We are a neighbourhood filled with amazing entrepreneurial spirit. The Carpenters are no exception as both Kevin and Alana are entrepreneurs.
When you meet Alana, the first thing you will notice is her incredible sense of calm. I met Alana for a Starbucks run a few weeks ago. Just 5 minutes in her company and I felt my anxiety levels totally subside. Quite a feat in these covid times.
Alana had studied politics and human resources with her first ambition to go into politics. She wanted to be our 2nd female prime minister (If you don’t remember, Kim Campbell was in the roll for a nano-second). However, for now, she’s found her calling closer to home.
In 2004, after several years practicing human resources for a downtown consulting firm, Alana created Intriciti, a unique organization that helps business leaders integrate their faith (based on a Christian perspective, but it doesn’t matter which, if any religion you follow, it’s about faith and solid values) and business through five key business practices. She and her team tackle the issues of the day through innovative events, individual and group coaching, roundtable discussions, leadership development, and philanthropic initiatives. To learn more, check out https://www.intriciti.ca.
Alana has some amazing credentials. The most recent, the publication of a new book she contributed to. Launched in honour of International Women’s Day, the book “pursuit:365” celebrates the stories of 365 Canadian Women who lead by example in the every-day pursuit of success, happiness, and achievement. As soon as the book launched it promptly moved to #2 on the Best Sellers List and #1 in Movers & Shakers on Amazon. Alana’s own story is included. She has also received the Top 100 Best Christian Women in Canada award in 2014 and has even been nominated by Chatelaine as one of one hundred best dressed women in Canada. Not bad, eh?
Kevin represents a UK based software company that facilitates on-line payment processes for financial institutions. Based out of his home office, pre-covid, Kevin spent a great deal of his time on airplanes traveling all around the world. “Covid has changed the way we do business. We’re a lot more virtual. I’m meeting with my clients (as I’m sure everyone else is) online through Zoom, Webex or Teams,” says Kevin. “Our clients are global. Rather than slowing down, the pandemic has made us extremely busy as financial institutions update their systems to be fully digitized. It was a process that was happening prior to Covid, but now has sped up 100%. Yet, even with all the additional business activity, being able to address client needs from home has given me much more time with my family.”
They bought their first home in the Savoy condo. After 3 years they knew their space would be too small to raise a family and started looking for one of the houses. “We wanted to stay in the neighbourhood,” said Alana. “I had grown up in Don Mills. It’s where I wanted to raise my family.”
“Kevin liked the feeling of the community here. As someone who had grown up near Sarnia, Don Mills feels like a small town in the middle of a big city. It took a couple of years, but we eventually found the home we wanted on David Dunlap Circle in 2009. Carter was born just at the time we got the house.”
Carter is now in Grade 7 at Windfield’s Middle School. He loves to play golf with his dad. Their course of choice is the Cedar Brae Golf Club located in the scenic Rouge River Valley in Scarborough. Carter is also part of the local Don Mills baseball program; he plays 1st base in the summer and then he plays hockey in the winter as the team goalie. “The coaches put me on first base because I’m tall,” says Carter when asked which position he plays on his baseball team.
This is an amazing kid. It’s no surprize that he shares his parents’ values and entrepreneurial spirit. At the start of the COVID lock-down, Carter organized a food drive for the Daily Bread Food Bank for our neighbourhood. He (and our neighbourhood) was so successful he even received a shout out from the CEO of the Daily Bread Food Bank and Mayor John Tory. He’s also part of an exciting initiative called “Love Your Neighbour” Project which launched last week with Millennium Kids and UNICEF Canada. The project is aimed at ensuring equitable distribution of vaccines to vulnerable populations across the globe. The goal is to have all Canadians pay a vaccine forward. Each donation of $25 = 2 doses that will be distributed to those in need. We know the pandemic won’t be over for anyone until it’s over for everyone. Global vaccination against COVID-19 is the biggest health project in our lifetime - and you can help! Click here is you’d like to make a donation https://fundraise.unicef.ca/lovemyneighbour
Remember to say hi when you see them out with their new Covid-puppy – Skipper.