FCM Issue #11 Empower Us by Filipino Canadian Magazine

THREE PILLARS OF

COURAGE

7 Most Common

MISTAKES In

FAMILY And REAL ESTATE

Program Details

Inside

EMPOWER

US 2018 HENA QURESHI

Issue 11 Empower Us filcanmagazine.com

$7.99

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PROGRAM DETAILS November 17, 2018 Guests Will Be Indulged, Inspired, and Entertained Throughout the Entire Evening!

6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Registration/Check In Guests well be welcomed by a red carpet to be photographed in front of our media wall. While networking you will be treated to a delicious array of hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, coupled with music, a photo gallery, and a silent auction.

Drawing on her years of experience, her personal passion is developing our emerging generation of business leaders, inspiring them to take charge of their careers and make an impact. Valerie has mentored entry level to leadership roles on how to drive & manage change, navigate emotionally-charged conversations, and relate to the business world with integrity. She empowers her mentees to think creatively and strategically, reframe to see possibilities in adversity, build confidence and influence, and accomplish more than they thought possible.

Photo Gallery: Armand Flores, a local creative photographer and Founder of PROfolio Photography

In her keynote address, Create Your Own Reality, Valerie will share her strategies to build your mental agility, resilience, and positive perception to inspire you to overcome the barriers to creating your own success.

7:00 pm – 7:15 pm: Welcome Address and Short Video

8:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Inspirational Videos Highlighting the

Presentation on the “Little Sparrows Entrepreneurship Program” Welcome Address, Hena Qureshi, Founder, Green Sparrow Care Video Presentation, Ali Virk, Founder Studio V Photography Ali is an independent filmmaker and was chosen by the American based MarathonFoto to photograph the 2018 Scotiabank Calgary Marathon. He aslo won third place award at the 2016 Big Rock Film Festival for a short documentary. He was also an invited photographer for Cannes Film festival, and his work was featured in Screen Daily, Britain’s largest movie magazine.

7:15 pm – 7:45 pm: Keynote Speaker, Valeri Travis, VicePresident, Health and Benefits, AON Canada Valerie Travis is a Vice-President with Aon, a respected professional services firm providing risk, retirement, and health solutions around the globe. Through her 20+ year career, Valerie overcame personal & professional adversity to become a leader in Aon’s Health & Benefits practice, guiding recognized Canadian employers to sustainable strategies that align with who they are – or who they want to be – in supporting employees’ health & wellbeing. She is proud to hold the position of Vice-President in a traditionally male-led profession, while staying true to her values of leading by example, collaboration, recognition, compassion, respect, and authenticity. Valerie is known as a results-oriented leader who loves & takes pride in what she does, and brings infectious energy and laughter to the too-serious business world.

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Stories of the 12 Agents of Change Hear about the diverse range of obstacles and challenges these women have faced both professionally and personally. How they overcame their adversity and transformed their weakness and choices into desired actions, outcomes, and strength. These powerful stories will inspire and empower the next generation! Video Presentation, Ali Virk, Founder Studio V Photography

8:15 pm – 9:45 pm: A Panel Discussion with the 12 Agents of Change Panel Host: Frederick Montilla, EPC Investment Advisor, Harbourfront Wealth Management Fred is an accomplished Tax Strategist, Investment Advisor and is also Insurance Licensed. As the founder, leader and visionary of Montilla Wealth Management, Fred is passionate about making elite financial strategies accessible to everyone. Fred has grown his practice from just himself, investing all of his time, energy and money back into his business. Today, Fred leads a prestige multimillion dollar practice with 2 equally dedicated professionals, has gained the trust of hundreds of families in Canada who entrust him with tens of millions of dollars and invests his time and money back into his community and in the Philippines where he adopted 62 under-privileged children and sponsored the building of a new children’s hospital.

9:45 pm – 10:00 pm: Final Remarks Hena Qureshi, Founder, Green Sparrow Care

10:00 pm – 12:00 am: DJ and Open Dance Floor

DIAMOND SPONSORS

KannaVolve

KannaVolve is a team of compassionate physicians and researchers dedicated to improving the health outcomes of the community, by establishing a medical cannabis educational and research center to develop safe practice recommendations for medical cannabis use, and to enhance medical cannabis knowledge for healthcare providers, patients, and the general public. Currently, there is a lack in research, educational resources and support systems within the community. Education and research are the fundamental keys to understanding the use of medical cannabis, and to help evolve future cannabis knowledge and implications. KannaVolve helps address this gap by providing clinical experience, and evidence-based educational support for corporate organizations, patients, healthcare providers and the general public. We cover a range of topics including, occupational, clinical efficacy, safety, and more. To learn more information please visit www.KannaVolve.com.

Frederick Montilla

Fred is an accomplished Tax Strategist, Investment Advisor and is also Insurance Licensed. As the founder, leader and visionary of Montilla Wealth Management, Fred is passionate about making elite financial strategies accessible to everyone. Fred’s story is one that resonates and inspires all who hears it. In 2002, he was working as a Pizza Delivery boy in Montreal when he was introduced to join a financial services industry. Deciding to bet on himself, he committed to working as hard and often as needed to be successful. He took several financial courses, licenses and certifications available to him including the Elderly Planning Course (EPC), Canadian Securities Course (CSC) and The Conduct and Practices Handbook (CPH); expanded his knowledge, grew his understanding and developed his own concepts. He was quickly recognized as one of the fastest up and coming Financial Professionals in the organization. When Fred moved to Calgary in 2007, his practice took off, his entrepreneurial motivations, hard-working attitude and out-of-the-box thinking fit nicely with the Calgary Spirit. At his previous dealer, Fred and his team have been the recipients of numerous accolades through years of dedicated practice, including: • Most Referred Consultant, 2008, 2009 • Highest Retained Clients Asset Base, 2013 • Greatest Year-Over-Year Growth in Client Assets, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 • President’s Club Awardee 2013, 2014 • Highest External Assets Gathered 2013, 2014, 2015 • Highest Risk Management Leader 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 • Member of the Million Dollar Round Table Fred has grown his practice from just himself, investing all of his time, energy and money back into his business. Today, Fred leads a prestige multi-million dollar practice with 2 equally dedicated professionals, has gained the trust of hundreds of families in Canada who entrust him with tens of millions of dollars and invests his time and money back into his community and in the Philippines where he adopted 62 under-privileged children and sponsored the building of a new children’s hospital. What is perhaps most admirable about Fred is his continued humility through all of his success. When asked, he attributes his wealth to aligning himself with great people and always making business decisions that support his personal beliefs. To Fred, that means that his wealth will be acquired by being kind hearted and open minded, first and foremost. | FCM | filcanmagazine.com | Special Issue: Empower Us | 2018 |

