We have a very special episode today, as we are joined by Connor McKiggan, Business Development Manager of the Rainbow Registered Program at Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ Chamber of Commerce, or CGLCC. Today we are talking about the Rainbow Registered Accreditation Program — what it is, why it exists, and why it may be a great initiative for your organization…

April 15 – 19 is National Tourism Week! To celebrate, Visit Oakville is here to discuss how businesses, residents, and visitors can participate in the week, how businesses of all sizes can leverage the resources that Visit Oakville provides, trends they’re seeing in the tourism industry, and more. Join us in welcoming Rebecca Edgar, Executive Direc…

Today we have a very special episode brought to you in partnership with the Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton. We are so excited to welcome Melissa Davis, Owner & President of Ugly Dukling and Ugly Dukling Beauty to the podcast today. Beginning with a pop-up sneaker boutique in 2009, to working with massive industry names like Barbie, DC Com…

On our final episode of the season, we’re joined by George Anastasopoulos of Leadership Fundamentals. Today’s discussion is all about taking yourself from associate to leader, strategies and techniques to help you once you’re there, and tactics that you can start implementing right away. If you’re ready to level up your career and make that move in…

Members of the Chamber core season continues! On this episode we’re joined by Tyril Froese, Business Advisor & Partner at MNP, and Soumya Ghosh, Director at MNP Digital. Today we’re talking about Accounting 101 for entrepreneurs and business owners, including terms & concepts to be familiar with, best practices for staying organized, key tax consid…

Welcome to the final episode of our Moving Energy Forward series! A series of special edition episodes where we sit down with esteemed professionals from all facets of the energy sector, in an effort to gain expert knowledge, share that knowledge with all of you, and to join the important discussion on the future of energy. Thank you to our partner…

Welcome to Episode 6 of our Moving Energy Forward series! A series of special edition episodes where we sit down with esteemed professionals from all facets of the energy sector, in an effort to gain expert knowledge, share that knowledge with all of you, and to join the important discussion on the future of energy. Thank you to our partner Bennett…

Welcome to Episode 5 of our Moving Energy Forward series! A series of special edition episodes where we sit down with esteemed professionals from all facets of the energy sector, in an effort to gain expert knowledge, share that knowledge with all of you, and to join the important discussion on the future of energy. Thank you to our partner Bennett…

Welcome to Episode 4 of our Moving Energy Forward series! A series of special edition episodes where we sit down with esteemed professionals from all facets of the energy sector, in an effort to gain expert knowledge, share that knowledge with all of you, and to join the important discussion on the future of energy. Thank you to our partner Bennett…

Welcome to Episode 3 of our Moving Energy Forward series! A series of special edition episodes where we sit down with esteemed professionals from all facets of the energy sector, in an effort to gain expert knowledge, share that knowledge with all of you, and to join the important discussion on the future of energy. Thank you to our partner Bennett…

Welcome to Episode 2 of our Moving Energy Forward series – a series of special edition episodes where we sit down with esteemed professionals from all facets of the energy sector, in an effort to gain expert knowledge, share that knowledge with all of you, and to join the important discussion on the future of energy. Thank you to our partner Bennet…

Welcome to Episode 1 of our Moving Energy Forward series – a series of special edition episodes where we sit down with esteemed professionals from all facets of the energy sector, in an effort to gain expert knowledge, share that knowledge with all of you, and to join the important discussion on the future of energy. Thank you to our partner Bennet…

BDC Small Business Week 2023 continues! In honour of the occasion, we are excited to share this special edition episode all about Strategic Communications for Small Businesses. Thank you to our partner Scotiabank for making this Small Business Week episode possible. Jim Gray, Strategic Communications Advisor, Coach, and Writer is here to explain wh…

Happy BDC Small Business Week 2023! Small businesses come in many different shapes and sizes. One group that can often be left out of the small business conversation is incorporated and self-employed physicians, specifically when it comes to pension plans. Scotiabank and MD Financial Management are tackling this problem through their newly launched…

On this episode, we’re talking all things cybersecurity! Joe Apps, from Joe Apps Technology Support, is here to break down what cybersecurity is and what parts of your business it effects, how to enhance it on your own and what to expect if you outsource, key red flags to look for, and the latest cyber attack trends. So if you haven’t already, go i…

On this episode, we’re diving into the digital world of social media marketing. Benoit Mercier from Bloomtools is here to tell us the basics that every business should have on social media, how to have a more impactful presence without using up all of your time and resources, what to expect when you outsource your social media efforts, and if paid …

On this episode we’re talking all about how entrepreneurs and business owners can get their business involved in their community, and how to create a community of their own. Nancy Fornasiero of ACE Coworking is here to share how she’s created a dynamic and involved community of coworkers, her experience with external partnerships such as local arti…

