGE, FACILITATED BY HUMAN SYNERGISTICS CANADA DURING THE HEFFNER NETWORKING MOMENT AT THE 12TH ANNUAL INSPIRING WOMEN EVENT. PHOTO BY ADAMSKI PHOTOGRAPHY.

networking

THE TEAM AT CENTURY 21 HERITAGE HOUSE BROKERAGE MEET THEIR HORSE IN THE PADDOCK AT OFF TO THE RACES IN JULY, HOSTED AT GRAND RIVER RACEWAY!

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS TRY THEIR HAND AT AXE THROWING AT THE LIBRO CYP FINALE EVENT, HOSTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GUELPH YPN AT BATL AXE KITCHENER IN JULY.

IAN MCLEAN LED AN IN-DEPTH DISCUSSION WITH MURRAY GAMBLE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE DURING A POINT OF VIEW LUNCHEON IN JUNE.

CHAMBER MEMBERS POSE WITH THEIR WINNING HORSE, THE RACES, HELD AT GRAND RIVER RACEWAY IN JULY.

ZAHRA AL-HARAZI, ENTREPRENEUR AND TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP EXPERT, SHARES HER

GUESTS GATHER AROUND TO HEAR SOME AXE THROWING TIPS AT THE LIBRO CYP FINALE EVENT, HOSTED AT BATL AXE KITCHENER.

JOURNEY OF PASSION AND RESILIENCE THAT LED HER FROM YEMEN TO CANADA DURING THE 12TH ANNUAL INSPIRING WOMEN EVENT AT BINGEMANS. PHOTO BY ADAMSKI PHOTOGRAPHY.

CYP COMMITTEE VOLUNTEER AND GKWCC BOARD MEMBER ADAM SMITH OFFERS SOME REMARKS AT THE LIBRO CYP FINALE EVENT HOSTED IN JULY AT BATL AXE KITCHENER.

MACH MAGIC, AT OFF TO

VICKI SAUNDERS, CEO OF SHEEO, DISCUSSES HER COMPANY ’S MANIFESTO DURING A HEFFNER WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP LUNCH IN JUNE.

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feature

Innovation in Philanthropy – A Tool to Help KWCF Make it Easy for People to Do More Good

Innovation is discussed a lot in our community. Daily we read announcements in the media highlighting new approaches to tackling business, industry and societal issues. It got me thinking about social innovation in the context of philanthropy.

When you think about the model for innovating, it generally includes recognizing a problem or need that requires “solving,” creating a potential solution, testing that solution with a target audience, and then continuing to refine the solution until it resonates. This technique is no different when applied to encouraging philanthropy in an engaged community like Waterloo Region.

Over the past year, Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation (KWCF) has been collaborating with partners across our region to explore ways to more effectively direct our combined resources so that a greater impact is generated. Here are three examples of new initiatives focused on assisting the growth of philanthropy in our community:

(1) We recently started a pilot partnership with Communitech to connect the tech industry with opportunities for community impact. Gerry Remers has joined Communitech as a Community Impact Coach to provide support to tech companies in the alignment of their engagement in the community with their business objectives. We are still “early days” in assessing this approach, but initial feedback has been positive.

“I have found tech firms are very aware of the multiple stakeholders whose needs they must address,” explained Gerry Remers, Community Impact Coach, Communitech. “This translates into support for employees volunteering in the community - and in creating a culture of positive community engagement. Sustainability, gentrification and encouraging more women in STEM are common themes I heard in my discussions with tech firms. These themes reflect millennials’ wishes to work for tech companies that are ‘good’ companies with positive social impact.”

(2) Wellbeing Waterloo Region is a community-led initiative working together across sectors to improve wellbeing of residents. Affordable Housing is one of the three areas of focus resulting from this community collaborative. A flowthrough fund at KWCF is being launched in November to support the goal of ending chronic homelessness by 2020, with donations going to the Homelessness and Housing Umbrella Group (HHUG) to direct to this important local issue throughout 2019 and 2020.

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“Communities across Ontario are working to end chronic homelessness by 2025,” shared Lynn Macaulay, HHUG Initiatives Coordinator. “With the help of local citizens, we believe that we can end chronic homelessness by 2020.

Beginning with people who have been homeless the longest and who have the most complex needs just makes sense.

