Ehi Ade-Mabo
100ABCWomen Database
1. I am the CEO and Director of a Multiple Six Figure income business 2. My message and platform has inspired over 10,000 people around the world 3. I have been recognized by the BBC as an Advocate for women and nominated as a woman of inspiration in Canada
My top 3 major accomplishments as at today are (1) the Creator of the femImmiGRANTS, a grant opportunity in its 2nd season specifically for black female entrepreneurs in Canada; (2) the Creator and Strategist for the iLaunchHERproduct aimed at connecting women-owned businesses with big box retail stores in Canada; (3) the Co-Organizer of the Rise Up Pitch Competition, a national grant program for black female entrepreneurs in Canada that attracted over 700 entrepreneur applicants during the wave of Covid-19
Being a single mom to one of Gods miracles. My son started his life journey in an incubator, he was born three months premature. My amazing son is now 22 years old, he’s a healthy and confident young man living out his God given purpose. Becoming a University Graduate, after being told by a grade school counsellors that University wasn’t for me. Being part of the fundraising team which contributed to the building and sustaining of the operations of the Windsor Life Centre, a faith-based addiction treatment home for women.
My three majoir accomplishments that has brought tremendous joy to my life are as follows. My first one it the birth of my 4 children they have given me a true scnse of purpose by adding meaning to my life. My second accomplishment that I am extremly proud of was when I received my High school Diploma at age 36 from SCAS Scarborough Center for Altertrnative Learning while receiving the award for outstand academic excellence My third accomplishment was graduating from George Brown College at 41 while receiving the Hororable Jean Agustine Scholarship with my 4 children in the audience .
Eleanor Wiltshire Rodney: An active member on the Hamilton-Wentworth Mayor’s Committee on Race Relations, the only teacher on the Race Relations Roman Catholic Policy Development Committee, successful champion of students facing challenges stemming from their Caribbean and African origins, and gained the name, “Fighter for Justice” Hamilton Spectator, March 23, 2003.
Eleanor, a Trinidadian by birth, migrated to Hamilton, Ontario with her family. A qualified teacher, B.A., M.Ed., and several specialist certificates, Eleanor was hired by the Hamilton-Wentworth Roman Catholic School Board. She believes in representation in education, so observing that the curriculum needed supplementation, Eleanor initiated the first African Studies and Black History credit course in her school system, originated the, “Celebrate Your Heritage Projects” for all races, and pioneered her Board’s Adult Canadian Citizenship Course. Based on her coaching, she brought many Trophies to her school from the Royal Canadian Legion, Odd Fellows Society and Hamilton-Wentworth Roman Catholic Trustees Championships.
Beyond the school system, Eleanor found time to be a Public Affairs Journalist for the Hamilton Spectator’s First Community Editorial Board, published, “Nurturing The Trillium,” a book documenting the Caribbean and Black educators in Hamilton, and “Caribbean Recipes;” fostering Caribbean unity via its cuisine. She also served as a Recruiter Community Representative choosing potential candidates for Hamilton-Wentworth Police Department.
Eleanor never lost sight, of her focus on children and youth. Aware that a number of children in Hamilton were of Caribbean and African descent, she founded, Caribbean Potpourri, to be a component of ‘that village needed to raise a child’.
I am extremely proud of my top three accomplishments: founding the Pinney Learning Centre, creating Rooted in Excellent and becoming a published author. These achievements have not only proven my ability to initiate and execute successful projects, but also demonstrate my passion for education and personal growth.
Major Accomplishments: The National Historic Site designation of Nazrey African Episcopal Church, Amherstburg, ON, as 1st Black site in Canada 2000. Uplifting “THE BLACK THREAD IN THE CANADIAN TAPESTRY” and being a positive catalyst for change by promoting, educating, preserving and writing about African Canadian Heritage. 3 Daughters, 5 grandchildren
1. Winning of the highest leadership and diversity awards in Canada. In 2020 and 2023, I received the title and award of Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards.
2. Completing the general machinist apprenticeship. Which requires 8000 hours of training.
3. Supporting women across Canada and sharing my story.
Emerita worked with a team of professionals, sponsored by the City of Toronto and various organizations to support marginalized Black and Aboriginal women. Through the use of Arts Therapy, the participants were workshopped to help them develop skills and become confident women, some becoming professional artists. The production “Coming from the Womb,” was one of the successful projects where the women involved, published their poetry.