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FCM THE TEAM

Hena Qureshi

Jessica Dirom

Jackie Cooney

Ania Basak

CONTRIBUTORS FOR THIS ISSUE | Abel Pagaling, Francis Akinnuoye, Hena Qureshi, Jackie Cooney, Jessica Dirom, Ania Basak, Maeghen Cotterill, Monica Kretschmer, Monika Assef, Lourdes Lugue, Jordan Guildford, Karen Fellowes, Michelle Edge, Esmahan Razavi Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in FCM are not necessarily the views of the publisher. To submit an article to FCM, Email: info@filcanmagazine.com.

FCM - Canada’s Multicultural Magazine FICA MEDIA INC. 207, 264 Midpark Way SE, Calgary, Alberta Canada T2X 1J6 Toll free: 1-888-844-1633 www.filcanmagazine.com info@filcanmagazine.com Facebook: facebook/filcanmagazine Twitter: @filcanmagazine Instagram: @filcanmagazine CEO | Abel Pagaling COO | Eric Cordero EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATOR | Vicky Cordero SOCIAL MEDIA ADMINISTRATOR | Annabelle Pagaling FINANCE DIRECTOR | Juvanie Cabbab Bowen

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Phone: 1-888-844-1633 advertise@filcanmagazine.com SUBSCRIPTIONS To subscribe, email: info@filcanmagazine.com Written consent must be obtained from the publisher to reproduce any of the contents.

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CONTENTS 13. 14. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30.

The Three Pillars of Courage Empower Us 2018 Gala Hena Qureshi Jackie Cooney Jessica Dirom Ania Basak Maeghen Cotterill Monica Kretschmer Monika Assef Lourdes Lugue Jordan Guildford Karen Fellowes Michelle Edge Esmahan Razavi The 7 Most Common Mistakes I’ve witnessed in Family and Real Estate Law…

Maeghen Cotterill

Monica Kretschmer

Monika Assef

Lourdes Lugue

Jordan Guildford

Karen Fellowes

Michelle Edge

Esmahan Razavi

Photo: Profolio Photography

Francis Akinnuoye

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You want to make an impact on others You want to discover and fulfill your mission in life You want to live to your full potential You want to take action towards your goals You want to learn how to leverage your relationships You want to achieve your SUCCESS in life, career, or business You do not want to waste any more of your time

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FROM THE EDITOR

THE THREE PILLARS OF COURAGE By Abel Pagaling

ow do you define courage? Is it being bold and facing situations that an average person might want to avoid such as an accident, a medical emergency, rescuing a person from harm, or protecting someone from a physical attack? Is it standing up to someone who is wealthier or more influential than you? Or is it facing the person – a relative, a boss, a co-worker – who behave in a way that is contrary to your beliefs? Whatever the situation might be, how you act when confronted with difficult situations will test your level of courage.

Another individual I know became very successful in the engineering field even though she started at a disadvantage - culture, gender, visible minority, English as a second language to name a few. But because she wants her children to have a better life, she has something to live FOR and was willing to go through the challenges, persevere, and ultimately reach her goal of becoming a professional engineer

In my work as a coach and a publisher, I’ve come across individuals who are courageous. They faced one life challenge after another, overcame the challenges, and moved forward in life. They became stronger with every problem they successfully handled. They share common “pillars of courage” as I call it. These pillars allow them to face challenges and become better people because of it.

The last pillar that courageous people have is something to look forward to. They have a “vision” they want to achieve and will do what it takes to achieve their vision. They courageously face challenges.

Pillar #1: Something to LIVE BY Courageous people have something to live by. They have values and principles they use to direct their behavior. They have a code of conduct that guides their belief, which then guides their actions. A gentleman I know has deep-rooted Christian values. He lives by his values which allows him to resists negative pressures from his peers, friends, and coworkers.

Pillar #2: Something to LIVE FOR Courageous people have something to live for. They have a “reason” they are committed to and will do what it takes to live for their reason. It could be their children, their parents, or their community. For people with something to live for, failure is not an option.

Pillar #3: Something to LOOK FORWARD TO

A good friend of mine in Calgary has a vision for the Filipino community that is collaborative, cohesive, and prosperous. He formed an organization that highlights successful Filipinos in Calgary and has put out platforms to encourage dialogue on the challenges that the community struggles with. He did all this while facing criticism and objections from established groups, facing struggles within his own family, and overcoming skepticism from pessimistic individuals in the community. We can never fully define or measure the depth of courage of a person, but through their actions, we can draw inspiration from it. And if we have one of these three pillars – something to live for, to live by, and to look forward to, I believe we can all be courageous. _____________________________________________ Abel Pagaling is the co-publisher of FCM. He is the founder of Next Level Coach. You can reach him at abel.pagaling@nextlevelcoach.net