Instead of resources such as EMS, police, hospitals, jails, and courts being spent to respond to people experiencing chronic homelessness, the same or less money can be spent to solve the problem. Not only will having people housed with adequate supports improve the quality of their lives, it also will improve the overall community wellbeing. To learn more, check out our website at www.hhug.ca”.

(3) Annually, KWCF grants over $3 million into the local community. Recently, our Board of Directors decided 4% of KWCF’s assets should also be invested for impact, with the capital to be invested in organizations with the intention of generating measurable social and/or environmental impact, in addition to financial returns. This is a new approach for KWCF, so we are learning together with partners. One example is our recent collaboration with the MaRS Centre for Impact Investing to help House of Friendship increase and enhance addiction treatment services in Waterloo Region with the Close to Home capital campaign.

“Addiction is a treatable health issue which allows those in recovery to go on to lead healthy, productive lives and to contribute back to our community,” elaborated John Neufeld, Executive Director, House of Friendship. “By using social impact investing to raise the additional $1 million that is needed to enhance addiction treatment, we are also helping bring a new financial tool to our community, and creating an opportunity for charities in Waterloo Region to benefit from the templates and tools we are developing with KWCF and MaRS.” As we work to create a caring community where everyone thrives, innovation in philanthropy is possible and essential.

Imagine all of the possibilities if we work 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.” www.kwcf.ca

cover story

Holding up the Pillars Reflections on Transitions, Connected Communities and the Power of Philanthropy.

People ask me if I miss working in the healthcare sector. I tell them I never really left.

After spending 15 years working for a hospital and a globalhealth NGO, I moved to the YMCA just over two years ago, and I have found that people want to know what it’s been like for me to have switched from healthcare to social services. For me, they are one in the same.

The only real difference is I went from working for organizations that provide care to sick people, to one that is trying to prevent people from getting sick in the first place.

At first, some might not think about the Y as a health charity, but when you consider some of the social determinants of health—social inclusion, employment security, early child development, community engagement, food security, and both cultural and linguistic competency—we intersect with the community on all of them.

Leaving Nobody Behind

The Y is one of the largest and most diverse non-profits in Waterloo Region. In addition to providing a place for people to get and stay fit, we are the largest provider of child care, and one of the largest providers of employment and settlement services in our region. We run school-based food programs across south-central Ontario and are the regional lead agency for early years programming, which provide place-based centres for children and their caregivers, free of charge. We have nearly 20,000 members at health and fitness centres across the region and offer one of the largest overnight and day camp experiences in Canada.

We fundamentally believe that connected communities are healthy, strong, and vibrant. When you consider that in a recent survey by the Canadian Centre of Wellbeing, nearly 30% of people in Waterloo Region feel they “don’t belong,” we have a lot of work to do. That’s approximately 150,000 of our neighbours who feel they are not connected to this community or each other. For those people, the realities of social isolation are real and debilitating. Along with many of our non-profit partners in social services, mental health, and education, the Y is committed to making sure this community is a place where everyone belongs.

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In a recent Globe & Mail column, Margaret Wente wrote “Our region’s social institutions – the ones that offer solace, structure, friendship, and support – are under threat. Families are in bad shape too, especially among middle and lowerincome earners, where many kids grow up in households without both parents. We’re living in an age where faith, family and community – the pillars that we used to count on – are eroding.” She goes on to argue that we need a reconstruction of community but closes with the line “we have no idea how to do that.” I disagree. The reconstruction of community happens at the YMCA every day and it happens in lots of other places across Waterloo Region too. I have the tremendous opportunity to work with smart and passionate colleagues across civil society who are working very hard to make this a better community for everyone; a community where nobody gets left behind.

In addition to growing the impact of our YMCA, we are also proud to be taking an active role in the emerging work of the Waterloo Wellbeing initiative and the upcoming Smart Waterloo application for a $50 million grant from the federal government. In the case of the former, we have landed on three focus areas to improve wellbeing across our community: chronic homelessness, social inclusion, and child and youth development.

For the Smart Waterloo application, our goal is to become the benchmark community in Canada for child and youth wellbeing. We hope to achieve this by creating adaptive, datadriven programs and scalable learning technologies that will improve early child development, mental health and high school graduation rates.