In 1998, she was invited to Kenya to represent Canada at the International Drama and Education Association Festival, where, 6000 delegates from all over the world attended. She performed and provided community building and problem solving theatre workshops. On her return, she organized a fundraiser with local artists, raising $10.000 to help build a Health Clinic in Kisumu, to treat AIDS patients.
Dr. Emily Agard earned a B.Sc. (honours) in Life Sciences from Queen’s University and a Ph.D. in Immunology from the University of Toronto. She taught biology at York University and the University of Toronto at Scarborough before joining Ryerson as an Associate Professor. Currently, as Director of SciXchange at Ryerson University, she is passionate about making science accessible, engaging and inclusive of all groups.
Under her leadership, SciXchange has become a forerunner in science outreach and communication. To date, SciXchange has engaged 7,600 youth in hands-on science activities and interacted with over 12,000 members of the general public through special events and initiatives. Emily has galvanized the support of departments throughout Ryerson to coordinate and enhance outreach efforts into the community.
Emily Mills is founder of How She Hustles, a network that connects 5000 diverse women through social media and special events. Since 2010, her women’s networking events have sold-out in hours, consistently trending on Twitter, with up to 400 guests from Olympians to CEOs. Without corporate funding or government assistance, she has grown her virtual village through word of mouth and digital engagement with women following the How She Hustles movement to make new connections, find inspiration, information and get tips for success.
Through this network, Emily created HERstory in Black, a Toronto-based digital photo series that profiled 150 inspiring black women and pitched the idea to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), her former employer that led to a project featured on TV, radio and digital platforms to mark Black History Month and Canada’s 150th anniversary. HERstory in Black became the subject of a 1-hour documentary, sparked an unprecedented celebration at the CBC and created a big buzz online – earning the Prime Minister’s attention on social media. Elements of her work were integrated into CBC’s Up Close national project featuring black women across the country, plus the ‘What’s Your Story?’ brand campaign, and the Canada 2017 limited-edition book. Emily received the prestigious CBC President’s Award and was commended for making the public broadcaster more relevant to Canadians.
Prior to HERstory in Black, Emily played a pivotal role at CBC, as a senior communications strategist in the most competitive media market in Canada. She organized high-impact special events, negotiated sponsorships and partnerships, developed strategies for community outreach and crafted marketing plans for top-rated programs.
Enid Lee, M.A., is a front-line educator, writer, speaker and community builder. She consults internationally on anti-racist and equitable education. She began her career as a classroom teacher several decades ago and has taught in the Caribbean, Canada and the U.S.A.
Her service to students of African Ancestry in Canada dates back to the mid-seventies when she taught in the Black Studies program in Flemington Elementary School in Toronto’s West End. She went on to serve as the first Supervisor of Race/Ethnic Relations at the former North York Board of Education.
As a member of the validation team for the provincial Policy on Race and Ethnocultural Equity, Enid traveled across the province of Ontario, engaging in evaluation sessions on the policy with community members and Boards of Education. She was also a Commissioner on the Task Force on Access to the Professions and Trades in Ontario. In 2008, the Nova Scotia Department of Education and the Council on African Canadian Education (CACE) commissioned her consulting firm, Enidlee Consultants Inc., of which she is Director, to conduct a review of programs for enhancing educational opportunities and achievement for African Nova Scotian Learners.
Estella Muyinda is a lawyer with a background in management and in human rights pertaining to the constitutional rights of vulnerable communities. She has established a general law and alternate dispute resolution practice and has experience working with government and non-profit organizations.
Estella holds a Masters of Laws (LL.M), from York University, a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) from Makerere University, the University of Manitoba (Acc.), a Diploma in Legal Practice, from the Law Development Centre, a Certificate in Mining Law from Osgoode Hall Law School, York University and a Certificate from the Executive Director Institute, Non-profit Management and Leadership Program Schulich School of Business, York University. She was called to three Bar Societies, the Law Society of Ontario, the Manitoba Law Society and the Law Society of the Northwest Territories.
She established and managed the first legal aid clinic that provided services to four communities and later grew to serve eight in the Beaufort and Mackenzie Delta region, Northwest Territories.
