Page 56 - Edify-Nov-Dec-2023

TAREK
FATHELBAB
TEAM LEAD, IMMIGRATION AND MULTICULTURAL RELATIONS, CITY OF EDMONTON >AGE 39
Tarek Fathelbab first heard of Canada when he was an eight- year-old in Alexandria, Egypt. A
film he saw said Canadians were friendly — which stuck with him when he was applying for graduate school abroad. Arriving in Alberta at 26, he was glad to meet people who lived up to Canada’s good reputation.
With a passion for multicultural ex- periences and a love of snowy weather, Edmonton had exactly what he wanted
in a city. Still, he knows how intimidating newcomers can find Edmonton, because he’s experienced first-hand the challenges of starting over in another language. Growing up, Fathelbab loved art and writing stories. He brings that creativity
to his work, identifying gaps in services and offering something beyond language classes and résumé writing to Edmonton’s newcomer population. So, during his time with Bredin Centre for Career Advance- ment, he launched an exhibit for new- comer artists called Diversity Through Art to showcase their work and connect with the local arts community.
“I noticed that we have a lot of newcomer artists, but there was no specific program tailored for newcomer artists. Because the programs that were federally funded back then were basically to help people to find survival or transitional jobs. That’s not fulfilling for an artist.” –Caitlin Hart
Why she’s Top 40
SHE CO-CREATED A FOOD MANUFACTURING BUSINESS DURING THE PANDEMIC AND CHAMPIONS THE CONSERVATION WORK OF THE EDMONTON VALLEY ZOO
LEIGH NEWTON
CO-FOUNDER, DIRECTOR, CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, HOMESTYLE SELECTIONS >AGE 35
56 EDify. NOVEMBER•DECEMBER.23
You may not have heard of Leigh Newton’s company, Homestyle Selections LP, but you’ve probably eaten its products.
The sauces at Edo Japan, Opa! Souvlaki of Greece and Boston Pizza, the filling mixtures of several Tim Hortons wraps, and Ziggy’s brand potato salad at Loblaws are all made by
the food manufacturing company.
“We’re actually quite prevalent,” says the lifelong Edmontonian. “The thing about our food is that it’s primarily private-label production, so
we make it for a business
and then they sell it with their brand name.”
Newton co-founded the company with Frank Burdzy, with whom she’d worked
at Champion Petfoods, from 2015 to 2019. They’d noticed growing consumer demand for pre-prepared meals
and hoped to capitalize
on the market trend. “We said, ‘Let’s make sure food is convenient, but also fresh and better for you,’” she says.
Busy as she is, Newton serves as vice-president of the Valley Zoo Development Society, which develops strategies around education, conservation, and awareness. Many Edmontonians are unaware of the zoo’s involve- ment in wildlife conservation and species survival programs: “One of the things we’re really trying to do is get that aware- ness out beyond just parents bringing kids to the zoo.”
– Caitlin Crawshaw
Eric Beliveau; Cooper & O’Hara;
Why he’s Top 40 HE HELPS NEWCOMERS MAKE EDMONTON HOME