2021 Business Excellence Awards Program by bramptonbot

#BEA2021

BRAMPTONBOT.COM

EVENING AGENDA Prior to 6:00 PM

Curbside Meal Pickup

6:00 PM

Cocktail Reception Session Booths with interactive entertainment Speed Networking Sponsor Expo

6:30 PM

Opening Remarks Michelle McCollum, Board Chair AVP, Capital Development & Facilities Management at Sheridan

Daniel Lewis, Board Director, iAmDaniel

7:00 PM Award Presentations Advanced Manufacturing International Trade and Investment Community Impact (Not-for-Profit) Business Services Chairs Award Life Sciences Innovation Retail Food & Beverage Arts & Culture Logistics Healthy Workplace Community Impact (For Profit) 7:45 PM

Business Person of the Year Presentation Vito Ciciretto, President & CEO of Dynacare Canada

8:00 PM

Closing Remarks

8:10 PM

Post Event Reception Speed Networking Sponsor Expo

BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS | bramptonbot.com

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Proud to support Brampton Board of Trade 2021 Business Excellence Awards. We’re working together with BBOT to help create a future we can all look forward to.

Renzo Ranalli, Vice President, TD Commercial Banking Gio Bazile, District Vice President, TD Canada Trust Emmanuel Koudoumnakis, Vice President and Market Manager, TD Wealth Gajendra Rathore, Area Manager, TD Small Business Banking

® The TD logo andBUSINESS other trade-marks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank. EXCELLENCE AWARDS | bramptonbot.com

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2021-04-14 17:58

BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS | bramptonbot.com

THANK YOU SPONSORS

PRESENTING SPONSOR

PLATINUM SPONSORS

GOLD SPONSORS

BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS | bramptonbot.com

SPECIAL THANKS

EVENT SUPPORTERS Atomic Print Solutions Razor Creative Solutions Inc. Redwood Studio Scotia Events Inc. Shake It Up Events

SELECTION COMMITTEE

Brendon Lalonde, Dynacare Daniel Lewis, iAm Daniel Eleni Koukoulidis, Bramalea City Centre Jennifer Vivian, Brampton Entrepreneur Centre Kate Saldanha, Prouse Dash & Crouch LLP Michelle McCollum, Sheridan

RESTAURANTS

J Red & Co Mandarin Restaurant The Keg Steak House + Bar

BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS | bramptonbot.com

ABOUT BBOT

ABOUT BRAMPTON BOARD OF TRADE Brampton’s Largest Business Association

For over 130 years, the Brampton Board of Trade is where businesses of all shapes, sizes and sectors convene, collaborate and create solutions to boost regional economic prosperity. Brampton business leaders are focused on running their businesses costeffectively and successfully, while handling a myriad of challenges such as technology, competitiveness, job creation and government legislation. The Board of Trade helps members make the right connections and provides solutions to the toughest problems — shaping change and advocating for Brampton. Members of the Board of Trade also have access to countless tools to help grow their business, increase productivity, and control their bottom line. In order for our city to realize its full potential and to capitalize on the tremendous opportunities ahead, businesses and all levels of government need to be aligned. Brampton’s moment is now.

BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS | bramptonbot.com

BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR

2021 BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR Mr. Vito Ciciretto,

President & CEO of Dynacare The 2021 Business Person of the Year will be awarded to Vito Ciciretto, President and CEO at Dynacare Canada. Mr. Ciciretto is a passionate change agent who specializes in building diverse, high-performing leadership teams that focus on results. Since the beginning of his career, he has brought a relentless commitment to customer satisfaction and a drive for continuous improvement to his positions, while serving as a compassionate, decisive and inspiring business leader. Mr. Ciciretto earned a Master of Business Administration degree from York University and a Bachelor of Business Management degree from Ryerson University. He is also a Chartered Professional Accountant and holds Certified Management Accountant and Program Management Professional designations. Previous to his roles at Dynacare, Mr. Ciciretto was the Chief Operating Officer at Algonquin Power Income Trust and held 15 years of management roles of increasing responsibility at Honeywell Aerospace. In 2009, Mr. Ciciretto joined Dynacare as Vice-President, Laboratory Operations and Customer Service and consistently demonstrated his ability to collaborate effectively, drive results and lead with clarity and vision. Forging his own path forward for the company, it is no wonder he was named Vice-President, Operations in 2012 and appointed as CEO in April 2019, ten years after he 8

BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS | bramptonbot.com

BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR

joined the company. Mr. Ciciretto’s many accomplishments since joining Dynacare include the Lab of the Future initiative, the implementation of Lean Six Sigma process improvement methodology, and his continuous collaboration with the business development team to strengthen the overall patient and customer experience. Since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Ciciretto has stepped up to - support not only the City of Brampton, but also communities public health systems and employees all across Canada. While Dynacare laboratory teams worked diligently to validate and implement COVID-19 specimen testing at several lab locations – beginning with their main lab here in Brampton – Dynacare courier teams transported COVID-19 specimens in communities across Canada as customer care and operations teams in Manitoba reported negative results on behalf of public health. Additionally, while the pandemic understandably led many businesses to reduce expenses and postpone projects, Mr. Ciciretto served as an inspiring example of decisive leadership in pushing forward with innovative solutions, key investments and important programs. Mr. Ciciretto also recently announced that Dynacare will bring their innovative #Dynacare4Diabetes screening initiative to the Brampton community this spring to support our city in addressing this important public health issue. Congratulations once again to the Brampton Board of Trade’s 2021 Business Person of the Year, Mr. Vito Ciciretto.

BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS | bramptonbot.com

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BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS | bramptonbot.com BRAMPTON BOARD OF TRADE

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING Almag Aluminum Inc

ALMAG was established in 1953, and over the past 68 years has built a reputation as an award winning, service driven, custom aluminum extruder. Based in Brampton, with additional plants in Ardmore and Florence AL, the ALMAG Group has over 450 employees and serves customers across North America. Starting from a 1,320 square foot building in Etobicoke, ALMAG has been at its current location in Brampton since 1974. They have since grown to encompass four buildings with over 300,000 sq ft of manufacturing space and these facilities support over 200 employees who live with their families in Brampton. ALMAG has been a winner of Canada’s Best Managed Companies since 2014 and continues to maintain its status as a Best Managed Gold Standard company. Almag strives to be the best employer for its employees, the best supplier for its customers, and the best customer for its suppliers. Working together, they have created many “that can’t be done” products which have enabled the company to prosper and grow and they are proud to have supported over 100 customers and suppliers located in Brampton. ALMAG is passionate about its work and involvement in our community, taking part in events such as the Big Bike Ride for Heart and Stroke Foundation, Sick Kids Heatwave Volleyball Charity, Brampton Regeneration Outreach events as well as their continued support of the William Osler Health Foundation.

Dunlis Mechanical Services Ltd.

With over 40 years of experience and over 45 dedicated staff, Dunlis plays a key role in the advanced manufacturing ecosystem in Brampton. With a variety of services including maintenance, repair and replacment of key mechanical infrastructure, Dunlis Mechanical Services ensures that businesses are able to continue working. With a customer base of more than 2,000 and a focus on preventative maintenance to extend the life of customer’s equipment, their experienced technicians are committed to deliver high quality service. Dunlis has been an outstanding supplier to many Brampton businesses who rely on Dunlis for their annual preventative maintenance and service contracts for their rooftop HVAC equipment for both buildings. Moreover, Dunlis has a dedicated team that can support gas-fired bake oven process equipment, exhaust and ventilation system for production facilities (production paintline). At the forefront of their work is their code of ethics including health and safety, integrity, respect for the law, excellence, time, image and reputation, teamwork and respect for others.

BEA 2021 | Advanced Manufacturing

Master Plant-Prod Inc.

In 1945, the Plant-Prod brand was born, and manufacturing of the world’s best fertilizer began. Then called Plant Products Co. Ltd, the company found their home in Brampton in 1963 at 314 Orenda Rd. where manufacturing is still happening today. Starting on a small scale as a family run company, Plant Products produced fertilizer and distributed it with agricultural supplies to Canadian growers, greenhouses, golf courses, and consumers. As the years passed and the hard work continued, PlantProd successfully invaded markets around the globe. The Plant-Prod and Plantex brands took over the American market and export products moved into Africa and the Middle East, Asia, Central and South America, and Europe, becoming the brand of choice for growers around the world. In 2013, Plant Products Co. Ltd was sold and became Master-Plant Prod Inc., focusing solely on the manufacturing and distribution of fertilizer. Since shifting focus, MPPI has continued to grow exponentially. Employing 30 hard-working individuals, MPPI thrives on promoting work-life balance, maintaining long tendered employees. MPPI notably was one of the first companies to donate PPE to Brampton Civic Hospital at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, receiving honorable mentions from Mayor Patrick Brown. MPPI strives to contribute to education on all levels, donating to University research, and partaking in yearly school donations to improve communities in both Canada and the US. As a staple of the Brampton Community for over 50 years, Master Plant-Prod Inc. continues to put Brampton on the map around the world.

Premier Gaskets Inc

Premier Gaskets Inc was started in 2009 by Yamin Ali with just 4 people at the time. Since then, their team has more than doubled and their sales have increased 10fold. Premier Gaskets has established themselves as a leading manufacturer among Brampton’s small business community. They’ve exhibited the utmost excellence, particularly through the COVID-19 pandemic by positioning themselves ahead of the pack by getting an early start at innovating solutions for critical PPE suppliers here in Ontario, eventually supplying, designing and manufacturing components that would go on to produce well over 2.5 million face shields (and counting). They are a small business with world class potential as they’ve worked hard to secure stable supply chains and distribution channels that have enabled them to grow through the pandemic. They serve some the best industry leaders in the areas of construction, fenestration, medical supplies, HVAC, Canada’s budding film industry and more. Their customers are loyal and they are themselves leaders among their peers.

BEA 2021 | Advanced Manufacturing

Zochem ULC

Zochem ULC is a chemical manufacturer that has exemplified both advanced manufacturing and innovation, and has been a formidable part of the Brampton community since 1974 where it has employed 30-40 employees. Zochem is the world’s largest capacity single-site producer of zinc oxide which is used in sunscreens, baby diaper creams, medicinal devices, and multivitamins which support the greater good for the Brampton community and beyond. Zochem’s employees have won numerous safety awards exemplifying its current run of 3400+ days without lost time due to injury, while continuously producing a safe, high quality product. Along with the City of Brampton and BBOT, Zochem is a community champion which is evident in their efforts to encourage new idea generation such as highlighting new ways to roll out carbon pricing plans while providing fair consideration to all stakeholders. Zochem is also a community leader and has long been a supporter of local charities, maintains the best greenspace in the industrial sector for wellness and environmental sustainability, and supports children’s sport programs ranging from lacrosse to soccer in an effort to provide opportunities to those in need.

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INTERNATIONAL TRADE & INVESTMENT Almag Aluminum Inc.

Almag has various suppliers of raw product with aluminum billet coming in from India, Saudi Arabia, Russia, UAE and Qatar. We have invested in Sales Reps across North America and our customers are located in Canada, USA, Mexico, Singapore, and the UK, with many of our extrusions ending up in products that are shipped to many industries all over the world. Almag works closely with their customers and suppliers to continuously push the limit on industry standards. Recently during the Covid-19 pandemic, they had to pivot and centre attention on high priority items to ensure the fastest delivery of medical supplies and equipment. They have a key role in manufacturing aluminum extrusions used as ventilator housings, structural tubing for hospital beds, telescoping profiles for tables that are used to accommodate patients, temporary partitions for field hospitals and profiles used in disability applications. All of these products eventually made their way to locations and hospitals in Brampton as well as all across North America. ALMAG continues to invest in new buildings and presses as well as CNC fabrication machine technology, state of the art ASCONA profile measurement systems and a cutting edge 3D Prototype Machine, with the notion that they will be able to better serve customers as well as being prepared for the growth in our chosen markets. This model has helped to increase the manufacturing capacity and in turn continue to increase the employee base out of our Brampton Campus.

BEA 2021 | International Trade & Investment

GlobeEx Freight Systems

The GlobeEx team is comprised of dedicated logistics professionals, project managers, and operators with countless years of experience, allowing us to offer the most comprehensive multi-modal solutions to our clients. We foster robust relationships built upon the core foundations of bilateral communication, trust, and honesty. Thus, clients are always informed of operations and strategy throughout each leg of their logistics journey. The commitment to building valuable relationships and providing tangible long-term benefits for clients has elevated the company to a trusted, full-service logistics provider with an expansive global reach. They have our agency networks set up agents right across the globe to take care of any and all needs regarding your cargo. The organization stands on the following four pillars: Expertise, Reliability, Transparency and Safety. GlobeEx prioritizes a customer-first approach which has allowed them to expand their footprint to serve all of their client’s needs. The desire to go above and beyond for our customers, combined with the team’s vast experience and progressive culture, had led to the creation of the specialized 24/hr Service Division.

