Immigrant Life hosts Thrive Conference 2020. Dapo Bankole started Immigrant Life on 01 July 2018. He focuses on inspiring fellow immigrants to discover actionable insights that will help them thrive and make a difference. The community has continued to grow and based on the identified gap in the Canadian immigrant landscape, the idea for an annual Thrive Conference was born. Dapo shared his immigration journey and story before. If you missed it, you can read it now and learn about how you can make the best of your immigration journey.
What is Thrive Conference?
Thrive Conference 2020 is the first in the series of annual events from Immigrant Life.This year, Thrive Conference will be a three-day virtual conference and it brings together movers and shakers from around Canada that are committed to supporting first-generation Canadian immigrants in their journey of integration. This year’s event will hold between Friday, 23 October and Sunday, 25 October 2020.
What is the Conference Theme?
The theme of the conference is “Live A Colorful Immigrant Life”. At the conference, you will discover how to strategically chart your course and create the life you really want as an immigrant while achieving the results that most people only dream about.
READ ALSO: IMMIGRATION STORY OF A NIGERIAN IMMIGRANT
Who Should Attend the Thrive Conference?
If you fall within any of the categories below, the conference is for you.
- NEW Immigrants who have spent five years or less and need help to navigate and integrate successfully
- Established immigrants who want to break the metaphorical glass ceiling in their careers
- Accomplished immigrants who want to become successful influencers in their chosen areas of impact
- Immigrants who want to turn their side hustles into a full-time business
- Immigrant parents who need actionable insights on how to raise their kids successfully in Canada
- Immigrants who want to meet and network with others in their field
- Aspiring immigrants who want practical helpful insights on how to become Canadian permanent residents
- Other first-generation Canadian immigrants who want to move their lives forward in the areas of career, finances, social relationship, business, mental and physical health!
What you can expect?
As a participant, you should expect the following:
- Insightful, practical information shared by experts and organizations that are well-positioned to help you in key areas of life.
- Inspiring stories of sweat, blood and triumphs of fellow immigrants
- Quality connections with people across Canada that resonate with our passion and life journey
What topics and themes will be covered at this conference?
The different sections of the conference will focus on
- Family
- Work / Business/Career
- Canadian Culture and Heritage
- Financial Intelligence
- Mental Wellness
- Social Relationship Building
- Physical Wellness and
- Immigration
Please note that this can change. So, keep a tab on the conference website.
READ ALSO: AN IMMIGRANT’S JOURNEY INTO PRODUCT MANAGEMENT
Who Are The Confirmed Speakers?
As you probably expect, the conference will feature many great speakers. You will find below details of some of the speakers that will be at the conference are below:
- Mayor Naheed Nenshi: Naheed Nenshi is currently the mayor of Calgary. Prior to being elected, Mayor Nenshi was with McKinney and Company. He later started his business to help public, private and non-profit organizations grow. He designed the policy for the Government of Alberta, helped create a Canadian strategy for The Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy. Also, he worked with the United Nations to determine how business can help the poorest people on the planet. He then entered academia where he was Canada’s first tenured professor in the field of non-profit management at Mount Roya University’s Bisset School of Business. Mayor Nenshi holds a Bachelor of Commerce (with distinction) from the University of Calgary, where he was President of the Students’Union. Aside this, he holds a Master in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University where he studied as a Kennedy Fellow.
- Hagir Sail: Described by her community and co-workers as a passionate, values-driven, social justice-minded problem solver, Hagir Sail has dedicated her life’s work to making our city a better and more inclusive place for everyone to live. Hagir is a proud graduate of the University of Calgary’s Political Science Program. After working at the Developmental Disabilities Resource Centre as a Resource Worker, Hagir continued to apply her community-building skills at Action Dignity, focusing on youth programming and policy. Hagir has a passion for community building and this extends to her volunteer work. She volunteers with the Police Chiefs African Advisory Board, the Sudanese community, as well as a local organization that promotes access to dignified burial services. Hagir believes that our city can become a better place if we all practice vulnerability with one another.
- Nkechi Nwafor-Robinson: Nkechi is an experienced Information Technology professional with more than 20 years in the I.T. space. She has held a variety of progressively senior roles within various organizations including Director, Data Center Operations at Rogers Communications; Delivery Project Executive at IBM; and most recently, Associate Vice President, Segment Technology Executive at TD Bank Group. Nkechi is an entrepreneur, author, professional bodybuilder, podcast host and inspirational speaker. Her “You Matter” speech went viral on several motivational platforms, most recently on Goalcast, with over 6.5M views. Nkechi has a magnetic personality that serves everyone she meets in the most uplifting way. In her current role as Associate Vice President, Technology at TD Bank Group, she leads all infrastructure delivery needs for the Channels Technology Solutions (CTS) segment portfolio.
- Dr. Mohamed Fakih: Dr. Fakih is the President and CEO of Paramount Fine Foods as well as the Face and Voice of UNHCR (The UN agency in Canada). In 2006, Dr. Fakih, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist. purchased a nearly bankrupt restaurant and transformed it into what is now known as the fastest growing Middle Easter Halal restaurant chain in North America – Paramount Fine Foods. As a strategic and successful business leader, Dr. Fakih employed his skills, expertise and experience into expanding Paramount’s brand to pioneer the halal market globally.
