Description

With the recent developments regarding COVID-19, most entrepreneurs have been faced with unprecedented challenges. Join Invest Ottawa advisors and serial entrepreneurs as they share their experiences operating a business during times of crisis. This discussion will explore topics related to small business during the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a question and answer period.

Moderated by Invest Ottawa’s VP of Venture Development, Nick Quain, some topics that we will cover include:

• Survival strategies to keep your business afloat
• Shifting or pivoting your business
• New business opportunities

About the Speakers:

Karla Briones

Karla Briones is a Mexican-Canadian serial entrepreneur with retail, food and beverage, and e-commerce businesses.

In her newest venture, ​Karla Briones Consulting​, she uses her 10-year business experience to coach new immigrants become successful entrepreneurs in their adopted country. She is in the process of creating a digital platform, ​New Canadian Entrepreneur​, that will house Canadian business environment education, resources and mentorship targeted to newcomers in the pre-arrival, settlement and integration stages. She hosts ​Immpreneur Canada​, a podcast that interviews successful businesspeople that talk about their journeys from immigrants to entrepreneurs.

She is the recipient of 2018 City of Ottawa Immigrant Entrepreneur Award, given to an immigrant who has made an impact in local economy and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Mark Sutcliffe

Mark has been a leading figure in Ottawa’s business community for more than 25 years. A serial entrepreneur, he has been involved in several successful business launches. He co-founded the Ottawa Business Journal in 1995 and remains the co-owner and CEO of its parent company Great River Media. Mark is a partner in Sutcliffe+Whalen, a strategic business consulting firm that helps small and medium enterprises achieve their growth objectives. He is also a shareholder in Sportstats, a global sports timing company. Mark has been an outspoken advocate and activist for economic development in Ottawa and Canada. For more than a decade, he wrote a weekly column about local business for the Ottawa Citizen. He was the chair of the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce and served on the board of Invest Ottawa and Algonquin College. Mark has created many of Ottawa’s major business events, including Ottawa’s Forty Under 40 awards and the BOBs, the annual Best Ottawa Business Awards. Mark is also a frequent MC, moderator and panellist at business events and economic development functions.

Bill McMillan

Bill has worked in the service and trade industries for over 25 years. From customer facing, to shared services and executive management he has experience in all roles within an organization. Ottawa has always been his home base but has worked across Canada. Bill’s experience in business development has driven organic growth by expanding current and new services to existing customers and new geographic markets. Operationally he has lead change management projects improving efficiency in business workflows and processes. In his current consulting role Bill is working with product and service based businesses to strengthen and grow their businesses.

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