Innovation Award

Lymphology Skincare

Established in October 2021 by founder Maddie Simone, Lymphology Skincare focuses on an utmost passion for helping and supporting those with Lymphedema in honour of her two brothers who passed away of a rare aortic condition. Driven by the mission to fulfill the needs of patients with a product that is entirely Canadian-made, Lymphology Skincare has been carefully developed and worked on by a group of chemists out of Montreal.

University of Windsor Charge Lab

The Centre for Hybrid Automotive Research and Green Energy (CHARGE), at the University of Windsor is an internationally recognized R&D, component, and system design and test centre that fosters cross-disciplinary research collaboration among materials, mechanical, electrical, and software engineers to develop groundbreaking research solutions for EV applications.

The objective of CHARGE Lab’s partnerships with the automotive industry is not only to develop new and commercialized next–

Bright Green Roof

Bright Green Roof

Windsor is Essex County’s first and only roofing shingle preservation company.

Their 100 per cent plant-based roof preservation treatment will extend the life of an asphalt shingle roof up to 10 years, while also restoring colour and appearance, enhancing protection from the elements, and saving the homeowner money by

Sponsored by Meridian Credit Union

Working with the goal of putting the care of the patient back into their own hands; Lymphology generation EV propulsion technologies, but also to produce automotive leaders and world-leading researchers and engineers and help Canada meet its climate goals. delaying the replacement of their roof.

Skincare uses an all-natural ingredient cream which results in the reduced need for frequently replaced compression garments and lesser reliance on pharmaceuticals and surgical intervention.

In an effort to support those in need of services, every year Maddie and Lymphology Skincare run a fundraiser for the Lymphedema Association of Ontario’s Compassion Fund that gives scholarships for lymphedema treatment to individuals that they otherwise could not afford.

In addition to their technological innovation, the CHARGE Lab strives to create a healthy workplace where research and support personnel are encouraged to take responsibility for improving their health as well as creating a healthy workplace environment for all. As University of Windsor employees, they are encouraged to participate in various workshops and seminars offered by the University towards improving their physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Three applications of Bright Green Roof’s shingle preservation oil are estimated to double the useful life of a homeowner’s roof, facilitating a 50 per cent reduction in landfill waste, CO2 emissions, and petroleum usage from the roofing industry.

Bright Green Roof Windsor currently sponsors the YQG Green networking group in Windsor, which is a group of small business owners, social enterprises, non-profits and community-based organizations that want to make a difference by promoting environmentally and socially sustainable practices.

Business Ambassador Award: Keith White

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Long before Keith White became Vice President and General Manager of one of the most prolific and beloved fashion retailers in southwestern Ontario, he was just a young man with a desire to learn. His was a hunger recognized early by local business owners Gerald Freed and Alan Orman.

The son of the originating founder Sam Freed, Gerald had partnered with his brother-in-law Alan and took the young White under their wings, eager to teach him everything they knew about the business and the industry.

“(Alan) was my person, my mentor,” muses White. “He and I had a relationship until he left this earth just a short time ago.

“He taught me everything there is to know about this business – that the product you have on your floor is very, very important, but that what you treat like gold is the customer. You can appreciate the thread, the lining, the styling, but what he taught me – and what has stayed with me – is that when a customer leaves (Freeds), a little bit of you is in the suit that he’s purchased. That’s the relationship. And that’s what I’ve believed in my 53 years of experience of here.”

No wonder, then, that White was chosen in 2023 for the inaugural Business Ambassador Award at the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Business Excellence Awards. It might well have been his leadership, his amiable nature, his good-humoured personality or his loyalty to the workplace he calls home, but White believes it’s his simple outlook that has made the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce take notice – his complete commitment to the customer.

The recognition and celebration of White’s ambition to improve the business for which he’s worked and the lives he continues to touch

Sponsored by RBC every day is one he acknowledges with humility. Despite his modesty, he joyfully recalls some of the most remarkable milestones of his career, which include the success of Class Act and the founding of the philanthropic group Circle of Seven.

“Al and I started Class Act (at Freeds) many, many years ago, which is the school uniform arm of the business,” shares White. “We did that with the help of Father (Fred) Zakoor from Brennan, (former principal) John Staley from St. Anne’s. Everybody who was involved with the school board listened to my sales pitch and they all got on board, and we still have that contract today.

“But you know what I think really won them over, and why we still have it today? It’s the guarantee that no child would ever go to school without a uniform, something we have made sure of until this day.”

White says that what he and Orman promised was the creation of a “Principal’s Account,” which would permit for the discreet payment of a uniform for any child unable to afford one. The full amount would be paid for by Freeds. And through the years, White says, the school board has stepped in as well, partnering with other agencies to be able to help fund the cost of uniforms for underprivileged students.

“Got the ball rolling,” says White with a chuckle, “but it’s all Diane Hillman, who’s the best. She handles the whole thing – she knows the fits, she knows the little nuances that students want to try and pull off, and she handles it all discreetly so that not only does no child go without a uniform, no child is ever embarrassed by their current circumstances.”

White’s sense of compassion and selflessness stretches beyond what he does for folks at Freeds.

Over two decades ago, he and six friends – all prominent business leaders from in and around Windsor – formed the Circle of 7, a group dedicated to raising funds for numerous charitable organizations throughout the region.

“I still remember running into a certain Mr. Tony Toldo at Essex (Golf Club), and telling him that we were having a tournament there in 30 days, for an MRI machine at the hospital downtown. I told him we were aiming to raise $100,000.

“He looked at me and said, ‘You’re not raising $100,000. You’ll raise 40, 50 — tops,’” he said.

“No, sir,” White had said confidently. “We are certainly going to raise $100,000.”

“He said, ‘You raise a hundred, and I’ll match it.”

The Circle successfully raised over $120,000.

True to his word, Toldo matched their funds. He also paid for the shipment of the machine from Quebec to Windsor.

Today, the Circle of 7 has raised and distributed more than $4 million to various causes in the community. “It’s all about giving,” says White. “Whether you’re on the floor or out in the greater community, what makes it all worth it is giving back.”