GREATER SUDBURY, January 18, 2019 – On January 22nd, join the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce as they host Mark Marsolais-Nahwegahbow, Founder, Birch Bark Coffee Company, for a keynote address at the second annual PEP (Procurement, Employment and Partnerships) Gala, presented by KGHM and in partnership with the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business.

The PEP Conference and Tradeshow, hosted in partnership with the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business and presented by SNC-Lavalin, is designed to ignite industry-wide discussions on ways Ontario can build and benefit from innovative supply chain management, address the shortage of skilled workers, and build progressive partnerships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. This will include panel discussions on developing and sustaining local procurement frameworks, strategies to develop local and regional work forces, and the advantages of partnerships.

A new addition to the PEP Gala this year is the presentation of two awards: Indigenous Business of the Year, sponsored by Northern Ontario Business, and Business Partnership of the Year. 

WHEN:         Tuesday, January 22nd, 2019, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

                     NOTE: Keynote address is scheduled to being at 8:00 pm

WHERE:     Holiday Inn, 1696 Regent Street, Sudbury ON, P3E 3Z8

WHO:          Mark Marsolais-Nahwegahbow, Founder, Birch Bark Coffee Company

To find out more information about PEP, please visit https://pepconference.ca/.

About Mark Marsolais-Nahwegahbow:

I am Ojibwe and a Band member of Whitefish River First Nation located on Birch Island, Ontario in the District of Manitoulin Island. and I am Founder of a First Nations owned innovative business called Birch Bark Coffee Company and I am on a mission to make a difference in my people’s lives and to bring clean drinking water to approximately 1,673,785 Indigenous people in Canada and to educate the world that Birch Bark Coffee Company can make a difference.

In starting Birch Bark Coffee Company, I wanted the name to have a connection to my Indigenous heritage, but also about a passion to help others. Birch trees have been relied upon for many centuries by First Nations people, European Settlers, and Voyageurs. They remain an iconic resource today and throughout Canadian history and they have increased the quality of life in so many ways, for so many people, and ironically, I found there to be many similarities in the historical stories and legends of the quintessential coffee bean.

The chamber gratefully acknowledges the support of its sponsors for making PEP possible.

Gala:

  • Title Sponsor: KGHM
  • Gold Sponsor: Ontario Power Generation
  • Bronze Sponsor: Workforce Planning for Sudbury & Manitoulin
  • Award Sponsor: Northern Ontario Business

PEP Conference and Tradeshow 2019 Sponsors:

  • Title Sponsor: SNC-Lavalin
  • Partner: Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business
  • Gold Sponsors: LiUNA, Fisher Wavy
  • VIP Gold Sponsor: Hydro One
  • Silver Sponsors: Vale, Kiewit, Pioneer Construction
  • Bronze Sponsors: Wajax, Ethier Sand & Gravel
  • Youth Delegate & Bursary Sponsor: Glencore
  • Programme Sponsor: BDO
  • Media Sponsor: CTV
  • Networking Sponsor: DST Consulting Engineers Inc., Greater Sudbury Development Corporation, SCR Mining & Tunnelling

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