Esther Enyolu is the Founder and Executive Director of the Women’s Multicultural Resource and Counselling Centre (WMRCC) of Durham Region. In her work as Executive Director, she is highly committed to ensuring that women and children receive effective and efficient services, as well as maintaining a work environment that is free of any form of oppression.
Etagegnhue (Eta) Woldeab is the Associate Executive Director of OCASI- Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants, a provincial Council concerned with immigration and inclusion of public policies, access to justice, professional development and training of the immigrant and refugee serving sector and issues of race, gender, disability and sexuality and immigration status.
As a key member of the executive leadership of OCASI Eta led the organization and the Ontario sector on a technological revolution twenty years ago which laid the foundation for the current robust online presence of the Council through its award winning site, settlement.org/establissement.org and various other online platforms serving the information and referral needs of immigrants, refugees and workers in Ontario. She was also instrumental in having OCASI recognized with a Great Grant Award by the Ontario Trillium Foundation in 2007.
Ettie has made a smooth transition from being a model to opening her own Fashion Agency, which is in its 25th year of operation, representing high fashion ladies wear from Canada, Europe and the United States to upscale department stores, specialty stores and boutiques. In 1990, she founded the Applause Institute, a non-profit community organization, empowering the black youth of her community. With the help of a dedicated team of volunteers, the first Cotillion Ball was held on October 16, 1996, an annual event that highlights months of training in social graces, dining etiquette, ballroom dancing, and many other disciplines.
Ettie Rutherford, a Jamaican immigrant, is a retired elementary school Principal, and the author of her first book “Women Are Worthy: Why Perch like a Chick When You Can Soar like an Eagle?”
Ettie’s memoir, focuses on her teen-age pregnancy, years of spousal abuse, and being abandoned in Calgary with four young children. In spite of a life filled with such challenges, Ettie graduated from the University of Calgary with a B.Ed., Dip.Ed. and M.Ed. degrees. Through the Congress of Black Women of Canada, Ettie has served as National Vice-President, working with Congress chapters from British Colombia to Nova Scotia. She also served as Provincial Representative for Alberta and Ontario, during which time, she started the York Region and the Oshawa-Whitby chapters.
Ettie’s goal is to continue using her consulting businesses, Women Are Worthy, and ER – Education-Services to enable women to realize their worth and attain success in the workplace and as parents. In order to give women meaningful service she has recently developed three programs: “R-I-S-E-U-P”, “Women Balancing Home and Work” and “Parenting With a Vision”.
Ms. Johnson was born in Marigot, Dominica and in 1967, migrated to Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada. She eventually moved to Thompson, Manitoba, due to experiences of racism while seeking employment and a place to live.
While living in Thompson, Eunadie became involved in a number of initiatives; many of which she was instrumental in conceptualizing, developing and implementing. She was the founding member of the first Afro-Caribbean Association of the North, as well as the Manitoba Chapter of the Congress of Black Women. She founded the Manitoba Immigrant Women’s Association which later became the Association of Immigrant and Visible Minority Women.
Eunadie also established the first women’s shelter in Northern Manitoba. She was the Northern Representative for the Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres and later became the Western Regional Representative. While still confronting racism, Eunadie continued to advocate for women’s rights. She was selected by the Mulroney Government to be part of the nation’s Constitutional Talks. She was later appointed to the Federal Committee to address practices affecting the hiring of visible minorities in the Public Service.
Evangeline Cain-Grant has been engaged in community service throughout her life. She was born in North Preston, Nova Scotia, one of Canada’s oldest and largest Black communities with a history that dates back to the 16th century. She became the First Black woman to open a sole law office in Canada, First Black woman member of the Nova Scotia Barrister Society Council; as well as North Preston’s First graduate from Dalhousie Law School and admission as a Lawyer to the Nova Scotia Barrister Society and the Nova Scotia Supreme Court.
She gained public prominence as President and co-founder of the Parent-Student Association of Preston, an organization viewed by many, as one the most powerful and peaceful movements for educational reform that this country has ever seen. It was organized as a direct response to the nationally covered 1989 Cole Harbour High School Racial Riot, that resulted in the introduction of Nova Scotia’s First-Time Race Relation legislations and programs including but not limited to the Department of Education African Canadian Services Division, Council on African Canadian Education, Afrocentric Institute, Student Support Workers, Ethnic Curriculum and numerous other race- related initiatives within the province’s school system.