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Photo: Profolio Photography

Empower Us 2018 Gala

welve inspirational and successful business-minded Calgarian women with diverse backgrounds from non-profit organizations to private industry will be featured at the gala. They are recipients of an “Agents of Change” award. These women have not only overcome adversity, and are running a successful business/non-profit organization, but have also become agents of change, proactively helping to create a healthy community. These women did not achieve success overnight. It was a gradual process through supportive networks and resources that they were able to increase their capacity to make choices and transform those choices into desired actions and outcomes. These resources and networks encouraged innovation and creativity in these women, and now they want to pass on those knowledge and skills to the next generation. All proceeds of the event will be going towards the non-profit organization Green Sparrow Care’s project “Little Sparrows Entrepreneurship Program”. The “Little Sparrows Entrepreneurship Program” provides the tools and resources needed to encourage an entrepreneurial spirit in children. Children are encouraged to generate creative viable sustainable business solutions to address socio-economic issues in Canada and abroad. The program will foster an entrepreneurial thinking culture, provide the opportunity for students to apply their knowledge in a practical setting, and engage in social giving. The successful pilot program took place with a Grade 2 class at Sturgeon Heights School, and is now seeking funding to expand to more classrooms both in Calgary and Edmonton. The Empower Us Gala will highlight the stories of these 12 “Agents of Change” women, engage the women in a panel discussion, provide a networking opportunity, and a chance to win a mentorship time with each woman in a silent auction. Wear formal black or white attire at the event, be entertained by music, and an art show hosted by Armand Flores, founder of PROfolio Photography. In addition enjoy food, cocktails, and raffle draw.

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Empower Us

Photo: Profolio Photography

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2018 Gala

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Hena Qureshi Manager HEOR, Innomar Strategies Founder, Green Sparrow Care Co-Founder, KannaVolve

ena Qureshi is a health economist who recently graduated from the University of Calgary with a MSc on a full scholarship awarded from the SVARE Chair in Health Economics. In addition, she has a BSc in Biological Sciences, and a BA in Economics. Currently, she is working at Innomar Strategies on the Health Economics and Outcomes Research consulting team. Her role is to help improve patient access to medications, and is involved in creating the clinical and economic pharmaceutical drug submission dossiers for CADTH, pCODR, and private payers. Hena is a daughter of immigrant parents. From a young age her parents instilled the values of hard-work, social-giving and being strong and independent minded. Growing up she was constantly challenged and encouraged to use her creative power and skills to accomplish tasks on her own, and to overcome challenges. She realized knowledge from education was a powerful tool to create change and provide herself with opportunities to develop both personally and professionally. Her success in life has in large part been determined by her ability to acquire knowledge and skill, and to transform them into individual strength and prosperity. Now she is focused on translating those skills and knowledge to empower others. She believes the best way to help someone is to provide them with the necessary tools and resources to help them help themselves. Hena believes that supporting people to take agency over their own situation leads to a sense of empowerment that helps transform their lives and their communities. Being a strong proponent of diversity, inclusion, and community development, led her to found the non-profit organization Green Sparrow Care. Her work there has included implementing a CPR and First Aid program, providing education and basic necessities for orphaned girls, and teaching entrepreneurship to elementary students to inspire creativity and innovation. Her work here has led her to being honoured as one of the 6th Annual Top 30 Under 30, by the Alberta Council for Global Cooperation along with multiple other awards.

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Photo: Profolio Photography

Hena is also very passionate about public health work, and using evidence based research to inform and improve public health decision-making through a systematic and objective approach. Research has encouraged her to think critically, and creatively to deal effectively with problems for which there are no textbook solutions. Currently, Hena is interested in understanding the role medical cannabis plays in improving the quality of life for patients and the economic value. In the Canadian environment there is a lack in medical cannabis research, educational resources, and support systems for patients, healthcare providers, and the general public. Education and research are the fundamental keys to understanding efficacy, the social and economic impact, safety and harm of cannabis use. Given this gap, she co-founded KannaVolve with a group of physicians and healthcare providers with the goal to educate the community on various cannabis related topics to create awareness, understanding and support for individuals. With KannaVolve she is not only actively involved in knowledge translation, of clinical and evidence based research to educate and engage the intergenerational public, but is also generating new evidence and research from the evolving cannabis culture.

Photo: Profolio Photography

Jackie Cooney Founder, 4HireFitness Creator, Canada’s Top Fitness Trainer Volunteer Director, Calgary Marathon

ackie Cooney has been in the fitness and recreation industry for over twenty years, being fortunate to have managed and worked with amazing teams throughout Calgary. She has made it her mission to provide growth opportunities for personal trainers, nutritionists, coaches and fitness instructors so they can be sustainable in a highly competitive, unregulated industry.

Some of Jackie’s personal achievements include running marathons and triathlons. She has also won two world power-lifting titles, and competed as a Canadian bobsleigh athlete on the Americas Cup women’s team. She is a former Lululemon ambassador, and was a guest trainer on the Canadian TV series X-Weighted. She has written for two magazines: IMPACT and Outdoor Living.

Creating programs such as Pure Strength, Lose To Win, The PUSH, and Canada’s Top Fitness Trainer has allowed her to promote fitness professionals and connect them with new clients. Her company focus and passion is to connect the most qualified fitness trainers in the community.

Jackie has a great interest in women’s health and wellness. She is a certified personal trainer, Pilates and yoga instructor, and strength and conditioning coach. She says her greatest achievement so far is raising her three beautiful daughters, who inspire her every day. 4Hire Fitness recruits, promotes, and connects the community with the most qualified fitness professionals in Canada

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Jessica Dirom Regional Director, Philanthropy, Prairies Region, Canadian Cancer Society Founder, Fashion Calgary Portrait Campaign

essica Dirom is the Regional Director, Fund Development, Philanthropy with the Canadian Cancer Society. Originally from Ontario, she moved to Alberta in 2000 and is currently pursuing a degree in Business.

