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Edmonton Chamber of Commerce
2023 Board of Directors
Board Executive
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Chair: Dennis R. Schmidt Principal, ALTURA Legal Advisory
Vice-Chair: Haydar Al Dahhan President and CEO, Design Works Engineering
Secretary-Treasurer: Jason Pincock CEO, DynaLIFE Medical Labs
Past Chair: Elan MacDonald Vice President (External Relations), University of Alberta
Jeffrey Sundquist President & CEO, Edmonton Chamber and World Trade Centre Edmonton
Board Directors
Nicole Bird Owner, Rsvp Design Inc.
Aziz Bootwala Managing Principal, Edmonton, Vice President, Business Development, Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd.
Nathan Carter Vice President, Projects and Construction, ATCO Energy Solutions
Jonathan Gallo Managing Partner, Gallo LLP Chartered Professional Accountants
Sandy Jacobson Vice President, Richardson Executive Search
Sam Kemble Chief Operating Officer, Workforce Delivery Inc.
Annemarie Petrov President and CEO, Francis Winspear Centre for Music
Amir Shami President and CEO, Rotaflow
Celia Wanderley Chief Customer Officer and Head of AltaML Invent, AltaML
Edmonton Chamber Executive
Cadence Bergman Director, Policy
Alexandra Hryciw Director, Strategy and External Affairs
Bobbi Elliott Executive Director, Finance and Operations
Amin Samji Director, Member Services
Contact
Edmonton Chamber of Commerce #600 World Trade Centre 9990 Jasper Ave, Edmonton, AB T5J 1P7 T: 780.426.4620 | F: 780.424.7946 edmontonchamber.com
Share your thoughts on business issues with the Edmonton Chamber at
policy@edmontonchamber.com
Jeffrey Sundquist, President & CEO
On behalf of the Board of Directors, the Chamber team, and our 1,700-plus member companies who collectively employ over 100,000 people in the Edmonton region, I am delighted to announce Teresa Spinelli, President of Italian Centre Shop, as the recipient of the 2023 Northern Lights Award of Distinction.
Teresa Spinelli’s story is one that touches on loss, perseverance and selfdetermination, leaving you feeling empowered.
As a young girl, Teresa had dreams of becoming a social worker or a counselor so that she could help others, a trait attributable to her mother and father Rina & Frank Spinelli. “My father was the heart of the community – the fact that he’d donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to this or to that wasn’t widely known, ever. What was widely known was how he’d help a guy in the community with his first mortgage payment because he was short, or how he would say ‘I heard your son is sick, here, take him this sandwich’” said Teresa.
“The more you give, the more you get” Frank used to say. Though suddenly inheriting the family business wasn’t a part of her original plan, she selflessly knew she had a duty to fulfil, not only in running the family business, but in giving back. 20 years later, the Italian Centre Shop now has 5 stores across two metropolitan cities, more than 600 employees and over 101 million dollars in sales.
Spinelli has a long running list of honors and awards ranging from the Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012, and most recently The Order of the Star of Italy, Italy’s version of the Order of Canada, for her work in promoting Italian foodstuffs and gastronomy in Canada. When asked what she thought her mother and father would be most proud of today, she said it wouldn’t be the growth of the business, instead the integrity and consistency on the development of the community that her and her team so passionately commits to every single day. That passion is exactly what led her to being the 2023 Northern Lights Award of Distinction recipient. This award honors individuals and organizations that have made a positive and lasting impact on our community. As a community leader, philanthropist, family matriarch and President of Italian Centre Shop, we recognize the exceptional leadership required to play such a pivotal role in the development of the community.
We are honored to present this award to the much deserving Teresa Spinelli for not only her story, but her undying commitment to the betterment of Little Italy and the impact she has within many different communities across Western Canada.
Municipal Budget Statement
Through written submissions and verbal presentations, the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, NAIOP Edmonton, BOMA Edmonton and Urban Development Institute –Edmonton Metro, have individually expressed ideas for Edmonton’s City Council to consider with respect to the proposed 4-year budget. The following joint statement represents a summary of their collective ideas and calls to action as Edmonton City Council begins budget deliberations. “This is an incredibly important time in our city’s future – we need to proceed with the utmost care and thoughtfulness,” said Jeffrey Sundquist, President and CEO of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce. “From what we have heard from both business and community leaders alike, the current proposed budget raises concerns in regards to both fiscal restraint and transformative projects. Many partners from across the city building spectrum are clear in their desire to see a more strategic budget.”
