Members of the Chamber

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 Director, and Councillor Sean O’Meara, Chair of the Board of Directors of Visit Oakville.Learn more about Visit Oakville: www.visitoakville.com

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 Comics, and Space Jam, Melissa is an entrepreneurial powerhouse. Listen in to hear how she got started, the vital lessons she’s learned along the way, and how she landed the same publicist as Beyonce (!!!)Learn more about Ugly Duking and Ugly Dukling Beauty.

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 into a leadership position, or if you’re already there and just want to improve, this episode is for you.Learn more about Leadership Fundamentals: https://www.leadershipfundamentals.com/

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 considerations, and more. We also discuss the Canada Digital Adoption Program, or CDAP, as MNP is an approved CDAP advisor. If you’re an entrepreneur or small business owner, you will definitely want to take notes for this one!Learn more about MNP: https://www.mnp.ca/Learn more about MNP Digital: https://mnpdigital.ca/

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 Bennett Jones for making this series possible.Today our series host, Wayne Steffler of Future Energy Oakville, is back and is joined by Danial Hadizadeh, CEO of Mitrex. Mitrex envisions a world where solar energy is generated by any surface touched by the sun. Their revolutionary building-integrated photovoltaic, or BIPV, systems offer architects, engineers, building owners, and investors the opportunity to embrace and profit from solar energy without compromising beauty.Today’s discussion focuses on the difference between BIPV and traditional solar panels, challenges and how Mitrex is addressing them, how Oakville businesses can benefit from this kind of technology, examples of projects here in the GTA, future outlook, and more.Learn more about Mitrex: www.mitrex.comLearn more about Bennett Jones: www.bennettjones.com⁠Learn more about Future Energy Oakville: www.futureenergyoakville.ca⁠

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 Jones for making this series possible.Today our series host, Wayne Steffler of Future Energy Oakville, is back and is joined by Sam McDermott, Technical Manager of Renewable Hydrogen at Enbridge. Sam is part of the Business Development team at Enbridge Gas Inc., helping in the development of its hydrogen framework.Today’s discussion focuses on renewable hydrogen and it’s role in the energy landscape, challenges and opportunities for expansion throughout Canada, the future outlook for renewable hydrogen, what power to gas is, what combined heat and power is, and more.Learn more about Enbridge: www.enbridge.com/Learn more about Bennett Jones: www.bennettjones.com⁠Learn more about Future Energy Oakville: www.futureenergyoakville.ca⁠

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 Jones for making this series possible.Today our series host, Wayne Steffler of Future Energy Oakville, is back and is joined by Diego Mandelbaum, Senior Vice President of Development at Creative Energy, and Carl Pawlowski, Senior Manager of Sustainability at Minto.Creative Energy designs, builds, owns, operates, and maintains district energy systems for the 21st century. They turn ideas into reality by delivering low-carbon district energy systems that create tangible value for partners, buildings, and the community at large.Minto is a fully integrated real estate company offering new homes and condos, rentals, furnished suites, and property and investment management. With almost 70 years in operation, they’ve built over 100,000 homes across Canada and the Southern US.Today’s discussion will focus on how these two companies are working collaboratively, what it means to approach sustainability holistically, unique challenges for Oakville & the GTA, upcoming projects, resources, and more.Learn more about Creative Energy: https://creative.energyLearn more about Minto: https://www.minto.comLearn more about Bennett Jones: www.bennettjones.com⁠⁠Learn more about Future Energy Oakville: www.futureenergyoakville.ca⁠

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 Jones for making this series possible.Today our series host, Wayne Steffler of Future Energy Oakville, is back and is joined by Marshall Eidinger, Partner at Bennett Jones. Marshall advises publicly listed companies, institutional investors, venture capital funds and private enterprises on matters relating to corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital.Today’s discussion will focus on electric vehicles, or EV’s, touching on topics such as the current EV sales targets for Canada and the factors influencing those targets, Ontario’s EV charging infrastructure and the challenges for expansion, solutions being explored in regards to battery range, recommendations for employers & consumers in adapting to the evolving EV landscape, and more.Learn more about Bennett Jones: https://www.bennettjones.com/Learn more about Future Energy Oakville: https://futureenergyoakville.ca/

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 Jones for making this series possible.Today our series host, Wayne Steffler of Future Energy Oakville, is back and is joined by Kareem Mirza, Chief Revenue Officer at Subterra Renewables, a full-service geothermal drilling provider operating North America’s largest fleet. Over 500 projects completed in multi-res, single family and commercial sectors across Canada and the United States.Today’s discussion will cover topics such as what geothermal exchange is, the difference between individual and district energy systems, the difference in demand between Canada and the United States, why Oakville’s geographic location makes it a prime spot for implementing geothermal solutions, notable examples, and key barriers to implementation.Learn more about Subterra Renewables: https://www.subterrarenewables.com/Learn more about Bennett Jones: https://www.bennettjones.com/Learn more about Future Energy Oakville: https://futureenergyoakville.ca/