Jessica is a fundraising professional with over 15 years of experience. As an accomplished fundraiser she has raised more than ten million dollars towards improving Calgary healthcare. She excels at managing projects and building community relationships. Jessica has partnered with multiple companies, sponsors and individual event organizers to aid in the execution of hundreds of annual fundraising events. Jessica grew up in a small town in Northern Ontario. Her parents had great success with clothing store and fashion enterprises until the recession in the 80s. The family then moved to a farm on the outskirts of the city. When she was sixteen, her father gave her a choice, work two jobs, or work on the farm for the summer. Jessica chose the former, obtaining a job at Forestry Canada during the day and serving at night. She graduated high school with honours and received a scholarship in Sociology at Guelph University. After three years at Guelph University, Jessica’s brother gave her the opportunity to come live with him in Calgary, which she accepted, and switched to the University of Calgary to continue her studies. Unfortunately, attempting to stumble through multiple hurdles in the quest to academically transfer provinces, she realized she was tired of struggling for a degree she had no interest in, and decided it was not the right time to continue with university. After working various serving jobs, becoming more and more unsatisfied with her life path, she began doing data entry at the Calgary Health Trust. She was determined to learn more than data entry and took on additional projects as well as volunteering for tasks to better understand the basis of fundraising. Through networking, Jessica was offered a full time position as a fundraiser at the Foothills Medical Centre. After years of working with a variety of donors and stakeholders she found a niche in community events and

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Photo: Profolio Photography

partnerships. She asked the Trust to award her a position that she had created for herself, and they agreed. She continued to take on additional tasks, like managing AGLC and the internal lottery. She built relationships, provide new services, and created a portfolio which raised one million dollars each year. Jessica was encouraged by a former boss to apply for a management position at the Alberta Cancer Foundation. She was hired, soon managing her own team and overseeing over 200 events in Southern Alberta. Jessica reminisces that she had to figure out how to be a leader, as she had no prior management experience. She did a lot of research on her own, but during this time in her life realized that this was the time she did need a degree. She was accepted into the Business Administration program at Yorkville. Her next career step was to accept a Senior Director’s position at the Canadian Cancer Society, and she took on this challenge. She is so happy that her career has allowed her to make others feel “great” about what they do to support their communities. She aspires to emulate kindness in others, and ensure it is paid forward. She claims her “greatest” achievements are not her own, but of those provided to her by the inspirational people she has the pleasure of working with each day.

Ania Basak President and Co-founder, Fashion Calgary Founder, Fashion Calgary Portrait Campaign Media Personality Makeup Artist/Image Consultant/ Personal Shopping Assistant

nia Basak is one of the most influential women in the fashion and beauty industry in the province of Alberta – arriving just over 10 years ago from Poland – and now proudly Canadian.

She is President and Co-Founder of Fashion Calgary, a makeup artist, image consultant, and personal shopping assistant. During her time in Calgary, her accomplishments include being the Beauty Ambassador for Giorgio Armani, Beauty Advisor for Yves Saint Laurent, and Education/Training Coordinator and PR/Media Representative for the Guerlain Paris Canada in Alberta region. Ania received her certified makeup artist training from Maestro Image Academy in Poland, which gave her the opportunity to accept the position of Regional Makeup Artist for Christian Dior in 2013. Ania is an academic graduate both from music school(piano performance)as well as she finished her MBA in Law and Administration at the University of Poland with the Prime Minister scholarship. She has also been the recipient of numerous music and educational scholarships over the years of studying. One of Ania’s biggest accomplishments is co-founding the Fashion Calgary Portrait Campaign that started in 2012. This campaign began when Calgary was chosen as the cultural capital of Canada; featuring the top twenty-five Cultural Ambassadors who were shaping the cultural scene of the city of Calgary, the province of Alberta and the country of Canada. After a successful first campaign year, bringing into spotlight the important aspect of “Giving Back”, Ania linked the campaign with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, raising funds for their non-profit organization Musical Camps for Kids for the first two years of the campaign. In 2015, she created a partnership with the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation to raise awareness and funds for the brain health division. The campaign and gala event was in memory of her younger brother, who passed away at the age 15 from a brain tumour. In 2016 and 2017 she decided to use her project to support a smaller, local, non-profit organization focusing on fighting cancer among kids. She partnered with the Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta, raising awareness and funds for the organization. Ania believes in sharing and empowering – and that is often recognized by being invited to speak at numerous galas, gatherings,

Photo: Profolio Photography

public speaking engagements. She was a Guest Speaker at BPW (Business Professional Women) Calgary Chapter, where she was invited to share her story and empower women. She was the only Canadian representing both Canada and Europe at New Jersey Fashion Week. In 2016 she was a representative at the biggest fashion expo in Poland, promoting Canadian fashion designers. Both in 2017 and 2018 she was invited as Blogger and Media Guest by Medavita – the Italian premium hair brand –to join the at the Cosmoproof Worldwide Bologna. Ania strongly believes in “giving back” and has proudly volunteered at the YMCA for over six years, and Bikram Hot Yoga for three years. One of Ania’s biggest accomplishments is surely becoming a Mom – in 2015 – to her boy – Olivier Adam, while still working full time and continuing to highlight the City of Calgary. Ania promotes and inspires individuals, as well as organizations, to be and feel their absolute best! From her initial evaluation, to a complete image makeover, her mission is to help each individual define and refine their image in accordance with their unique personality, lifestyle and aspirations.

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Maeghen Cotterill Owner, 5 Elements Martial Arts Team Canada President, Ringsports Co-president, Matsport World Kickboxing and Karate Union (WKU)

aeghen Cotterill is thirty-eight years old, but has already had thirty plus years of training in martial arts. She has a fifth degree black belt in shotokan karate, and a first degree black belt in kickboxing, muay thai and WTF taekwondo. She has a brown sash in kung fu, and has been awarded eleven world championship gold medals. Maeghen has taken her martial arts training and turned it into an extremely successful career. She is now the owner, head instructor, and head coach of 5 Elements Martial Arts in Calgary, where over one thousand students are training in more than seven different styles of martial arts. Her studio (dojo) is one of the largest stand-alone dojo’s in Canada. Along with her successful martial arts business she is WKU Team Canada president of Ringsports, and WKU Team Canada co-president of Matsport. Maeghen has been awarded one of the titles in the prestigious ‘Top 40 Under 40’ for Avenue Magazine because of training and teaching a large amount of autistic students. She has also received an award from the Prime Minister of Canada in recognition of positive contributions to the community. Multiple other accomplishments include national and international referee and team Canada coach, motivational speaker, corporate keynote speaker, self defense and anti-bullying educator, corporate health and wellness coach, personal fitness trainer, Canadian Cancer Society fundraising gala board member, and ambassador for Gems for Gems which works in Canadian women’s shelters for victims of domestic violence.

