Black MBA - Winter 2008/2009 - (Page 75)

LEADERSHIP Toronto Toronto Rising NBMBAA’s Toronto Chapter is on a Progressive Track, Building Strong Partnerships and Exposure as Membership Climbs By Renata Toney research, education, tourism and sports are leading industries. The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), the world’s seventh largest, is headquartered downtown, providing global access to Canada’s major markets. Born and raised in Montreal, Damon Knights serves as Toronto chapter president. Knights traces part of his heritage back to the founding families of Africville in Halifax, Nova Scotia, a historic settlement formed in the 1840s by former U.S. slaves. A University of Ottawa graduate, he speaks fluent French and mastered Italian as an exchange student in Genoa, Italy, where he also excelled playing American football for the Genoa Squali. “I had the travel bug at the end of my exchange program,” admits Knights. “I wanted to experience more of the world, so I accepted a position in Paris.” After returning to Toronto, he entered the highly-rated York University Schulich School of Business. An internship opportunity abroad with Hewlett-Packard steered Knights to Germany, and immediately after this he completed an international exchange in Venezuela where he enrolled at IESA (translated Institute for Advanced Studies in Administration), completing the Schulich requirements for an IMBA. The program consisted of 20 months of full-time study in global business issues integrated with executive training, study and internship abroad and language proficiency. While in Venezuela, he broadened his language skills by picking up Spanish. “I wanted to give something back to our youth and help them succeed after witnessing the devastation of Hurricane BlackMBA • Winter 2008/2009 75 ONE OF THE top financial centers in the world and largest city in Canada has joined the ranks of the NBMBAA, as its first international chapter recently announced at the leadership retreat in Phoenix, Ariz. Headed by a multi-talented executive leadership team, Toronto is steadily building momentum, poised to make a substantial impact on Black business across Canada and in the global marketplace. With a population of 2.48 million people (5.5 million in the Greater Toronto Area), Toronto is lauded as one of the most multicultural cities in the world. More than 100 languages and dialects are spoken. Diversity of race, religion and lifestyle visibly distinguish the bustling metropolis from cities worldwide. Finance, telecommunications, aerospace, transportation, media arts, publishing, software production, medical

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Black MBA - Winter 2008/2009

Black MBA - Winter 2008/2009 Contents Preserving Dr. King’s Legacy: Harry E. Johnson is Six Years and $100 million into his First Fundraising Effort Online: www.nbmbaa.org and www.blackmbaonline.com Up Front: Inauguration Takes Over D.C. From the President: Connecting With the Basics The First 100 Days – Already in Progress Back to Basics: Finances 101 Is the Middle Class Disappearing? – Your View From Medals to MBA Conference Highlights Market Forces: The Job of Trying to Find a Job in a Tight Market Applying to an MBA Program?: Avoid Making these Five Critical Mistakes How They Did It: Catching up with the Winning Teams from NBMBAA’s 2008 National Case Competition Change It Up: If a New Job is at the Top of your New Year’s Resolutions, it’s Time for Careful Planning and Preparation Bull Market: Now is the Time to Take Advantage of Web 2.0 On the Move: Member News, Promotions and More Backstage at BET: NBMBAA’s Leadership Institute Takes on BET’s Case for Growth Toronto Rising: NBMBAA’s Toronto Chapter is on a Progressive Track, Building Strong Partnerships and Exposure as Membership Climbs NBMBAA® Chapters: Find Your Local Chapter Here Do What You Love: Turning Your Passion into a Successful Business Requires Patience, Planning and Plenty of Hard Work Above and Beyond: Meet the Winners of the 2008 Wells Fargo/NBMBAA Entrepreneurial Excellence Award Decorating by Design: Michelle Rider Leaves Corporate Life for Entrepreneurship Culture Shock: Black Museums Nationwide Appeal for Greater Support from the People whose Heritage they Strive to Preserve Gear Up for 2009: Books to Herald Success in the New Year Advertiser Index: Who’s Who in the Issue

Black MBA - Winter 2008/2009

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