Greater Toronto Airports Authority

Almost 1/4 of Toronto Pearson Airport workers call Brampton home. Furthermore, over 45% of Canada’s air cargo flows through Pearson airport, supporting Brampton’s significant transportation, warehousing and distribution sector which contributes an estimated $2B to the national GDP. Toronto Pearson has recently been named best airport in North America for the fourth year in a row, in addition to being the first Canadian airport to achieve global Airports Council International Health Accreditation in 2020. In addition to supporting trade in high-value goods and services, Pearson Airport helped attract foreign direct investment, linking Brampton to the world, with regular non-stop flights reaching more than two-thirds of the global economy. Pearson is also a hub for immigration, helping grow the national talent pool and build more diverse, economically vibrant communities. This has contributed to Brampton’s rank as first overall for connectivity by the 2019-2020 American Cities of the Future report by fDi, a division of the Financial Times). The onset of the pandemic brought many challenges and Toronto Pearson has sought to minimize that impact on its community of employees, neighbours and friends, and remains committed to protecting the health and welfare of airport employees, domestic and international passengers and its neighbours.

BEA 2021 | International Trade & Investment

Master Plant-Prod Inc.

In 1945, the Plant-Prod brand was born, and manufacturing of the world’s best fertilizer began. Then called Plant Products Co. Ltd, the company found their home in Brampton in 1963 at 314 Orenda Rd. where manufacturing is still happening today. Starting on a small scale as a family run company, Plant Products produced fertilizer and distributed it with agricultural supplies to Canadian growers, greenhouses, golf courses, and consumers. As the years passed and the hard work continued, Plant-Prod successfully expanded to markets around the globe. The Plant-Prod and Plantex brands took over the American market and export products moved into Africa and the Middle East, Asia, Central and South America, and Europe, becoming the brand of choice for growers around the world. In 2013, Plant Products Co. Ltd was sold and became Master-Plant Prod Inc., focusing solely on the manufacturing and distribution of fertilizer. Since shifting focus, MPPI has continued to grow exponentially. Employing 30 hard-working individuals, MPPI thrives on promoting work life balance, maintaining long tendered employees. MPPI notably was one of the first companies to donate PPE to Brampton Civic Hospital at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic with honorable mentions from Mayor Patrick Brown. MPPI strives to contribute to education on all levels, donating to University research, and partaking in yearly school donations to improve communities in both Canada and the U.S. As a staple of the Brampton Community for over 50 years, Master PlantProd Inc. continues to put Brampton on the map around the world.

BEA 2021 | International Trade & Investment

COMMUNITY IMPACT (NOT FOR PROFIT) Achēv

Achēv was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in September 1996 with its two key delivery sites located in Brampton. Achēv connects people to opportunities that help them achieve their full potential and provides the resources and guidance needed to achieve their goals. Through high-quality programs and personalized services, Achēv supports career development, language education and newcomer settlement success in Brampton. Formerly the Centre for Education & Training (TCET), Achēv is a 25-year old community-based organization that delivers employment, youth, newcomer and language services. Achēv is committed to making a positive difference in the diverse communities of Brampton and works collaboratively with Brampton’s employer and community partners to ensure they have the tools and capacity to support others. Achēv is governed by a voluntary Board working in accordance with established laws for not-for-profits. Achēv currently employs over 400 individuals and serves over 50000 individuals (in Brampton) annually with in-person services at 9 locations in the GTA, and virtual/ online services across Ontario, Canada, and internationally.

BEA 2021 | NOMINEES

Af ro Caribbean Business Network Foundation (ACBN)

Based in Brampton, the non-profit Afro Caribbean Business Network Foundation (ACBN) supports entrepreneurs of African and Caribbean heritage by providing networking opportunities, workshops and resources. They help build sustainable and successful businesses while unifying and educating local entrepreneurs as they grow. ACBN was co-founded in 2018 by serial entrepreneur Ryan Knight and in the last 3 years, it has supported over 3000 entrepreneurs. The organization’s focus isn’t just to help businesses scale, it also empowers entrepreneurs to start legacy-building. Their contributions have been recognized to reach and aid a large scale of entrepreneurs in Brampton and across the GTA. Amidst the pandemic, they announced the ACBN MicroLoan Fund. This innovative fund was developed in partnership with SETSI, Dream Legacy Foundation, Empowered 4x, Alterna Savings Credit Union and more. It is designed to help Black entrepreneurs access low-interest loans. This year, Sheridan College partnered with ACBN on a collaborative research project to identify the needs of Black entrepreneurs and develop meaningful resources to help build their business capacity. The two-year collaborative research project will target development and best practices for business owners. During Black History Month 2021, and in celebration of Black founders, ACBN hosted a virtual Legacy Symposium. The two-day event which included a job fair and marketplace, was hosted by ACBN, supported by EDGE, and aimed at ‘Building Wealth in the Black Community’. This year, ACBN received a $22,000 capacity building grant from the Region of Peel. The organization is also developing a social enterprise, ACBN Creative Works Agency, with support of $21,000 from the Investment Readiness Program.

BEA 2021 | Community Impact (Not for Prof it)

Carabram, Brampton’s Multicultural Festival

In 1982, Carabram was started as a way to celebrate the diverse ethnic communities of Brampton and would soon become the city’s biggest celebration of multiculturalism and diversity. Carabram started with just four pavilions — Italy, Ukraine, Scotland and the West Indies. Each pavilion represented their cultures through song, dance, costumes, displays, food and drink. In subsequent years, the festival grew to include more community groups representing a wider range of ethnicities across the city. Year after year, these community groups come together to help Carabram achieve its goal of stronger cross-cultural relations, greater appreciation for diversity and to help showcase the heart and breath of different cultures in their true, organic form. Today, more than three decades later, Carabram is still dedicated to the preservation, development and promotion of cultural heritage that began in 1982. The money raised by the pavilions over the last 38 years goes back into the community to support cultural and heritage programs such as the development of dance troupes. The Carabram family consists of 11 elected directors, one chairperson representing each Pavilion and more than 300 volunteers that help make the festival the wonderful success it is each year.

BEA 2021 | Community Impact (Not for Prof it)

ICON Talent Partners

ICON is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating, training, mentoring and exposing top diverse talent to high impact sectors where they are often underrepresented. ICON helps train and place talent in areas such as venture capital, investment banking, asset management, corporate law, private equity and technology start-ups. ICON’s target demographic are students and young professionals who identify as visible minorities with an emphasis on Black, Hispanic and Indigenous talent. By helping these youth develop the necessary skills and knowledge required to succeed, and through assisting with internship and fulltime job placements in leading Canadian organisations, there has been a direct impact on young BIPOC youth in Brampton by showing that they too can work in these industries. ICON exists to bridge the gap between high potential candidates looking for opportunities and innovative organizations working to achieve their diversity goals by identifying, training and placing exceptional talent in leading firms – thereby strengthening their pipeline for future leaders. Current corporate sponsors include Georgian (venture capital firm), KPMG Canada, Manulife, RBC and Fasken. Academic institution partners include the Smith School of Business at Queens University, the Schulich School of Business at York University, the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, the Ivey Business School at Western University, and the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University.

BEA 2021 | Community Impact (Not for Prof it)

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Regeneration Outreach Community

Regeneration Outreach Community was started 21 years ago as a ‘living room for those without a living room’. The last 21 years have been full of growth and impact in the community. They are a registered charity that serves those who are homeless, those at risk of homelessness and those living in extreme poverty. They serve breakfast seven days a week and lunches Monday to Friday. They provide support with system navigation as well as making connections with local agencies that help those living in poverty and also teach social integration skills through programming. The pandemic had a large impact on the way that they served the community and they consequently had to pivot in order to continue their support to those impacted by Covid-19. They worked with the Region of Peel to hire nursing professionals to assist in the isolation and recovery sites for homeless individuals with COVID. They also started an external drop-in for people who had no place to go and started an emergency food bank on March 18th, 2020 to help serve families who needed help with food security. This emergency food bank has tranistioned to the Regen Marketplace where they regularly serve over 280 families every week who are in need of groceries. They also are involved in food procurement, where food donations from food manufacturers and grocery stores assist them in providing meals to people in need as well as the distribution of over 30,000 pounds of food that is shared with other local charities.

Roots Community Services

Roots Community Services Inc. is a charitable organization based in Brampton that has been providing programs and services for more than 30 years to individuals from age 6 to seniors well into their 90s. The organization started operating in 1985, was incorporated in 1998 and received its charitable status in 2000. With a staff complement of 20 and nine Board Directors, RootsCS gives hope and brings joy to over 1,000 individuals, primarily from the Black, African and Caribbean (BAC) communities. Through caring and compassionate counselling and support, the organization assists clients by providing pathways for them to achieve their full potential and assist them in finding solutions to improve their health, well-being and quality of life. Individuals and families are equipped with tools and techniques to help them make informed choices that will positively impact their lives and their communities. Over the years, the organization has been commended for its leadership in advocating for Black communities and for collaborating with partnering agencies to improve the standards of living for residents in the city of Brampton.

BEA 2021 | Community Impact (Not for Prof it)

Sikh Heritage Month Foundation

In 2013, history was made when the month of April was proclaimed Sikh Heritage Month by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario (Bill 52). The first of its kind in the world, Sikh Heritage Month brings communities together every year for a celebration of arts, culture and heritage. First launched as a month-long festival in 2015, the event welcomed over 500 visitors who came to explore, connect, learn and celebrate culture. Having parnered with PAMA, this dynamic group of passionate volunteers set out to better their community by sharing their culture through the lens of arts and heritage. Featuring the work of local and international artists, Sikh Heritage Month has collaborated with more than 20 community partners. Since its inception, they have grown in leaps and bounds and now partner with PAMA, the City of Brampton and The Rose Theatre to offer extraordinary arts and cultural experiences that showcase the dynamic Sikh heritage within the community and beyond. In 2018, they hosted over 10,000 visitors throughout the month, making it their most successful year to date. Seeing the potential outside of Brampton, the organization has grown this initiative and taken it across Canada launching initiatives in Hamilton, Ottawa, Manitoba and British Columbia.

RETHINK THE FUTURE OF YOUR BUSINESS. Every community needs an ally And Alectra is honoured to be considered one. Partnering with many not-for-profit health and social agencies within our communities, we support their tireless efforts through funding, volunteerism, and community outreach initiatives. Together, we foster good health, equity, diversity, and inclusion wherever we can. Learn more at Alectra.com/AlectraCARES

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BEA 2021 | NOMINEES

BUSINESS SERVICES 12 Gates Property Services

Operating as a social enterprise, 12 Gates Property Services is a company that is creating solutions around homelessness by providing cost-effective property services to their customers. They are also making an impact by hiring individuals with construction trade skills who may have been margialized in the workplace or community due to racism, ageism, sexism, and those with a criminal background trying to reenter the workplace. 12 Gates Property Services also helps landlords and property owners save on costs in managing their properties, while providing jobs for local independent contractors and focusing on equity and inclusion of individuals in the workplace. Since 2016, 12 Gates Property Services has hired over 25 local, independant contractors and has provided property improvements and maintenance to over 100 private, residential co-op housing and commercial properties in Brampton and throughout the GTA. The team at Empowered 4x has been working with the organization through the Business Accelerator program to help with a digital transformation. It has been amazing to the see the commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of the contractors and the professionals they are serving. The 12 Gates team delivers high-quality work with great compensation to support the economic growth within the community.

BEA 2021 | Business Services

Business in Order

Carolina Gutierrez is the owner and operator of an online business management services consultancy based in Brampton called Biz in Order. For over 5 years, Carolina’s focus was helping brick and mortar businesses streamline, consolidate and manage their business processes for success. However, at the beginning of the pandemic, her otherwise successful consultancy took a downturn, as her own clients struggled to understand how to operate in this new business climate. As a result, Carolina decided to take the time to reinvest in her business, focus her company on its core skills and rebrand as “Business in Order” – a consultancy focused on helping organizations embark upon their journey towards digital transformation and effective management of their online business assets. As Carolina got her business back on track, she decided to share her insights and experience with other Brampton-based business owners through a free webinar series on digital transformation tips and strategies for small business. She’s also managed to develop a webinar for the City of Brampton on entrepreneurship where she shared successful strategies, as well as highlighting pitfalls, so other business owners in Brampton could benefit from her resourcefulness and experience.

We’re proud to announce that Dynacare Chief Executive Officer Vito Ciciretto has been named as the Brampton Board of Trade’s 2021 Business Person of the Year.

Vito Ciciretto President & CEO

We’re even prouder to be a part of Brampton, and the organizers of the |upcoming BEA 2021 NOMINEES #Dynacare4Diabetes campaign.