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Photo: Profolio Photography

Maeghen is also responsible for leading the International Woman in Martial Arts Initiative – in partnership with WKU World. This initiative is focused on empowering, supporting, encouraging, developing and providing equal opportunities to women in martial arts, while encouraging new women into the sport. As Maeghen is working with the team Canada schools as well as woman’s charities, the initiative would encourage the education of these community women (and men) to be more welcoming and inclusive, and less intimidated by martial arts schools and classes. It would provide more confidence and awareness for people in negative situations, show value in training, help others become a black belt, and provide opportunities for competition. The initiative would also present possibilities for others to own a dojo, and provide woman-to-woman support, showing the girls and ladies how strong and capable they are of achieving any goal they set their minds on.

Photo: Profolio Photography

Monica Kretschmer Founder, Canadian Business Chicks

onica Kretschmer is the founder and CEO of Canadian Business Chicks, Women of Inspiration Awards, and SupportHER. She is also founder of The Nest Foundation.

Monica is a native Calgarian, and entrepreneur at heart, with a passion for building authentic connections and empowering women. She embraces life with courage, confidence, commitment and integrity. Monica’s mission is to inspire women to lead with a purpose and prosper in business and life. Monica is an inspirational speaker, visionary, master connector, and disruptor, with an abundance of energy, and passion for making a difference in the lives of others. She was given the title of 2013 Alberta Flood Hero by the Premier of Alberta, 2017 Women Build Ambassador, and Women of Influence nominee. Monica has been featured on CTV, Global News, Alberta Primetime, Stand Out Publications, Metro News, and the Calgary Herald. Monica stepped into power as a woman and mother through adversity. She believes challenges are gifts and anything is possible

with a positive mindset, supportive network, and belief in one’s abilities. Since launching Canadian Business Chicks in May 2014, Monica has broken traditional barriers and silos by embracing collaboration and diversity. In four short years, Monica has built a recognizable brand across Canada and spearheaded partnerships with government agencies, non-profits, venture capitalists, and women’s organizations. In 2015, Monica launched Women of Inspiration Awards to recognize women across Canada who lead by example and inspire others to be more and do more. Monica’s big juicy vision is to grow Canadian Business Chicks nationally and Women of Inspiration globally. Monica is a proud single mom to her young son, loves to travel, advocates for women, and pays it forward in the community. Monica believes when women succeed families succeed. Every woman has a story, and together she believes women can move mountains to make an impact in their local communities and around the globe.

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Photo: Profolio Photography

Monika Assef Founder, Glam and Beyond Professional, Certified Makeup Artist

onika Assef is a professional, certified makeup artist and beauty product expert from Calgary, Alberta. She obtained her Pro Makeup Artist certificate from the prestigious French makeup artistry school “Sophie Lecomte” in 2000. In the same year, she also completed a marketing degree from Warsaw School of Economics.Monika was born in Poland and immigrated to Canada in 2001. She is a devoted wife and a mother of four beautiful children. Monika worked as a MAC Pro artist and started freelancing in Calgary. Her outgoing personality, skillful application and artistic eye quickly earned her a loyal clientele. In 2012, Monika decided to follow her dream, and opened Glam and Beyond, a makeup artistry and hair design company based in Calgary. Running a company, while juggling a busy family life, was not an easy task. She faced many challenges, but her dedication, passion and work ethic allowed her to face and overcome these challenges. Since 2012, Glam and Beyond has grown into a successful business, and Monika is one of the most highly sought out make-up artists in Calgary.

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Monika often volunteers her services to charity organizations like Beauty Response To Cancer and Fashion Calgary-Kids Cancer Care. Monika’s work is regularly featured on CTV Calgary, where she showcases the latest seasonal makeup trends, as well as Global TV presenting Special Occasion Makeup. Monika is a passionate and experienced professional who loves what she does, and takes great pride in her work. She has worked with hundreds of clients over the course of her career in the beauty industry. Monika caters her makeup services to women and men of all ethnic backgrounds. She has developed a very successful business around the Calgary bridal industry, as well as commercial bookings. Her makeup art has been published in many fashion magazines both national and international. She prides herself in offering excellent customer service and her exceptional attention to detail. Throughout the years, as a makeup artist, Monika has built long-lasting friendships with her clients. Making others look and feel amazing is her mission at Glam and Beyond.

Lourdes Lugue Instructor, University of Calgary Senior Process Engineer, APTES Engineering Corp. P Eng, MSc, Private Consultant

ourdes Lugue is a professional engineer, who spent most time of her career, managing projects dealing with the protection of the environment, in particular, the treatment of very polluted wastewater and the management of garbage. She also is a passionate teacher. As a young engineering graduate, she earned her first job as a teacher at University of Santo Tomas teaching engineering subjects . To date, she is continuing this passion to educate people as an instructor at the University of Calgary’s Continuing Education Programs. Lourdes was born in the Philippines, and graduated as a Civil Engineer, and then pursued another degree to be an Environmental Engineer. It was the later degree that made her focus in the field of environmental sciences to which she took up further studies earning a Masters Degree in Environmental Sanitation at the State University of Gent in Belgium. After many years of working as Process Engineer in the Philippines, she decided to migrate to Canada (having visited this country before and appreciated what Canada has to offer for the future of her children). As any immigrant to a new country, struggles are imminent… from adjusting to the weather to dealing with marital life, to securing a job in line with your education and experience, etc. For 6 years living in Toronto, Lourdes had met the most difficult and trying times of her life ….tests that could easily defeat any will power of an educated immigrant towards surviving. In order to provide for her family and make ends meet, she worked a range of jobs, including working as a customer service representative at Future Shop, as a Food Service staff at Toronto East General Hospital, and as a private tutor. Behind all these challenges, she remained steadfast and determined to get back to where she wanted to be… to practice as a Professional Engineer in Canada. To achieve