Welcome back to Members of the Chamber Season 4! This season we’re shaking things up a bit with a brand new topic every week, and expert guests to accompany them. On this episode we are diving into the world of networking. If you’ve been to any of our networking events such as Business After Hours or Good Morning Oakville, there’s a pretty good cha…

Season 4 is here! This season we’re shaking things up a bit with a brand new topic every week, and expert guests to accompany them. On this episode we’re diving into the many ways that you can use food & wellness to regulate your energy throughout the work day, how to defeat that 2PM crash, why we crave carbs and sugary foods, and how caffeine actu…

Happy International Women's Day! On this special episode of Members of the Chamber we're sitting down with Chris McMartin of The Scotiabank Women Initiative® – a program that breaks down barriers to help increase economic and professional opportunities for women to be successful now, and in the future. Keep listening to hear more about the tools an…

The Oakville Chamber of Commerce is excited to present this special episode of our Members of the Chamber podcast! In this episode, we're joined by Donald Guse Salah, Program Manager at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, to chat about the Discover Ability Network - a free online portal that helps employers connect directly with job seekers with disab…

On this episode we’re joined by Tim and Jon Root, the father-son duo behind two local business: Look Local and Treehouse Creative. Listen in to hear how they used their backgrounds and skillsets to dive into business as a team, and how they hustled to develop the new skills necessary to scale the business.…

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Kristin Courtney, and her children Melody & Aaron. Together, their family business is Access Abilities, a medical devices establishment with locations in Toronto and Oakville. Listen in to hear how their strong family bond, and sense of family values, have established Access Abilities as a staple in their communi…

On today’s episode we’re joined by mother-daughter duo Bianca Tino and Melissa Gaetani of Tino, Gaetani & Carusi Chartered Professional Accountants. Bianca started the firm 28 years ago, and Melissa joined the business 17 years later. As accountants, Bianca and Melissa help entrepreneurs with intergenerational transfers of business & wealth everyda…

Today we’re joined by Nancy Robertson and her children Andrew & Joanna Kadwell. Together, they make up Robertson Kadwell, a Real Estate business serving Oakville, Halton, Hamilton, Cambridge & Toronto. On this episode we cover a few different perspectives of a family business, including starting your own business & bringing in your family, joining …

This season we're focusing on family business, and today's episode offers a pretty unique perspective, as we sit down with Neil Cawse who is the Founder & CEO of Geotab Inc. Geotab is the largest telematics company in the world, with over 2000 employees, and it all began in the family's basement at the start of the millenium. Keep listening for som…

On this episode we sit down with Jennifer Watson, of Watson Investments to hear about her experience growing up around the family business, and how she decided that joining it was the right choice for her. If you're thinking about joining the family business, you definitely don't want to miss this episode!…

On this episode we are joined by Mike White and Jamie Mowat, a father-son duo from WINMAR Mississauga/Oakville. They have some great advice to share on addressing conflicts, succession planning, and they also discuss how the process of succession has been a really important milestone in both of their lives.…

Welcome back to Members of the Chamber! We have a brand new season ready for you, all about family business. On this episode, we’re sitting down with Rob May from Sounds Good Smart Homes to learn more about his journey of starting a family business, and the process of getting it ready to pass down to his children one day. There is a LOT of good adv…

On this special episode of Members of the Chamber, we are celebrating International Women’s Day! What better way to celebrate than to sit down with two influential women-in-business here in Oakville: Mary McPherson, CEO of Oakville Hospital Foundation and Trish Knox, Owner & President of TK Events. Members of the Chamber was created thanks to the s…

On season two, episode ten of Members of the Chamber, producer Kristen Curry re-caps the best advice heard from the guests this season with Thiara, the Oakville Chamber's co-op student. Members of the Chamber was created thanks to the strong support of Piper Foods and the podcast is fuelled by McCafé! The podcast is recorded at Staples Studio Oakvi…

On episode nine of season two, we are joined by Maria Robertson, renowned newborn consultant. Maria is the founder of The New Mummy Company, a leading Canadian business in services and products designed to meet the needs of mothers and their babies. On the podcast we discuss how she started her business, how she got connected to some VIP clients (h…

On episode eight of season two, we are joined by Aby Alameddine, Co-Founder of Core Online Marketing and Past Chair of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce. With a background in corporate finance, Aby is an entrepreneur that has continued to give back to Oakville through time on community-based boards and by offering mentorship to budding entrepreneurs…

On episode seven of season two, we are joined by Jennifer Kazmaier, who has retired by age 35. Jennifer is a Registered Nurse turned entrepreneur, the founder of CalaCare, which provided innovative home health care services that made staying in the comfort of your own home a realistic and sustainable solution. Jennifer just reached another career m…

