Helping researchers pick winners

Written by Vanessa Santilli for the Ontario Lung Association on Nov. 9

Predicting whether potential new asthma drugs will be effective is all in a day’s work for Dr. Paul O’Byrne, principal investigator for the AllerGen Clinical Investigator Collaborative (CIC).

Dr. Paul O'Byrne

He leads a nationwide network of researchers who use a specific clinical model of “allergen-induced, airway responses” to try to understand the way asthma develops, including the role of environmental allergens. That model has also proved highly effective in evaluating the effectiveness of new asthma medications.

“It’s particularly useful to large pharmaceutical companies as well as small biotech companies who are trying to decide whether to invest the huge sums involved in getting a new drug to market,” says Dr. O’Byrne, who is also executive director of the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health at St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Hamilton. Continue reading

Plan beyond the wedding

weddingWritten by Vanessa Santilli in The Catholic Register on Nov. 1

If you’re tying the knot, it’s time to draft an estate plan.

“Marriage is a life-changing experience from an emotional and social perspective, but also from a legal perspective,” says Toronto-based lawyer Eric Bundgard.

Newlyweds should have a financial plan and they shouldn’t rely on a pre-existing will. Getting married revokes previous wills, says Bundgard.

While estate planning might not seem important for young couples, situations can change quickly as assets are accumulated in a marriage. And with the trend today for young couples to delay marriage until careers are established, a proper estate plan is even more essential. Continue reading

Robyn’s Cookies: Business Profile for Yellow Pages

Robyn

Written by Vanessa Santilli for Yellow Pages on Oct. 15

Home Baker turned Cookiepreneur

You’ll find Robyn’s Cookies—a quaint cookie boutique brimming with warmth—tucked away in a laneway in Toronto’s uptown Yonge and Lawrence neighbourhood. Tall pink gates welcome customers to the shop where the aroma of fresh-baked cookies hits you instantly. At the heart of it all is owner Robyn Coffey, who started the business in 2008. “I started baking from home and baking for neighbourhood people and then I started getting paid for doing that—which was nice,” she says. “And then it just snowballed from there.”

A few years after opening Robyn’s Cookies, Robyn recruited high school pal Melinda to become her business partner. “She would come in as a customer and sometimes I’d be alone in the shop and she’d say ‘Do you need any help?’ So I’d throw an apron on her.” The pair has a lot of fun together according to Robyn. “We spend a good part of the day laughing.” Continue reading

Maintain your mainframe

Written by Vanessa Santilli on Bankrate Canada on Sept. 8

From work files to financial spreadsheets, we depend on our computers for managing and storing important personal information. And at most jobs, computers are what allow us to get our work done. But in our busy lives, it’s all-too-easy to forget to regularly care for our computers.

comp pica

“Computer maintenance is a very important activity that many people forget about but in today’s electronic world, it’s a task that can prevent wasted time and unnecessary hassles, says Robert Mezzavilla, an analyst at Sobeys.

While replacing a hard drive can cost about $250 — depending on your computer model — an unexpected computer crashing can sometimes result in the worst-case scenario of having to buy a brand new computer.

Dustin Quade, an architectural technologist, suggests thinking of a computer’s maintenance routine like that of a car: to keep it running you need more than just putting gas in the tank. “Simply downloading a virus protection software is good but it’s useless if you don’t run it or update it.” Continue reading

São Paolo, Brazil: Moving up in the world

How São Paulo has become a powerhouse in the Brazilian economy

Written by Vanessa Santilli in CPA Magazine on Sept. 1

sao-paulo-brazil

With a population of more than 11 million people, the city of São Paulo is a powerhouse in the Brazilian economy.

According to a report commissioned by international bank Citi, São Paulo is one of the cities expected to see the greatest surge in global competitiveness between 2012 and 2025. Brazil’s business capital was also ranked “most improved,” landing in the 36th spot among markets worldwide.

Dominated by the industries of agriculture, mining, manufacturing and the service sector, unemployment rates are currently at historic lows.

São Paulo’s global flavour is underscored by the fact that it is home to large populations of Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese and German immigrants.

BUSINESS CULTURE

Although the weather is hot in São Paulo, you are expected to dress professionally. Meetings with lawyers, directors, CEOs, CFOs, presidents and vice-presidents require suits for men and formal wear for women. Continue reading

Canadian Knights above the rest in charitable giving

Written by Vanessa Santilli on August 31 in The Catholic Register

Canadian Knights of Columbus provinces led the way in charitable fundraising and time volunteered for the worldwide fraternal organization in 2013.

The Quebec Knights led the 70-plus regions worldwide by giving $11.4 million in 2013, while the Knights in Prince Edward Island registered the highest amount of time volunteered with more than 135 hours per member.