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 Bennett Jones for making this series possible.Today our series host, Wayne Steffler of Future Energy Oakville, is back and is joined by Andrew McLean, Global Solar Technical Lead at Hatch, a global network of 10,000 professionals who are experts in both engineering and business, working in partnership with their clients to develop market strategies, manage and optimize production, develop new game-changing technologies, and design and deliver complex capital projects.Today’s discussion will cover topics such as recent solar energy developments, geographic and climactic factors to consider when installing solar panels, what net metering is and how it works here in Oakville, how solar panels effect property value, and the business case for homeowners and businesses.Learn more about Hatch: https://www.hatch.com/Learn more about Bennett Jones: https://www.bennettjones.com/Learn more about Future Energy Oakville: https://futureenergyoakville.ca/

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 Bennett Jones for making this series possible.We are excited to announce that this series will be hosted by Wayne Steffler, Interim Executive Director of Future Energy Oakville, an independent not-for-profit organization that is driving energy transformation in our community and forging a path for other municipalities to follow.Today we are joined by Bryan Flannigan, Executive Director of the Building Decarbonization Alliance, a non-partisan cross-sector coalition working to inspire and inform industry and government leaders, giving them the tools they need to accelerate the electrification of Canada’s buildings.Today’s discussion will cover topics such as the purpose of net-zero goals, the fundamentals and challenges of building and retrofitting net-zero and low carbon buildings, case studies, resources, and more.Learn more about Bennett Jones: https://www.bennettjones.com/Learn more about Future Energy Oakville: https://futureenergyoakville.ca/Learn more about Building Decarbonization Alliance: https://buildingdecarbonization.ca/about-us/

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 what strategic communications is, why it’s crucial for the success of small businesses, key elements of a successful communications strategy, and how to make your message stand out.Thank you to our partner, Scotiabank, for making this Small Business Week episode possible.Learn more about Jim Gray: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimgrayspeaks/Learn more about Scotiabank: https://www.scotiabank.com/ca/en/personal.html

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 Medicus Pension Plan. Medicus gives incorporated physicians a unique opportunity to access all the benefits of a multi-employer pension plan — including predictable lifetime retirement income and financial protection for their families — along with an expert focus on the unique needs of Canada’s physicians.Tune in to this special edition podcast to learn more about the Medicus Pension Plan, the doors it opens from a portfolio construction and investment management perspective, and how it fits into the overall financial planning picture for Canadian physicians.Learn more about Medicus: https://www.medicuspensionplan.com/en/home.html?cid=ps_Medicus-AO-Physician-EN&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhL6pBhDjARIsAGx8D5_P5NzIDvGcvNVfQrJk036hwtfVAeO7ycQ-y6sILpPZGK18_ug3plgaApQrEALw_wcBLearn more about Scotiabank: https://www.scotiabank.com/ca/en/personal.htmlLearn more about MD Financial Management: https://mdm.ca/md-financial-management?gclid=Cj0KCQjwhL6pBhDjARIsAGx8D5_L5PO3CgT190HjlRObhXS_Xi4zDmni3EUOFrVPDVZejB14_MlXgTQaAkjwEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

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 initiate your software updates, and then let’s get into it.Learn more about Joe Apps Technology Support: https://www.joeapps.ca/

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 social media advertising is really worth it.Learn more about Bloomtools: https://www.bloomtoolsmississauga.ca/

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 artists, co-op programs, and event sponsorships, and how coworking is paving the way forward with reduced carbon emissions, a strong digital presence, and even virtual Canadian citizenship ceremonies.

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 chance you know today’s guest, Brent Stevens of Global Citizen Uniform and Promotional Products. Brent is here to walk us through every step of the networking process, from finding a networking event to attend, how to initiate & participate in effective conversations, how to build an established network, and some tips & tricks to keep in your back pocket.So grab your business cards, and lets get into it.

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 actually works. Bonnie Flemington, Certified Nutritionist, is here today with some easy tips & tricks to work into your routines, and a simplified approach to the world of nutrition.This episode is quite literally packed with nutrients.

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 and resources that are available to businesswomen across all industries and career stages, how Scotiabank is building an empowering and impactful community, and how you can get started.Learn more about The Scotiabank Women Initiative®:https://www.scotiabank.com/women-initiative/ca/en.htmlLearn more about the Oakville Chamber of Commerce:https://oakvillechamber.com

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 disabilities.Listen in to hear Donald debunk some myths about hiring people with disabilities, tips for employers at every stage of the process, and why you should get started!LEARN MORE:Oakville Chamber of Commerce: www.oakvillechamber.comDiscover Ability Network: www.discoverability.network