The Business Link is pleased to announce that after 9 years of success, the 40 Under Forty Business Achievement Awards in Niagara will be expanding to the Hamilton and Halton regions. We will be celebrating the best and the brightest business people under 40 years of age in the Hamilton/Halton regions with an awards luncheon in June 2012.

The judging panel will review all nomination forms and make their final decision on the 40 winners based upon the information provided on the nomination form. When filling out the nomination form, please be as specific and detailed as possible. All award recipients will be notified in advance of the event which will be held in June 2012.  This allows the opportunity to invite family, friends and coworkers to join the winners in celebrating their achievement.

Visit here for the nomination form, please note the birth date cut-off and also the date for final submission of April 1^st, 2012.  We look forward to receiving your nominations for the 2012 40 Under Forty Business Achievement Awards.

Our friends at Mac10, McMaster University’s new, young professional focused alumni group presents:

a Mac10Professional Event
Incubation Centres – Huh, What Are They Good For?

Hamilton, Waterloo and Toronto are hotbeds for entrepreneurial activity these days. Each city has exciting opportunities for young entrepreneurs and inventors, but it’s sometimes hard to decide where – and how – to get started! One option is to find guidance and support at an incubation centre. But, what is an incubation centre? And what do these centres offer, specifically, to help young entrepreneurs get a business off to a prosperous start?

Join us at the McMaster Innovation Park on the evening of March 27 for a panel discussion with representatives from MaRS Discovery District in Toronto, Communitech in Waterloo and the Innovation Factory in Hamilton, moderated by Dr. Rafik Loutfy, director of the Xerox Centre for Engineering Entrepreneurship & Innovation at McMaster. The discussion will focus on the resources offered at each respective organization, and the panelists will offer their advice for how to achieve sustainable success in entrepreneurial pursuits.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012
McMaster Innovation Park
175 Longwood Road South, Hamilton
6:30 p.m. – Registration
7:00 p.m. – Interactive panel discussion
8:30 p.m. – Informal reception with light refreshments
$5.00 per person

Register here

Food & Drink Fest… the Festival with Taste!
The Region’s Most Fun & Delicious Culinary, Wine, Spirit and Beer Expo!

March 23, 24, 25, 2012

Careport Expo Centre

270 Longwood Road South, Hamilton

www.FoodandDrinkFest.com

Come and experience an exciting variety of local and international wines & spirits, craft beers, and culinary treats created by some of the Hamilton, Burlington & Niagara Regions’ most popular restaurants, breweries & wineries.Enjoy terrific live musical entertainment, fun informative cooking demonstrations all in one convenient and central location! FREE PARKING

Celebrity Chef David Adjey from Food Network’s ‘Restaurant Makeover” and “The Opener” will be whipping up some fabulous recipes Live on Stage, Sunday @ 1pm & 3pm

Foodies for Food Banks: Bring your non-perishable food items to support Hamilton Food Share

For all Hive Members, please click HERE for a special $4.00 OFF Admission Price Coupon

Must be 19 years or older to attend. Please Drink Responsibly

We are excited to bring you an event focused on Sustainability. On Tuesday February 21 YEP Hamilton is lucky to have two prominent Sustainability Experts chat with us.

Location: Mohawk College Bert Hares Boardroom (i131)
*see attached map (Map shows once you are in the College)

Location proudly brought to you by The Sustainability Office at Mohawk College

We are excited to have the following executives take the time to chat with us on Tuesday February 21, 2012:
1) Lynda Lukasik

Executive Director of Environment Hamilton
Lynda Lukasik is the executive director of Environment Hamilton, a community-based environmental organization she helped to establish in 2001.  She holds a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry from McMaster University, a Master’s of Environmental Studies from Dalhousie University and a PhD in Planning from the University of Waterloo.   Lynda is also a registered professional planner and a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners.

Lynda has participated in a number of environmental efforts over her 20+ years as an activist.   She has been active in efforts to reduce industrial emissions, restore Hamilton Harbour, save natural areas in the city, and to provide others in the city with the knowledge and skills they need to enhance and protect the environment in their own neighbourhoods.
2) Katie Altoft

Katie Altoft is a Professor of Environmental Management in the School of Environment at Niagara College, where she teaches carbon management and organizational sustainability.  She is also the Vice President of Advisory Services at Carbonzero, focused on measuring, managing and mitigating climate change.

Katie has been involved with the environmental industry for over 18 years, working in a variety of roles in government, consulting and not-for profit leadership.  Working with the Canadian Standards Association, she led the Canadian Advisory Committee for the ISO Climate Change Standards, as well as the International Committees for environmental and quality management systems. As the Director of Education for Earth Rangers, she focused on making environmental issues clear and understandable for all ages, and on motivating people to take action.

Katie has an MBA in Business and Sustainability from the Schulich School of Business, and a Bachelor of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo.   She sits on the Board of Directors of e3 Solutions and the Niagara Sustainability Initiative.

For this event we will have the following agenda.
·  7:00pm – 7:30pm – networking

·   7:30pm – 8:00pm – Intro + Learn about the each professional’s respective job and background.  What factors have contributed to their success?  What is Hamilton doing Right? What is Hamilton not doing now, what does it have to do to realize its potential?

·  8:00pm – 9:00pm – Questions from young professionals to the Sustainability Experts. Q and A and open conversation
If you have a question you would like YEP Division Chair, Joe Accardi to ask in the first session to make sure there is time, forward it to me and I will include it in the agenda.

In order to maintain a conversational atmosphere, we only have 25 spots available. Please RSVP at your earliest convenience, as we are booking on a first come, first served basis. In your RSVP please provide your name and company name, and the industry you best align with. It will be interesting for the executives and ourselves to see what industry representation we have. Attendance is at no charge.

We are looking forward to another successful night to get those business questions answered, help develop our careers, engage our leaders, network and generate ideas to push Hamilton to its full potential. Hope to see you all out there.