Photo: Profolio Photography

this, she moved to Calgary, Alberta in 2007- this time, she was a single mother with two young children to support. She initially worked as a Diet Secretary cum Food Service staff at Alberta Children’s Hospital for almost a year, then she landed a job as an operator for City of Calgary’s water treatment facilities. She continued to work hard on getting her designation as Professional Engineer from APEGA, where finally received the designation in 2010. Shortly after that, she was offered a position to lead an exciting project on treating the leachate or “garbage juice” from the City’s landfills. This project had earned her a prestigious award from APEGA, the 2016 Environment and Sustainability Award. To date, Lourdes left her City job as a Senior Engineer but is continuing to direct her goals towards working in ASIA as a private consultant. She is currently the Lead Process Engineer of APTES Engineering Corp, a firm dealing with multi-million dollars projects on municipal wastewater treatment. She is also a proud mother of a young son working as a commercial pilot and a daughter who is currently in Japan working as an engineering intern.

| FCM | filcanmagazine.com | Special Issue: Empower Us | 2018 |

Photo: Profolio Photography

Jordan Guildford

CEO and Founder, Gem for Gems

ordan Guildford come’s from the small town of Scott’s Bay in Nova Scotia where she was raised with her sister and brother on a small hobby farm consisting of sheep, ducks and horses. Growing up food, hot water and other essentials items were often a luxury. Despite all they endured, they acquired valuable pillars upon which our lives were governed; humility, kindness and compassion, truth, honor and courage. These are the principles by which Jordan continues to live her life, and are the foundation for Gems for Gems.Humility: Jordan has been committed to the concept of doing good, not for the recognition it acquires but for the satisfaction of the act itself. Mathew 6:3 “But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what the right hand doeth.” Gems for Gems was founded on this concept. The growth of Gems for Gems has brought more notoriety; however, the importance of humble giving is maintained through the collaborative efforts and execution of both the ‘Christmas Jewelry Drive’ and ‘Zero to Hero’ events. These private events are geared exclusively towards women in shelters without public attendance or press. Kindness and Compassion: It is of utmost importance that Kindness and Compassion be at the forefront of all of Jordan’s ventures, decisions and collaborative efforts both personally and professionally. Truth: Who are you if you can’t be trusted? Honour and Courage: Jordan feels that honour and courage should drive any ethically aware company. Unfortunately, these principles are often lost in the pursuit of growth and greed or in the face of desperation. Acting with honour and making courageous decisions, when tackling difficult situations is how we ensure we can grow while maintaining our humility, kindness, compassion and truth. Gems for Gems and Jordan remain true to these pillars; rising above all expectations due to a dedicated belief and assistance from a strong community of like-minded, compassionate people. Jordan continues to remain incredibly grateful for all the faith and support she and Gems for Gems have received.

| FCM | filcanmagazine.com | Special Issue: Empower Us| 2018 |

Photo: Profolio Photography

Karen Fellowes

Counsel, DLA Piper (Canada) LLP Canadian Director, International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation

aren is a powerful corporate lawyer and a passionate advocate for women’s rights in Canada and abroad. Karen has practiced law for over 20 years with some of Canada’s top law firms. Born and raised in Winnipeg, she attended the University of Manitoba and the University of Western Ontario, where she attained the top marks in her law school class, and graduated summa cum laude with many academic awards. Karen practiced on Bay Street in Toronto for several years, and then found her way back to Western Canada, settling in Calgary where she and her husband raised their two sons. Specializing in corporate restructuring and personal bankruptcies, Karen is counsel with DLA Piper, one of the world’s largest global law firms, with over 4,000 lawyers in over 40 countries. Karen is a recognized expert on insolvency law, and is a frequent speaker and author on those topics. In 2011, Karen helped found the Western Canada network of IWIRC (International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation), a group dedicated to the promotion and advancement of women in the insolvency profession. Karen is currently the Canada Director for IWIRC, and in 2017 received the Fetner Award for outstanding international member. She was also a finalist for a WILL Award (Women in Law Leadership) in the category of Leadership in Private Practice, and has participated in many mentoring programs, both

formal and informal, including acting as principal for foreign trained articling students from Nigeria. In 2017, Karen travelled to Kathmandu, Nepal to provide legal training to a group of women lawyers, in conjunction with New Perimeter and the Nepal Bar Association. Women lawyers in Nepal make up a small fraction of the practicing Bar, and rarely get opportunities to work in corporate law. Karen was thrilled to be part of an international team dedicated to a multi-year project giving hands-on training and skill development. Karen is also passionate about providing Pro Bono legal services as a means to increase access to justice. In 2017, she received a volunteer recognition award for her work on a project providing free legal services at the Courthouse, and in 2018, she joined the Board of Pro Bono Law Alberta. In October 2018, she will be participating in a global team travelling to Peru to raise money for UNICEF’s child justice programs. “I believe that people want what they can see” says Karen. “Young women have to be able to see women rise to and maintain leadership positions – it’s not enough to fill the pipeline at the junior level. Female empowerment needs to be viewed as a group sport — we are stronger together.”