Dynacare.ca 25 115 Midair Court, Brampton, ON L6T 5M4

Events by Dionne

Founded in 2016, Events by Dionne is focused on providing talent development for BIPOC event professionals. The agency offers professional event services to corporations who want to engage BIPOC audiences while expanding their market share and brand awareness. As a result of the pandemic, the company now provides virtual, hybrid and in-person production and targets corporations to help their business growth using face-to-face marketing and event engagement tactics. Events by Dionne celebrates diversity within the marketing and events industry by working with partners who reflect an array of diverse backgrounds. Their belief that diversity is an asset is the foundation of their ability to authentically connect clients with diverse audiences. Events by Dionne intentionally seeks to hire men and women who may not currently be on the “short list” of preferred vendors and commits to hiring at least 60% of all suppliers and partners from BIPOC communities. In an industry where diverse voices are not often heard, Events by Dionne speaks loud and clear and is part of the Empowered 4X business accelerator. Events by Dionne serves clients from Etobicoke, Mississagua, Toronto, Brampton, the United States and helped Connecture Canada produce the Top 100 Black Women Awards gala, honouring successful black woman across Canada. Recent achievements include being recertified as a certified special events professional, while the company’s Brampton location manager recently won the Hospitality and Event Management Leadership Award presented by Humber College.

BEA 2021 | Business Services

Lexington Sanitating and Disinfecting

Gurpreet Pabla is a young entrepreneur who started his career with a marketing background and founded two successful and growing companies by the age of 25, one being Liquidators of Canada in January 2015, the second being LOC Marketing Firm in January 2016. Gurpreet also started his own non-for-profit initiative in the name of his late father who passed away from cancer, a foundation that has been contributing to Brampton’s community for six years by collecting toys and proceeds to donate to the pediatric wards of Brampton hospitals. Over the years, it has donated to local food banks, homeless shelters and animal shelters. When Gurpreet continued to see COVID-19 cases increase and his wife was affected by the virus, he knew it was time to take action. As such, he put his previous experiences to use in order to bring Lexington Sanitating and Disinfecting and the Lexi-Clean program to life. Lexington provides our community with a safe solution and a trusted way to navigate through the Covid pandemic. Lexington provides more than a service - it provides a sense of security and is impactful socially, culturally and environmentally.

Modo Yoga Brampton

Modo Yoga Brampton (formerly Moksha) has been a part of the Brampton community since 2010. Over the years, they have watched as women and men (young and senior), young adults, athletes, and people with medical issues (who have been turned away elsewhere) join them for accessible and welcoming yoga classes. They have watched people grow, find themselves, heal and gain clarity over and over again. Modo Yoga offers one Karma class a week which means the class is offered at an accessible and affordable rate and 100% of the funds goes directly to a local charity. This has been huge benefit for the community. They have also offered healing classes specifically to women of the Elizabeth Fry shelter and have always taken part in community and local events. Furthermore, they have a youth program that allows for young adults to help out in their studio and in return, get free access to all of their yoga classes, learn about business or simply have access to social programs.

BEA 2021 | Business Services

BRAMPTON BOARD OF TRADE

Where business owners and local leaders connect Open Door Discussions, a new engagement initiative, gives you a place to explore opportunities, solve problems and share insights with fellow business owners and professionals. Find out how others are managing the impact of COVID-19, forming strategic partnerships, and collaborating to achieve more. With free virtual sessions open to members and future members, the Brampton Board of Trade invites you to join the discussion or learn more by visiting bramptonbot.com/open-door-discussions.

BEA 2021 | NOMINEES

Razor Creative

Some design firms aspire to a New York or London address. But people with innovative, creative ideas and the skills to execute them can be found all over the world. Including Brampton, the home of Razor Creative Solutions. Founded in 2001, this multi-faceted design and marketing communications firm boasts an enviable list of local and multinational clients and a team of talented designers, social media specialists and creative strategists delivering on the promise of Design with an Edge. Their collaborative approach generates fresh, compelling designs and product stories, leveraging the latest media trends and technologies to generate bottomline results. Razor’s work figures prominently in brand-building communications for local organizations – such as the Downtown Brampton BIA, the City of Brampton and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peel – and has found favor with some of the biggest names inconsumer marketing, including McDonald’s, Kia, Samsung and Intel.

Salon Safari & Spa

Salon Safari & Spa started business in September of 1987 (Hair Safari) at Hwy #10 & Wexford Rd. To start, it was a small salon (850 sq. /ft) with 3 employees and for 18 years, they slowly built the business up. In September 2005, a bigger space became available which allowed them to grow to 1545 sq/ft, and which now employs 10 people. The salon is now situated in the Food Basics plaza at the corner of Hwy #10 & Wanless Rd. Now entering their 34th year in business in Brampton, they are proud of all the positive reviews they received from the community and also grateful they won the Top 3 Best Rated Hair Salon Business in Brampton award twice, as well as being the winner of the Toronto Hair and Beauty awards in 2018 for being The Best Hair Salon in Peel. Salon Safari & Spa has supported Co-op programs for students wishing to enter this industry and subsequently hired some of them to their team. They are very happy to service all of their existing clients that they have served for many years and look forward to continue as they add new clients to their salon.

BEA 2021 | Business Services

Save Max Real Estate Inc

Save Max Real Estate Inc was established in 2010, and in a short time period has built itself into a brand that represents a high level of quality and promotes a culture of excellence. Save Max doesn’t help people just buy and sell homes, but believes in establishing lifelong relationships and giving back to that community that has contributed towards its success. Currently, the company has over 400 employees, has performed over 9000 transactions and their recorded sales volume has been $4.8 Billion. Save Max Real Estate works towards making business efficient to realtors and the CEO Raman Dua (also a realtor) has both identified challenges and developed innovative solutions for his real estate agents such as a smart CRM that lets their agents focus on what they love the most – SELLING. Save Max Real Estate also provides dedicated departments and offices that agents can work from and build on their core strengths. In 2020, they celebrated 10 years in the business of excelling and going beyond to serve their clientele. As a result of the pandemic, Save Max has tried to serve the community in any way they could, from raising money for frontline workers to acquiring the naming rights for the Brampton Soccer Centre — now called the Save Max Sports Centre. R

Real Estate Inc. Brokerage

BEA 2021 | Business Services

LIFE SCIENCES O-Two Medical Technologies Inc.

Since 1971, O-Two Medical Technologies has produced state-of-the-art products for the provision of emergency respiratory care and inhalation analgesia, exporting to over 60 countries and possessing more than 40 patents worldwide. The innovative thinking, leading-edge engineering concepts and high-quality manufacturing capabilities combine to make O-Two a valuable partner for healthcare professionals and the patients. The complete range of transport ventilators, analgesic gas delivery systems and emergency respiratory care products are divided into seven categories that cover the patient’s needs from both outside and within the hospital environment. The range of ventilators, innovative Analgesic Gas Delivery Systems, award-winning Emergency CPAP, manual resuscitators, and the robust demand valves and pressure regulators are world-renowned for their exceptional quality and performance. The precision of products combine with engineering and production expertise, has led O-Two to a respected position in the international healthcare industry. Moreover, O-Two Medical has partnered with the Province of Ontario to manufacture 10,000 ventilators to equip doctors fighting the COVID-19 crisis. With the support of Canada’s largest automotive suppliers, they will make sure that this important life-saving equipment gets into the hands of the healthcare professionals who need it now. The entire team at O-Two is dedicated to fulfilling this historic undertaking around the clock.

BEA 2021 | Life Sciences

The Stevens Company Limited

The Stevens Company Limited is Canada’s largest and oldest privately-owned distributor of medical supplies and equipment, having been in business for 190 years, with an exclusively Canadian focus for over 140 years. Working with over 500 vendor partners around the world, and with over 50,000 SKU’s, Stevens distributes to hospitals, physicians, Long-Term Care Facilities, and various government agencies, supporting front-line healthcare workers to improve Canadian healthcare. Ensuring the timely, uninterrupted flow of critical healthcare supplies and the introduction of innovative technologies has never been more important than in the last year. With the COVID-19 global pandemic affecting everyone, and with the unprecedented demand for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for frontline healthcare workers, The Stevens Company has risen to the challenge. By working with many vendor partners in Canada and around the world to secure masks, gloves and various other PPE, the company was successful in bringing inventory to the Brampton distribution centre. This required considerable effort and logistics, with all staff working long days and weekends to make sure they secured, received and delivered the needed products while keeping the facilities safe and sustainable. Moreover, the company has entered into agreements with Ontario, federal and other government agencies to coordinate the shipment of PPE from the Brampton facility to healthcare facilities across Ontario. This includes working with the freight partners to coordinate deliveries across the province and the country. Beyond the company’s support to the healthcare sector, Stevens has worked with local restaurants to provide 100 meals per day over two weeks to local food banks (1,000 meals in total).

BEA 2021 | Life Sciences

William Osler Health System

William Osler Health System is an accredited hospital system comprised of Brampton Civic Hospital, Etobicoke General Hospital and Peel Memorial Centre for Integrated Health and Wellness. Together, we provide patient-inspired care to 1.3 million people in Brampton, Etobicoke and surrounding communities, serving one of the fastest-growing and most culturally diverse regions in Ontario. Guided by its 2019-24 Strategic Plan, Going Beyond for Healthier Communities, they’re shifting traditional thinking and re-imagining care to help people live healthier lives, reduce chronic disease and more easily access the services they need. They are committed to providing safe, equitable, high-quality care in an environment that inspires staff, physicians and volunteers to learn, innovate and grow. Serving one of Canada’s hardest-hit regions through COVID-19 has truly required ‘all hands on deck’. Osler’s region has consistently experienced one of the highest test positivity rates in Ontario and they’ve cared for the highest number of COVID-19 patients of any hospital in the province. They’ve had to respond, pivot, anticipate impending needs, and most fundamentally, continue to provide compassionate, high-quality care to all of theirpatients‚ many of whom were struggling with the effects of COVID-19. Throughout this journey, they’ve been guided by their vision of patient-inspired health care without boundaries. And along the way they’ve learned, innovated, and grown. Osler responded to the community need for COVID-19 Testing by implementing: COVID-19 centres for both Etobicoke General Hospital @ Queens Plate and Brampton Civic Hospital @ South Fletchers in Brampton.

BEA 2021 | Life Sciences

INNOVATION DSV Air & Sea Inc.

In Canada, DSV Air & Sea Inc. has 7 branch offices and 350 employees coast-tocoast from Vancouver to Halifax. DSV is a global transport and logistics company providing and managing supply chain solutions for thousands of companies every day. The reach is global, yet the presence is local and close to our customers. 56,000 employees in more than 80 countries work passionately to deliver great customer experiences and high-quality services. A year ago, the world changed with news of COVID-19 — putting supply chain and logistics in the spotlight as they were essential to keeping the world’s goods moving. Through it all, DSV has embraced and adapted to new ways of doing business. The focus on innovation has propelled new ideas forward and continues to be a key driver in how they meet and develop new opportunities locally and globally. DSV Air & Sea Inc.’s partnership with Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) and Air Canada Cargo has brought commercial drone delivery to logistics. A first-of-its-kind in the industry, cargo drone innovation brings new capabilities that can optimize customers’ supply chains. Additionally, the importance of safe and secure supply chains has been heightened during COVID-19. From healthcare and pharma applications to moving critical goods with contactless delivery — drone logistics provides many benefits which align with traditional transport modes and provide new ways of developing business locally.

BEA 2021 | Innovation

Dymon Storage

DYMON is changing the way Brampton and the rest of the GTA think about storage by creating an entirely new paradigm in the industry through their upscale aesthetic facilities, and by providing residential and business guests a truly differentiated and enhanced offering. In Brampton, their 160,000 sq. ft facility is a notable distinction from the standard garage-like self-storage structures often located in industrial areas. DYMON’s drive-in bays with separate entrances ensure guests have 24/7 access to their storage suites, which come with full temperature and humidity control, overnight surveillance, keyless smartphone entry, and free contents insurance for coverage up to $25,000. Canadian owned and industry leading, DYMON has dominated the storage sector in Ottawa since 2006. Having captured over 80 per cent market share in that city, their expansion plans in the GTA go well beyond Brampton, to include 80 locations in total. Their Brampton facility, with all its technological advancements, continues their modernization of the industry, providing unparalleled security and simplifying the guest experience. In the city of Ottawa, they are the second largest generator of electricity, with Hydro Ottawa being the first. Similarly, the Brampton facility and the balance of the GTA locations will have solar panels installed on their roofs as well – part of DYMON’s commitment to reduce their carbon footprint by generating sustainable energy options. In order to protect the most vulnerable in our society in the face of rising COVID-19 case numbers, DYMON also recently completed their pledge to donate two million commercial grade DYMON face masks to charities and community groups in Ottawa and the GTA, including several in Brampton such as Habitat for Humanity, Regeneration Outreach Community and Knights Table.