Supreme Knight Carl Anderson speaks at the Knights of Columbus 132nd annual international convention in Orlando, where Canadian Knights received top honours. (Photo courtesy of the Knights of Columbus)

Supreme Knight Carl Anderson speaks at the Knights of Columbus 132nd annual international convention in Orlando, where Canadian Knights received top honours. (Photo courtesy of the Knights of Columbus)

“Quebec’s charitable donations went to many worthy causes, including nearly $5 million to community activities and more than $4.5 million to Church activities,” said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. Continue reading

Backbone of rural prosperity

Bringing broadband to rural and Northern Canada boosts economic fortunes in small communities at the expense of urban centres
The availability of broadband has a major impact on the bottom line of rural-based businesses. (Photo courtesy of QSB Insight)

The availability of broadband has a major impact on the bottom line of rural-based businesses. (Photo courtesy of QSB Insight)

Written by Vanessa Santilli on September 1 on QSB Insight

The Essentials

In the interests of economic development, governments in Canada spend considerable sums subsidizing the roll-out of broadband infrastructure in rural, isolated, and northern communities. Olena Ivus and Matthew Boland of Queen’s School of Business conducted Canada’s first empirical assessment of broadband’s impact on rural communities. They found that the deployment of broadband between 1997 and 2011 promoted growth in aggregate employment and average wages in rural regions across Canada. But the increased employment growth came at the expense of urban regions. The research is part of The Monieson Centre’s economic revitalization project. Continue reading

Catholicity goes hand in hand with Italian roots

Written by Vanessa Santilli on August 24 in The Catholic Register

TRAVESIO, ITALY 

It’s not every Sunday you’re escorted to Mass by a procession. Upon arriving in Travesio in northern Italy, a marching band and about a dozen people carrying banners representing various comunes (or municipalities) in the region come into view. As they lead us through the winding streets to the parish of St. Quirino for a Mass celebrated by the regional bishop, we wave back at onlookers. With a backdrop of bells ringing atop the stone tower beside the church, it’s time for the celebration to begin.

The view in Travesio: a marching band and about a dozen people carrying banners representing various comunes (or municipalities). (Photo by Vanessa Santilli)

The view in Travesio: a marching band and about a dozen people carrying banners representing various comunes (or municipalities). (Photo by Vanessa Santilli)

Taking part in the EFASCE Pordenone program — a two-week trip to show the descendants of emigrants from the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region their roots or radici through visiting key sights and practising our Italian in class — I’m joined by about 30 young adults from nine countries with high concentrations of emigration from this region: Canada, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, France, Uruguay, Germany, Australia and the United States.

It’s telling of the culture that even though this isn’t a designated religious trip, there are many Catholic elements included in the itinerary. Continue reading

Pros in the know: Rome, Italy

Written by Vanessa Santilli on August 1 in CPA Magazine

Rome, known as the Eternal City, is a hub of financial and cultural significance. Home to approximately 2.8 million residents, tourism is the biggest contributor to the city’s economy, attracting tens of millions of Italians and foreigners every year. Chock full of cultural relics such as the Colosseum and Pantheon, it’s also brimming with a wide variety of famous museums and churches. Rome is also Italy’s centre for the corporate head offices of major Italian companies.

BUSINESS CULTURE

In Rome, it’s important you dress to impress, as appearance goes hand in hand with professionalism.

And while being punctual is a critical part of doing business in North America, don’t be offended if your Italian counterpart is late for an appointment. As the guest, however, you are held to a different standard — so be on time. Regardless of whether you’re meeting with one person or five, shake hands with everyone in attendance as a sign
of respect. Continue reading

Frugal and fancy free

Written by Vanessa Santilli on August 11 on Bankrate Canada

The view in downtown Pordenone in Italy. (Photo by Vanessa Santilli)

The view in downtown Pordenone in Italy. (Photo by Vanessa Santilli)

Visiting Europe in the summertime is a notoriously expensive feat. From the high cost of bottled water in city centres to the price tag that comes with daily transportation from attraction to attraction, it doesn’t take much to put a major dent in your pocketbook.

But with a bit of preparation and by following these experts’ tips, it is possible to cut back on costs during your next Euro trip.

Plan ahead to minimize card fees 

If you’re not prepared for ATM and credit card fees, you’ll be in for a bit of a nasty shock. Carmen Chai, a travel writer who has visited 22 countries, always buys a package with her bank that allows her to cut back on fees when withdrawing money. “BMO, for example, lets me use partner ATMs in Europe as long as I keep a minimum balance in my chequing account under a premium plan.”

Shop around for a competitive currency exchange

Banks are not always the best place to convert Canadian dollars to Euros, says Ann Dennis manager of public relations for BDO Canada. “Look for a currency exchange company and compare the rates. The money I saved using a currency exchange company was put towards my vacation.”

Lake Garda -- the largest lake in Italy. (Photo by Vanessa Santilli)

Lake Garda — the largest lake in Italy. (Photo by Vanessa Santilli)

Do the mental math

When you’re shopping or buying meals, keep in mind that the Euro and Canadian dollar aren’t at par. As of the end of July, 1 Euro equalled $1.46 Canadian. That means that a 15 Euro meal costs the equivalent of almost $22 Canadian.

Track down the closest supermarket

While it’s a great experience to visit local eateries, it can be much more cost-effective to buy food at the grocery store. For example, while a sandwich might average about 7 Euros when ordering out, buying the bread and cold cuts separately and then assembling them on your own will cost significantly less. While the savings might not seem immense on a per-sandwich basis, saving a couple Euros a day can have a big impact during a two-week period. Continue reading