IPC 2022
Learn more about our previous event!
08:30 – 09:30 – Check-in & Registration
09:30 – 10:00 – Opening Remarks & Conference Kick-Off
10:00 – 10:45 – Keynote Address
Knowing Your Worth in Uncertain Times – Narges Nirumvala
10:45 – 11:15 – Break / Networking
11:15 – 12:00 – Life Lessons from Successful Immigrants
12:00 – 13:00 – Lunch Break / Networking
13:00 – 14:15 – Breakout Sessions
1) 4..3..2..1.. BLASTOFF! How to Launch Your New Business Idea in Canada – Flavio Assis, Paula Felix & Debbie Palmer
2) Networking To Get Working – Nick Noorani
3) Volunteering: A path to Leadership & Empowerment – Solomon Iwegim, Sandhya Ghai, Ruchi Lall
14:15 – 14:45- Break / Networking
14:45 – 16:00 – Employer Panel and Q&A
Uncommon Purpose – Manu Varma
Rogers – Luke Jamieson
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts – Manny Judge
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) – Sam Behnam
16:00 – 16:05 – Closing Remarks & Prizes
KEYNOTE & SPEAKERS
Keynote Speaker
Narges Nirumvala
IPC 2022 Keynote Speaker
A trailblazer in her field, she is the author of the Amazon bestselling book “Capture the Spotlight”. Her writing on the subject has been published and circulated to 106 countries worldwide (verified magazine circulation). Narges is also…
Employer Panel
Manu Varma
Employer Panelist - Uncommon Purpose
He has lived across Canada, the US, China, India, and France. He has a passion for technology and people and using business as a force for good. After 10 years with Traction on Demand,…
Luke Jamieson
Employer Panelist - Rogers
He has worked in the field of recruitment for 10 years, more than half of which at Rogers, supporting hiring from frontline, finance, technology, and corporate. He is passionate about helping managers diversify their…
Manny Judge
Employer Panelist - Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
Manny is focused on finding the best talent and using his experience to support candidates into the Hospitality industry. He has over 14 years’ experience within Talent Acquisition & Managing Employment Programs across Canada…
Sam Behnam
Presenting Sponsor Address
Their goal is to provide advice beyond banking by extensively engaging in public events such as employment workshops and educating on Canadian banking system. They also create local and national partnerships to help connect…
Larry Chan
Plenary Presentation Moderator
Since then he has managed programs for youth, older workers, multi-barriered clients, professional and immigrants. As the manager of the Vancouver North East WorkBC Centre, Larry worked with community partners to serve all British…
Life Lessons From Successful Immigrants
Marie Bassey
Life Lessons from Successful Immigrants Panelist
Since her arrival in Canada in 2017, Marie has volunteered in different positions at various non-profit organizations including Ambassador, Nanaimo Tourism; Ambassador, Dress for Success-Vancouver; Treasurer, Parent Advisory Council of Burnaby North Secondary School;…
Fariba Pacheleh
Life Lessons from Successful Immigrants Panelist
In her current role as Director of Corporate Projects for the BC Liquor Distribution Branch, Fariba chairs the Capital Projects Investment Committee and provides governance and oversight for all new initiatives and major projects…
Fisnik Kumnova
Life Lessons from Successful Immigrants Panelist
Throughout the course of his career in Canada, Fisnik has worked with a number of world-renowned universities, Crown corporations and societies in the capacity of project advisor and management. He currently works with the…
Tammy Nguyen
Life Lessons from Successful Immigrants Panelist
She has had more than 10 years of professional working experience in various industries including hospitality, banking, real estate and technology in Vietnam before moving to Canada. After graduating from Langara college, she has…
Susan Mihalic
Breakout Session 3 Moderator
Susan also has more than 13 years of experience as an employment counsellor and specializes in working with skilled immigrants. She has helped clients from various backgrounds to successfully launch their professional careers is…
Breakout Sessions
Nick Noorani
Breakout Session Presenter - Networking To Get Working
Some of his projects: Founder Canadian Immigrant Magazine & Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards Bestselling author Arrival Survival Canada Founder CEO - President Prepare for Canada In 2013, Nick authored Welcome to Canada -…
Solomon Iwegim
Breakout Session Panelist - Volunteering: A Path to Leadership & Empowerment
He currently works as a Business Account Manager at RBC Royal Bank of Canada and co-founded Thrive4Blacks Community Services Society in December 2020, where he serves as an Executive Director. Solomon also serves on…
Sandhya Ghai
Breakout Session Panelist - Volunteering: A Path to Leadership & Empowerment
She strongly advocates that any organization can be truly equitable only if all its employees take on an individual as well as a collective responsibility towards systemic change. Her lived experiences coming from India…
Ruchi Lall
Breakout Session Panelist - Volunteering: A Path to Leadership & Empowerment
