Please welcome Karen Garcha, Susan Langdon and Mégane Visette as Directors of OWIT-Toronto, on the Board of Directors for 2024.

With new Officers of OWIT-Toronto:

•       Karen Garcha as Vice President, Membership
•       Susan Langdon as Co-Vice President, Events
•        Lilian Marins as Co-Vice President, Events
•        Mégane Visette as Vice President, Partnerships

Interim Board Appointments:

Karen Garcha, Board Member & Vice President, Membership

Karen is an international trade professional with 20 years of experience in business development within the financial services industry. Karen is currently a Senior Commercial Account Manager at Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) where she enables entrepreneurs across a broad range of industries to grow their businesses through financing and advisory support.

 Previously, Karen was a Commercial Account Manager in the Mid-Market Segment team at Export Development Canada (EDC), where she managed a diverse portfolio of clients to become more internationally competitive by providing market intel, risk mitigation and trade finance solutions.

 She holds Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Bachelor of Commerce (B. Com) degrees and is a certified Commercial Banking Credit Analyst through the Corporate Finance Institute (CFI).

Susan Keiko Langdon, Board Member & Co-Vice President Events

 Susan Keiko Langdon, a Toronto-born, third-generation Canadian, was recently honored as a Member of the Order of Canada for her significant contributions to Canada's culture and economy. In 1994, Langdon shattered barriers by becoming the first racialized woman to assume a leadership role in the Canadian fashion industry when she joined the award-winning non-profit organization, Toronto Fashion Incubator (TFI).

Langdon's journey is one of inspiration, marked by her unwavering dedication and mentorship. Her outstanding achievements have earned her numerous accolades, and she is renowned globally as a foremost authority on fashion incubation and entrepreneurship. Her career has been incredibly fulfilling, spanning roles as both a fashion designer with her own label and a part-time professor at local universities. Her impact as a leader, mentor, and volunteer has left an indelible mark on Canada's cultural landscape, making her a true role model for aspiring entrepreneurs and change-makers alike.

Mégane Visette, Board Member & VP Partnerships

Mégane is a bilingual public affairs professional specializing in government relations, fundraising, and international advocacy for inclusive socio-economic development. She’s currently Government Relations Manager at Futurpreneur, a national non-profit supporting diverse young entrepreneurs launch successful businesses, and the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Alliance Sherpa for Canada. As Sherpa, she’s responsible for Futurpreneur’s G20-related mandate, including the recruitment, representation, and consultations of the annual G20 YEA Canadian delegations. Her focus has been on creating inclusive opportunities and dialogue on the global stage for/by diverse young entrepreneurs. She’s passionate about establishing partnerships for social and sustainable impact and advocating for intersectional equality and the defense of human rights throughout the global value chains. She has also worked for the Council of Ministers of Education, the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea, HanVoice Support Association, and the NATO Association of Canada.

As VP of Partnership, Mégane hopes to leverage her non-profit experience and entrepreneurial network to create meaningful partnerships aligned with OWIT-Toronto’s mission & member needs. Export readiness, ESG monitoring, and trade literacy for early-stage/small businesses are also themes she’s eager to prioritize as a new board member.

New Officers

Lilian Marins, Co-Vice President Event

Lilian brings over 15 years of experience in the private and public sectors in Brazil and Canada, with four years of leading projects as an Executive Leader with the American Chamber of Commerce in Brazil. She is passionate about fostering collaboration within diverse teams and is an active mentor to entrepreneurs and SMEs.

She has a Masters in Business Management from FGV – Fundacao Getulio Vargas in Brazil and a Degree in Project Management and International Relations. Lilian speaks many languages, including Portuguese and is an Executive Master Coach.

It’s been a busy year for OWIT-Toronto board members who participated as speakers and guests at a number of trade events organized by our partners and raised our profile.  These included:

CAN-CHAM Monterrey (Mexico) Annual Women’s Forum in March:  Women in Today’s World:  Powerful Journeys featured a stellar panel of accomplished businesswomen from Canada and Mexico who shared their secrets to success and how they navigated the bumps along the way. As a result of a Collaboration Agreement signed with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce—Monterrey, Mexico—in March 2023, OWIT-Toronto was directly involved in selecting topics and recruiting two Canadian speakers for the forum. The messages delivered by Canadian entrepreneur Sahiza Hossenbaccus and  by Clare Barnett,  Director of Economic Development for the City of Brampton and OWIT-Toronto Board Member,  motivated and kept the Mexican and Canadian audiences engaged.  We will continue this successful collaboration in the coming Women Forums.

Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub’s March International Women’s Day event: Attended by some OWIT members, who participated in a roundtable on exporting and heard inspiring remarks from guest speaker Minister of  Small Business Rechie Valdez.

Casa Foundation for International Development Annual Women Inspire Forum in March:  In honour of this year’s International Women’s Day, Casa hosted this 5th edition of the forum as a celebration of women in business and leadership. OWIT Board Member Clare Barnett was invited to speak on a panel discussion - Presenting Case Studies of Women Entrepreneurs in Canada - Stories of Rising Entrepreneurs.

Supporting Women in International Trade event in April:  Presented by the Delegation of the European Union in Canada and hosted by Dentons,  this roundtable discussed trade promotion policies and instruments and shared best practices that support women’s participation in international trade under the CETA free trade agreement between Canada and the EU.  OWIT VP International Susan Baka participated in a moderated panel Q & A on inclusive trade in action.

Belgian-Canadian Business Chamber’s Awards Gala in April.  Several OWIT-Toronto members, including Justine Namara, Sue Rauth and KC Goundiam, attended this high-energy annual gala as part of our partnership with BCBC.

GroYourBiz EXCELerate2024 conference in Vancouver also in April.  OWIT-Toronto President Audrey Ross  joined fellow OWIT-International members for  a panel on Going Global: The Road to Globalization.  

City of Toronto May Women’s Entrepreneurship Forum 2024: Women Shaping Global Business. Anita Agrawal, a Past President of OWIT-Toronto and owner of Best Bargains Jewellery, participated in a panel on Growing Your Business Globally.  She shared why she joined OWIT, not only because she is an exporter, but membership has also allowed her to gain trade knowledge, be introduced to experts to help transfer knowledge, and to find a ‘hype women’ who lifts her up and connects her with valuable contacts.

What a view! 

Thank you to our attendees for joining us on Wednesday, June 12 to network, connect and converse.  We enjoyed the summer weather and Toronto skyline view at stylish Lavelle. 

OWIT Toronto President Audrey Ross and Board Members Myra Sable, Jessica Horwitz, Susan Baka and Cathy Williamson were on hand to welcome guests and share our passion for being part of OWIT. 

As new guests arrived they were greeted by an O

WIT Board member and quickly folded into introductions and conversations.   With the invitation for Members to bring a friend we welcomed many new faces. 

With attendees representing private business traders, federal and municipal governments, chambers of commerce and some well known names in accounting and law it was a dynamic group.  As per usual in Toronto, conversations were multi-lingual with a good portion of the group joining in discussion in Spanish. 

Guests enjoyed the poolside views, nibbles including signature wagyu sliders, sushi, karaage chicken and Hawaiian inspired veggie nachos. The theme was hydration in the humid Toronto heat so water first, followed by guests favourites or Lavelle signatures.  The Pomegranate & Apricot sangria and Passion Fruit Mimosa's seemed most popular.  Your OWIT President enjoyed a server recommended non-alcoholic mix of pineapple, cranberry & soda water to stay cool.  

Special Thanks to:

Glen, Kaye, Roman & Cody of Lavelle for being wonderful and attentive hosts. 

Our Board, volunteers and members for their continued support. 

Photo Credits: Audrey Ross, Maria Marchyshyn

3rd CUSMA SME Dialogue hosted by Global Affairs Canada in Montreal in May.  The event brought together SMEs and stakeholders from Canada, the US, and Mexico to delve into regional trade dynamics under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). Themes like SMEs in value chains, inclusive trade, customs procedures, and more sparked dynamic discussions, fostering a full exchange of ideas among participants. Some key take-aways:
- Nearshoring: This represents a competitive advantage for SMEs.
- Shift Towards Services Exports: Notably, the trend towards service exports is gaining momentum, reshaping global trade landscapes.
- Empowering Underrepresented Group: There's a critical need to reimagine support structures for underrepresented groups, including women, youth, Indigenous communities, and minorities, to facilitate their participation in global trade.
- Awareness Gap on Available Resources: Many SMEs remain unaware of the abundance of resources at their disposal, such as the valuable support provided by organizations like our Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT)), which I represented at the Dialogue.
- Demand for Simplified Access to Resources: SMEs consistently express a desire for a centralized platform to access trade resources seamlessly, recognizing the complexities of navigating the market.

