Monika Verma -- Executive Director

“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe”. I believe and want to empower others to believe in themselves.

Monika has been practical, entrepreneurial and innovative in her thinking, with many programs and projects launched in the Lower Mainland. She has managed retail stores, manufacturing plant and has been an instrumental part of PICS and Rainbow Community Health Co-op’s growth managing diverse projects for the past 7 years before coming to SEEDS. In her role as Executive Director, Monika assumes a leadership role in her community as it relates to supporting the development of entrepreneurs. Her strategy is to target the disadvantaged groups such as Immigrants, Youth-at-Risk, First Nation People, Persons with Disabilities and Women. Her expertise and leadership have been recognized by the broader community. She is involved in many committees and organizations and is closely connected with the local community.

e-mail: mverma@seedsbdc.com
Telephone: 604-590-4144 ext 306

Margie J. Nand -- Program Executive Assistant

Margie utilizes her experiences in human resources, office management and administrative expertise from the private, government, and not-for-profit sectors.  Her achievements include managing and streamlining office processes & procedures, enhancing customer service, and, volunteer and records management.  At SEEDS, Margie manages the server, website, configures email, maintains databases and, trouble-shoots office computer systems.  She also provides human resource services, performs desktop publishing functions, as well as ongoing day-to-day operational support to the Executive Director and the Accountant.

e-mail: mjnand@seedsbdc.com
Telephone: 604-590-4144 ext 317

Catalino Miniano -- Accountant

Catalino brings 26 years of senior accounting practice from the Philippines and Saudi Arabia. His academic accomplishments include a Business Administration degree from the University of the East-Manila, Philippines and is presently a 4th Level CGA student with BCIT working towards his CGA designation. Catalino joined SEEDS in January 2002 as the Accountant and shares great strengths in professionalism, accountability and personable traits. He supports the Executive Director on the day-to-day operations.

e-mail: cminiano@seedsbdc.com
Telephone: 604-590-4144 ext 305

Dominga Lapac -- Program Assistant, Client Services

Dominga is a graduate of Vancouver Career College . Her training and skills in e-commerce, business administration and technology enhances her service and commitment to SEEDS' clients.  At SEEDS, Dominga utilizes her professionalism and excellent interpersonal skills in providing day-to-day administrative support to SEEDS clients as the Program Assistant.  Her dedication and enthusiasm makes Dominga an asset to the operational and support staff team of the Society.

e-mail: dlapac@seedsbdc.com
Telephone: 604-590-4144 ext 301

Nicole Worden -- Public Relations Consultant

Nicole has been involved with career, employment counselling and program development in the community for over 15 years. Her background is quite diverse working in customer service positions, counselling, marketing and networking, program management and several other social service industry careers. A young budding entrepreneur herself, founder of "LaFunnygirl Edutainment" (laughter workshops and yoga), Nicole understands the challenges of starting and running a new business and hopes to bring her energy and creativity to the SEEDS garden and encourage new 'SEEDS' to grow.

e-mail: nworden@seedsbdc.com
Telephone: 604-590-4144 ext 318

David Day -- Business Advisor

David's background includes 25 years of self-employment and senior management experience. In addition to his extensive business experience, David is also a professional adult educator and seminar instructor who has toured North America speaking on business issues. He has won several awards and was recognized in 1998 as BC Small Business Entrepreneur of the year.

e-mail: dday@seedsbdc.com
Telephone: 604-590-4144 ext 307

Christine Pollock -- Business Advisor

Christine is known for her ability to recognize and develop market opportunities. Well versed in the art of change, her twenty-five year career has involved the successful development of two businesses as well as ten years in the corporate world as a sales and marketing manager. She believes very strongly in self-directed adult education and besides her position at SEEDS, writes and delivers business programs and workshops at various university colleges throughout the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley.

e-mail: cpollock@seedsbdc.com
Telephone: 604-590-4144 ext 308

Sunil Rawat BSc; MBA -- Business Advisor

Sunil brings with him 26 years of sound business and marketing experience. His own entrepreneurial background is very helpful in offering practical business advise to the clients in their pursuit of entrepreneurship. His extensive department store management experience coupled with his training and expertise in the culturally diverse communities is an asset to SEEDS in developing the new SE Program for Immigrants. In addition Sunil provides marketing and Stress Management facilitation to SEEDS clients.

e-mail: srawat@seedsbdc.com
Telephone: 604-590-4144 ext 303

Ron Ellis -- Business Consultant

Ron brings 35 years of experience in marketing and general management to assist his clients at SEEDS. After achieving his MBA in marketing at University of California at Berkeley, he established and built a management consulting business, followed by a multi-branch electronics distributorship across Western Canada. Currently, he and his wife operate a book distribution company. Ron has experience in a wide range of industries and has worked extensively with new business. Ron finds the SEEDS program a wonderful opportunity to apply his years of experience and knowledge to assist clients in successfully building their new businesses and to share in their visions of growth.

e-mail: rellis@seedsbdc.com
Telephone: 604-590-4144 ext 375

Grace Valador -- Business Consultant

Grace's approach builds from her extensive experience in operating her own micro businesses (Real Estate, Interior Decorating and Motor Home Rental) and her twenty year career at IBM Canada Ltd. (Sales, Marketing, Business Transformation and Business Administration). Grace's focus is to work with her SEEDS clients to launch their businesses, realize their goals and establish their products and services relative to identified targeted markets. She recognizes the valuable learning ground that SEEDS provide for clients. Grace has an MBA from Royal Roads University and is the owner/operator of her own management consulting business, Strategic Implementation.

