Whether you are looking to start your own business or grow your business, the Business Advisory Centre Durham (BACD) can provide you with the roadmap, guidance, tools and resources to make it happen. Our team of certified business advisors are entrepreneurs themselves and passionate about supporting economic growth in Durham Region.
The Business Advisory Centre Durham is a Not-for-profit started in 1999 and funded in partnership by the Ministry of Economic Development and the Regional Municipality of Durham.
We are one of 54 SBEC’s (Small Business Enterprise Centres – SBC Ontario) in Ontario and we strive to inspire entrepreneurs to build successful businesses in Durham Region!
Our services to support you:
- Business Advisory Services (free for Durham Region)
- Business Training (Mentoring & Workshops)
- Entrepreneurship Funding Programs
- Networking Opportunities
Contact Us to start and grow your business!
VISION
Every entrepreneur we serve achieves business success
MISSION
To inspire people to build successful businesses
VALUES
Fostering a continuous learning culture Serving with integrity and professionalism Strength through partnerships and collaboration Inspiring innovation and driving change Success through empowerment
Meet our BACD Staff Team
Patrice Esper Business Advisor & Starter Company Program Coordinator
905-668-4949 x227 pesper@bacd.ca
Ashley McBride Program Administrator, Summer Company & Starter Company
905-668-4949 x226 amcbride@bacd.ca
Joanne Ferns My Main Street Ambassador, Town of Whitby, Whitby North
(289) 200-1842 jferns@bacd.ca
Fari Nooristani My Main Street Ambassador, Town of Whitby, Whitby South
(416)833-8323 faridss@bacd.ca
Meet our Board Members
Teresa Shaver, CEO
Patrice Esper, Business Advisor & Starter Company Program Coordinator
Marlon Shaw, Business Advisor
Marlon Shaw is award winning inspirational speaker, certified speaking coach and the founder of Speak And Grow Your Business™. He teaches entrepreneurs and business professionals how to use speaking as a marketing strategy to stand-out from the competition, attract more clients and grow their business.
His Entrepreneurial Speaking Solution™ combines the art and science of world-class speaking strategies and techniques into a system that is easy to understand, and put to immediate use to create unique messages for the marketplace, signature stories that sells and profitable presentations.
A lifelong student of personal and professional development, Marlon’s audacious goal is to read 50 books each year to increase his expertise and the value he provides to his clients. In 2018, Marlon was awarded the Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) designation, the highest level of educational achievement in Toastmasters.
Ashley McBride, Program Administrator, Summer Company & Starter Company
Lindy Schultz, Bookkeeper & Admin Coordinator
Joanne Ferns
Fari Nooristani
Andrea Rowland
JD Thomas
JD Thomas is a Communications Advisor and owner of Jade Strategic Relations, a Durham based Public Relations and Communications firm helping businesses manage their brand lifecycle, develop and execute business strategies and increase the effectiveness of their communications. With over 37 years of experience, JD has worked with and for not-for-profits, solopreneurs, SMBs and Fortune 500 companies in many capacities, garnering an understanding of business from small to large scale. JD has assisted start-up and established businesses with: Business planning • Creating / reviewing 1- and 5-year business plans • SWOT analysis • Market analysis • Budgeting • Communications strategies • Operational strategies • Sales training Brand Lifecycle • Brand analysis • Focus group / peer review • Internal process review • Communication planning • Review of executed communication plan Technical / Business analysis for problem resolution • Discovery process to establish technical / business problems • Data analysis to determine causality • Solution planning and presentation • Coordination of solution implementation • Software research, procurement and training JD has helped business in Durham achieve their goals in reaching new markets, locally and globally.
Chair: Mohamed Rizwan Bachani
Vice Chair: Isaac Musial
Secretary/Treasurer: Afshan Ahmed
Board Member: Uchechi Ezurike-Bosse
Board Member: Yvonne Brady
Board Member: Sali Fitpatrick
Sali Fitzpatrick is a Senior Account Manager, with the Business Development Bank of Canada, working out of the Durham Business Centre. Sali is passionate about entrepreneurs! Sali has assisted many Durham region business owners in securing financing, and Advisory services to assist their goals. In her 16 years of employment with BDC she has held a variety of roles in different departments, including Special Accounts, Internal Audit and currently, Commercial Financing.
Sali is a Rotarian with the Rotary Club of Whitby Sunrise, as well as a proud member of 100 Women Who Care Ajax/Pickering/Whitby. Sali has volunteered for many various initiatives, from hospitals, to soup kitchens, to the elderly, and is constantly looking for ways to give back to her community.
On a personal note, Sali’s favourite pastime is Fitness, she has been a certified fitness instructor since 2008. Sali has coached at various studios across Toronto, as well as 8 years for the City of Oshawa. Currently, she is a Coach at Orange Theory Fitness in Bowmanville. Sali’s ultimate passion, regardless of the path taken, is the strong desire to help others succeed…no matter what their journey is. Sali is a resident of Oshawa where she lives with her family.
Board Member: Jay Fisher
Jay Fisher has been a full-time professor at Durham College in the Faculty of Business, IT and Management since 2010. He is also the faculty lead for FastStart DC. Jay holds a B.B.A. from Wilfrid Laurier University and an M.A. in Adult Education from Central Michigan University, as well as certificates related to business, entrepreneurship, and social enterprise building from Harvard University, Babson College, and Common Good Solutions. Prior to joining Durham College, Jay spent over 20 years in the software technology industry, in both large and start-up companies. Jay teaches business start-up, marketing, and management courses within the Entrepreneurship and Small Business diploma program. Jay has been a coach, mentor, and advocate for hundreds of business owners and social innovators, and promotes a sustainable and inclusive approach to entrepreneurship. Jay is also the Faculty Advisor for Enactus DC, Durham College’s social entrepreneurship team, which has developed projects related to youth empowerment, food security, recycling, and mental wellness.
Board Member: Michael Hunter
Michael is a partner of the law firm Koziar Reczulski Hunter Law located in downtown Oshawa. Michael practices in the area of corporate/commercial/business, real estate, family and wills and estates. Michael has a passion for providing top quality services and deliver exceptional value to his clients. Michael was born and raised in Oshawa, he attended Western University earning a degree in Business Management and Organizational Studies with a specialization in finance and administration. Michael attended law school at the University of Windsor. Michael was a former member of the board of the Oshawa Downtown Business Improvement Area where he was the chair of the governance committee. In his free time, Michael enjoys playing tennis, golf, and trying out new and creative dishes in the kitchen.
