Keneisha Williams

Welcome to the real world LCBO workers. Societal change may impact how you work, where you work….what you earn…yup. I actually liked the LCBO, until it started to feel timid, slow, and afraid to embrace the future by reverting to old style union tactics. I now believe it’s time to go hard at it, and begin the process of its dismantling. Walking through the US and Europe, all I see is more choice, more convenience, lower prices and greater service options and variety. And….alcohol related societal issues have not destroyed their countries, given they’ve had such availability for decades in many cases. Oh, and we’ve legalized canibus too, and thus far, the world hasn’t come to a crashing end. Enough with the union scare tactics, negotiate the best contract for your members as you can, and go ahead and strike, but wine, beer beverage (and weed) options are widely available, and more of the same will be nothing but a boon to Canadians, and Canadian business. Don’t attempt to stop progress, enable it, shape it, and find your role in it. And as result of the choices already available…it will not be a dry summer at all.

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Did you know? The rapid advancement of AI is set to significantly disrupt and transform creative industries in the "near future" aka it is happening right now! As an award-winning filmmaker, dance artist, festival producer, and one of Edmonton's Top 40 Under 40, I am deeply intrigued by AI's potential to revolutionize the way we engage with and produce art. It is imperative that we take an active role in shaping the convergence of creativity and technology. This is why I am honored to be a Keynote speaker and host at Canada's inaugural AI 4 ART Summit on February 28, 2025. During this event, we will delve into the opportunities and obstacles that lie ahead. How can we leverage AI to enhance creativity and self-expression? How should we adapt economic and copyright frameworks for the AI era? Most importantly, how can we ensure that AI amplifies the voices of all emerging and marginalized artists in the creative realm? These critical questions mark the onset of an era enriched by AI-infused creativity. I invite you to participate in the discussions at AI 4 ART to help shape the trajectory of what is being called 'The Second Renaissance' as seen on Dan Koe newsletter. #AI4ART #ArtandTech #CreativeFutures #DidYouKnow #Edmonton #Calgary Brought to you by falac.org

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Did you know? The rapid advancement of AI is set to significantly disrupt and transform creative industries in the "near future" aka it is happening right now! As an award-winning filmmaker, dance artist, festival producer, and one of Edmonton's Top 40 Under 40, I am deeply intrigued by AI's potential to revolutionize the way we engage with and produce art. It is imperative that we take an active role in shaping the convergence of creativity and technology. This is why I am honored to be a Keynote speaker and host at Canada's inaugural AI 4 ART Summit on February 28, 2025. During this event, we will delve into the opportunities and obstacles that lie ahead. How can we leverage AI to enhance creativity and self-expression? How should we adapt economic and copyright frameworks for the AI era? Most importantly, how can we ensure that AI amplifies the voices of all emerging and marginalized artists in the creative realm? These critical questions mark the onset of an era enriched by AI-infused creativity. I invite you to participate in the discussions at AI 4 ART to help shape the trajectory of what is being called 'The Second Renaissance' as seen on Dan Koe newsletter. #AI4ART #ArtandTech #CreativeFutures #DidYouKnow #Edmonton #Calgary Brought to you by falac.org

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🤔 Pop quiz - how many Canadians are considering a donation in their Will because of the Will Power campaign? (Answer below) Every year we conduct independent polling to see how well the campaign is hitting. We want to know if more people are paying attention to the campaign, and if we're doing a good job convincing people that they should consider a gift to charity in their Will. Our latest poll shows: 🙌 22% of Canadians know about the Will Power campaign (up from 16-18% in previous years) 🎉 3.1 million Canadians are now considering a gift in their Will after seeing a Will Power ad (up from 2.7 million in previous years) Upwards and onwards! #fundraising #legacygiving #plannedgiving #estateplanning

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Lots of comedians in my DMs sharing that CBC article. Some insight! I was actually interviewed for this piece but ultimately not included in the final draft. They went a little more fluffy praising LiveNation and an increase in standup ticket sales. When it comes to opportunity, those numbers don't reflect the comedy middle and lower class. It's isolated to big ticket tours and mostly American acts. That doesn't mean opportunity isn't available for Canadian comedians but it is significantly harder to break in in terms of instant monetization. We don't have a TikTok creator program in Canada, the federal government doesn't recognize stand up comedy as an art form (and most artists in Canada scale through through funding), we need to go through a circus loophole to obtain visas, etc. Yes there is such thing as a comedy upperclass and they are eating well. But it's not a reflection of sudden prospects. In the same breath, it shows you that once you do scale, the audiences are hungry to be a part of large comedy experiences. That's a great sign for longevity and consumer appetite. My advice to Canadian comedians right now: - build your digital audience and leverage your influence through partnerships - keep an eye out for streamer funding that will be in response to bill c-11 - the best comedy products are not only funny but packaged - think disruptively in terms of creative projects - diversify as much as possible - leverage ALL your skills - keep innovating The future is always yours to build and obstacles are just problems waiting for solutions. I believe people need and want comedy now more than ever but geography still plays a role, culture still plays a role, gatekeepers and kingmakers still exist but the internet is still wide open to build independently. With Netflix knocking it out of the park with their live productions like The Roast of Tom Brady and both Chris and Katt's specials, the big dogs are going to make room for those willing to take risks, innovate and attract more people towards the product. Whatever that product may be. May the odds be every in your favour. And yes, I spelled favour the Canadian way.