Dr. Linda Maxwell is the Founding and Executive Director of the Biomedical Zone, a first-in-class, hospital-embedded business incubator for emerging health technology companies. It is an innovative strategic partnership between St. Michael’s Hospital and Ryerson University. Under Dr. Maxwell’s stewardship, the Biomedical Zone has gone from concept to creation to going concern, supporting Toronto’s leading health technology businesses. Since its founding in 2015, the Biomedical Zone has supported over 160 innovators, facilitated fundraising for startup companies in excess of $15 million in private investment, supported companies through two commercial exits, and engaged in twenty-five hospital innovation projects.
Dr. Maxwell’s breadth of experience and scope of expertise is established based on over a decade as an accomplished physician and a head and neck/facial plastic surgeon. Her medical career is distinguished by university appointments as a clinical instructor, medical school faculty member, and published scientific author. A passion for entrepreneurship and business, led her to an MBA program at the University of Oxford.
Evelyn is a highly experienced, innovative and results-oriented professional with more than 20 years helping public sector and social profit organizations translate their vision into action, through team building, problem solving, driving strategic change, efficient and effective leadership for sustainable growth and development. She is currently the CEO of EMpower Strategy Group, a boutique consulting Company, founded 2011, with the primary goal of providing the expertise that transforms organization and individuals. She designs and delivers powerful leadership development in areas of Stakeholder Engagement, Capacity Building, Community Leadership and Communications.
Prior to her position with the EMpower Strategy Group, she held numerous leadership positions in government and business. She has been a strong business woman, served as Program Director at Status of Women, Canada, worked for diversity as the Executive Director of the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion, Founding Director of Peel Newcomer Strategy Group and founded the Rev. John C. Holland Awards to recognize Black Achievement in Hamilton. In recognition of her accomplishments, Evelyn has been the recipient of many Awards, which include, the 10 Year Volunteer Award (for Black History Committee), Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, Ontario, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Award, Government of Canada, the Queen Elizabeth Golden Jubilee Award, Government of Canada, Community Service Certificate, Social Planning Certificate, Portrait of Success Award, Hamilton Spectator and the Woman of the Year Public Affairs Award, City of Hamilton. She was also inducted into Hamilton’s prestigious Gallery of Distinction.
Dr. Fahima Osman arrived in Canada in 1989, with her parents and 6 younger siblings, when she was 11 years old. They were accepted as Somali refugees. She is the eldest of now 9 children. At the time she helped take care of her younger siblings, while pursuing her dream to study medicine. She always knew she wanted to be a doctor, but she was told time and time again that she could not be accepted at Medical School since it is too difficult to become a doctor. She studied hard to keep her A+ average and eventually applied to McMaster Medical School. Fahima remembers the day when she and her Mom went to the mailbox to collect the mail. The day was June 4, 2001, when she opened the letter of acceptance to study what she had aspired to all her life. She screamed with joy and hugged her Mom. The next big day for her was May 14, 2004. Fahima Osman had earned the right to put the two long-dreamed of letters before her name. In that moment, the Somali refugee, whose parents had no formal schooling, whose father nearly drowned trying to flee a life of poverty and whose high-school guidance counsellor once warned her not to aim so high, will become an original : the first Canadian-trained Medical Doctor in Toronto’s Somali community. Her goal was to become a surgeon in Canada and also to volunteer in Somaliland, the former British Protectorate that became part of Somalia, only to break away after her family had left.
My three major accomplishment are
• Founder of The Black History Heritage Society 2018
• Founder of Mozia Women’s Network Society
• Executed MDC Marcus Garvey Entertainment Centre for Youth, Jamaica WI Sep 2007
I founded my own business, Belles Creatives, a marketing agency helping BIPOC and small businesses achieve their entrepreneurial goals online. I was featured on CBCs 150 most interesting Canadians and; I also co-founded Aschenti Cocoa: Canadas first farm to bar chocolate.
As part of the Continuing Committee of Officials on Human Rights (CCOHR), the federal, provincial and territorial body responsible for adherence to domestic implementation of international human rights treaties, Farhia was lead analyst for the coordination and preparation of Canada’s reports and appearances before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) including Canada’s first report on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child