NIDO Panel Discussion: How Access to Education Enhances Gender Equity

Cassandra Dorrington is leading the charge of championing business relationships and economic growth of the Canadian supply chain through the inclusion of Aboriginal and Minority suppliers, Cassandra has expanded the CAMSC brand, both nationally and internationally. This has resulted in significant growth and impact in the Canadian marketplace.

Known for her business and community environment involvement, Cassandra has been named one of Diversity Canada’s Influential Women in Diversity and HR. She sits on the National Advisory Council for the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) for the Government of Canada, Elevate International, and Dalhousie University Board of Governors.

With, approximately 450 certified suppliers, 85 corporate members and more than $7 Billion in diverse spend, CAMSC is a proud member of both Supplier Diversity Alliance Canada (SDAC), single voice for supplier in Canada and Global Supplier Diversity Alliance (GSDA), promoting supplier diversity globally with councils in Australia, China, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, and board member for the Canadian Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (CCSBE).

Charlene Forde, Owner/CEO of Melanated Vegan, is a vegan celebrity chef who creates mouth watering vegan food with a hint of Caribbean flavour. Charlene's culinary experience spans over 20 years and she has been cooking since the age of 12. With her passion for food, she loves to take traditional recipes passed down from her grandmother and veganize them. She's the author of "Hold On, Let Me Veganize This" cookbook, which has over 50 veganized Trinidadian recipes. Charlene's services include: Professional Athlete meal prep, Private in-home Chef Services, In-home cooking classes, special event and corporate catering. Her belief is, Health is wealth and that veganism is a lifestyle, not a diet.

Karen Francis is Co-founder/CEO of Segun Water Systems Inc. She has been active in the Water Purification Industry for over 10 years helping hundreds of homeowners and businesses with their water purification needs. 

Prior to establishing Segun Water, Karen was a Marketing Executive and has served on multiple boards within various sectors.

Educating the public about the benefits of purified and contaminant free water is an issue she has actively incorporated into her business model.  

Kamshuka is an award winning entrepreneur and author.

A Certified Life & Wellness Coach with a journey as a war child survivor of the Ugandan civil war. Her purpose is to awaken the warrior within the people she encounters around the world.  Her inspiration & influence is recognized internationally in the UK, Uganda, Atlanta and Canada. 

As the founder of “The Conscious Warriors” a wellness platform she is also the host of the virtual sessions “Masterclass with Coach Kamshuka”.  

Anna Chowthi is the founder of Merge PM&L. Currently, she serves as the strategic implementation Project Lead at the Heart and Stroke of Canada. driving the implementation of enterprise-wide technology and strategic initiatives, including a portfolio of digital and process optimization initiatives, as well as strategic implementations such as equity, diversity and inclusion action plans.