Newcomers, locals meet to share business successes

For Pam Arora, what started as a passion in India has translated into a small business in Charlottetown.

Arora came to P.E.I. from India because she and her husband were attracted by an immigrant business program.

And now she'll be one of the Island entrepreneurs sharing their experiences Thursday at the fourth annual Advancing Island Connections forum, which provides a place for locals and newcomers to network and chat about potential business opportunities.

Arora is the owner of Pam & Joe's Handcrafted on Kent Street, which celebrated its first anniversary this summer.

"I've been designing handcrafted jewelry in India for 13 years and that is what gave my husband and me the confidence of carrying the same business to Canada," Arora said.

Peace by Chocolate keynote

The keynote speaker is Tareq Hadhad, the founder of Peace by Chocolate in Antigonish, N.S. Hadhad's father started a business in Syria in 1986 and after the factory was bombed in 2013, the family left for Lebanon and became refugees. Hadhad arrived in Toronto in 2015 and was then sent to Antigonish.

After his father's chocolates sold out at the local market, he said people helped him build a small shed near his home to make chocolates. He said he wants to show people that refugees are regular people and contribute to society.

"We came here not to take anyone's job," Hadhad said. "We came here to create jobs, we came here to translate our skills, to translate our experiences and just really try to change the negative stereotyping around immigrants, in particular refugees, that when they come to this country they take opportunities from others."

Government offers help

Arora said taking advantage of all that the government offers helped her start and grow her business.

"My husband and I have been very regular in attending all the workshops and seminars that have been organized by various departments of the government," Arora said. "That really helped us expedite things and it helped us set up the business faster."

Hadhad and Arora are looking forward to meeting other entrepreneurs Thursday and sharing their experiences and skills.

"This is such a wonderful opportunity for us to know each other and know about each other's culture so I think this is a very good thing to happen," Arora said.

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