BEA 2021 | Innovation

Hop In Microtransit Technologies Inc (Hop In Tech)

Hop In Microtransit Technologies or Hop In Tech works with companies to help get their employees to work. They have developed a logistics software that connects transportation options such as Uber or Charter Bus companies to employers that help business retain more talent and access larger hiring pools by increasing accessibility to the workplace. Hop In’s mission is to help people and when the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, they did not slow down, but instead put the pedal to the floor. Hop In pushed forward in 3 ways: 1) Helped transport essential workforce to work safely 2) Began a free delivery program for Brampton companies and 3) Donated thousands of PPE masks to Brampton organizations. Hop In works with Maple Lodge Farms to provide a safe commute for their staff (recording zero cases on their shuttles since operations began September 2020). Hop In plans on continuing to offer transportation services for Brampton companies to fill the gaps left by current transit options and making Brampton more accessible for employers looking to hire. Hop In partnered with the Downtown Brampton BIA to use their logistics software services to provide a free delivery program for Downtown Brampton businesses who were hit hard by the lack of foot traffic due to COVID. Since November of 2020, this delivery program has delivered over 400 parcels, sparking new life into Brampton businesses. Outside of normal business operations, Hop In partnered with MP Sonia Sidhu to donate thousands of masks to Lullaboo, a local nursey and childcare service, and Regeneration Brampton, a local community outreach service, to assist with operational continuity and safety during the pandemic.

BEA 2021 | Innovation

Scooty Mobility Inc. (Scooty)

Scooty was established in 2019 in Brampton by a BIPOC community member who realized that electric scooters (e-scooters) could safely and easily fill the first-mile/ last-mile gap for daily transit commutes while using clean electric power. Their vision has grown to include integrating e-Scooters into a variety of uses, places and events. Scooty has 12 dedicated, diverse team members in key leadership, research, policy, government relations, communications, and e-commerce roles. They have collaborated with the Brampton Entrepreneur Centre and worked with city staff, members of Council and Citizen Advisory Committees to ensure they understand what community members need. Through collective leadership and a collaborative approach, the first e-Scooter pilot in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area happened here at Chinguacousy Park where 1,011 Brampton residents and visitors, were introduced to Scooty and their escooters. This pilot provided staff with helpful data and information on how e-scooters could successfully be used in Brampton. Scooty is supported by the Brampton Entrepreneur Centre and Ryerson Digital Media Zone, and is committed to promoting Brampton as a welcoming place for innovative start-up companies and entrepreneurs.

Visionaries. Change-makers. Community builders. Congratulations to the winners of the Brampton Board of Trade’s 2021 Business Excellence Awards. Humber College supports Brampton’s business community and applauds their accomplishments. Move forward at humber.ca.

BEA 2021 | NOMINEES

Winged Whale Media

Launched in 2007, Winged Whale Media is a boutique and multi-award winning, full-service content creation company. Located in downtown Brampton, WWM helps both small and large businesses develop digital content for web, television, and digital spheres including virtual and augmented reality. WWM has over 15 years of industry experience in filming, editing and animation. They combine style and creativity with state-of-the-art technology to bring vision to life and as a result, they are one of the most prominent and well-known content creators of virtual and augmented reality services in the tourism and hospitality sectors of North America, South America and the Caribbean. In 2020, WWM won the EDCO Award of Excellence for the “VMC 360 Degree Tour” issued by the Economic Developers Council of Ontario, an annual event which aims to seek distinctive ideas and initiatives that have the ability to become economic development best practices of the future. Their project utilized 360 VR video filming and projected what the future of the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre would look like as development continues throughout the years. WWM has also created similar first-of-its-kind projects to promote various elements of the City of Brampton such as a promotional VR video of the Sandalwood Creditview Park for the parks department and the first City of Brampton Augmented Reality App to help the Economic Development department provide useful land information to potential developers. WWM is dedicated to helping the Brampton community thrive through volunteer participation in local events, community groups, religious organizations and charitable not-for-profits.

BEA 2021 | Innovation

Zochem ULC

Zochem ULC is a chemical manufacturer that has exemplified both advanced manufacturing and innovation. Being a GMP Facility, certified by both Health Canada and the FDA, Zochem continues to find new methods to protect the end customer in providing a safe, quality product. Zochem’s main driver of innovation is to react to the smallest, undesired observation, and run a trial to mitigate that observation from reoccuring. Zochem also invests into R&D where it understands the social implications of higher impurities within a finished good and the impact that may have on its safety, reliability, or durabilty. Zochem’s out-the-box thinking transcends just the facility and its products as Zochem has lent new thought to government programs that may have not considered the entire impact on its constituents. Moreover, the company has championed a joint effort in highlighting new ways to roll out carbon pricing plans. Through its advanced manufacturing process, the employees of Zochem also design new packaging solutions for improved humidity control and spout designs for product leak control. Zochem is exporting shipments of their products all over the world on 5 continents where the brand equity in the zinc oxide industry has reached new bounds and they are currently considered the leader in safety and quality.

Pantone 569C

BEA 2021 | Innovation

RETAIL Cookies by Design

Cookies By Design is a bakery started as Kat and her husband began their new life together shortly after getting married. They opened a location in their home town of Brampton on November 8th 2019 with 2 additional employees, a baker and two decorators. Since then, they have expanded and now have 7 more employees who are all Brampton locals. One of our goals when first opening the our store was to spread love to the community and appreciate the city for its multiculturalism and diversity. They bakery warms people’s hearts by giving locals opportunities as well as providing them with sweet treats for all celebratory and meaningful occasions. They are also involved in events taking place in Brampton, for example, the Farmer’s Market and providing business to other local small businesses through collaborative endeavours and charitable work. Throughout the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Cookies By Design has been working with local non-profit organizations such as Free Meal Help and Knights Table to provide free cookies and face masks. In appreciation of the hardworking front line workers, they have also given hundreds of cookies to essential workers at Brampton Civic Hospital.

Brampton’s hub for innovative learning.

s ’ n o t p B ram . r e l tt o b lo c a l 40 The trademarks that appear are the property of their respective trademark owners.

Create new opportunities with Ryerson.

BEA 2021 | NOMINEES

Little Dragon Corp

Little Dragon Corp, a Dice Company, started in 2018 with one employee, one hundred dollars and a dream. Now three years later, the company employees 7 staff, has grown substantially and has opened their doors to over 30,000 people who regularly visit Brampton for a little slice of Gaming Heaven. Through Kickstarter, they have raised over $230,000 in revenue by making their own unique products and shipping it worldwide to over 60 Countries. In 2019, they opened their first retail location that was 1500 sq feet in the heart of downtown Brampton. Little Dragon Corp then moved a year later capitalizing on a great opportunity to double their size and bring even more gamers in to play. With their new retail location at 22 Main St. S., they have been working on renovating the inside and outside of the building. They have installed beautiful stained-glass vinyl wraps to make the windows shine, fixed up the back entrance and installed vinyl wrapped doors to make a friendly entry way. With their retail space, they have focused on bringing family-friendly events that are affordable and unique. They have also started kid-specific programs for Dungeons & Dragons as well as Pokemon School. Little Dragon Corp believes that the best way to engage children is to make learning a fun adventure. They also believe the best way to support the community is to have a safe place for people to express their hopes and dreams. To that end, they welcome all gamers and artists into their space to relax and enjoy the colourful surroundings. Innovation is the core of their success, while understanding the needs of their customers is the engine that drives them.

BEA 2021 | Retail

macaronZ

When macaronZ launched in 2011, Zanda Rodriguez hoped to bring a delicious treat to downtown Brampton. Little did she know that in 2017, she would expand her shop to include a Tea Salon. With such a unique offering not readily available in the Peel community, macaronZ was helping boost business in the downtown core by attracting customers throughout the GTA. During the pandemic, macaronZ perfected the art of the “pivot” to continue showcasing the amazing products and services available in Brampton and was forced to get creative in her offerings and methods of delivery. Once a busy Tea Room for guests across the GTA, their doors were forced shut and Zanda adapted to deliver her quality tea service to keep her business going. The ‘Tea At Home Box’ was introduced to allow avid customers the chance to enjoy their favourite treat in the comfort of their home. Zanda and her team adapted to all necessary protocols for ordering, curbside pickup and food handling. Consequently the business’ top selling products - Tea At Home, MacaronZ, Mini Donuts, pre-packaged cookie dough and more were adapted for easy ordering and pickup.To accomodate this, macaronZ also enhanced their online store allowing for easy selection and ordering.

BEA 2021 | Retail

Perpetual Bazaar

For well over 40 years, Perpetual Bazaar has been serving the community in a variety of ways. In addition to creating a destination for visitors looking for a unique handmade item, Perpetual Bazaar serves as a social outlet for seniors in Brampton. While it initially started in 1974 by a women’s church group to sell handcrafted items like quilts, slippers, hats, scarves and more; Perpetual Bazaar currently has a huge variety of handmade items - often based on themes and holidays (including Canada Day products, cannabis themed masks and more). Somewhere along the road, it became a social enterprise that supported local seniors and helped them to earn some ‘pin money’. The store now serves (pre-Covid) as a gathering place for Brampton’s seniors and a way to be a part of the Brampton community. Perpetual Bazaar is well known for participating in downtown Brampton events such as the annual Easter Egg Hunt, Halloween Trick-or-Treating and more. During COVID, the shop pivoted to incorporate online sales in a virtual marketplace and was one of the first stores in downtown Brampton to sell masks — all made by seniors. Through Remembrance sales, they raised $1,314.00 and were able to give Branch 15 and Branch 609 of the Royal Canadian Legion each $657.00 towards their Poppy Fund. Having a place to express creativity, foster community and participate in downtown Brampton activities provides a great outlet for the senior community. The store is run entirely by volunteers — also seniors, and people with disabilities. The average age of Perpetual Bazaar’s volunteers is 80.

BEA 2021 | Retail

Pomp & Sass

Pomp & Sass is a female founded, Canadian social enterprise offering an exclusive line of luxury woven towels and our signature custom style service. Their mission is ‘to be a positive influence in the world’. They do this with their product that is ethically made and environmentally friendly. They also donate a portion of profits to charities under the UN Sustainable Development Goal of Good Health and Wellbeing and practice inclusive management and marketing. They are bringing social enterprise to the luxury markets of hotels and retail and when it comes to packaging, they have a ‘less-is-more’ approach and are supporting the disruption of traditional product packaging. Pomp & Sass has eliminated all product packaging with the exception of their product cards which are made entirely of sugar cane. They currently work with three fulfilment centres in Canada and the primary centre is a local couple working in a sustainable low-waste space. The secondary centre is environmentally conscious and committed to reducing waste and emissions while the third centre has a strong green ethic and has made a commitment to grouping products and using renewable shipping supplies. The company’s intention behind their actions is to create a space where everyone is welcome and safe. This includes the people who benefit now as well as generations to come who want to continue to enjoy our beautiful planet. They see the progress they have to make and accept the work it will take to improve. They acknowledge their role and are doing their best with the resources available to them. Pomp & Sass was made to be a positive influence in the world.

BEA 2021 | Retail

Restyle Beauty Boutique

Launched in 2016 as a consignment boutique specializing in designer fashion, previously-loved ladies fashion and accessories, furniture, locally sourced gifts and home décor, they are a family-run business located in the heart of downtown Brampton. They curate gift packages for your loved ones and even offer wellness workshops including calligraphy, vision board development, diy paint-and-signmaking workshops and many more. As Brampton is also their home, they know so many good people and places that spark joy and the community. As such, they want to highlight that in their boutique by featuring local vendors and provide an event hub for the city. When the pandemic started, they didn’t skip a beat and were able to grow and pivot their business in a positive way. They decided to find new ways to reach customers due to lockdown measures. They started with one-on-one video calls with customers to get a personalized shopping experience from the comfort of their own home, as well as offering free delivery where they personally drove to Orangeville, Toronto, Georgetown and Vaughan to deliver packages. To date, they have had almost 40 live shopping events which has given them a great opportunity to communicate and be actively involved with their customers. They all laugh together and know you will find quality and unique products at a reasonable price. They have always believed in community over competition and that there truly is room for everyone. With their Fashion for the Cure event, they were able to group together 170+ women from all walks of life to collectively raise funds and awareness for Wellspring Chinguacousy Cancer Centre – a fundraiser Evie began over 19 years ago! They have featured our local vendors in their boutique with pop-up shops and feature them on their live sessions as well.

BEA 2021 | Retail

The Scented L’Air

The Scented L’air opened on June 1st, 2018 as a unique retail boutique located in downtown Brampton, employing three part-time and five contract employees. The bespoke studio highlights five Brampton-based woman-owned busineses and 18 Canadian brands featuring an Essential & Tea Bar, Brampton beeswax candles, SheaEssence Cosmetics, milled soaps, cleaning products, Indigenous and local artist works, loose leaf teas from Newfoundland, and gift ideas from Vancouver. Tracy is a compassionate resident of Brampton, who cares about the well-being of people — striving everyday to make people smile, feel good and bring joy into their lives. In her quest to bring goodness to the community, Tracy rallied a variety of Brampton businesses and services to support her visionary event ‘Smelling Pink’. Tracy has led additional collaborations between private sector and non-profit organizations to come together in order to showcase Brampton and highlight the importance of wellness. Through her business and as a scent designer, she is in tune with olfactory perspectives and how it relates to an individual’s overall wellness.

