The annual BMO Celebrating Women event in Ottawa honoured three women for their remarkable contributions to business and the community.
The program honours female leaders in local communities as part of BMO’s commitment to drive the advancement of women and recognizes contributions in one of three categories: Innovation and Global Growth, Community and Charitable Giving, and Expansion and Growth in Small Business.
The following honourees were recognized:
Innovation and Global Growth: Dr. Penina Lam
Dr. Lam is the Founder and CEO of eLearning Innovators Inc. (ELICE), an EdTech consulting and digital learning solutions firm. Dr. Lam is a pioneer in the eLearning field, specializing in on-demand training, organizational development (OD), and knowledge management (KM). As a learning solutions consultant and coach, she works internationally to support organizations seeking to start, scale or sustain digital learning and performance improvement interventions. Dr. Lam is passionate about advancing learning and performance and loves to work on collaborative, social impact projects with global reach.
Community and Charitable Giving: Tara Shannon
Tara Shannon is the president of Willow Sound Records Inc., a membership co-op record label and publishing company dedicated to the development and distribution of independent music.
Ms. Shannon is a singer and songwriter and is well known for supporting and giving a voice to local and national charitable campaigns including
LYME Hope, the Butterfly Child Project, and BeYou.
Expansion & Growth in Small Business: Tammy Giuliani
Tammy Giuliani is the Owner of Stella Luna Gelato Café and an Italian-trained master gelato chef.
Ms. Giuliani opened her first location in Old Ottawa South in 2011. The success of her business has led her to open two additional locations, in Ottawa and Merrickville.
Stella Luna Gelato Café was awarded Best Gelato in Canada and Top Three Gelato Shops in The Americas at the prestigious Gelato World Tour (Chicago 2016) and also received the International Journalist’s Choice Award (Italy 2017).
“We know how important it is to celebrate the accomplishments of women leaders, and we’re proud to honour these leaders who have shown the importance of inspiring, encouraging, and connecting our communities through the spirit of entrepreneurship,” said Alexandra Dousmanis-Curtis, Head, Canadian Sales and Distribution, BMO Financial Group. “BMO is committed to developing programs that support the advancement of women in communities nationwide.”
