THE HALIFAX CHAMBER OF COMMERCE is pleased to present this year’s Halifax Business Awards finalists. Presented by RBC, longtime supporters of the business community, the annual awards gala is hosted at the beautiful Halifax Convention Centre and showcases Halifax’s best and brightest business leaders and entrepreneurs. This issue is dedicated to the hardworking and innovative people behind these remarkable business ventures. We hope you enjoy getting to know them, and we hope their vibrancy shines through these pages. The Halifax Business Awards finalists are chosen every year by an independent Judging Committee. The nominees can self-nominate or be nominated by someone in the community. Self-nominations are strongly encouraged. The nominees receive email notification of their nomination and are prompted to fill out their submission. The completed submissions (made up of six questions) are then reviewed by the Judging Committee. Comprised of six local business and community leaders, the Committee reviews all nominee submissions (usually over 100!). They then assign each submission a score — all the judges’ scores are added up and averaged. The Committee reviews the top five (who are deemed finalists) and approve a winner in each category. To learn more about the submission process, our finalists, and annual gala please visit: halifaxchamber.com/awards IMAGES CREDIT: UNBOUND MEDIA
NEW BUSINESS OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY:
L-R Back: Jessica Chapman (Chapman Family Law), Houston Barnaby (Indigenous Treaty Partners), Christy Silvestri (QuickFacts) Front: Cynthia Sweeney (Simply Good Form), Nancy Foran (ESG Partners).
CHAPMAN FAMILY LAW What inspired you to open a new business? Like many industries, I have observed a solid glass ceiling in place for women in the private practice of law. The high attrition rate of women from private practice also means there are limited mentorship opportunities to have with other women and far fewer role models that are women. Beyond the goal of providing compassionate and quality client service, I started Chapman Family Law with the aim of mentoring, empowering, and advancing women in the legal profession. Where do you see your organization in 10 years? In ten years, we hope to be a leader in mentorship, empowerment, and advancement of women in the legal profession in Nova Scotia. Providing women with mentorship beyond the substantive practice of law, including how to set healthy boundaries within the emotionally intense nature of our work, allows these women to become less susceptible to the burnout. They are then afforded the opportunity to build a more sustainable longterm career in the helping profession that is family law. 12
JANUARY 2023