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New Keynote Speaker Alert! TA Speakers is thrilled about expanding our thought leadership team. 🌟 We are excited to introduce you to our newest human connection speaker- Erika Casupanan, Keynote Speaker & Host, TV Personality & Storyteller! ➡️ You might recognize Erika as the historic first-ever Canadian winner of Survivor, and the first female to win in 7 seasons. As an immigrant to Canada from the Philippines, Erika is on a mission to show that no matter who you are, where you come from, or how others see you, you can win and come out on top. Erika's background in PR, Communications, Tech, and as an Executive Speechwriter gives her a unique perspective on the impact of one powerful speech. She is excited to inspire and encourage your community, helping you lead and develop through life's toughest moments. Here are some key topics Erika offers: 1) Winning When you are Underestimated and the power of being underestimated 2) People Are Greater Than The Game: How A People-Focused Mindset Is the Key to Resilience During Change 3) Blaze Your Trail: It's Time to Own Your Authenticity 4) Exploration Over Expectations: The Ultimate Growth Mindset 5) Custom Presentations & Emcee/Hosting A proud member of the Queer Community, Erika looks forward to creating the perfect-fit speech for you. We are excited to see her impact! 📍Interested in what Erika has to offer? Get in touch now, or click the link in the comments to learn more about her. #keynotespeaker #changeexpert #welcometotheteam #newteammember #teamgrowth #keynotespeaking #speaking

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🗨️ What's in a name? Lately I've been struggling with the title of "Mompreneur". When I first entered into entrepreneurship, I wore the title as a badge of honour. Being a woman and starting a business is challenging. We're brought up to be soft and timid. It can be challenging being a Black entrepreneur. Remember when I shared that post of being the only woman of colour at a presentation and being completely ignored by the presenter and the attendees? Add motherhood and then things get real. Wanting to be present and wanting to work. Oh, the mom guilt. Now I'm many years in as an entrepreneur. My daughter is older, and it's becoming easier to run my business while parenting. I've implemented boundaries with team members, clients and yes... family. My preteen requires her space to grow. I've been able to disconnect much better when it's family time and truly enjoy being in the moment with them. Along with being in my 50's I've developed a more assertive personality. My years of being an entrepreneur has opened up a larger community. Some of my closest business besties don't have kids and I couldn't imagine my entrepreneurship journey without them. Some of my close women entrepreneur friends have kids in their 20s. They run reputable businesses and have teams they contract or employ. I have male clients and know male entrepreneurs who are in my friend circles. My world is more inclusive. I have more experiences and I learn more. Being a Mom at the start of this journey made me a stronger solopreneur. I still tap into mama bear mode when I need to step into uncomfortable conversations or exit partnerships. Lastly, I don't see too many "Dadpreneur" events. While it will always be important for me to attend events that honour the fact that I have a women-owned business, I'm looking for events where I can learn real tactics to apply to my business. I don't want to be limited to Mom first. I give with all my heart in that arena. When I'm in business mode at Boswell-Buck Creative Consulting, I'm an employer, a leader, a guide for my clients, a coach, a thought leader, a speaker and so much more. I want to continue being more. #mindset #entrepreneur #smb #leadership #networking #diversityinclusion #socialsaturday

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Get to know us at TA Speakers Management: Empowering the world Through Human Connection! ✨Who We Are: Women-owned and fully-operated human connection Speaker's Agency based in Toronto, Ontario. By working with us: *You get epic, impactful and transformational keynote speaker for your events! *You get trained to become a professional and well-paid keynote Speaker. *You support women in small business. *You get to make an impact in your industry and beyond. ✨Why Us: TA Speakers Management is dedicated to making a meaningful impact through human connection and thought leadership. Our speakers are skilled, experienced professionals who deliver engaging and educational keynotes. We aim to shift mindsets, helping individuals lead healthier, happier, and more fulfilling lives by sharing their authentic life journeys. ✨Our Approach: We love making the perfect-fit match for your speaker needs. We do this by diving deep into your goals, objectives, and outcomes of your event or meeting and then suggesting the right-fit speaker. We take time to understand your audience and what they need today. ✨Current Themes and Topics: Our experts cover a wide range of themes and topics including... mental health & wellness, DEI & inclusion, perseverance, perspective, leadership and development, sales and customer service, the power of personality/personalization, authenticity and transparency, change management, the future of work, women's issues, social responsibility, recognition, retention, attraction, teamwork and collaboration, accountability, and more! Ready to make a difference with your next event? Let's connect and find the perfect speaker for your needs. 😃 #keynotespeaker #thoughtleader #womeninbusiness #womennetworking #keynotespeakers #confidence #teamwork