The Y is part of a large network of charities and non-profits tackling the biggest challenges we face as a community. We are led by strong, smart, and dedicated professionals and are staffed with some of the most passionate and talented people you will ever meet. In our Y, you’ll find staff with advanced degrees, international experience, and numerous professional certifications. At our King Street location, where we provide employment and settlement services, over 40 languages are spoken by our staff.

cover story

The Role of Philanthropy

As a sector, we generally have the skills and know-how. What we often lack is the resources. That’s where philanthropy comes in.

Whether a non-profit is large and well known like the Y or smaller and more issue-driven, the reality is that we all count on philanthropy as an integral part of our business model.

Grants from government and social enterprise (earning revenue from mission-driven activities) go only so far and often benefit from the leverage philanthropy brings.

Recently, we secured a government grant to develop and implement a physical literacy project across our Y. Given how few children, let alone adults, get enough physical activity in a week, this project is vitally important to building a healthy community and strong kids. However, the grant only went so far and we knew we needed more resources to do the work properly. That realization led to a discussion with a local company and a short time later, Manulife donated $150,000 to the project to get it across the finish line. They appreciated the fact that we had the know-how and the initial resources to do the work and knew their investment was being leveraged with other resources and expertise. This is an example of great corporate philanthropy.

If you are a business leader in this community and looking to enhance your philanthropic efforts, I’ll offer three pieces of advice. First, it’s okay to focus on one or two areas (children and mental health for example). It allows you to invest more strategically and it gives those of us in the sector a clear signal of where your priorities lie. Second, it’s entirely okay to build your strategy with volunteer opportunities for your employees in mind, but consider that many non-profits, even big ones like the Y, don’t have the capacity to design large-scale volunteer opportunities. If volunteering is your thing, start small, or

better yet, encourage your staff to volunteer on a non-profit board or organize a fundraiser on behalf of the charity. That brings me to my last point. Volunteers and gifts-in-kind are often helpful, but what charities need most is cash. That might sound crass initially, but consider that most of it will go to hire the people with the skills and abilities we need to tackle our biggest problems or to build the places where they will do that work. Cash investments in charities not only have the most tangible impact, they create jobs, spur other economic activity, and build resiliency and sustainability in the non-profit sector.

Our community is certainly prosperous and successful on many levels. But we still have too many people falling through the cracks. The dedicated people working in our sector are on the front-lines every day and they need your support, moral and otherwise.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Peter Sweeney

Peter Sweeney is the CEO of the YMCA of Cambridge & Kitchener-Waterloo. He has spent his career in the non-profit sector and is a big fan of all the people trying to make this community stronger, healthier, and more connected.

advocate NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2018

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events

Mark Your Calendar Thursday, November 15, 2018

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Location: Golf ’s Steak House and Seafood Member Tickets: $47 Future Member: $60 Table of 8: $375

Join us for a panel discussion, moderated by Tova Davidson of Sustainable Waterloo Region, where we will learn about how leading women in business are tackling innovative and sustainable approaches to doing business. We will explore how women can contribute to a healthier planet.

Time: 11:30am - 1:30pm Location: To be announced Member: $50 • Future Member: $60 • Table of 8: $400

Economic Development Speakers Series presents The Story of Scaling: Thalmic Labs

Women’s Leadership Fall Luncheon presents Women for the Environment.

Join us for the second luncheon in the Economic Development Speakers Series where we will hear the story of how Thalmic Labs scaled their business to over 350 employees and how they continue to grow in the Waterloo Region.

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Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Libro Chamber Young Professionals presents an Evening at The Walper Hotel

5:30-7:30pm Location: The Walper Hotel – LoKal, The Urban Lounge Member: $10 Future Member: $15

Thursday, November 22, 2018

You are invited to join us and make new connections in the beautifully designed space at LoKal, The Urban Lounge!

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MNP LLP Networking Breakfast Series presents Innovating Workplace Culture with Carol Leaman

7:15am – 9:00am Location: Inn of Waterloo Member: $35 • Future Member: $45 • Table of 6: $205

Join us for the Networking Breakfast Series as we welcome Carol Leaman, CEO of Axonify.