BEA 2021 | Retail

The Wee Smoke Shop - Peeyush Gupta

The wee smoke shop is over 150 years old and Mr. Gupta took over the management in 2008. Since then, he has expanded the store in many ways and has made it a trusted shop for everyone in the community. An agent of change, Peeyush is currently the Vice-Chair of the Downtown Brampton Business Improvement Area (BIA), and a supporter of local events. Mr. Gupta considers downtown Brampton as the centrepiece of the city, showcasing all the best the city has to offer. In fact, Mr. Gupta was one of the first supporters of ‘Vibrant Brampton,’ a celebration of the city’s cultural mosaic which has become a major attraction in the city. Peeyush constantly motivates his colleagues and staff and is always considered a team player. He is a stronger believer in hard work, ethics, professional conduct and lifelong learning. To this effect, last year he completed his Mini MBA from the prestigious Schulich School of Business. ‘Success with Effort’ continues to be the guiding principle for Peeyush, through which he has been able to achieve exponential success and become a role model for many new Canadians. During the current Covid-19 pandemic crisis, Mr. Gupta helped source personal protective equipement (PPE) kits and masks to help local initiatives run by New Brampton, and the My Indians in Canada Association to aid frontline health workers. Working collaboratively with local elected officials, policy makers and like-minded businesses, Mr. Gupta has made a positive difference to the economic, social and cultural vibrancy of the City.

The Wee Smoke Shop SINCE 1850

BEA 2021 | Retail

FOOD & BEVERAGE Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Limited

As Brampton’s local bottler, Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Limited wants to inspire those in Brampton as they collectively develop a vision for a stronger local business community for the long-term. They are committed to their Brampton footprint. In December of 2020, they announced a new capital investment of $12.8 million in their local facility, ultimately unlocking more capacity and capability to meet increased demand, innovation, and growth opportunities for their business within the City of Brampton. They are also invested in their people and the people who live in the community in which they operate. They are proud to employ more than 1,400 people in Brampton, over 400 of whom live within the City itself. They service nearly 5,200 customers locally, and work closely with 145 local Brampton suppliers through which they contributed close to $200 million to the local economy. They take great pride in positively impacting the community in which they have now been a part of for 20 years. Representing the largest and most integrated facility in their network, the Brampton team produces more than 43 million cases of beverages per year and is responsible for approximately 20 per cent of their national revenue. Recently announcing an investment of nearly $13 million in their facility, the contributions to the Brampton community are for the long term.

BEA 2021 | Food & Beverage

Give and Go

Over 30 years of thinking, rethinking, and thinking aheaAt Give & Go, our drive for innovation is our recipe for success. At Give & Go, the drive for innovation is their recipe for success and chances are you have tried the product that started it all – the two-bite brownies®. They collaborate, experiment, take risks, make mistakes, improve, redo, refine. Then repeat. The end result is always the same – the best products for their customers, and more of them on the shelf. Consequently, they have become the go-to supplier for major retailers. Give & Go consistently make their consumers and customers go “wow” through great products, saavy decision making, and a strong vision. Quality and safety are at the core of what they do. No product makes it onto a shelf before going through their in-house Quality Assurance Lab. Additionally, they are also International Food Safety, SQF Level 3, and Kosher certified because their customers come with a variety of needs that should always come first. Give and Go believes in tomorrow, so they work every day to get better and better at being what they want to be: great people, baking great products, for a great future.

BEA 2021 | Food & Beverage

macaronZ

When macaronZ launched in 2011, Zanda Rodriguez hoped to bring a delicious treat to downtown Brampton. Little did she know that in 2017, she would expand her shop to include a Tea Salon. With such a unique offering not readily available in the Peel community, macaronZ was helping to boost business in the downtown core by attracting customers throughout the GTA. During the pandemic, macaronZ perfected the art of the ‘pivot’ to continue showcasing the amazing products and services available in Brampton, and was forced to get creative in her offerings and methods of delivery. Once a busy Tea Room for guests across the GTA, their doors were forced shut and Zanda adapted to deliver her quality tea and service to keep her business going. The ‘Tea At Home Box’ was introduced to allow avid customers the chance to enjoy their favourite treat in the comfort of their home. Zanda and her team adapted to all necessary protocols for ordering, curbside pickup and food handling. The company’s top selling products — Tea At Home, macaronZ, mini donuts, pre-packaged cookie dough and more were adapted for easy ordering and pickup.To accomodate this, macaronZ also enhanced their online store allowing for easy selection and ordering.

BEA 2021 | Food & Beverage

Montañeros Coffee

Montañeros Coffee is a family business formed by Wilmer and his wife Caterine, who arrived in Canada in 2016 full of dreams and goals to achieve. After studying English and learning more about this new life in Canada, they decided to start their own company and do something that they could enjoy. Wilmer, Caterine and their two daughters Alica and Luciana, are very happy to share their rich coffee culture with all members of the community. To them, coffee is more than a business. It’s a lifestyle. Growing up on farms in Colombia, they learned coffee inside and out from the generations of Montañeros that came before them. From sourcing to crafting, it’s this expertise and tradition that makes their coffee unmistakeably different. At Montañeros, they partner directly with Colombian farmers to produce specialty coffee that’s sustainable, ethical, and – most importantly – delicious. Their coffee is grown by family farmers on pesticide-free microlots among the greatest biodiversity in the world. Farmers hand-pick only the best beans, process them on their farms, and ship them directly to Brampton. Once received, they medium roast on demand to give Montañeros its balanced body, brighten its unique flavours and ensure its freshness. This means exceptional coffee that’s good for you, the environment, and their farmers. Montañeros are big-hearted and warm people, farmers and coffee growers. They take pride in what they do, live in harmony with nature and love the mountains: their most precious treasure.

BEA 2021 | Food & Beverage

Palette Foods Inc. - Blue Elephant Canada

Palette Foods Inc. is a local Brampton success story, having started their small business in 2018 at the Brampton Downtown Farmers Market. With an idea to bring south-east Asia to Brampton, Palette Foods served people a taste of Thailand with their ready-to-heat curry sauces and Phad Thai kits, engaging with the community and participating in local events. Now with a mission to bring south-east Asian cuisine to every kitchen in Canada, they partner with local small businesses in the city to get the authentic taste of Thailand into Brampton kitchens and beyond — today, the company’s products are available across Canada in 50+ locations. Palette Foods was part of the Brampton Entrepreneurship Centre’s Accelerator Program which helped set-up the e-commerce website and guide the social media marketing strategy. The company also joined the City Of Brampton Council meetings to share their experience in the progam and best practices for other companies looking to grow and succeed in the city. The company now employs 6 individuals, most of whom are co-op students using the experience to help learn and develop valuable skills for the future. The company is also actively preparing to innovate and bring new products and services that will continue to put Brampton on the map by igniting the passion for ethnic food! Last year, Palette Foods Inc. ran cooking classes for kids at Rowntree Montessori schools in Brampton to introduce youth to international cuisine and talk to them about the south-east Asian culture.

BEA 2021 | Food & Beverage

Salem’s Lott Hot Sauce

Jeff Salem is both a professional musician and a hot-sauce maker. He has toured and performed in over 70 countries sharing his musical passion and was always on the search for a perfect hot sauce. The eagerness to start making his own hot sauce was fueled from the frustration he would experience eating at restaurants where hot sauces would be filled with too many chemicals, and too much water, sugar and sodium. Gaining knowledge as he travelled the world, it wasn’t long before Jeff started experimenting with flavours, looking for the ‘right amount’ of heat. You may know Jeff from Brampton’s Farmers Market or Dragon’s Den, where he secured a winning partnership from Manjit Minhas. Salem’s Lott Hot Sauce has also won awards in the USA at well-known hot-sauce competitions. With a focus on organic, natural ingredients, Jeff’s sauces are gluten free, without preservatives, low sodium, low sugar, nut and dairy free and can be found all over the country.

BEA 2021 | Food & Beverage

Social Eats Media

Social Eats Media was established nearly 4 years ago with the mindset of ‘being the change you want to see in this world,’ while transforming the way Bramptonians engage with and support the food and beverage industry. By leveraging the power of social media marketing, remaining at the forefront of industry innovation and building a strong community reputation, the agency has improved the business performance of hundreds of restaurants in Brampton. Social Eats continues to foster growth in Brampton by developing meaningful industry relationships (Brampton Downtown BIA, The City of Brampton Culinary & Tourism Department, Taste of Brampton & Restaurants Canada), resulting in increased exposure and improved business performance for the restaurant community. Not only are they aiming to better the economic performance in Brampton, they are also acting as social advocates by bringing the community together and offering business support services during the pandemic. Most recently, the agency has been a beacon of hope and strength amongst the pandemic uncertainty as they offer pro-bono services to the local hospitality and restaurant industry. Their contributions will help drive increased business traffic, develop creative marketing campaigns, educate consumers and improve public safety during these trying times. The agency begins everyday with the intention of doing something meaningful for Brampton.

BEA 2021 | Food & Beverage

The Food Quotient Inc.

As a self-proclaimed foodie, and a mostly-vegetarian one at that, Amisha Moorjani found that despite having a diverse population, Brampton was lacking in healthy vegetarian options – especially ones that provided value for money. And so, with Amisha’s vision to showcase healthy food with global flavours, along with her MBA and degree in Food & Nutrition, The Food Quotient Inc. was conceptualized and incorporated in 2018. Under the vast experience and able leadership of Executive Chef Maneesh Cornelius, The Food Quotient Inc. has created a reputation for itself in the vegan, plant-based and halal community as THE place for healthy, flavourful and nutritious food. Within its two years of existence, The Food Quotient Inc. has grown from a two-person operation to employing 7 full and part-time employees, in addition to partnering with hundreds of delivery drivers from various 3rd party delivery companies. Perhaps the biggest impact has been on the health of customers, many of whom regularly order their daily lunch and/or dinner, knowing that they are incorporating more plants and organic non-GMO foods in their diet, while reducing their environmental footprint with their eco-conscious packaging. Food Quotient was recently voted the GTA’s Best Organic Cuisine (Platinum winner) and the GTA’s Best Vegetarian Restaurant (Gold winner) in The Toronto Star Readers Choice Awards 2020. In the near future, The Food Quotient Inc. plans to expand its customer base to the rest of the GTA and beyond, and showcase the rich diversity and innovation of their products which are ‘Proudly Made in Brampton’.

BEA 2021 | Food & Beverage

Toninos Pizzeria & Panini

There are many instances where Tonino’s has demonstrated a commitment to quality of service and product, which can be seen in their multiple awards from readers of the Brampton Guardian — where they placed in the top 3 restaurants for both Italian and Pizza categories for both 2019 and 2020. These accolades are reflective of the leadership role the restaurant has taken in attempting to foster a competitive spirit within Brampton’s food industry, while providing a high-quality culinary experience. The quality of service can be seen in their spirit of innovation both before and during the Pandemic. Prior to COVID-19, Tonino’s partnered with 32 area schools to provide a school pasta lunch program, thereby targeting a section of the market that often goes un-noticed by many businesses. During the pandemic, they displayed that same spirit by leveraging both traditional and newer methods of marketing such as Facebook and Instagram, as well the ability to reach new customers through promotion on food delivery apps such as Skip the Dishes. Another example of this ability to adapt was the addition of DIY pizza kits, which fit the current trend of meal kits and was created as a result of local Covid measures forcing customers to eat more at home. Moreover, they have demonstrated an ability to work collaboratively with local businesses to source as much of their food from Ontario in order to be more sustainable and support the local economy.

BEA 2021 | Food & Beverage

Tropix

Denise Edwards is the founder of Tropix, a food manufacturing company that specializes in snacks made from fresh coconut, known as Coconut Drops — her favourite snack as a child growing up in Jamaica. Denise started the company in 2012 and in the same year, she entered Toronto’s Next Great Food Contest sponsored by the City Toronto and was one of the 4 finalists chosen out of over 30 applicants. In 2017, she acquired her own space and two years later she is proud to be exporting to the Middle East and the United States. Today, Tropix offers 5 flavours of Coconut Drops that are plant based, gluten free, made with only 4-6 ingredients and sold in a number of stores across Ontario. Denise has made it her mission to hire staff that also live in Brampton and is committed to participating in events and festivals in and around the city. She has donated her delicous snacks on a number of occasions to Knights Table as well as to different events in Brampton. Customer feedback is very positive with many customers ‘closing their eyes as if being transported back to another time’. Denise had no idea how much people love ginger and has been pleasantly surprised that the sale of their ginger flavour is a favourite across the board. Additionally, because they use fresh coconuts, they are now working on selling the shells, as they can be used like walnut shells in the production of vehicle tires instead of being discarded as waste. Tropix has helped youth and newcomers by offering employment, particularly in the busier summer and Christmas seasons.