OWIT-Toronto’s VP of International Trade Susan Baka participated in a panel on Inclusive Trade, moderated by Claire Ehmann of the U.S. Small Business Administration.  Kudos to Export Development Canada | Exportation et développement Canada for sponsoring the post-Dialogue reception hosted by OWIT-Ottawa and OWIT-Toronto and to Global Affairs Canada for its support.  A terrific collaborative effort! “OWIT added a great dynamic to the CUSMA Dialogue and it certainly created a better wrap-up to the day to have a reception,” says Joanne Tognarelli  EDC’s VP of Global Business Development, who welcomed reception guests on behalf of EDC.  “It provided an opportunity for some final connections to be made.” 

Applications are now open for Board Member Roles and a variety of Committee roles: 

Board Member vacancies 

• 1 x Membership
• 1 x Events
• 1 x Communications

Apply by completing the nomination form by Wednesday May 22. 

Email completed form and supplemental documents to: info@owit-toronto.ca

________________________

Committee Director / Co-Directors

• Events
• Social Media
• Newsletter
• Partnerships
• Trade Policy
• Volunteer Coordination
• Etc. 

General volunteers for events, social media, newsletter, partnerships, memberships, trade policy etc. 

Apply for Committee Director / Co-Director / General Volunteers by sending an email with your area(s) of interest in subject to info@owit-toronto.ca

*Nominees MUST be members of OWIT Toronto.

OWIT TO BOARD NOMINATION FORM 2024.pdf

OWIT TO BOARD NOMINATION FORM 2024.docx

Job desc-VP Membership 2024.pdf

Job desc-VP Events 2024.pdf

Job desc-VP Communications 2024.pdf

OWIT-Toronto Past President and 2012 OWIT Exporter of the Year, Anita Agrawal, CEO, Best Bargains Jewellery/Jewels 4 Ever has been selected as one of the 2023 top 100 “most powerful women in Canada."

In January 2024, we will be looking for new members to join our board.

This is an exciting opportunity to develop board governance skills for non-profit organizations. New board members will draw on a range of experience, talents and a keen interest in international trade and/or women's economic empowerment. No previous experience needed. 

There are currently three vacancies including VP Events and  VP Membership.

You will develop new skills: board management, organizing and hosting virtual/hybrid events, trade policy development, and communications (website design and newsletters).

Board members will be elected at our AGM on Tuesday, February 20, 2024.

You'll need to be a member of OWIT-Toronto, and can join within ten days of being elected. See our membership page for benefits and rates.

If you are interested in these roles, email Helen Hemmingsen (Past President) for more information.

A listing of current board members and their roles can be viewed at: www.owit-toronto.ca/board_members

On November 17, Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH) and the Ontario government joined Cheryl Graden, of the TMX Group, to open the market and celebrate Women’s Entrepreneurship Day. 

Held annually on November 19, Women’s Entrepreneurship Day is a day on which the work of women entrepreneurs is celebrated. OWIT-Toronto Co-President, Audrey Ross, and Board Members, Jessica Horwitz and Susan Baka, attended. 

The full-house celebration at the Ontario Investment and Trade Centre recognized and celebrated the achievements of women in international trade.

Congratulations to our outstanding award winners and to all nominees for their continued dedicated work in international trade.

Student of International Trade Award – Oluwayomi Dime

Woman Exporter of the Year Award – Patra De Silva

Patra is the President of NHV Natural Pet Products, and exports veterinarian-formulated herbal supplements to 55 countries. The company has achieved export revenues of over ten million Canadian dollars. 

Patra has established B2B partnerships with distributors in key markets such as the USA, Japan, UK, France, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. She is the BC Chapter president of the International Women’s Forum, contributing to women’s leadership globally. NHV Natural Pet Products is based in Vancouver.

Excellence Award for Leadership in International Trade – Dr Wendy Cukier

.

From left to right: Clare Barnett, Brampton Economic Development; Jessica Horwitz, Bennett Jones; Oluwayomi Dime, Centennial College; Patra De Silva, NHV Natural Pet Products; Dr. Wendy Cukier, WEKH; Shay Lowe, WEKH

About OWIT

The Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT) is an international non-profit professional organization, with chapters around the world (www.owit.org), dedicated to advancing global trade opportunities for women. There are two Canadian chapters: Toronto (www.owit-toronto.ca) and Ottawa (www.owit-ottawa.ca).

In support of Small Business Week, OWIT-Toronto hosted a Fall networking events in October 18th in partnership with Entrepreneurs Point for OWIT-Toronto members and non-members. Co-President Audrey Ross and VP Events Aliaa Al Safarjlani organized and attended the event with our hosts at Entrepreneurs Point.