| FCM | filcanmagazine.com | Special Issue: Empower Us | 2018 |

Photo: Profolio Photography

Michelle Edge Co-Founder & CCO, Energy Disruptors

ichelle Edge is the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of the Energy Disruptors Movement Inc., an initiative which aims to solve the world’s biggest energy challenges by uniting the entire spectrum of the energy industry through the principles of collaboration, innovation, and acceleration. Michelle’s underlying passion for the initiative stems from her desire to get the next generation of brilliant minds excited about future energy, to encourage women and young girls to embark on careers in Energy and Technology and to make sustainable, reliable energy accessible to those who are still living without. In May 2018, Michelle and her two fellow co-founders held the inaugural Energy Disruptors: UNITE event in Calgary, playing host to an audience of 1,500 global energy trailblazers. With no former event experience or outside investment, the trio beat all the odds and managed to pull together an all-star lineup of over 60 speakers including the international business magnate Sir Richard Branson, TED talks legend Susan Cain and Bloomberg’s New Energy Finance Founder Michael Liebreich. Michelle

| FCM | filcanmagazine.com | Special Issue: Empower Us| 2018 |

was most proud of the unusually high female participation statistics of 40% women both on and off of the stage, an accomplishment Michelle aims to improve further to an even 50/50 in 2019. Michelle also sits on the Board of Directors of Gems for Gems; a Canadian charitable organization which empowers and educates women with the aim to create enduring change and end the cycle of abuse. An adopted Calgarian, Michelle moved to Canada from the UK after completing her Joint Honors MA in Law and Philosophy. From working in the Oil Sands with Shell, in the roles of Contracts Management and Category Management, to Co-Founding the Energy Disruptors Initiative, Michelle’s background has a solid foundation in Energy but her true passion lies in all things creative. Michelle is happiest when spending time with her husband and young children, reading and writing. She is most inspired by strong, authentic and determined women, namely J. K. Rowling and Emma Watson, who use their creativity to make a real difference in our world.

Esmahan Razavi Community Builder and Women’s Advocate Ask Her, Equal Voice Alberta South, Women’s March, Chatelaine

smahan Razavi is passionate about democratic engagement and political participation. In addition to working as Ministerial Advisor to the Hon. Danielle Larivee, Minister of Status of Women, Esmahan spends much of her free time working to seeing more women elected to public office. She is a steering committee member of Equal Voice Alberta South, an organization dedicated to electing more women to all orders of government. As part of this role, she co-leads the #Campaign101 initiative to provide women candidates and campaign staff with workshops designed to provide learning opportunities that address different aspects of the campaign process. In 2016, Esmahan co-founded Ask Her, an organization with the mandate to increase the number of women elected to Calgary’s City Council. She served as the organization’s first president until she resigned to run for council in the 2017 municipal elections, where she ran in Ward 6, placing second. For her role in founding Ask Her and then making the choice to run, Esmahan was selected by Chatelaine magazine as one of the top 33 women in Canada for 2017. Esmahan has held senior positions on multiple campaigns for women candidates at the federal and provincial orders of government and led a partisan initiative to support women candidates during the 2015 federal election. Esmahan also served as Chair of the Women in Politics committee for the Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women from 2016-2018. Esmahan sits on the board of the Women’s March in Calgary, and co-led the 2018 march. Esmahan volunteers for many different causes around Calgary and believes that community building and grassroots initiatives are the most important way to instill positive change. She currently serves on United Way Calgary’s Public Policy committee. In late 2015, Esmahan was moved by the stories of Syrian refugees moving to Calgary and drew upon her own experience as an immigrant to co-found an organization called

Photo: Profolio Photography

Ahlain to use technology to assist Syrian refugees in adapting to their new homes in Calgary. Prior to working in government, Esmahan practiced as a professional mediator specializing in the resolution of civil, corporate and family disputes. She understands the value of listening to all sides and creating solutions through collaboration – building trust in situations where tensions are high and trust is low. Esmahan studied Mediation at the University of Calgary. Prior to this, Esmahan studied Philosophy at the University of Toronto, focusing on political philosophy and applied ethics. During her time at the University of Toronto, she was an executive on the University of Toronto St. George Campus Red Cross Committee, a debater for the Hart House Debate Club, and a compliance analyst for the University of Toronto G8 research group. Esmahan has an 8-year-old pomeranian named Mia. Esmahan is also an avid reader of fiction and non-fiction and is always looking for book and article recommendations.

| FCM | filcanmagazine.com | Special Issue: Empower Us | 2018 |

The 7 Most Common Mistakes I’ve witnessed in Family and Real Estate Law… By Francis Akinnuoye

1. Failure to Act Diligently or Immediately Inform Your Bank of the Marriage Separation IF YOUR BANK DOES NOT HAVE A POLICY in which they “suspend” or “freeze” a jointly owned bank account upon notification of family separation, it would be prudent to mark the date of the separation on your calendar and print out or keep a record of the transaction history of your bank account from the date of separation and thereafter, according to one bank official I spoke with. This is advisable in the event your spouse begins to dispose of, transfer, or convert property that is, or would have been, characterized as jointly owned matrimonial property causing your interest in that joint property to be defeated or adversely affected.

2.. The Obligation of a Step Parent or Adoptive Parent MANY WRONGLY ASSUME THAT IF THEY MARRY, OR COHABIT with, a single parent, they will not have any legal obligations towards their child since that child is not their biological child. However, the Divorce Act, read alongside the Family Law Act (Alberta), may impose liability for

child support in favour of “any child of whom one is the parent and for whom the other stands in the place of a parent.” This means that in most cases, the new spouse or adult interdependent partner could be found to be ‘standing in the place of a parent’ even if he or she is only the child’s step-parent or adoptive parent. Accordingly, child support obligations could be imposed in these circumstances upon the breakdown of the marriage or the adult interdependent relationship.

3. Failure to Properly Record/ Characterize Support Payments BEING A DIVORCEE MYSELF, who also practices family law, I can state, on both experience and authority, that it is advisable when paying your ex support payments, to properly record and account for these payments. A difference of opinion regarding the amounts you have paid to your ex can very easily arise and inevitably lead to costly litigation that could have been easily avoided. Agreeing to a Consent (Settlement) Order for the support payments with delivery of those support payments through a neutral third party is advisable. In Alberta, one such party is the Director of Maintenance Enforcement. Although enforcement of the

| FCM | filcanmagazine.com | Special Issue: Empower Us| 2018 |

Settlement Order, through the Maintenance Enforcement Program (MEP), is one aspect of the Director’s role, knowing you no longer have to battle over the amount of support you’ve paid is a significant benefit that the Maintenance Enforcement Program provides.

