Chinese Immigrants Doing Business in Canada

Chinese Immigrants Doing Business in Canada

Chinese Immigrants Doing Business in Canada

Chinese Immigrants Doing Business in Canada

On September 12, 2015, the Canada-China Institute for Business & Development (CCIBD), in collaboration with TD Bank for the Chinese-Canadian community, successfully hosted a full day conference at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University.  Its primary purpose was to assist Chinese immigrants, especially those recently landed, in starting and operating a business in Canada.

Two hundred participants gathered to listen to, and interact with panelists who addressed important topics related to this issue, as well as to network with their colleagues.  The conference featured panels on legal, labor and financial issues, as well as the special challenges that immigrant entrepreneurs face in Canada. The conference included a panel of immigrant entrepreneurs who shared their own experiences on conducting business in Canada, and spotlighted a student case competition showcasing how real-world business problems were tackled by the next-generation of business leaders. Although this conference focused predominantly on Chinese-Canadian communities, immigrants of any background were welcome, regardless of whether they were already business owners or considering setting up their own businesses in Canada.

 

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Conference Program

Time

Activity

8:00-8:30

TRSM Commons 1-148 and 1-150

Breakfast

8:30-8:45

TRS 1-067

Opening Remarks

Greetings :

  • Consuls Li Wang and Lianfei Ma (Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Toronto)

8:45 – 9:45

TRS 1-067

Panel discussion (1)

Theme: Legal Hurdles for Chinese Immigrants

Panel chair: Dr.Gil Lan

Panelists:

  • Julia Shin-Doi (General Counsel, Ryerson University)

  • Jason Zhong (Compliance Coordinator and Legal Counsel, Ryerson University)

  • Ken Jull (Partner at Baker and McKenzie)

  • Diane Laranja (Associate at Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti)

9:45 – 10:45

TRS 1-067

Panel discussion (2)

Theme: The Special Challenges That Immigrants Find In Doing

Business In Canada/Ontario

Panel chair: David C. Dingwall

Panelists:

  • Ratna Omidvar (Executive Director, Global Diversity Exchange Ted Rogers School of Management

  • Alice Young (Director of Policy, Ministry of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade

10:45 – 11:00

TRSM Commons 1-148 and 1-150

Coffee Break

11:00 – 12:15

TRS 1-067

TD Bank Presentation – Banking in Canada: Financial Education

  • Benjamin Ng (Small Business Advisor, TD Canada Trust – Etobicoke South District)

  • Zhen Liu (Small Business Advisor, TD Canada Trust – Toronto Core District)

12:15-1:30

TRSM Commons 1-148 and 1-150

Buffet Lunch

Introduction

  • Wendy Cukier (Vice-President, Research and Innovation, Ryerson University)

Guest Speaker:

  • The Honourable Michael Chan (Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade)

1: 30 – 2:45

TRS 1-067

Panel discussion (3)

Theme: Entrepreneurship: Chinese Challenges and Opportunities

Panel chair: Howard Lin

Panelists:

  • Ping Zheng (CEO, Polar Bear Canada Corporation)

  • Li Yang (President of Li Yang Insurance Agency)

  • Jane Zhang (CEO, Wecom Transit)

  • Nelson Zheng (President of Shen Zhen Association of Canada)

2:45 – 3:00

TRSM Commons 1-148 and 1-150

Coffee Break

3:00 – 4:15

TRS 1-067

Student Case Competition

Theme: Entrepreneurship, small business, and doing business in Canada (including importing/exporting between Canada and China)

  • Co-chairs; Hong Yu and Mary Han (Board Members, CCIBD)

  • Judges: Dale Carl (Associate Professor, Ted Rogers School of Management) and Ken Grant (Associate Professor, Ted Rogers School of Management)

  • Participants: Four teams of undergraduate students from Ryerson University.

4:15 – 5:30

TRSM 1-067 and TRSM Commons 1-148 and 1-150

Closing Remarks and Reception

For more information, please contact Jia Lin at jia.zi.lin@ryerson.ca, Wei He at wei.he@ryerson.ca, or Howard Lin at (416) 979-5000 ext. 6719 or hlin@ryerson.ca