BEA 2021 | Food & Beverage

ARTS & CULTURE Limepress

Ricky Lima runs Limepress, a small indepedently owned publishing house in Brampton. It was formed in 2017 to publish ‘weird books for weird kids’. Everyone enjoys and needs stories! As such, the stories Ricky Lima tries to create and publish reflect his desire to comfort and help people. He publishes works that can benefit people even if it’s only for a brief distraction as his books always have little nuggets of truth that people can latch onto and think about. Through his work with the Comic Jam and PAMA, Ricky is always willing to help and nurture other local creatives in their comic-making adventures. He has given workshops on comic making and writing, and as he’s gained skills in print production, he has guided others through the murky world of printing and publishing. Throughout his time publishing books, Ricky has engaged the community in Brampton – from organizing comic jams, working with PAMA on comic exhibits, to working with FOLD to bring more graphic work to audiences. Ricky loves helping others develop their ideas and believes his success is not only his own, but rather a collective effort from the community he has embraced and who have embraced him – both locally and internationally.

BEA 2021 | NOMINEES

Ravinzangel

Ravinzangel produces art, art products and wearable art as a means to express emotion and initiate conversation regarding life experiences with grief and loss from suicide, and to share how art can be used as a therapeutic tool to heal. In 1995, Amanda Bhikha’s brother, Ravin, passed away from suicide. After his death, she learned to express her grief in the form of art, creating Ravinzangel in 2016 as a namesake to honour him. All of Ravinzangel’s designs are inspired by angels and mental wellness. Original works of art are turned into apparel, accessories, home decor items and other products. Since starting Ravinzangel, Amanda has become a member of Beaux Arts Brampton and the Open for Business Hub, and has participated in various art events held by local businesses and organizations as an artist, vendor and public speaker. Amanda speaks about her experience of losing her brother through suicide and how art was her coping strategy. In 2018, Ravinzangel participated in the Small Business Accelerator Program with the Brampton Entrepreneur Centre and was awarded a $5000 grant and in 2020, Ravinzangel became a vendor at Restyle Boutique located in downtown Brampton. Each November, Ravinzangel holds an event to remember Amanda’s brother during the anniversary of his death and to speak about her story, art and the importance of mental wellness. A portion of all proceeds during this time are donated to a local non-profit. Through Ravinzangel, Amanda hopes to continue to use her art and story as a form of inspiration and hope to those impacted by mental health, and to use her skills and talents to turn her loss into art that helps others.

BEA 2021 | Arts & Culture

Sikh Heritage Month Foundation

In 2013, history was made when the month of April was proclaimed Sikh Heritage Month by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario (Bill 52). The first of its kind in the world, Sikh Heritage Month brings communities together every year for a celebration of arts, culture and heritage. First launched as a month-long festival in 2015, the event welcomed over 500 visitors who came to explore, connect, learn and celebrate culture. Having partnered with PAMA, this dynamic group of passionate volunteers set out to better their community by sharing their culture through the lens of arts and heritage. Featuring the work of local and international artists, Sikh Heritage Month has collaborated with more than 20 community partners. Since its inception, they have grown in leaps and bounds and now partner with PAMA, the City of Brampton and The Rose Theatre to offer extraordinary arts and cultural experiences that showcase the dynamic Sikh heritage within our community and beyond. In 2018, they hosted over 10,000 visitors throughout the month, making it their most successful year to date. Seeing the potential outside of Brampton, the organization has grown this initiative and taken it across Canada launching initiatives in Hamilton, Ottawa, Manitoba and British Columbia.

BEA 2021 | Arts & Culture

Visual Arts Brampton

Encouraging Creativity is Visual Art Brampton’s signature statement. A not-forprofit arts organization, VAB has built on its legacy of 35 years. It is a robust group with adult membership steadily increasing, a full curriculum of courses, and capably steered by a volunteer board of 10 directors and a full executive. In 2019, a parttime Studio Manager position was added. A vibrant group with no shortage of verve, VAB’s business model maximizes the talents of an extensive range of artists teaching part-time. While providing employment for artists, students benefit from the diverse styles, talents, and varied courses. Everyone belongs at Visual Arts Brampton – their mission of inclusivity is reflected in the board, teachers, and members. Their outreach also welcomes people of all ages, extends to all abilities, and all of Brampton’s rich cultural and ethnic mosaic. Ongoing creative initiatives and affiliations with partners have gained momentum with their meaningful community outreach. This proved to be an incredible strength, bringing solid value to over 500 families and individuals during the challenges of the pandemic. Determined to deliver their programming, VAB identified the issues, then quickly set up virtual platforms for teaching classes/courses. Creativity kits were assembled for pickup or delivery, studio space was reconfigured for socially distanced work areas, and demand increased for outreach events. The drive and positive attitude of board members and volunteers to come together and do what is best for Visual Arts Brampton is why their pivot worked and continues to move this organization forward in a viable manner.

BEA 2021 | Arts & Culture

LOGISTICS DSV Air & Sea Inc.

In Canada, DSV Air & Sea Inc. has 7 branch offices and 350 employees coast-tocoast from Vancouver to Halifax. DSV is a global transport and logistics company providing and managing supply chain solutions for thousands of companies every day. Their reach is global, yet theirpresence is local and close to their customers. 56,000 employees in more than 80 countries work passionately to deliver great customer experiences and high-quality services. A year ago, the world changed with news of COVID-19 — putting supply chain and logistics in the spotlight as they were essential to keeping the world’s goods moving. Through it all, DSV has embraced and adapted to new ways of doing business. Their focus on innovation has propelled new ideas forward and continues to be a key driver in how they meet and develop new opportunities locally and globally. DSV Air & Sea Inc.’s partnership with Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) and Air Canada Cargo has brought commercial drone delivery to logistics. A first-of-its-kind in the industry, cargo drone innovation brings new capabilities that can optimize theircustomers’ supply chains. Additionally, the importance of safe and secure supply chains has been heightened during COVID-19. From healthcare and pharma applications to moving critical goods with contactless delivery — drone logistics provides many benefits which align with traditional transport modes and provide new ways of developing business locally. While the drone delivery operations are based out of DSV Canada’s new 1.2 million square foot head office and logistics facility in Milton, Ontario - their footprint also resides at two key DSV facilities in Brampton.

BEA 2021 | Logistics

eShipper

Established in 2005, eShipper is a Canadian Shipping Company which supports 1000+ Brampton-based businesses with 75k+ shipments every month offering discounted shipping rates from all major carriers in the world along with dedicated support. The company launched Canadian shipping programs for Brampton businesses to ship across Canada cost-effectively – a program designed during the COVID-19 pandemic to support community businesses. Along with free online events, partnerships with Google Shopping, Walmart Canada Marketplace, Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB) and Export Development Canada (EDC) eShipper offers unique and tailored solutions for businesses in Brampton to scale and grow their business — not just within Canada but across the border as well. Apart from the business community, eShipper is committed to hiring new immigrants and keeping the welfare of its employees a priority by not laying off a single employee amid the pandemic. They also follow a strict hiring policy where 80% of warehouse staff live in Brampton. The company demonstrates their commitment and responsibility isn’t only confined to business, but their impact can be social, cultural or environmental such as using social media channels for good by good by promoting black-owned, women-owned local businesses. Additionally, eShipper became one of the first Brampton-based companies in Canada to work with the Government of Canada and Bank of China to bring in approved PPE masks and gloves in order to support the Peel Regional Police, Peel paramedics and the frontline workers of Humber River Hospital in mid-2020. eShipper stays committed to working for betterment of the city of Brampton, its business owners and residents — now and into the future.

BEA 2021 | Logistics

Freightcom

Launched in 2010, Freightcom is an all-inclusive web-based system that is built to automate the shipping process with a specific focus on the small parcel and lowvolume LTL sectors. Since then, they have rapidly grown Freightcom into a worldclass technology company offering innovative solutions with freight transportation services. Their unique blend of transportation expertise, market focus on the shipping and freight industries andsuperior technology platform has empowered them to continuously improve and innovate shipping solutions that are game-changing for customers. They utilize strong relationships with over 30 nationally recognized LTL and Courier carriers to help grow your business; all which are backed by their different service and support levels. Their online platform allows customers to get rates and book freight instantly without having to contact numerous carriers.They also offer their customers an easy-to-use system that will help you maximize time and cut costs, saving on average 20-30% off your annual shipping expenses. They pride ourselves with their focus on customer service and back-office support for agents and customers. They have also expanded into the ecommerce world by providing easy-toimplement solutions for businesses — especially important during the pandemic.

GlobeEx Freight Systems

GlobeEx is a a team of experienced and qualified professionals who have knowledge about import, export, legal compliance and all matters related to cargo movement around the world. With headquarters in Canada and USA, and hardworking, reliable agents across the world, their team has what it takes to get the job done right. They obtain the best competitive rates with various steamship lines and can ensure safe transportation of goods delivered. GlobeEx Freight Systems is a licensed freight forwarding firm based in Toronto with regional facilities across North America, specifically New Jersey. Established in 2000 in Toronto, they have since expanded their presence into the USA. Their specialty is managing all freight needs inbound or outbound out of the USA and Canada. They handle asset sea shipping, air freight, rail and trucking with the utmost care. By leveraging their in-house capabilities and vast connections, they have been able to create a reliable partner network of carriers in the marine, air, and overland modes of transportation. This then allows them to truly deliver end-to-end solutions regardless of size, complexity, or location. Whether it’s moving machinery from Toronto to Houston or importing cargo from Asia to Montreal, their team of logistics professionals and project managers thrive on multimodal logistics design, analysis and execution.

BEA 2021 | Logistics

Greater Toronto Airports Authority

Toronto Pearson is Canada’s largest airport; pre-pandemic, nearly 50,000 people were employed at the airport and its activities contributed $42B to Ontario’s economy (> 6% of its GDP). Pearson anchors the country’s second largest employment zone (300,000 jobs) and creates jobs in every sector that relies on air connectivity. When the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global pandemic on March 11th, 2020, Toronto Pearson was already in motion, building on detailed plans that were already in place and devising the Healthy Airport commitment: to make passenger and employee health a top priority; to work with partners to set standards for passenger and airport worker health; to adjust quickly to changes and current intelligence; to ensure alignment with international aviation standards; to explore all innovative and technologically advanced solutions for ensuring the safety of passengers and employees and to ensure the continued flow of essential cargo. To ensure the continued flow of essential cargo, such as PPE, food supply and now vaccines, GTAA convened early discussions for the cargo industry (including representation from the full supply chain of carriers, shippers, truckers, freight forwarders etc.) with Provincial and Federal governments, ensuring that industry needs were heard and actioned. It also retrofitted airport facilities to ensure that passenger aircraft that were converted for cargo could be loaded/unloaded. GTAA is also piloting a digital platform for cargo movements through Pearson.

BEA 2021 | Logistics

Speedy Transport

Speedy Transport Group, Inc. is a privately held, family owned and operated business that began in 1941 as a same-day pick-up and delivery service. They have grown to become one of Canada’s leading carriers with 850 ‘family’ representatives. They are not just another trucking company; they strive to grow in our communities and embrace and spread positive messaging through their actions. The Speedy Transport family continues to flourish by supporting the various cultural identities that are represented in the Brampton business community and look to push the narrative on social issues such as racism and human rights. This past August, they were engaged in creating and hosting the “Everyone vs. Racism” exhibit featuring a graffiti trailer with the messaging “Stand for Something” and “Impossible is Nothing”. This trailer, along with others spreading similar messaging, is in full service, delivering goods in Brampton and throughout other communities across Ontario and Quebec. The message is a clear one and the exhibit was a success due to the unique collaboration between many stakeholders. They also actively support the global movement, “No Farmers No Food” and engaged the drivers of their fleet to add this decal to their units to help spread awareness. While some companies may think of it as a risk to support and spread awareness on global and societal issues, they feel like it is part of their duty. It is the drive towards excellence and positive change that they hope will attract the next generation to an industry that is often overlooked. Throughout the past twelve months, they have been part of the battle against the global pandemic. The supply chain and transportation industry has had a spotlight on it throughout the pandemic and Speedy Transport has been at the forefront in helping deliver key PPE across Canada – most notably through a key partnership as the primary carrier for 3M Canada.

BEA 2021 | Logistics

HEALTHY WORKPLACE Academy for First Aid and Safety of Brampton

The Academy for First Aid and Safety of Brampton is a first aid and CPR training academy located in Brampton. They are partnered with The Canadian Red Cross to deliver life-saving skills on how to perform first aid and CPR during a cardiac and respiratory arrest. Their main location is in Concord and have recently expanded their operations in Brampton. They are responsible for training over 5000 people annually on how to save lives at home and at workplaces that require first aid for their employees. Their operations have likely contributed to averting hundreds of deaths at home, at work, and outside due to the spread of life-saving knowledge and training expertise. As the knowledge and training spreads from one person to another, society in Brampton becomes more powerful as they will acquire the knowledge and skills on how to save a person’s life in the event of a medical emergency. Deaths are averted and injuries are not as severe compared to patients who do not get any medical assistance at the moment of an unfortunate medical emergency. The impacts created by The Academy for First Aid and Safety of Brampton can only continue to grow and improve due to the fact that Brampton’s two hospitals are inundated, and help may not readily be available.