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@indigenousprojectevents is a full service corporate event management company that specializes in Indigenous experiences. Thanks so much to @inspiregroupltd for being such leaders & advocates of Indigenous entrepreneurship and of our people. We were blessed to have been given an opportunity to help you bring your last two Indigenous events to fruition. Why do we do what we do? We do it because events is how we can help to shift perceptions of who we are to not just non-Indigenous peoples but within our own communities. With so much lateral violence, collaboration and doing these kinds of events with eachother and with other non-Indigenous peoples, brings us all together as one...for one purpose. To understand and support eachother. With our strong set of values, our mission and our vision, we believe in being of service to those who resonate with our values of Creativity, Culture, Collaboration, Innovation, & Honesty. Let's support each other and continue to create these amazing events, memories and experiences 🫶🏽🩷❤️💙 #indigenousbusiness #indigenouspeople #indigenousevents

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CALLING MY FELLOW VANCOUVER BLACK SISTAH FOUNDERS! Please join me TOMORROW (Thursday) for the Raise + Rise Kickoff Session! This is the first of many opportunities to learn about how to get started on your VC fundraising journey! More details below!👇🏾 Register today at https://lu.ma/fr1a46n6! #BlackBusiness #WomenSupportingWomen #VentureCapital #Fundraising #Entrepreneurship

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🌟 Excited to share that I've joined the Enactus USask team as VP of Marketing! 🌟 Being part of this incredible this team gives me the opportunity to collaborate with passionate and driven individuals who are making a real impact in our community. Together, we're working on innovative projects that focus on sustainability, entrepreneurship, and social change. I'm especially excited to bring my marketing skills to the table, helping enactus usask spread the word and amplify our mission! 🎯 Looking forward to all the amazing things we'll achieve this year. Stay tuned for updates! 💡💼 #Enactus #EnactusUSask #Leadership #Marketing #SocialImpact #Entrepreneurship #Teamwork #Sustainability

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At the Canadian Black Standard, we have a signature event to support, educate and inspire Black women to secure the bag, but what happens after? There’s been many a story of people getting different appraisals on their properties depending on the level of “Blackness” in their home. Unfortunately, when greeted by a stand-in White homeowner, with no photos of a Black family on the walls, the value of their homes skyrockets. So what can we do about this? What guidelines can we put in place to remove bias and discrimination in housing? #racism #housingdiscrimination #ravenbaxter #drravenbaxter

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Tomorrow on Collisions YYC, I welcome Dr. Mike Mousseau, business development and mental health programs manager at GreenShield. Our conversation centers around the crucial topic of psychological safety in the workplace and its profound impact on employee experience and productivity. Dr. Mousseau presents insights into how positive psychology and neuroscience can be harnessed to enhance psychological safety within teams and organizations. He argues for a preventive approach to mental health, drawing on neuroscientific concepts to empower individuals to control their well-being for authentic, lasting change. Come back tomorrow to tune in! 🚀 #Neuroscience #PsychologicalSafety #MentalHealthAtWork

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Yesterday, November 23 was International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day - a day designated for those affected by suicide to come together for healing and support. I purposely didn't post about it as I believe honouring suicide survivorship shouldn't be a one day event. Suicide happens every day, (several times a day, in fact) and thus support for those grieving that loss must be paid attention to every day, not just one day year. Every loss leaves family, friends, and colleagues with grief, struggling to understand and cope. Due to the stigma surrounding suicide and mental illness, the lack of understanding and education of PTS, OSI, and PTSI, as well as the complex emotions involved with all of it, many people do not seek the support they need to cope with their loss. So often family and friends do not talk about their pain, and the lack of sharing contributes to loneliness, detachment, isolation, more difficulty with coping and a greater potential for depression. I cannot stress enough the importance of talking and support for the well-being of survivors. We all need to feel like we belong, and we need to talk about the loss. The social supports that come after a suicide are critical! When suicide survivors talk and share with others, that support facilitates recovery and growth as it helps the survivor have fewer depressive symptoms of their own and adds to increased personal growth when learning to navigate a new normal. Suicide loss survivors, I urge you to come together to find comfort, understanding and hope. This will always be an open, welcoming, and safe space that offers the opportunity to find strength within ourselves alongside those 'who get it'. #suicidesurvivorship #internationalsurvivorsofsuicidelossday #suicide #loss #grief #coping #depression #isolation #loneliness #detachment #comfort #understanding #healing #support #connection #talk #talkaboutit #newnormal #care #recovery #growth #hope #strength #safespace #wy20 #whatsyourtwenty #family #friends #colleagues #love

