T he Gl ob a l E c onom y
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MICHAEL LEE-CHIN Recession Proof Industries
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TOM COCHRANE KRISTIN KREUK DWIGHT DRUMMOND RENÉE MONTEZ-AVINIR BRAM A. LECKER
Visionary Billionaire and Philanthropist
On his journey to success and how to PUSH-Persist Until Something Happens
How
C L I M AT E CHANGE Impacts our Economy
EMERGING TRENDS OF FAILING
START-UPS
Key Pillars of
Doing Business in China
Fastest Growing
Corporate Apps
CANADIAN LEADERSHIP IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY
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OVERVIEW SPRING/SUMMER 2021
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EDITOR’S MESSAGE
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COVER STORY Michael Lee-Chin
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10 Recession-Proof Industries Canadian Waters Trading: Better Food, Better Farming, Better World Benefits of Global Competition Key Pillars of Doing Business in China
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Kristin Kreuk
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Dwight Drummond
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Renée Montez-Avinir
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Bram A. Lecker
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Tom Cochrane
NERS’ CIRCL
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WIN
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BUSINESS
OVERVIEW
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MONEY & FINANCE How Climate Change is Impacting Our Economy
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Avoiding Economic Anxiety
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Analyzing Household Spending in Canada
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START-UP Elena Petrescu: Transformational Hypnotist
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The Emerging Trends of Failing Start-Ups
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EnRoute Cargo & Charter Inc: On the Move
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TECH AND INNOVATION The Future of the Sharing Economy
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Strategies of Business Transformation Through Technology
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Upcoming Start-Up: Fyyne
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Top 10 Fastest Growing Corporate Apps
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LEADERSHIP Canadian Leadership in the Global Economy
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Valeria Lipovetsky: From Modeling to Media
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Joella Almeida: Advocating for Equality of Access to Entrepreneurship and Health
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cover story
PROSPERITY WITH CARE A Conversation with Michael Lee-Chin by Jennifer M. Williams
Even as a young man, Michael Lee-Chin knew that achieving success often means taking risks and reaching for the top rung. Emblematic of this was his letter to the prime minister of Jamaica, explaining that he was desperately seeking financial aid to continue his civil engineering studies at McMaster University. His plea was so convincing and his grades so impressive that even the prime minister of Jamaica knew Lee-Chin was someone to invest in. Lee-Chin subsequently received subsidy covering the next three years of his education. “When you need help, it’s a no, until you ask for it,” he maintains. Jamaican-born Lee-Chin’s ambitions led him from modest jobs as a teenager, working as a hotel landscaper and cleaning the engine room of a cruise ship, to financial success a little more than two decades later. Today, the Jamaican-Canadian is in rare company as a Black billionaire businessman and philanthropist who currently sits at number 1,063 on the Forbes list. He is Chairman and CEO of Portland Holdings Inc., a privately held investment company. Michael Lee-Chin’s philanthropy is vast, including sponsoring hundred of tons of meals to vulnerable communities in Jamaica and pledging and donating money to the Royal Ontario Museum, McMaster University, and the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation. His donation to the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto established the Michael Lee-Chin Family Institute for Corporate Citizenship.
The Edge Leaders had the opportunity to ask Lee-Chin questions about his career, and in return, he offered his insight, life lessons, and bold suggestions for entrepreneurs.
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