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Carol has been honored for outstanding achievements and contribution to the HR sector and for championing HR best practices and innovations. Come and learn about how Axonify was recently names one of the Best Workplaces in Technology for 2018

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See what we’re up to by following us on Social Media: @LacknerMcLennan and @ErbAndErb

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events

Mark Your Calendar Wednesday, December 5, 2018

January 10th, 2019

Hosts: BDC Business Development Bank of Canada, BorgWarner Inc., Ignite Group-Graffiti Market, PCC Integrate, Uniserve Communications, Sigma Point Technologies Inc. and Westmount Signs & Printing Location: Catalyst137 5:00-7:00pm Member: Complimentary Future Member: $10

7:15am-9:00am Location: Inn of Waterloo Member: $35 General Admission: $45 Table of 6: $205

Home Hardware Business After 5 Holiday Edition

Come and visit our Chamber members in one of the World’s Largest loT Manufacturing Spaces - Catalyst137. Enjoy complimentary food, while making great connections at the Holiday BA5 event of the season!

MNP Networking Breakfast Series - Annual Speed Networking

Meet dozens of people, make new connections, and expand your professional network in a short amount of time.

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Thursday, December 13, 2018 Chamber Holiday Open House

4:00pm - 6:00pm at the Chamber of Commerce Members: Complimentary

Celebrate the season with fellow Chamber members and staff! We will be accepting donations of non-perishable food items or unwrapped toys.

2019 Business Excellence Awards Gala

6:00 – 10:00PM Location: Bingemans Conference Centre Member Ticket: $175 Member Table of 8: $1350 Future Member: $200 Future Member Table of 8: $1600

This is the region’s premier networking Gala event with over 900 attendees. 13 awards will be presented to Chamber members who have made exceptional contributions through their involvement and leadership for the betterment of our community.

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advocate NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2018

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feature

We Love to Build Community!

Our entire office stopped and gathered in our small reception area the day the Syrian refugee family came to visit. S.G. Cunningham Limited had played a small, supportive role in helping this family settle in Waterloo Region and they’d come by to briefly say hello and thank our staff. The young mother held her four-year-old daughter in her arms. The child had cerebral palsy and had just attended a physiotherapy session to help treat her illness. Her tiny three-year-old sister stood shyly behind them. Though they spoke little English, their smiles, nods and shining eyes told us they were happy to be part of this peaceful, welcoming community.

Our visit was only minutes long, but its memory has lingered.

How had they managed in a refugee camp with such an ill child? We were thankful she was now getting proper care in their new home town. Their visit confirmed what we already knew … that we are so fortunate to be citizens of Waterloo Region. For S.G. Cunningham’s team, it also strengthened our bond. Together we were supporting community – in this case, exceptionally wide community. We were citizens of the world, trying to make a difference, helping in a small but important way. It felt right and it felt good.

Through the years, the leaders of S.G. Cunningham, George Cunningham and his daughter Georgia, have been happy to give back. “We’re privileged to be able to support this amazing community that has supported us as we’ve grown our business,” says Georgia. “Giving is a value that runs through the entire fabric of our company and a strong value of everyone on our team.”

S.G. Cunningham has supported healthcare – after all, our own team members may need medical assistance some day. We’ve supported charitable organizations because sometimes our neighbours need help. And we’ve supported the arts that lift us up and inspire new ways of thinking.

We try to help on many fronts and believe our efforts are both practical and inspirational. Practical because we’re helping to solve real problems, and inspirational because we see the difference made through our efforts – like when a new piece of medical equipment helps thousands of people who no longer have to travel for essential treatment.

Our team has told us they’re proud the company cares and they enjoy getting actively involved: organizing food drives, hiking for heart, cycling for mental health and delivering Christmas hampers. These activities become “friends and family events.”

Employees to get to know each other better, and these community projects elevate spirit and make us all proud.

We also love to spread the word and S.G. Cunningham has encouraged other business leaders to give back too, because philanthropy – no matter how grand or modest – is an investment in community. Even though we live in an affluent municipality, one with immense privilege, there are still people who need help and support. And we won’t stop spreading the word until the idea of giving back is second nature to every business.

As a revered Biblical passage states, “There is a time to plant and a time to reap … a time to keep silent and a time to speak … a time for every purpose under heaven.”

We are living in an exceptionally privileged time and place.

