Hamilton Chamber Industry Sector Meeting: Real Estate, Finance & Banking

This meeting is sponsored by:

Join the Hamilton Chamber’s upcoming Industry Sector Meeting to connect with others, expand your network and find new business & partnership opportunities.

The Industry Sector Meetings bring together companies in similar industries to learn from one another, network, and discuss:

• Trends impacting the sector
• Labour sourcing, training and long-term development
• Policy and regulatory updates

Guest speaker for this sector meeting are:

• Erika MacKay – Niche for design inc. Erica is the founder of this commercial interior design firm, focusing on creating work spaces that help teams and businesses thrive. Through their association with the WELL Building Institute, Erika and her team are at the forefront of the movement to integrate health & wellness into the built environment. Erika is sought out as an expert in helping businesses navigate the drastic changes in trends and teams’ expectations of the office. She also has over a decade of experience sharing her knowledge with aspiring professionals as a part-time faculty member at Conestoga College. Erika is originally from New Brunswick but has been an active participant in the Hamilton business community since starting her company in 2012.
• Erin Hunking – BDC (Business Development Bank of Canada) – Erin has worked in various roles within the banking industry for 16 years. She has been with the BDC since April 2021, working in the mid-market team with companies ranging in revenues from $2 million to $50 million in Hamilton. Erin provides clients with various financial solutions and practical advice for each stage of a company’s growth. She has helped companies from financing share and asset purchases to commercial real estate. Erin has previous experience with equipment financing and credit adjudication. She has a BComm degree in Finance and is currently completing her MBA at McMaster University.
• Rafiq Dhanji  – Sustainability Leadership – As Executive Director, his organization works with businesses across industries to provide strategic insight, planning and support to become truly sustainable businesses. He has a deep passion for sustainability and acts as a catalyst for positive change, inspiring a lasting impact in communities for generations to come. Rafiq has also given a TEDx Talk on how businesses can incorporate sustainability into their operations by reducing costs. He lives by the philosophy, “Leave your environment in a better condition than when you found it.”
• Daniel Lacey – CBRE Limited – Daniel is an experienced corporate real estate agent specializing in the Life Sciences industry and helping the founders of great ideas find the critical lab space they require to grow their ideas into viable commercial businesses. He has been with CBRE for more than 15 years, completing hundreds of transactions involving millions of square feet.
• Mike Collins-Williams – West End Home Builders’ Association – Mike is a Registered Professional Planner with two decades of experience in the new home building and development industry. As CEO of the 300-member West End Home Builders’ Association based in Hamilton and Burlington, he is also a member of the Ontario Professional Planners Institute and the Canadian Institute of Planners.

Mike Fortune will moderate our panel discussion. As a veteran at Cable 14, Mike has hosted numerous shows, covered multiple elections and interviewed hundreds… no wait, check that, thousands of Hamiltonians. Mike is also a supporter of a number of not-for-profit organizations and offers up his time to MC and host various galas. He has his pulse on the issues of the community and takes great pride in listening to the stories and issues that make up the fabric of this great city. Mike is a strong advocate for community television and is a proud ambassador of his hometown Hamilton.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Paul Hawkins (p.hawkins@hamiltonchamber.ca) directly.