International Women’s Day event inspires Brampton entrepreneurs

BRAMPTON, ON: More than 140 women celebrated International Women’s Day at the Brampton
Entrepreneur Day Out on March 5 at the Lionhead Golf and Country Club.
Mayor Linda Jeffrey opened the event, and celebrity chef Anna Olson was the keynote speaker. She
shared her secrets on creating A Tasty Brand, translating experiences gained from her rise to fame into
marketing and branding knowledge to inspire women entrepreneurs to greater success.
The Brampton Entrepreneur Centre hosted the event, with the support of the Province of Ontario and
generous sponsorship by RBC Royal Bank. Participants came away with new knowledge, new friends,
and new inspiration to apply to their businesses.
Included in the capacity crowd was Brampton entrepreneur Kristina Romasco, owner of Dolcezza
Custom Cakes. “I’ve been to Women’s Day events before, and they keep getting better,” she said. “And
this one – well, it’s Anna Olson!” Kristina also brought along two high-school students, interns at her
cake shop through Brampton’s Creative Industries Co-op program. Kristina has been working with the
Brampton Entrepreneur Centre for about five years, and calls their support, “Amazing. I wouldn’t be
here without them.”
Reann Watson-Griffith, owner of the therapeutic centre A Remarkable Me, came specifically to hear
Anna Olson’s message on branding. “We’ve created a brand, but I’m here to learn more about how to
really live the brand, and promote it to new and existing clients.” Reann has received support from the
Brampton Entrepreneur Centre across all the stages of her business so far, from start-up resources and
business planning to financial education and proposal writing.
Carmen Fiaes runs Sport Taekwondo Academy in Brampton. One of her reasons for attending the
event was the networking opportunities. “The Brampton Entrepreneur Centre has exposed our school
to new networks. This event is another great opportunity to expand our connections, get to know new
people, and grow our business.”
About Brampton: The ninth-largest city in Canada, Brampton celebrates a diverse population that represents people from
209 distinct ethnic backgrounds who speak 89 different languages. Brampton residents and visitors have access to state-ofthe-
art recreation facilities and one of the fastest-growing transit systems in Canada. Opened in 2007, Brampton Civic Hospital
is part of the William Osler Health System, which is one of the largest community hospitals in Canada. For more information,
visit www.brampton.ca or follow @CityBrampton on Twitter.