On episode six of season two, we are joined by Dave Oswald, Investigations Specialist at Forensic Restitution. Dave is a trained Chartered Accountant with a passion for uncovering fraud or error. His global, multi-national experience spans over 20 years, having led investigations in high-level C-Suite executive cases with success. Dave has extensiv…

On episode five of season two, we are joined by Wendy Donnan, Co-Founder of the Oakville Festivals of Film & Art (OFFA). Wendy worked in broadcasting and television for 25 + years (TVOntario, TWN, OUTtv) in various management and programming positions before venturing out for her own productions. Wendy is also a part-time professor, currently teach…

On episode four of season two, we are joined by Andrew Esemezie, the Franchise Owner of Second Cup Coffee Company on Lakeshore Road in Downtown Oakville. Andrew is a Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP) with 16+ years of extensive global experience leading enterprise Customer experience strategies. Prior to delving to the entrepreneuri…

On episode three of season two, we are joined by Wendy Rinella, Chief Executive Officer of the Oakville Community Foundation. The Foundation is Oakville’s largest charitable asset of +$100 million supporting local charities and community-wide programs through turnkey foundation infrastructure for business and family philanthropists. Wendy’s career …

On the second episode of season two, we are joined by Don Pangman. Don is the Founder of ArtHouse, a Halton based charitable organization which provides FREE Arts programs for vulnerable children and youth. Celebrating its 11th Anniversary in June 2020, ArtHouse has served over 9,000 young people with 634 programs at 90 safe and accessible location…

Members of the Chamber has returned for a second season! On the first episode of season two we are joined by Nancy Fornasiero, who is the Founder and Community Director at ACE Coworking in Downtown Oakville. Nancy is an author, journalist, ghostwriter, and editor. She has worked as a self-employed publishing consultant for over 20 years. Prior to t…

On episode ten of Members of the Chamber, host Drew Redden and producer Kristen Curry re-cap the best advice heard from the guests on Season One. This episode was recorded virtually due to COVID-19. Members of the Chamber was created thanks to the strong support of Piper Foods and the podcast is fuelled by McCafé! Stay tuned for Season Two! Follow …

On episode nine of Members of the Chamber we are joined by Graham Hill, who is the Executive Director of Food for Life, the leading food rescue and sharing charity serving Halton and Hamilton. With more than 20 years in the social profit sector, Graham has been a champion of positive change in society and has a strong passion for not letting good, …

On episode eight of Members of the Chamber we are joined by Kerry Colborne who is the Managing Director of Force 10 Capital Management Inc. She spent the first 20 years of her career working in ag related companies – a career that took her all over the world. Kerry later joined the Business Development Bank of Canada, which strongly positioned her …

On episode seven of Members of the Chamber we are joined by Matthew James who is a Sales Representative for Cameron's Brewing Company. Matthew began his career as a reporter and photographer for the Haliburton County Echo and Minden Times community newspapers. It wasn’t long before Matthew shifted lanes and began working in Ontario’s growing Alcoho…

On episode six of Members of the Chamber we are joined by Mary McPherson who is the CEO of the Oakville Hospital Foundation. Mary is an award-winning fundraiser with 20+ years of experience in the charitable giving sector. On the podcast we discuss how one carves out a successful career in fundraising, what it is like raising money in Oakville and …

On episode five of Members of the Chamber we are joined by Doug Sams who is the Executive Director of the Kerr Village Business Improvement Area. Doug ended up at the Kerr Village BIA after a long career coaching football at the US Collegiate level and in the Canadian Football League. On the podcast we find out where he keeps his Grey Cup ring, try…

On episode four of Members of the Chamber we are joined by Jennifer Watson of Watson Investments. Jennifer talks about her experience joining the family business, finding that family/work/life balance and the massive undertaking of rebranding your business. Members of the Chamber was created thanks to the strong support of Piper Foods and the podca…

On episode three of Members of the Chamber we are joined by Karl Wulf. Early in his real estate career, we talk to Karl about how he has found success starting out, things to consider when buying or selling a home and his frequent appearances on home renovation shows. Members of the Chamber was created thanks to the strong support of Piper Foods an…

On the very first episode of Members of the Chamber we are joined by Tim Caddigan who is serving his second term as Chair of the Board at the Oakville Chamber. In his day job, Tim is the Senior Director, Programing & Community Relations at Cogeco. On the podcast we discuss Tim’s journey in the corporate word, what it is like to interview Premiers, …

On episode two of Members of the Chamber we are joined by Joni Lien. Joni is an award-winning entrepreneur and SupperWorks Founder & Franchisor. On the podcast we learn about Joni's transition from working in adult corrections to starting a business from scratch, how to remain competitive in an ever-changing food industry and why it is so important…