This month, we sat down – virtually – with three Black-business owners from our network; Evelyne Nyairo, Founder Ellie Bianca, Mildred Murphy, Co-Founder, President and CEO at Noontide Service Corporation, and Wayne King, Founder, President and CEO at InfoMedia Systems Group. The three are leaders in their respective industries, and each work independently to empower and give back to their communities. This February, we discussed what inspired each to start their business, what it’s like being a part of our network, and what’s to come this year.
“I am excited for the growth opportunities that 2022 is set to bring.” Said Wayne King. InfoMedia Systems Group has been a CAMSC Certified Supplier for almost four years. “We’ve taken advantage of what CAMSC offers and the relationships we’ve been able to make within the network,” he said.
Originally from Barbados, Wayne lived in the GTA and Waterloo before starting his business in Ottawa. “InfoMedia headquarters are in Ottawa and Toronto, and we’re opening a satellite office in Newfoundland. We’re focusing on evolving our company with relationships and tools in place that we didn’t have before”.
For Evelyne, founder of the all-natural, environmentally sustainable, and socially conscious skincare line Ellie Bianca, “CAMSC has been a great platform to find like-minded people; it’s great to be a part of an organization that is speaking out, standing up, and representing minorities.”
“My background is in engineering, promoting environmental sustainability in the oil and gas industry around the world. It’s a field that at the time, and still now, is mainly dominated by men,” shared Evelyne, “It’s hard being the only woman in a male-dominant industry. In high-profile meetings, people would look at MY staff and ask if I was there to take notes. At those times, I would think of what my father used to say… “Don’t complain, be so good that they cannot ignore you.”
Mildred’s father also influenced her work ethic. “I learned early on that success comes five seconds after coming to the conclusion that nobody owes you anything. It’s time to get up and get started,” Mildred shared, “Growing up in the Bahamas, my father once spoke a Creole proverb to me which roughly translates to “Donkeys give birth to mules, to help them carry the load,” and I thought why can’t I be a lion, tiger or bear?”
Since then, Mildred’s work ethic and determination have gotten her far. Her company, Noontide Management Group, has been a CAMSC Certified Supplier for less than a year. “Already, we have met so many great people and had many doors opened to us. I am proud, so many of our clients are also in CAMSC’s network, sharing opportunities to grow together. Building business is building relationships.”
Noontide recently launched ViZYON Smart Facility Ecosystem, a customer-centric platform designed for large-scale development projects that connect users around the world to a network of suppliers, vendors, skilled and unskilled labour. Like uber connects drivers and customers who need a ride, ViZYON connects facilities to local tradespeople around the world.
“It’s all about working together. ViZYON is about interdependent partnerships. Partners working together to unlock mutual value creation for the benefit of the customer. A customer who understands what’s good for them and the planet. Mildred told us, “No matter what part of the globe – there’s an opportunity to perform and to have access to the market ecosystem.”
Like Mildred, Wayne also believes business is a way to build long-lasting connections and empower those on their journey to success. “InfoMedia started off doing basically large enterprise projects with government, banks, and insurance companies. Over the past five to 10 years, we’ve moved into doing cloud and business productivity work with small and medium-sized businesses. We’re helping smaller businesses get online.”
Wayne acknowledged the importance of taking a community focus, “We try to give back to the community as much as possible, and we work with great entrepreneurs doing good in the world that we are proud to call our clients. I always recommend those who aren’t involved should get involved with CAMSC”.
Regardless of where in the supply chain, supporting women is a core value of Evelyne’s. “We fight extremely hard to create opportunities that empower women through business and fair trade and to support them along the supply chain. I want the younger girls out there to see that they can overcome any difficulties they face”.
The Ellie Bianca Woman Scholarship was recently launched in support of single mothers seeking post-secondary education. “Education is really important,” said Evelyne, “I want to see more single mothers’ access post-secondary education so they can live up to their dreams, stand out, and accomplish their goals.”
Our mission as an organization is to champion business relationships and the economic growth of our Indigenous, Black, and Minority Suppliers through their inclusion in Canadian supply chains. As we educate ourselves on the past, the present, and the future this Black History Month, we are proud to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirits and ambitious accomplishments of the Black community and business leaders like Evelyne, Mildred, and Wayne that transform our mission into a reality.