We’ve not had to participate in war, we’ve not suffered a natural disaster and we’ve not experienced famine. Being grateful is a state of mind and giving back is our way of giving thanks.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Beverley Cunningham Beverley Cunningham is Vice-President, HR & Communications for S.G. Cunningham.

advocate NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2018

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We value diversity in the workplace, are committed to Employment Equity and will provide reasonable workplace accommodation to applicants with disabilities. RBC Dominion Securities Inc.* and Royal Bank of Canada are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. *Member-Canadian Investor Protection Fund. RBC Dominion Securities Inc. is a member company of RBC Wealth Management, a business segment of Royal Bank of Canada. ®Registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. ©2017 RBC Dominion Securities Inc. All rights reserved. 17_90561_001

RETHINK WINTER. Closing areas not required during the winter can reduce slip and fall risks, protect your business from salt damage and protect our community’s drinking water. Outdoor patios, extra parking spaces, redundant walkways and stairways are great places to start.

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Salt impacts water. To stop salting completely may not be realistic but we all could use a little less.

WARNING: NO WINTER MAINTENANCE Helps keep salt out of our water

Request your free closed sign while supplies last at www.regionofwaterloo.ca/winterplan.

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feature

The Impact of Your Investment in the Charitable Sector in Waterloo Region The charitable sector is a significant part of our local economy.

Not to mention, it is an essential driver to enhancing arts and culture, providing vital social, health and welfare supports, and a catalyst for activism and change. The charitable sector in Waterloo Region employs hundreds of people, supports thousands, and our community would be very different without it. At a time when we are navigating a changing political and economic climate, our support of the charitable sector is even more important. Shifting from a giving mindset to investing in the issue/charity/cause is essential to ensuring that necessary programs and services continue to develop and grow to meet the needs of our changing community.

Why Give? Why Invest?

Unlike for profit business – most charities don’t have anything to sell – the focus is programs and services. Our revenue comes from you – our donors, our community. While government funding is a piece of the pie for many organizations, it is not a reliable, stable or sustainable source of support. Not to mention the uncertainty that comes every time an election is called.

Similar to for profit business, charities have overhead costs, administrative costs, and employee costs. The difference is we are thrifty, frugal and can stretch dollars in many different directions to ensure we are serving our clients as best as possible. But in the end, making ends meet is always a challenge.

In Waterloo Region, we are fortunate to live in such a generous community. There are many individuals, businesses and organizations that make food and financial donations. But it’s important to know that you are not just donating – you are investing – investing in the well-being of our community.

Let’s use The Food Bank as an example. For every $1 we raise we are able to provide 3 meals in our community – and it’s not because I have made some crazy deals with grocery suppliers (although that is part of it). It is because of the generosity and support of corporate and industry partners, farmers, processors, logistics providers, and of course our generous donors. Thanks to their continued support, we are able to acquire and distribute more than 4 million pounds of food each year to 100+ programs and agencies in Waterloo Region. This provides food assistance to more than 32,000 people every year in our community.

Your investment has helped pay for the gas required to pick up the donation, the food drive boxes you used during your food drive, the maintenance on our freezer, a safe place for staff and volunteers to work, and you have provided meals to those who are hungry. Healthy food; fresh, frozen and non-perishable food that goes into food hampers and community meals every day.

You have helped put food on a table, introduced neighbours and helped build a strong community. Your investment has helped open doors for people to gather, to begin dealing with challenging issues and access the resources they need to survive and then thrive.

I recently attended a conference in Alberta and after facilitating a panel discussion to a national audience, I met David. He came from the back of the room to introduce himself because I had mentioned that I work in Kitchener. David lived in the area 25 years ago. He lived in a shelter, he ate at St. John’s Kitchen, and he was supported by programs offered at the House of Friendship. He shared with me many fond memories of his time in this community and how the programs and services supported him on his road to recovery, after a long period of addiction and despair. He now works and lives in British Columbia and runs a small food bank. He supports his community. You have invested in David – and so many others – who have been impacted by charitable programs in our community. We cannot always tell you the stories – sometimes we don’t hear them for years – but they exist and they are powerful. They exist because of your investment in our community.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Wendi Campbell Wendi Campbell, MBA, is the CEO of the Food Bank of Waterloo Region – The centre of a Community Food Assistance Network providing food acquisition and distribution services to more than 100 agencies and programs throughout Waterloo Region and South Western Ontario. advocate NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2018

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Enabling Business Growth, and Paying it Forward Technology changes, and business evolves. Keeping pace is an ongoing, fast moving, and complicated task, which presents a very real challenge for most business owners whose strengths are put to better use within their businesses. I realized the critical need for support by not only knowledgeable, but also communicative tech professionals early on in my career, and on September 21, 2004 at the age of 22, I launched My IT Guy to provide exactly that.