- Cindy Makita-Dodd: Cindy is a Career Strategist & Coach and Founder of Hired Institute. She was selected by LinkedIn as a ‘LinkedIn Career Expert’ and through Hired Institute helps people land their dream jobs. Cindy believes that everyone has the potential to land their ideal career but most don’t know the steps to get there. She helps people navigate the complexities of the job market and overcome the hurdles holding them back from achieving career success.
- Dania el Chaar: Dania el Chaar holds a PhD from the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary. She specializes in newcomer family settlement in Alberta, immigrant and refugee youth educational journeys in Canada, as well as culturally responsive teaching among others. Dania will share her personal experience raising her children respectively at the time she immigrated to Canada. Through her parenting journey, Dania had to negotiate identities and ideologies to raise her children in a balanced environment, where one would respect the host country’s cultural notions, while keeping their own cultural understanding.
- Beth Page, PhD, PCC, CPHR: Beth is an author, educator, international speaker and Dream Catcher Consulting founder Beth helps support people and organizations to honour the human dimension of change. Her books include Change Happens, Done Deal: Your Guide to Merger and Acquisition Integration, and a chapter in the best-selling Awakening the Workplace. She also collaborated on a co-authored chapter in Leading with Spirit, Presence and Authenticity published by Jossey-Bass. Beth holds degrees from Pepperdine University, Western Illinois University, Carleton University. In addition, she completed her PhD at the University of Victoria. Also, she is accredited to administer the Resilience at Work assessment and is a certified Emotional Intelligence Coach (EQ in Action).
- Aatif Baskanderi: As Director of Startup Edmonton, Aatif works to reduce friction for entrepreneurs in the early days of building out their tech products and businesses. He is also a Fellow with the Energy Futures Lab, Co-Founder of Salaam B’y, a social enterprise focused on equity & inclusion education, for which he recently received the Points of Light award from Queen Elizabeth II. Aside this, he was previously the Innovation Portfolio Manager at a multinational energy utility based in Alberta, as well as a Science, Innovation and Energy Officer with the British High Commission in Canada.
- Dr. Adeola Olubamiji: Dr. Olubamiji is a Nigerian-Canadian 3D-printing subject-matter expert and currently an Advanced Manufacturing Technical Advisor at Cummins Indiana. In her role at Cummins Inc., she co-leads development of Laser Powder Bed Fusion processes and industrialization of Binder Jet technology as a new business start-up. In addition, she is the Chief Consultant of D-Tech Centrix LLC (US & Canada): an engineering and education consulting company. She is the founder of STEMHub Foundation, a Canadian non-profit organization promoting engagement of minorities and females in STEM careers.
- Adolfo Bautista: Adolfo and his family left Mexico City 14 years ago to start a new life in Canada. He currently works as a Security Analyst for Shaw Communications, where he applies his 30+ years of experience. Adolfo has faced good and bad situations with openness and a growth mindset. So, he values personal growth and building strong relationships, through effective communication, active listening, and commitment.
- Siju Ewhubare: Siju is the founder of Crown Mentorship Foundation Ltd, a Black-led not-for-profit organization that provides formal mentorship programs. The organisation connects young professionals and learners of Black origin to industry experts to foster experiential growth and promote an increase of Black professionals in various industries. She is also the Owner of Crown HR Consulting. The company designs and executes Human Resources programs that align with business goals and objectives. Siju is a Charted Professional in Human Resources, as well as a Senior Certified Professional with the Society for Human Resources Management. Also, she holds Bachelor of Management in Human Resources and Labour Relations from the University of Lethbridge.
- Andy H. Rodriguez Peralta: Andy Rodriguez is a fluent English and Spanish language speaker. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the Pedro Henriquez Urena National University of Santo Domingo and graduated Magna Cum Laude with high distinction. Andy is a certified and licensed Canadian Immigration Consultant. Also, he is member in good standing of the Immigration Consultant of the Canadian Regulatory Council (ICCRC). In addition, Andy is a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants (CAPIC).
- Aisha Jamal: Aisha is a remarkable immigrant based out of Toronto. Even though her family moved to Canada in 1991 as refugees from Afghanistan, she has worked her way to become a successful filmmaker. Aisha is an academic and film programmer whose short films have played in festivals and venues worldwide. Also, she is the director, and writer of the documentary, “A Kandahar Away” which was produced in 2019. The documentary passionately narrates the challenges of adjusting to a new country and yet longing for your homeland. She holds a PhD in German cinema with a focus on ethnicity, race and nation from the University of Toronto.
In addition to the speakers above, there are several other speakers that will be at the conference. For the comprehensive list and details of the speakers, visit the event speakers’ page.
READ ALSO: IMMIGRATION JOURNEY – HOW TO TURN ADVERSITY TO BLESSING
How to prepare for the Thrive Conference?
Finally, the best way to get any value from any conference is to prepare ahead of time. As you plan to attend this conference, you can do the following:
- Decide what you want to get out of the conference.
- When you are at the event, stay at the event. Focus.
- Come prepared with questions and an open heart
- Take a bet on yourself, your future and family by attending the premium sessions.
- Also, invite friends, families, colleagues, and neighbors
- Finally, you can sponsor someone to a VIP session.
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