e-mail: gvalador@seedsbdc.com
Telephone: 604-590-4144 ext 374

Balwinder Chahal, BA., LL.B -- Business Consultant

Balwinder brings 30 years of experience in legal practice, corporate personnel management, administration, operations, financial and insurance consultation. He graduated in Law and Business Management and was an instructor for students of business management. He believes that proper training coupled with positive motivation brings out the entrepreneurial skills within a person who wants to embrace the business world. Balwinder enjoys working with his clients to focus on key issues that drive entrepreneurial success.

e-mail: bchahal@seedsbdc.com
Telephone: 604-590-4144 ext 376

Vicky Pearce -- Financial Facilitator

Vicky has 25 years experience as a Controller in the manufacturing and construction industries. She started her own company in January 1998. Vicky teaches business and advises in self employment programs for Langara College, EASE, SEEDS and Business Beginnings, as well as provides bookkeeping and accounting services for several small businesses. Vicky brings expertise in business finances to SEEDS' clients.

e-mail: vlmpearce@aol.com
Telephone: 604-857-2920

Aaron Gill -- Employers' Advisor - WCB

Aaron works for the Ministry of Labour as an Employers’ Advisor. He provides advice, assistance and education to the business community on WCB claims, assessments and occupational health and safety training. Aaron is a member of various chambers of commerce, a Director with the Abbotsford Chamber and is on the Chamber’s education committee. He has a Masters in Education and is presently finishing his Ph.D. at Simon Fraser University. Aaron volunteers time and management skills to various non-profit organizations. His specialty is teaching occupational health and safety and providing labour market advice to SEEDS clients. Aaron is a certified ESL and WCB First Aid Instructor. Aaron is a former board member of the South Fraser Health Region and was Medical Director for the 2001 BC Senior Games held in Surrey. He also teaches for St. John Ambulance and was the recipient of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John.

e-mail: agill@aeo-bc.com

Barbara Smith -- Sales and Presentation Skills, Sales & Prospecting

Barb was a senior manager and a professional speaker for over 15 years. She has a degree in Administration and Marketing from the University of Regina and a Certificate in Internet Marketing from UBC. She owns and operates her own business, e-Clarity Consulting Inc. In her spare time she likes to golf and tend to her garden. Barb's enthusiasm and motivation brings out the best in SEEDS Clients.

e-mail: bsmith@e-clarityconsulting.ca
Telephone: 250-306-0084

Felix Louis -- Sales

Felix possesses over 10 years of sales and marketing experience and is the President and senior consultant at The FL Group: Sales and Marketing Professionals. He has helped market companies in various industries; Whitecaps (sports), Indesigns (construction), Arc 2 Media (entertainment) and other small to mid-sized businesses in the lower mainland. He has also helped increase revenue by 60-100% through strategic marketing and sales initiatives. Felix is currently pursuing a graduate program (MBA) – with an emphasis on Management Consulting (Marketing and Sales perspective). He focuses on practical sales approach that is based on relationship building.

e-mail: felix@theflgroup.com
Telephone: 604-765-4564

Tinu Mathur -- Presentation Skills, Facilitator

Tinu is senior partner for Cypress Point Ventures and Vice President of International Business Development, for eZuz Japan . He has been involved with technology transfer for the past eight years, migrating companies from North America and Europe into Asia. His work centers around creating growth for emerging companies through strategy, vision, funding and execution. Prior to that, Tinu was involved in the media at the helm of both the creative and business side. He was a featured speaker for Marketing Magazine for four years and has vast experience in the strategy for start-up and micro-businesses. He serves on the Board of Directors for four multinational corporations.

e-mail: tmathur@cypresspointventures.com
Telephone: 604-520-0074

Shannon Wall, MBA -- Stress and Time Management, Business Language

Shannon brings her varied experienc as an interactive facilitator to the SEEDS table. She specializes in organizational development and a co-founder of a team-building company called Possibilities Training Group, which provides training in conflict resolution, cultural awareness, youth programming and team development for groups of all kinds. She is excited to share her energy and experience as a BC business owner with SEEDS clients.

e-mail: possibilitiestraining@shaw.ca
Telephone: 604-760-7254

Sylvia Schmidt, Cultural Awareness

Sylvia has extensive intercultural knowledge as well as seventeen years experience in intercultural communications and a Master's Degree in the field of communication. Her company, Culture Link, assists organizations to achieve superior results in attaining corporate goals through recognizing, valuing, and integrating cultural diversity

e-mail: culturelink@telus.net
Telephone: 604-589-8812

 

Jimmy Young, B. Com. MA. -- Facilitator Computer Systems

Jimmy has worked as a self-employed tourism planner in both Canada and New Zealand since 1998 and specializes in market analysis, product development and business planning for the tourism industry. He holds a Master of Arts in Recreation and Tourism and a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration from Victoria University in New Zealand. Prior to 1998 he was involved in the finance and customer service industries for three years. Jimmy brings his experience in business systems and computing to SEEDS and looks forward to facilitating the computer training course.

e-mail: jimmyyoung@youngs.com
Telephone: 604-929-2199

Archie Southern -- Motivation Facilitator

Archie, a SEEDS graduate, is a life strategist and operates a life coaching business "ChangeMakers". Archie facilitates the "The Mind of the Entrepreneur", a Phase III class designed to help clients with the "inner game" of the sales process.

e-mail: ansouthern@yahoo.ca