From humble beginnings we continue to grow while focusing on what counts: have the best IT team, each of whom are engaged and interested in working with our clients to help them reach their goals. My first hire in 2009 spurred me to seek out more business, so I soon joined the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce and began attending the Business After 5, Networking Breakfasts, and other valuable networking events. In 2011, as demand for our services continued its strong growth, I had the good fortune of encountering Donald Farkas who started out a bit shy, but has grown technically, and personally over the years; he has always been a dedicated and valued member of our team, and continues to embrace new challenges and growth opportunities.

THE MY IT GUY TEAM AT A CHAMBER BUSINESS AFTER 5 EVENT.

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Being in business for more than 14 years is credit to My IT Guy’s proven and unparalleled commitment to customer service. Growing our team through acquisitions—in 2012 and again in 2014—and a pursuit of top quality talent, we are a dedicated group of IT service professionals.

In 2012, the acquisition of Schiller Networks, a long-standing IT company in the area, brought in new staff and clients. Some of those clients may have had some reservations regarding such a big change, but we were soon able to prove they were in good hands, and continue working with the vast majority of them. In 2014 the acquisition of Virtual Planet expanded the email and website hosting services we are able to offer.

Our team grew again in 2013 when we found an ideal fit: a bookkeeper with a penchant for tech support, and a wealth of customer service experience. Andrew Prosser’s detail-focused pursuit of both numbers and technical glitches made him a versatile part of our team, triaging requests for support while keeping the day-to-day business operations running smoothly.

This past April after many meetings discussing our mutual goals and customer service attitudes, a long-time acquaintance, David Secord, decided to merge his business, Duras Computing, into My IT Guy to further strengthen our collaborative team. This

brings a wider range of support and more varied experience to all of our clients. Over the ongoing course of David’s 22-year career, he gained a wealth of experience and built up a loyal clientele by providing friendly, knowledgeable, and personal service.

Leading the team at My IT Guy also means providing every opportunity for each employee to pursue their career interests and grow their technical knowledge. That foundation of skills enables My IT Guy to meet the varied needs of businesses across all sorts of industries, while keeping our team engaged and excited in their work.

The quality of our team has been repeatedly and resoundingly affirmed as we are regularly voted the Favourite IT Support Company in the annual Record Reader Awards by our fantastic and loyal customers, and nominated time and again for the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence awards, such as “Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award,” and “Small Business of the Year (1-10 employees) Award.”

Building a successful business from the ground up is, of course, no easy task. Philanthropy, defined by Merriam-Webster as “goodwill to fellow members of the human race”, is something I’ve benefited greatly from. The generosity of others that I’ve been fortunate enough to receive has always been deeply appreciated. I owe thanks to programs like Ontario’s former Self Employment Benefits program which gave me the footing I needed to get up and running, as well as the Chamber Accelerator Mentorship Program which, in 2015, gave me a new sense of purpose and drive that directly led to my purchase of our new base of operations, a gorgeous office building on Victoria Street North, in Kitchener—taking that necessary leap out of the “home-based business”. It is thanks to the knowledge and experience of several inspiring and trusted mentors that I’ve had so much success. I try my best to "pay it forward" by speaking to newer start-ups and inspiring them to grow their businesses. I’ve spoken at the Guelph-Wellington Business Enterprise Centre, the Small Business Community Network, and Lutherwood Employment Services, and am always looking for new opportunities to share what I’ve learned through trial, error, and success.

For a number of years I volunteered on the Chamber Young Professionals committee from 2012 to 2016, and continue to assist that committee in my role as Board Liaison. This event series continues to provide a meaningful space for young professionals to “learn the ropes” of networking, and expand their peer group to a wider network. I have taken great pride in helping to cultivate a positive atmosphere by listening to the feedback of our guests and regular visitors, sharing those thoughts with Chamber staff, and proposing new ideas to keep the next generation of networking professionals interested in what the Chamber has to offer.