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Hey all, three points of the post below: 1. Early bird pricing is finishing today. 2. The event is open for everyone (all inclusive). You need to read the post if you wonder what does everyone mean. Also, we are well aware that marketing to everyone is attracting no one, but this is a different case. Both Connect Local & Global Inc. and WeCan - Women Entrepreneurs of Canada Network are the hosts. 3. Female entrepreneurs: You get a one month free trial to join the movement of entrepreneural transformation with a network of support! See you there!

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In case you missed it, in this clip, Richelieu Dennis , Founder, Sundial Brands & Founder/Chair, ESSENCE Ventures, New Voices Foundation and New Voices Fund asks some poignant questions for both investors and founders to consider as we set out to create and support thriving and relevant businesses. As a founder, have you crafted your business model with your purpose in mind? What is your North star and how is that reflected in your business? #Foodforthought #PurposeAccessCapitalExpertise #purposedrivenbusiness

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Me being silent online means something special is happening offline. The first decade of July was marked by organizing and hosting the one-of-a-kind event in Ottawa - Second Transformational Games Night. Yes, we gather the local community to play games. 🚫These games are called transformational because their purpose is not to entertain or educate. ✅These games are crafted to provide tailored solutions for your professional and business goals or challenges. How it works: 1️⃣ Each player enters the game with a specific concern or problem they want to tackle in professional or personal spheres. 2️⃣ During the game participants collect resources. Resources come in the form of deep insights, information, tasks or collaborations with other players,. 3️⃣ They finish the game with the action plan to implement right after the game. As a result, real-life changes (aka transformations) start happening and make your life better. No magic or mysticism! 🧠 Each t-game is created using business methodology, and proven psychological or coaching techniques, and conducted by certified game practitioners. So proud of Ottawa game masters who joined the North American Association of Transformational Game Practitioners, I co-founded in 2023. ❓Would you like to try one of these games for yourself or your team, shoot me a DM #tgames #businessgames #transformationalgames #visibilitycode #naatgp #gamesforentrepreneurs #personalbranding

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🎬 Film festival season is upon us, and it's always an exciting time at Coldwater Communications! From managing PR for the Whistler Film Festival Society and the Sustainable Entertainment Society to supporting numerous production companies and projects annually, our team thrives in the film and entertainment space. Canada’s film industry, often called Hollywood North, generates over $12 billion annually and supports 244,000 jobs, highlighting the sector’s economic power. Here are some transferable lessons from film PR that can elevate any business strategy: Storytelling is essential: In film and entertainment, crafting compelling narratives is crucial to engaging audiences. This skill is equally valuable in any industry—whether you're promoting a product, service, or brand, the ability to tell a powerful story that resonates emotionally with your audience can set you apart. Timing is everything: PR in entertainment often revolves around release dates, premieres, and events, making timing critical. Similarly, in any business, aligning your PR efforts with key dates, industry trends, or news cycles can amplify your impact. Planning and executing at the right moment maximizes visibility and engagement. Adaptability and issues management: The entertainment sector is fast-paced, with frequent shifts and the occasional crisis. This teaches the importance of being adaptable, prepared for the unexpected, and having a crisis management plan in place. This is relevant in all sectors where adaptability and swift response to unforeseen challenges are key to protecting and enhancing reputation. Building relationships with media and influencers: Entertainment PR relies heavily on strong relationships with journalists, bloggers, and influencers. These relationships help secure coverage and positive exposure. In any industry, cultivating good media relationships and leveraging influencer partnerships can significantly boost brand visibility and credibility. Data-driven decision making: In entertainment, audience insights and analytics are used to fine-tune PR strategies, from targeting the right demographics to measuring campaign success. Businesses can apply the same data-driven approach to refine messaging, identify opportunities, and evaluate the effectiveness of PR initiatives. Creativity and innovation: Entertainment PR often involves out-of-the-box thinking to capture audience attention in a crowded market. For any business, incorporating creativity into PR strategies—whether through unique campaigns, stunts, or storytelling—can differentiate your brand and make your messaging more memorable. As we step into festival season, it’s clear that the lessons learned from film PR—storytelling, adaptability, and strategic timing—aren't confined to the entertainment world; they are essential for driving impact and innovation across all sectors. Wishing everyone a successful season ahead! 🎥 #publicrelations #entertainment #storytelling #businessstrategy

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