Kalen Anderson, Executive Director of the Urban Development Institute – Edmonton Metro, highlighted how the last four-year budget (2019-2022) was approved in a very different context. “Affordability is being eroded based on a wide variety of factors and businesses and households are struggling to keep up. The budget Edmonton approved this month needs to reflect that we are living in an even more volatile marketplace – decisions made today can severely impact Edmontonians, small business owners, and investors who are looking to make Edmonton their home in the future.” One way forward is to prioritize existing spending, said Anand Pye, Executive Director of NAIOP Edmonton. “Edmontonians and businesses have been clear that they don’t want significant tax increases. We’ve been working to identify ways to decrease spending so that we can keep up with new priorities.” Pye also notes that capital expenditures should consider market comparables for construction in the private sector and costing data from other public jurisdictions. “Some practical ideas include getting out of some lines of business and getting a better deal for large city capital projects.”
Speaking to why this matters, Lisa Baroldi, President and CEO, BOMA Edmonton notes that “small and medium-sized companies are the backbone of our economy. It is imperative that we can make investments that bolster and grow these businesses so that they can continue to employ Edmontonians and contribute to the economic and social fabric of our communities.” The following are key recommendations from Edmonton’s member-funded business organizations:
- Refine priorities - Allow for more flexibility - Focus on what cities do best - Keep taxes low
Refresh Botanicals
Member Profile
Dr. Jagvir Singh, CEO and President www.refreshbotanicals.com
What’s your story?
Refresh Botanicals™ is organically sourced, but we take it to the next level where our research in powerful bioactives allows us to zero in and take a look at specific botanical molecules that address very specific skincare concerns so that efficacy is never compromised. Refresh Botanicals formulations are intentionally made and offer a global perspective for skin care concerns. We know the value of tried-and-true skincare rituals across the world and combine them with scientifically backed research. We also know that alleviating everyday skincare concerns, regardless of what stage of life you are in, requires scientific evidence through research and the absence of parabens, gluten, petroleum by-products, animal by-products, artificial oils, alcohol and fragrances. Our natural, organic skincare allows you to refresh your routine with unequivocal vitamin and antioxidant support to relieve, restore and revitalize your skin.
What do you enjoy most about being a member of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce?
We LOVE the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce for many reasons and have really enjoyed getting to know the team there as well. Needless to say, the people are amazing! We are leveraging this local resource and it has been very beneficial. From networking, live events, workshops…. We even started exploring initial trade opportunities all from the comfort of our city. We feel the Chamber gives us relevant, professional, extended exposure that we would have not been able to gain easily, it’s a great fit.
What is one thing people are surprised to learn about your business?
How we have received so much support from the Edmonton business community and the valuable resources in our city. No longer do we need to look outside of the Edmonton area for high-quality manufacturing, consultants, strategic market assistance and raw material…… So much is located right here within our city.
Edmonton was the ideal spot to Head Quarter Swift Innovations/Refresh Botanicals as it is so diverse, and it is one of the best Business decisions we have made.
Who is your ideal client?
Our ideal client is looking to add exciting product lines to their retail shelves or professionally manufacture their products. There is so much to learn in this industry, let our team help guide you to success. From formulations, standard operating procedures, manufacturing, packaging, labeling and more…. We are your one-stop shop for cosmetics and skincare products.
What has been your biggest challenge in business, and how did you overcome it?
Growing past the local markets. It was unique for our Edmonton-based organization to produce world-class products that are poised for such rapid growth, across Canada and internationally. Refresh Botanicals is almost available in every Province across Canada now! We were able to show many relevant contacts and players in our industry that Edmonton-based companies can compete on the big stage with cities like Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto. We have also been able to penetrate the international skincare market and have launched in India with more to come.
What is your favorite thing to do in Edmonton?
There is so much we love about the city, however, the River Valley has stolen our hearts. When we need to take a break (mostly in the summer to clarify) many times we head there for some team building and to enjoy the beautiful scenery as well. Again, something world-class right here in Edmonton that we have added to our corporate life Recently we read a stat that our River Valley is 22 times larger than New York’s Central Park with over 150 km of foot, bike and cross-country trails that Edmontonian’s can access. To us, that is indeed world-class.
If you could make one substantial improvement to Edmonton’s business environment, what would it be?
Being such an innovative city, we are finding like-minded local companies all the time. Many of them have been in business for years and we are just hearing about them now. With all of these local entrepreneurs and established organizations in our city, it would be great to see an online directory/organization where we can support each other as we all grow together. Why not support local and grow our business community together?
Founders Jagvir Singh, Geeta Yadav and Sippy Kalra