She is currently working with Canadian Heritage as a Program Advisor and is passionate about supporting projects which actively contribute towards reducing systemic racism and make lives of racialized communities easier and barrier free.…
Ana Maria Bustamante
Breakout Session Panelist - Volunteering: A Path to Leadership & Empowerment
She was a founder, president and vice-president of Casa-Americas Society and vice-president of the El-Dorado Cooperative in BC, also was the vice-president of the Board of the North Shore Multicultural Society, now Impact North…
Mimoza Pachuku
Moderator of Breakout Session 3 - Careers in Tech
Mimoza holds a B.A. Degree in Political Sciences, and an M.A. in Gender Studies from the Central European University in Budapest, Hungary. With 13 years’ experience in project management, funder, and stakeholder collaboration, Mimoza…
Flavio Assis
Breakout Session Panelist - 4..3..2..1.. BLASTOFF! How to Launch Your New Business Idea in Canada
He has been involved in social projects in Brazil, Europe and the Philippines. Originally from Brazil, where he obtained a degree in Law, Flavio holds a Master’s degree in Administrative Science with a specialization…
Paula Felix
Breakout Session Panelist - 4..3..2..1.. BLASTOFF! How to Launch Your New Business Idea in Canada
She has a background in business finance, specializing in business start-up, financing, cashflow planning and business plan development. Paula worked in commercial lending and business consulting for almost a decade, including the Bank of…
Debbie Palmer
Breakout Session Panelist - 4..3..2..1.. BLASTOFF! How to Launch Your New Business Idea in Canada
Following years of award-winning sales and leadership experience as an entrepreneur owning real estate franchises, an import/export business, and a B.C. based sales training firm, Debbie spent 6 years as a business consultant and…
Matthew Levan
Master of Ceremonies
Taking this experience and a desire to pursue a career teaching adult, Matthew enrolled in a Masters of Adult Education at the University of New Brunswick completing this in 2012. While pursuing his studies…
CEO
Olga Stachova
Opening Remarks
Olga brings 20 years of experience managing a fast growing, distributing, non-profit organization, as well as operational expertise in program design, delivery, and evaluation, and a proven track record of building strategic partnerships among…
Presenting Sponsor Address
David Shum
Speaker
David is responsible for the retail banking business in North Surrey. He leads a team of banking professionals in delivering strategic priorities in order to help clients thrive and community prosper. Prior to joining…
MC
Effie Garcia
Moderator of Breakout Session 2 - Skilled Trades & Manufacturing
Effie has worked in the settlement and employment services industry for over 14 years and is a Career Development Practitioner (CDP) graduate from Simon Fraser University (SFU). She highly values continuing education so she…
EXHIBITORS
- Back in Motion
- BCIT
- Building Builders | BCCA
- Career Paths: CPABC (Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia)
- Career Paths: Douglas College
- Career Paths: ISSofBC
- Career Paths: MOSAIC
- Career Paths: PICS
- Industry Training Authority
- MOSAIC Engage
- WorkBC Employment Services
- SFU Continuing Studies
- YWCA Metro Vancouver
SPONSORS
Presenting Sponsor
Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 84,000+ employees who bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada’s biggest bank, RBC is a proud employer and financial institution of choice for newcomers, committed to providing support from arrival to settling in.
We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities.
Shaw Multicultural Channel (or simply Shaw Multicultural) is a Canadian ethnic cable television community channel, offering programming in 20 different languages. It is owned and operated by Shaw Communications, and is available on cable systems in Vancouver and Calgary regional markets. The channel operates on cable channel 4 in the Greater Vancouver region, on cable channel 10 in the Calgary Region and on Shaw BlueCurve TV channel 901 in those regions.
Arc’teryx is a Canadian high-end design company specializing in outdoor apparel and equipment headquartered in North Vancouver, Canada. It focuses on technical apparel for mountaineering and Alpine sports, including related accessories. The company’s name and logo reference the Archaeopteryx, the transitional fossil of early dinosaurs to modern dinosaurs (birds). Arc’teryx is known for their water-resistant Gore-Tex shell jackets, knitwear, and down parkas.
WorkBC Employment Services offers a wide range of free services which supports job seekers in getting – and keeping – a job as quickly as possible. We help those who are having difficulty finding work or ongoing employment. We provide support in job search, career development, and specalized services. WorkBC serves a variety of clients including Citizens, Permanent Residents, Refugee Claimants and various inclusion groups including Youth, Indigenous Populations, Persons with Disability, and Immigrants.