Boxed Out Performance

Since 2015, Abhinav Prakash has dedicated his life towards this social enterprise which aims to eliminate barriers such as age, race, wealth and status to those who want to improve their performance. For the work they have done, BoxOut Performance has been recognized by top universities for supporting youth development, have been in the news for the work they do with aspiring athletes, and most importantly, entrepreneurs from Ryerson Venture Zone who themselves want to contribute to the growth of Brampton, have given positive testimonials abou the life-changing information and coaching they have received. This should not come as a surprise to anyone — being an entrepreneur is one of the most demanding, stressful, and challenging occupations anyone can have as it takes a significant toll on a person’s relationships as well as physical and mental health. On the other hand, entrepreneurs are sorely needed because they generate new ideas, products and services, employment for others in the community, and help grow a city or region. The work that Abhinav and his team are doing directly impacts the city of Brampton because they are helping to identify and develop people/talent who will ultimately become leaders and creators in our society.

BEA 2021 | Healthy Workplace

Canon Canada

Since the opening of its Brampton Headquarters in 2016, Canon has provided a workplace that is focused on health and wellness, offering employee amenities such as a full-service cafeteria with vegetarian and healthy meal options, as well as a fitness center and reflection room. Outdoors, both employees and community residents alike enjoy the many acres of green space surrounding the property as well as the naturalized pond and recreational trails that the Canon headquarters overlook. Celebrations for employee milestones, showing appreciation, and teambuilding events have always helped create a healthy, engaged workplace. Since COVID-19, Canon has been committed, from the top-down, to providing support to employees across the country, while stressing the importance of wellness, including mental health and well-being during the pandemic. Online workshops have focused on topics like “Building Resilience in Uncertain Times,” “Boosting Your Positive Outlook,” and “Mental Health and Workplace Leadership During COVID-19” to help employees and leaders through this challenging time. Fitness classes including yoga, high-intensity workouts, Zumba and dance cardio have helped employees get active while workshops like the “Power of Sleep” and “Healthy Eating” provided employees with valuable tips and tools for increasing wellness in their lives. In 2021, Canon looks forward to partnering with the Brampton Half Marathon and sponsoring the Canon 10K, a virtual 10-kilometre walk/run event, and encouraging employees across the country to participate.

Give and Go

At Give & Go, the drive for innovation is their recipe for success and chances are you have tried the product that started it all – the two-bite brownies®. They collaborate, experiment, take risks, make mistakes, improve, redo, refine. Then repeat. The end result is always the same – the best products for their customers, and more of them on the shelf. Consequently, they have become the go-to supplier for major retailers. Give & Go consistently make their consumers and customers go “wow” through great products, saavy decision making, and a strong vision. Quality and safety are at the core of what they do. No product makes it onto a shelf before going through their in-house Quality Assurance Lab. Additionally, they are also International Food Safety, SQF Level 3, and Kosher certified because their customers come with a variety of needs that should always come first. Give and Go believes in tomorrow, so they work every day to get better and better at being what they want to be: great people, baking great products, for a great future.

BEA 2021 | Healthy Workplace

Lexington Sanitating and Disinfecting

Gurpreet Pabla is a young entrepreneur who started his career with a marketing background and founded two successful and growing companies by the age of 25, one being Liquidators of Canada in January 2015, the second being LOC Marketing Firm in January 2016. When Gurpreet continued to see COVID-19 cases increase and his wife was affected by the virus, he knew it was time to take action. As such, he put his previous experiences and talents to use in order to bring Lexington Sanitating and Disinfecting and the Lexi-Clean program to life. Lexington provides our community with a safe solution and a trusted way to navigate through the Covid pandemic. Lexington provides more than a service — it provides a sense of security and creates a social, cultural and environmental impact. In addition to his career achievements, he has also received the following recognitions from the community: Brampton’s Top 40 under 40 in June 2018, Certificates of Recognition for community service from Mayor John Tory, Certificate of Recognition from Mayor Linda Jeffrey and the Corporation of the City of Brampton, and a Certificate of Recognition from Jagmeet Singh.

Salon Safari & Spa

Salon Safari & Spa started business in September of 1987 (Hair Safari) at Hwy #10 & Wexford Rd. To start, it was a small salon (850 sq. /ft) with 3 employees and for 18 years, they slowly built the business up. In September 2005, a bigger space became available which allowed them to grow to 1545 sq/ft, and which now employs 10 people. The salon is now situated in the Food Basics plaza at the corner of Hwy #10 & Wanless Rd. Now entering their 34th year in business in Brampton, they are proud of all the positive reviews they received from the community and also grateful they won the Top 3 Best Rated Hair Salon Business in Brampton award twice, as well as being the winner of the Toronto Hair and Beauty awards in 2018 for being The Best Hair Salon in Peel. Salon Safari & Spa has supported co-op programs for students wishing to enter this industry and subsequently hired some of them to their team. They are very happy to service all of their existing clients that they have served for many years and looking forward to continue as they add new clients to their salon.

BEA 2021 | Healthy Workplace

Sheridan College

Sheridan has served Brampton since 1967. Our Davis Campus is our largest, with over 12,000 full-time students. Since 1995, we have launched 62,800 graduates from our Brampton Campus including a former Deputy Chief of Police for Peel Region and the President and CEO of Hydro One in Brampton. Over 33,000 alumni live in Brampton and 257 of them work at the City of Brampton. Davis Campus is also home to 414 full time employees. Over 160 Brampton companies have hired Sheridan graduates into 500 co-op and internship positions and over 765 organizations in Brampton benefit from field placement students in Education, Public Safety, Applied Health and Community Studies, supporting institutions such as the William Osler Health System, Peel Regional Police, and the Ontario Courthouse. Our Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Design Technologies links companies of all sizes to our 3D printing, robotics and advanced manufacturing equipment. Sheridan’s EDGE Entrepreneurship Hub helps budding entrepreneurs, innovators and changemakers to connect, learn and work through events, training, mentorship and access to co-working space. In 2019, The Faculty for Continuing and Professional Studies partnered with five companies in Brampton to offer the Industrial Distribution Program in direct response to industry demand for skilled employees. Through our leadership in environmental sustainability, we are building our own district energy network on campus and collaborating with the City of Brampton on its Community Energy Plan which establishes targets and roadmaps for reducing energy and greenhouse gas emissions.

BEA 2021 | Healthy Workplace

COMMUNITY IMPACT (FOR PROFIT) 407 ETR

Highway 407 ETR is a 108-kilometre toll road and, prior to the pandemic, served over 500,000 commuters from Burlington to Pickering every work day. More than one quarter of all trips on 407 ETR started or ended along a Brampton interchange, which signifies the strong connection between 407 ETR and Brampton residents and businesses. In fact, nearly 10% of all 407 ETR trips are made by Brampton residents or businesses, ranking Brampton second among all cities in Ontario for most frequent use of Highway 407 ETR. Using Highway 407 ETR saves more than 30 million hours of driving every year, allowing more time for things that matter most and connecting people and businesses in a fast, safe and reliable way. Making life better for customers and surrounding communities is an important focus for the company. Despite the impact of COVID-19 on its traffic volumes, 407 ETR continued its support of Brampton Civic Hospital through its partnership with the William Osler Health System in 2020. The Company is also a regular sponsor of Brampton-based youth sport teams including the Brampton Minor Hockey Association, Brampton Minor Baseball Association, Brams United Girls Soccer Club, Muslim Youth Soccer League, Brampton Minor Basketball Association and Brampton Girls Softball Association.

Academy for First Aid and Safety of Brampton

Mr. Kien Hoang is a certified instructor and teaching supervisor with The Canadian Red Cross Society, and has a training partner agreement to deliver first aid, CPR, and basic life support courses as an contracted affiliate. Mr. Hoang is no stranger to the BEAs, having won the ‘Spirit of Innovation’ award in 2014 with his previous venture, Interforce International. His core business shifted to training in 2016-2017 and as of today, his company has three locations: Toronto, Vaughan, and Brampton. Kien Hoang currently employs and/or is partnered with 5 additional instructors and 1 administrative personnel to assist with bookings and general operations. The Academy for First Aid and Safety started in 2016, originating in Toronto, and expanded into Brampton in 2020 due to the increased demand of Brampton students who are seeking to get trained in first aid and CPR. Kien’s devotion to Brampton has never faded, and he looks forward to increasing his business presence in Peel Region. It is estimated that in 2019, he had trained roughly 1000 Brampton students on how to save a life, thus greatly increasing the chances of survival and care in the event of a medical episode. As Kien focuses his attention for business growth in Brampton, the community is also growing in terms of life saving skills.

BEA 2021 | Community Impact (For Prof it)

Clorox

The Clorox Canada head office is located in Brampton with a core Canadian business focusing on well-known brands such as Glad, Brita, and Cleaning (Clorox/ Pine-Sol). They produce Glad Waste/Food protection wraps in Orangeville and Brita Filters are produced in Brampton for North American distribution. The brand, which exhibits exceptional leadership, operates towards three main goals: 1. Be a leader in sustainability, with focus on plastic, waste reduction & science-based climate action. 2. Be a leader in responsible product stewardship and to enhance leadership through commitment to strong governance and ESG performance overseen by the board of directors. 3. Be a leader in cleaning and disinfecting - Clorox donated $1 million of disinfecting products to long-term care homes in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta early on in the pandemic to help keep homes clean and residents and staff safe. As this program grew, the company adapted to demands and turned their support towards the Long-Term Care sector. To help this group, they provided the Clorox Total 360 System and products to a number of facilities across Ontario including Tall Pines Long Term Care Centre in Brampton. In addition, Clorox Canada has donated over $100,000 to the William Osler Hospital since 2017 and during the early months of the pandemic, provided large donations of disinfectant products to the hospital. In anticipation of National Grandparents Day on September 13th, Clorox Canada launched the ‘Support With Strength’ program to help seniors in LTC homes feel safer, connected and more supported through this difficult time. As part of the program, Clorox worked with the Ontario government and AdvantAge Ontario to donate their Total 360 Electrostatic Spray Disinfection Systems to 25 LTC homes around the province.

BEA 2021 | Community Impact (For Prof it)

Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Limited

Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Limited is Brampton’s local bottler. They are an independent, family-owned business, with more than 5,700 employees coast-tocoast, and 1,400 within the community. Over the past year, they openly shared best practices related to COVID-19 protocols and practices with other businesses in Brampton through the participation in the Brampton Economic Recovery Task Force and membership in the Brampton Board of Trade. As a result of the input and collaboration with other industry-leaders, a pilot project on water and wastewater, which includes the manufacturing facility in Brampton, is expected to receive positive confirmation from the City. They also worked alongside Sheridan College’s Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Design Technologies, an organization similarly committed to actioning efforts that positively impact the local community in which it operates. Together, they were able to develop and manufacture 500 reusable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) face shields for food bank volunteers coast-tocoast. Coca-Cola Bottling has not only donated thousands of cases of product to organizations in need, but also provided financial support to those who need it most.

Inspirely Inc.

It is said that children are our future and Inspirely Education is working to ensure that this future is full of innovative problem solvers by providing a grassroots STEAM program for kids in grades 1 to 6. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts/Aerospace, and Math. The combination of these topic areas taught virtually by elite educators provides students with fun, innovative, and educational after-school programs. INSPIRELY after-school programs are designed to keep children engaged and help them build a solid educational foundation through hands-on engineering and invention-based projects, digital skills building and Saturday family events. Moreover, INSPIRELY programs help children develop confidence, trigger curiosity and promote family bonding through it’s unique ‘Inspirely Time’ events, which have occurred every Saturday since the beginning of Oct 2020. This 50-minute event is a virtual stay-at-home workshop where children and their parents/guardians work on fun topics of science, technology, engineering, career exploration, world culture etc. Each workshop has a hands-on project and/or trivia quiz which is fun, educational and fascinating. The existence of such programs are important for the local community – not only from the current pandemic situation perspective but beyond, as it inspires children to develop a positive ‘grit and growth’ mindset, thus helping build a healthy local community.

BEA 2021 | Community Impact (For Prof it)

Knowledge Bookstore

Knowledge Bookstore is a community-based bookstore that has been in operation since 1997 in downtown Brampton, and consists of 3 full-time staff and 2 parttime associates. In partnership with African Image Makers, Knowledge Bookstore has provided over $10,000 worth of scholarships to high school students going on to College or University. They are immensely proud to share that their first male scholarship recipient recently received his Ph.D. and is now a professor at Harvard University. Knowledge Bookstore has also collaborated with ‘For the Love of Ayiti (Haiti)’ and ‘Prospect Primary Alumni Association (Jamaica/Canada)’ over the last 20 years, providing funding and educational materials for primary schools in Haiti and Jamaica. In 2018 and 2019, Knowledge Bookstore was recognized as the ByBlacks People’s Choice Award recipient. Over the last 23 years, Knowledge Bookstore has attracted thousands of customers from Brampton and throughout Canada, the United States, England, the Caribbean, and South America. The bookstore has hosted historians, best-selling authors, musicians, and exceptionally talented youth. Knowledge Bookstore has also become a hub for young talent in the city of Brampton, mentoring new authors and providing them with an opportunity to have their book(s) on the shelves, providing the space for poets, spoken-word artists, and visual artists to share their work, offering mentorship to youth, and being a business where they can earn volunteer hours or acquire skills for their co-op program.