In addition to serving on Chamber Young Professionals committee, and the Chamber’s Board of Directors, I have long been a strong supporter of men’s health initiatives. This has included serving on the Board of Directors for Testicular Cancer Canada, being a member and champion of 100 Men Who Give a Damn—an organization supporting local charities—since its inception, and I continue to raise funds every year for Movember, in support of men’s mental and physical health. My IT Guy has also donated services and support for other charitable organizations, such as Community Support Connections Meals on Wheels.

Philanthropy, I believe, is a two-way street. Kitchener-Waterloo is a great place to live because of that—people giving, receiving, and paying it forward. How are you paying it forward? What other ways can we help?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam Smith

Adam Smith is the owner and CEO of My IT Guy Corp, which he founded in 2004.

Born and raised in K-W, Adam cares deeply about our region and serves on the Board of Directors of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce. adam@myitguy.ca

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member notables

Member Notables New President and CEO Appointed at Grand River Hospital (GRH) The Board of Directors of Grand River Hospital recently announced the appointment of Ron Gagnon as the institution’s next president and chief executive officer (CEO).

Since 2006 Mr. Gagnon has been the president and CEO of the Sault Area Hospital in northern Ontario where he lead the development of a new facility completed on budget and on time.

He also delivered seven years of surplus operating budgets.

Mr. Gagnon replaces Malcolm Maxwell who retired after eleven years of exemplary service to Waterloo Region and has now positioned GRH as one of Canada’s safest hospitals. The Chamber congratulates Mr. Gagnon on this appointment and extends a sincere welcome to our community.

Kitchener City Hall Turns 25

On Monday, September 17, 2018, the City of Kitchener organized a series of public events to recognize a quarter century since City Hall opened its doors in 1993.

Mayor Berry Vrbanovic noted in a city news release that the opening of the new building was a major event for both employees and the community following twenty years in a leased facility.

Bruce Kuwabara, the architect for the project, and former mayor Carl Zehr were in attendance for the September 17 events.

The Kitchener City Hall, built for $66 million, has received a series of prestigious design awards including a Governor General’s gold medal for architecture.

Peerless Turfcare – 25 Years in Business

In 1993 Richard Maass (BSc Forestry ISA, Cert Horticulturist) founded Peerless Turfcare currently based in Waterloo. The company offers residential and commercial lawn spraying, fertilizing and restoration services as well as tree care, agricultural services and aquatic weed control. The firm has been a Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce member for 25 years and Richard has been active in the Chamber Plus Network for 18 years.

Richard and his organization would like to thank their residential and commercial clients for their quarter century of support.

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member notables

Member Notables Perrin Beatty and Jamie Martin Recognized by Wilfrid Laurier University

Perrin Beatty, president and chief executive officer of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, received an Honourary Doctor of Laws Degree from Wilfrid Laurier University at convocation ceremonies conducted on October 26, 2018. Also receiving honourary degrees during October convocation were Wellesley–based sculptor Ruth Abernethy and prominent Canadian sports reporter and broadcaster Stephen Brunt.

Jamie Martin of local law firm Miller Thomson and former chair of WLU’s Board of Governors was recognized with a Distinguished Governor Award. Mr. Beatty was also appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada in June of 2018. Mr. Martin is long-serving Waterloo Region volunteer supporting the arts sector and many other organizations.

WSIB Presents S.G. Cunningham with Gold Award for Safety Leadership

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) recently announced the winners of their 2018 Ontario Health and Safety Leadership Awards for companies with fewer than 50 employees.

S.G. Cunningham of Waterloo achieved the Gold Award for health and safety excellence and received $5,000 to reinvest in their safety management program. Zero Environmental, a Kitchener abatement company, achieved Silver while the Bread and Butter Bakery in Kingston earned the Bronze Award.

S.G. Cunningham is a family-operated business serving southwestern Ontario. The company is known for quality construction and community service as well as health and safety excellence.

Sign Depot Recognizes 25 Years

Peter Moir founded The Sign Depot in Waterloo Region and has operated the business for the last 25 years. His fine arts degree from the University of Guelph is evident in the types of projects that Peter and his team pursue and the signs they produce.

With a focus on evolving sign design, The Sign Depot is constantly looking for ways to innovate within the signage industry by creating trends and upgrading materials used in day to day sign fabricating.

To mark the 25th year, The Sign Depot is expanding their operations and adding online shopping to their repertoire. These additions to the company are sure to assist current and potential clients of The Sign Depot well into their next quarter century.

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