4. Not Proving the Real Property Report On Time WHEN SELLING A HOME IN ALBERTA IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER that you do not always have to provide a new Real Property Report (RPR) if no structural changes have been made to your property since the existing RPR was prepared. However, if that is not the case, it is critical to ensure a new RPR has been ordered from a Survey company as soon as your home is listed for sale because, in Alberta, the commonly used Alberta Real Estate Association (AREA) Residential Purchase Contract requires the Seller to deliver to the Purchaser an updated RPR. The RPR must show the current improvements on the property and evidence of municipal compliance with respect to the land and buildings. Often, the Seller, for various reasons, neglects this obligation until after the property has sold.

When this happens, the lawyers for both the Seller and the Purchaser negotiate a “holdback,” customarily in the sum of $5000.00 to be held back from delivery to the Seller until the Seller produces the RPR. This could have a significant impact on the Seller if the Seller needs all the entire net proceeds from their sale i.e. to financing the purchase of a new property or to settle other financial obligations. More importantly, delayed delivery of the RPR could delay the registration of the transfer of the home to the Purchaser because a Purchaser’s lawyer cannot be forced to proceed to registering the Transfer of Land from the Seller to the Purchaser, with the Land Titles Office, until an up to date RPR has been provided and reviewed.

6. Failure to Obtain Title Insurance

7. Not Hiring A Lawyer for an Appearance in Court

BY SPENDING A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS OR LESS you can potentially save thousands of dollars and potential disaster. In the 2015 Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta case of Lewis v First Canadian Title “disaster” is precisely what happened.

5. Failing to Negotiate a Holdback

After the Homeowners took possession of the home, the Registrar of Land Titles registered a Royal Bank of Canada writ for several thousand dollars against the previous owner of the property. Three days later, the Registrar finally registered the Transfer of Land transferring ownership from the previous owner to the Homeowners. Two weeks later (likely upon learning of the writ registered against their property), their lawyer submitted a title insurance claim on behalf of the Homeowners. The title insurer, FCT, responded saying only First National was insured against any loss from the RBC writ, but since First National did not yet suffer a loss, FCT could not trigger First National’s title insurance policy and therefore First National did not pursue an insurance claim. The Homeowners, in retrospect, were given an opportunity to purchase a homeowner’s policy for only an additional $50.00 but chose not to do so. Such insurance would have likely protected them against the approximately $20,000 intervening writ placed on their title ahead of their mortgage.

BEING A LAWYER WHO IS OFTEN IN COURT, I have witnessed the Court’s treatment of litigants that attend Court without a lawyer. It is difficult for the Courts, as self-represented litigants do not know the rules of evidence nor have knowledge of the rules of civil procedure. The outcome is usually predictable; they’ve likely lost their Court Application; their Claim or Application may have been struck because they’ve missed a deadline and “Court Costs” may have been awarded against them since they lost their Application. The self-represented person has wasted their time and efforts. The Court will then implore them to hire a lawyer. So why not just hire a lawyer from the outset to avoid this scenario playing out in your circumstances?

WHEN BUYING A HOME IN ALBERTA, the Seller makes a warranty to the Purchaser that the property will be in “substantially the same condition on Closing Day as when the Purchase Contract was accepted,” and, that the included “appliances will be in normal working order.” If the Purchaser discovers this is not the case on Closing Day the Purchaser’s remedy for the breach of the warranty is damages. However, why should a Purchaser rely on suing the Seller when he or she can avoid the expense of litigation by negotiating a ‘holdback’ with the Seller at the time of signing the Purchase Contract? Examples of negotiated ‘holdbacks’ include: a $500.00 to $2000.00 holdback for missing or damaged appliances; a $500.00 holdback for damage to walls and other parts of the property; or even a $250.00 holdback for having to hire a cleaning company on Closing Day to clean a home left in disarray. Your lawyer will enforce the holdback you negotiated with the Seller by not delivering to the Seller the holdback funds at all or waiting until the property is in “substantially the same condition as when the contract was accepted.” Negotiating ‘holdbacks’ with the Seller, in advance, will save you time and possibly great expense by obtaining a negotiated remedy for breach of the Purchase Contract rather than trying to enforce a contractual obligation via the Court system after all the money has already been transferred.

On March 13, 2014 Mr. Lewis and his partner Ms. Dayo (the “Homeowners”) agreed to purchase a home. Their lawyer advised them their lender required they purchase title insurance to protect the lender’s interests, at a cost of $179.00. The Homeowners declined obtaining their own title insurance protection policy which would have cost $50.00.

Title insurance is intended to protect you against intervening registrations such as in the example above, and survey, building permit, municipal compliance, unpaid utilities and/or fraud issues. For a one-time payment, title insurance can provide coverage that lasts as long as you own the property, can be assigned to your heirs and estate, and is highly recommended by FRANCIS LAW.

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Francis Akinnuoye, BA, LLB, LLM, is the Managing Lawyer at FRANCIS LAW. FRANCIS LAW (http:// www.francislaw.ca) is an Alberta law firm based in Calgary, currently, with three Associate Lawyers and one Student-At-Law to serve your legal needs in the areas of: corporate and business, real estate, family law, personal injury law and in the preparation of wills. The lawyers at FRANCIS LAW encourage parties to settle rather than to engage in protracted litigation. Focusing the parties on settling, in most cases, saves the parties’ costly legal fees and possible emotional harm to those involved. Francis has appeared at all levels of Court in Alberta: namely, the Provincial Court of Alberta, the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta; and the Court of Appeal of Alberta. Francis has also appeared before the WCB Appeals Commission. Francis enjoys volunteering and is currently interim secretary for the newly formed Association of Alberta Black Lawyers (AABL) and, as of the date of this writing, mentors junior lawyers for the Law Society of Alberta. Francis can be reached at (587) 353-5535 or francis@ francislaw.ca.

| FCM | filcanmagazine.com | Special Issue: Empower Us | 2018 |

| FCM | filcanmagazine.com | Special Issue: Empower Us| 2018 |