BEA 2021 | Community Impact (For Prof it)

Modo Yoga Brampton

Congratulations to all

2021 Business Excellence Award Winners

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INSURANCE BROKERAGE 36 Queen Street East, Suite 200 Brampton, ON, L6V 1A2

BEA 2021 | NOMINEES

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Nathaniel Hawron - Nat’s Robotics Academy

Nat Hawron launched Nat’s Robotics Academy in 2017, when he was only 13 years old. It is a company run ‘by kids for kids,’ where workshops teach programming and robotics, as well as math, physics, analytical and problem-solving skills. The business started out entertaining and educating kids at birthday parties, however, after winning second place at the 2017 Startup Weekend hosted by the City of Brampton, the Microsoft Store invited Nat and his team to deliver programming workshops at their Square One location in Mississauga. Since then, Nat and his team have delivered free monthly workshops from this location to kids in the surrounding area, teaching them the basics of programming robots using the Lego Mindstorms NXT platform. His business has remained small, employing half a dozen teenage trainers and the team works evenings and weekends when they are not at school. After all, they are still kids! Since launching, Nat’s Robotics Academy has published a website (www.natsroboticsacademy.ca), become active in various social media platforms, advertised in various online and print media, participated in tech fairs and fundraising events, provided paid and free workshops, and won a grant from the Summer Company hosted by the City of Brampton. The pandemic opened the door to new opportunities and the team pivoted by offering virtual private and public workshops worldwide. Besides private clients, Nat has teamed with organizations such as the Brampton Library to offer free workshops to kids in the community.

BEA 2021 | Community Impact (For Prof it)

Open for Business

Open for Business was created with three core pillars: connection, collaboration and community. The organization has created a culture that thrives on empowering the small business community and values creating meaningful relationships. This in turn builds synergy and social capital. To bolster confidence and help navigate through the first lockdown, Karen Perez developed the OFBB School of Success where she partnered up with industry experts to deliver masterclasses and workshops that help entrepreneurs add to their business skills toolkit. Open for Business Brampton launched online markets (vendor show/shopping experiences) while showcasing Brampton local artisans and small local businesses. Karen leveraged the community already built on Instagram to be able to provide those opportunities for entrepreneurs and local supports alike. Open for Business Hub is a social enterprise and is involved in many aspects of the community, giving back through numerous fundraising efforts and recently launched a new division of The Hub, focusing on the Latino demographic – helping connect many with valuable resources to help navigate entrepreneurship. Karen’s community outreach also includes mental health awareness and mindfulness, environmental cleanups in the community and BIPOC youth mentorship.

The best way to support a community is to be a part of it. At the heart of every community, you’ll find organizations fueled by committed people who are passionate about building a better future for us all. We are inspired by our friends at Brampton Board of Trade and are proud to support their Business Excellence Awards.

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Perpetual Bazaar

For well over 40 years, Perpetual Bazaar has been serving the community in a variety of ways. In addition to creating a destination for visitors looking for a unique, handmade item, Perpetual Bazaar serves as a social outlet for seniors in Brampton. While it initially started in 1974 by a women’s church group to sell handcrafted items like quilts, slippers, hats, scarves and more; Perpetual Bazaar currently has a huge variety of handmade items - often based on themes and holidays (including Canada Day products, cannabis themed masks and more). Somewhere along the road, it became a social enterprise that supported local seniors and helped them to earn some ‘pin money.’ The store now serves (pre-Covid) as a gathering place for Brampton’s seniors and a way to be a part of the Brampton community. Perpetual Bazaar is well known for participating in downtown Brampton events such as the annual Easter Egg Hunt, Halloween Trick-or-Treating and more. During COVID, the shop pivoted to incorporate online sales in a virtual marketplace and was one of the first stores in Downtown Brampton to sell masks - all made by seniors. Having a place to express creativity, foster community and participate in downtown Brampton activities provides a great outlet for the senior community. The store is run entirely by volunteers — also seniors, and people with disabilities — with an average age of 80.

BEA 2021 | Community Impact (For Prof it)

Pomp & Sass

Inspired and transformed by the birth of her daughter Fern, Nicky was inspired to be a positive influence in the world. For her, that meant pursuing her passion for entrepreneurship, and developing a beautiful product that is both functional and makes positive change. Her values of equality, supporting her community and self care are the foundations of Pomp & Sass. Pomp & Sass is proud to offer a luxury product that is useful, sustainable, ethically made with a built-in social mission, and with a portion of profits donated to support the UN Sustainable Development Goal of Good Health & Wellbeing. When you purchase a product through Pomp & Sass, you know you’re not just buying an incredible product — you’re supporting a better future for us all. The towels are made by a family company in Turkey that values the lives and safety of their workers and are paid fairly in a safe, clean environment with ethical working hours. OEKO-TEX certification ensures that production is free of any harmful chemicals and safe for human use. Pomp & Sass towels are plastic-free and take little water to clean. Packaging has been minimized with environmentally sustainable replacements used whenever possible. Their corporate structure also works to minimize their carbon footprint. Pomp & Sass listens, hears, sees, stands for and speaks out for equality. They are also actively working towards self-improvement, accountability and healing. The fundamental truth of equality is a guide to many of their decisions.

BEA 2021 | Community Impact (For Prof it)

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BEA 2021 | NOMINEES

Razor Creative

Razor Creative and CEO Roberto Carreiro is involved with the Brampton BIA, Brampton Economic Development Department and the Brampton Board of Trade — all organizations that work to promote collaboration in an effort to build stronger talent and business in Brampton. Razor Creative also supports the Brampton EcoDev Department’s mentoring program through co-op placements in an effort to promote the field of graphic design. Razor Creative is also heavily invested in the greater Brampton community and is proud to contribute and volunteer time and expertise to help make Brampton a stronger, thriving city by supporting three charities of choice - Sick Kids Foundation, Terry Fox Foundation and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peel (BBBSP). Not only has Razor Creative helped advance the BBBSP’s marketing to a new level, but they have also provided design support to BBBS agencies throughout Ontario. Moreover, Roberto continually donates his time and expertise as he believes strongly in the mission of the BBBSP agency and doing what he can to support the youth in Peel Region. Roberto actively participates in each of BBBSP’s fundraisers, is a member of their Gala committee, continually volunteers his time to help the agency navigate their way through new technology and always ensures they get the best quality and price for all print materials. The Razor Creative team genuinely cares about Brampton’s youth, puts a tremendous amount of thought and detail into every project, goes out of their way to assist in any projects or events to make sure that the BBBSP agency is successful, and always ensures deadlines are met. Currently, the entire Razor team is participating in the Tim Hortons Move for Kids’ Sake event which challenges organizations and individuals to get moving while supporting the mental health of young people in our community.

BEA 2021 | Community Impact (For Prof it)

Save Max Real Estate Inc.

Raman and his Save Max Real Estate team continue to find new ways to give back to the community. In 2020, Save Max Real Estate organized a fundraiser for William Osler and Trillium Health partners to help them during the critical time of COVID19 and donated a sum of $50,000. Additionally, the Save Max team very thoughtfully aimed to help others in the community and formed a food bank to serve more than 1,200 families in and outside Peel region. The shortage of food in our region was a serious concern and providing these meals went a long way to assist those who depend on meal support. In 2020, Save Max Real Estate entered into a naming rights agreement with the City of Brampton and will be providing a free drop-in basketball program for the youth in the community. The goal for this initiative is to provide Brampton youth with an opportunity to stay active while working on their teamwork skills. Save Max Real Estate believes that investing in recreational activities plays a big role in youth development by providing a healthy environment to grow. They were extremely happy and felt fortunate to be able to give back to the city in this way and it is their way of saying thank you to the community that continues to be a big part of their success. R

Real Estate Inc. Brokerage

BEA 2021 | Community Impact (For Prof it)

The Aura House

The Aura House got its start in July 2020 with the launch of ‘AuraFest’ — a free, 3-day virtual wellness event with 18 community yoga, meditation, pilates and dance classes. The studio was able to welcome people into the space at the beginning of August and since then has operated with the ebb and flow of pandemic closures and navigated the shift to online classes. They celebrated the end to an interesting first 6 months with the launch of a new App and virtual platform, and a Community Week of free virtual classes that had upwards of 30 people in each class. It was an exciting milestone to see so many people come together online and they look forward to the day they can see that many people in-studio! In 2021, they started offering weekly, free community classes through Instagram Live and their own virtual platform, in addition to regularly scheduled classes and workshops for its members. They also launched The Aura House Academy in February 2021 and look forward to welcoming in local and international guest speakers who can share the many wellness modalities that can deeply benefit the community. Community is essential to recovery and resilience and they hope to be a space of light, healing and discovery throughout 2021 and beyond.

BEA 2021 | Community Impact (For Prof it)

The Biz Mixer

The Biz Mixer is a business where entrepreneurs help entrepreneurs within the Peel Region and was started to provide a space where creatives, business owners and entrepreneurs can share what they do, learn from each other, and network with like-minded people. Prior to COVID, all programming was exclusively hosted at up-and-coming small businesses new to the entrepreneur ecosystem. Their goal is to showcase the Brampton ecosystem at every stage of programming. By bringing groups of entrepreneurs together consistently month after month, these business owners have been positively impacted through the development of new relationships and follow-up business through promotion and content creation in their spaces. Due to this vision of amplifying talent within Brampton and taking a concerted and conscious effort to showcase all the city has to offer, many members and attendees have experienced not only business growth and exposure, but most importantly, life-long friendships and relationships for personal and professional growth. During COVID, The Biz Mixer community took the experience virtual and had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with over 250 entrepreneurs globally, from as far as the United Kingdom, Jamaica, Belgium, Grenada, Tanzania, and the United States. The Biz Mixer highlighted the importance of technology, e-commerce and having an online presence through workshops, masterclasses, virtual live events and live community chats. Theyhave been able to witness collaborations and business being done locally as well as globally.

BEA 2021 | Community Impact (For Prof it)

Tracy Pepe, The Scented L’Air

The Scented L’air opened on June 1st, 2018 as a unique retail boutique located in downtown Brampton, employing three part-time employees and five contract employees. The bespoke studio highlights five Brampton-based woman-owned busineses and 18 Canadian brands featuring an Essential & Tea Bar, Brampton bees wax candles, SheaEssence Cosmetics, milled soaps, cleaning products, Indigenous and local artist works, loose leaf teas from Newfoundland, and gift ideas from Vancouver. This one-of-a-kind Canadian store represents Tracy’s passion for Canada — coast to coast. The highlight of the studio is to educate people on the use and connection of essential oils and mental health. Tracy Pepe is a published author and distinguished lecturer to a variety of organizations. Her recent TEDTALK highlights her work of 28 years regarding how the ‘nose knows’, her personal story with her son and how she discovered her super power — essential oils. This year, Tracy and her two children opened a non-profit organization MYnose offering SCENT Events to increase awareness about mental health. SmellingPink is their first festival inspired by Brampton’s very own Cherry Blossoms.

Toninos Pizzeria & Panini

Tonino’s Pizzeria & Panini is a local Brampton-based restaurant specializing in Italian cuisine. The restaurant is small business currently with 9 employees and owned by proprietor Danny Caloiero. The restaurant has been in operation since 2003 and is located at 10088 McLaughlin Rd in Brampton. Tonino’s has a long legacy of giving back to the community such as their support for skills training with local schools through the participation of co-op programs, where students in local high schools can complete their co-op term at Tonino’s, gaining valuable real-world skills in a work environment as part of their food and hospitality education. In addition to this, Tonino’s has been a sponsor for Million Dollar Smiles for the past 9 years — a charity that builds backyard playgrounds for children suffering from cancer. Tonino’s significant support for youth in Brampton has also made a large impact on the community, being the 3rd largest sponsor for soccer where they support Brampton Elite Soccer, the Brampton Soccer Club and Brams United Girls Soccer Club. To date, they have raised over $21,000 for these teams. During the pandemic, Toninos donated over 880 meals to frontline healthcare workers on two separate occasions in the spirit of community support.

BEA 2021 | Community Impact (For Prof it)

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Vivoplan Inc.

Vivoplan is a proud Brampton Start up that launched in December 2020 having created a unique app that allows people with nut allergies to find suitable food and products that are nut-free in their local geographic area, as well as specific bakeries that cater to their special dietary restrictions. The fact that anyone can find and feel safe when purchasing a nut-free product has allowed Vivoplan to connect with the Peel school boards to let staff, students and parents know that this invaluable service is available. To date, it has 500 downloads and subscribers on its platform and their mission is to help more than 30 million individuals and families suffering from nut allergies worldwide.

BEA 2021 | Community Impact (For Prof it)

BEA 2021 | Thank You

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