Mentor program welcomes largest group
Published Wednesday January 26th, 2011
The Business Immigrant Mentorship Program was kicked off at city hall council chambers Tuesday. Participants, from left, include: Mike Toole, president of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce; Mario Leon and his wife Leticia De Gante, who are mentees from Mexico; and Rebecca Steeves, mentor.
The fourth, and largest, cohort of the Fredericton Business Immigrant Mentorship Program started to learn the ins and outs of entrepreneurship in the capital Tuesday.
Mike Toole, president of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the program, said there are 19 pairs of mentors and mentees in this cohort.
The program started in 2009 and there were 38 pairs in the first three cohorts, which each last five months, he said, at a kick-off ceremony at city hall.
“The Fredericton Business Immigrant Mentorship Program is the first of its kind in New Brunswick,” said Toole.
“While many mentoring programs deal strictly with immigrant employment awareness, the business immigrant mentorship program is distinct and allows immigrant investors to learn from successful and experienced members of the Fredericton business community.”
The program has gained recognition across the country and has generated lots of inquiries from agencies in other provinces that want to develop similar programs, he said.
The chamber’s funding partner in the program is the province’s Population Growth Secretariat.
Toole also thanked Enterprise Fredericton, the Canadian Business Development Bank and the provincial and local multicultural associations for working with them.
He said setting up a business while dealing with a new culture is a major challenge and the mentees deserve congratulations.
“Given the success of our first three cohorts, we are proudly developing a mentee alumni committee that will promote continued dialogue amongst peers who are working towards the dream of becoming business owners,” said Toole.
“Recruitment for mentors is ongoing.
“We hope to create a pool of mentors which will represent all professional business sectors.”
The program has mentors for legal, accounting, banking and finance, marketing, business planning, real estate, economics, engineering, professional sales and investment sectors, he said.
The program’s website is www.fredmentor.ca.
Rebecca Steeves is a new mentor. She said she joined the program to give back to the community.
“I have a background in business and I even had an import business from Mexico,” she said.
Steeves is fluent in Spanish, has a science degree in agriculture and is a real estate agent.
“I am very excited about it,” she said about the program.
“I am looking forward to learning a lot from new people (and) finding some new cultural ideas that I might not have encountered.”
Leticia de Gante came to Fredericton from Mexico three years ago and has been paired with Steeves. She’s interested in started a landscaping company.
She said she heard about the program through the multicultural association and wants to learn the right way to do business in Fredericton.
“We would like to share our knowledge and build a service that we can do here in the city,” said de Gante.
Mayor Brad Woodside said immigration is the key to economic development in Fredericton. He has frequently travelled to Asia promoting the capital.
“If we want to grow our economies in our province and our cities, then we have to be better at opening the door and welcoming people from around the world,” he said.
“We have so much to offer.”
That includes a pristine environment, great health and education facilities, and freedom of speech, said Woodside.
Frank Zhao was a business mentee in the third cohort. He said the experience was invaluable for him. He said his mentor did more than just teach him about how to operate a business in Fredericton.
“The relationship we had with each other was more like a close friend,” said Zhao, who came to Fredericton from China seven years ago.
“No matter where you come from, how good your English is, how crazy your ideas are, they are always there to support us and point us in the right direction.
“All the best to cohort four mentors and mentees and enjoy your new adventure.”
By STEPHEN LLEWELLYN
llewellyn.stephen@dailygleaner.com
Stephen MacGillivray Photo
