Behind the Business

Vladimir Blagovcanin is the General Manager at Fairview Park Mall in Kitchener.

With 15 years of experience across retail, commercial, and industrial real estate, Vladimir has a unique perspective on what it takes to manage a major shopping centre and keep it relevant in a changing retail environment.

With online shopping continuing to reshape consumer habits, we’ll explore the value of physical storefronts, what makes the in-person shopping experience special, and how destinations like Fairview Park Mall can continue to serve their communities. We’ll also talk about preparing for the busy holiday shopping season

and the opportunities that come with doing business in Waterloo Region.

Get a look Behind the Business in Waterloo Region with Ian McLean, President & CEO of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.

Lesley Warren is the CEO and Creative Director of W Design Co. With 30 years of experience in brand building, Lesley helps businesses bring their brands to life through strategy, creativity and design.

Lesley has worked with businesses and community organizations across a range of industries, helping them connect with their audiences and turn their vision into meaningful results.

In this episode, we’ll explore what makes a brand truly successful, the lessons Lesley has learned building her own business, and how leaders can navigate the changing creative landscape while keeping the human element at the heart of their work. We’ll also

discuss the role of branding in community building, what makes Waterloo Region a great place to grow a business, and her vision for the next chapter of her entrepreneurial journey.

Get a look Behind the Business in Waterloo Region with Ian McLean, President & CEO of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.

Today’s guests are Riz and Faizal Jamal, the brothers behind Welcome Home Construction.

What began in 2001 with a single custom home has grown into a full-service construction and development company, taking on everything from luxury homes and major renovations to multi-residential communities and affordable housing.

We'll talk about building a business as brothers, navigating the challenges of growth, learning from setbacks, and staying true to your values in an increasingly complex industry. We'll also explore what makes Waterloo Region such a special place to build a business and a community.

Get a look Behind the Business in Waterloo Region with Ian McLean, President & CEO of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.

Today’s guest is Ren Navarro of B. Diversity. Ren is a culture consultant, drinks expert, and founder of B. Diversity. With more than 20 years of experience in customer service and management and more than a decade in the beer and drinks industry, Ren has worked with organizations ranging from small family-run breweries to multinational brands, helping them build workplace cultures that people genuinely want to be part of.

What began as conversations over pints has evolved into a broader mission to help organizations build more inclusive, welcoming, and authentic workplace cultures.

We'll talk about Ren's own career journey, what the drinks industry has taught her about people and business, why there's often a gap between an organization's stated values and the culture people actually experience, and what business leaders can do to build workplaces where people genuinely want to belong.

Get a look Behind the Business in Waterloo Region with Ian McLean, President & CEO of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.

Today’s guest is Tim Shuh of Shuh Orchards. Tim is the fourth generation of the Shuh farmers in Elmira. He made the decision in 2025 to leave the corporate world and join the farm full time. He's now leading the farm's direct-to-consumer sales and helping shape the next chapter of the orchard, including its growing agritourism opportunities.

We’ll talk about what it's like to close a chapter on one career for the family business, what four generations of farming can teach us about leadership and resilience, and some of the bigger issues facing agriculture today — from labour and seasonal agricultural workers to sustainability, food security and the future of farming in Canada.
Join me in this episode, as we go “Behind the Business” with Tim Shuh of Shuh Orchards.

Get a look Behind the Business in Waterloo Region with Ian McLean, President & CEO of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.

Today’s guest is Dr. Tahira Bilal Asim, a physician, Canadian Red Cross First Aid Instructor and the Director of Canadian Health & Safety Education here in Waterloo Region.

Tahira has taken her medical experience and passion for education and turned it into a business focused on giving individuals, workplaces and organizations the knowledge and confidence to respond when it matters most.

We'll talk about her journey from medicine to entrepreneurship, what she's learned about building a business around her expertise, and why there's a big difference between simply being compliant and creating a culture of safety.

Join me in this episode, as we go “Behind the Business” with Tahira Bilal Asim of Canadian Health & Safety Education. 

Get a look Behind the Business in Waterloo Region with Ian McLean, President & CEO of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.

Stephen Jackson is the CEO of Anishnabeg Outreach Employment and Training and a leader behind AONest.

On this episode, Stephen talks about his journey to this work, how Anishnabeg Outreach has evolved into a broader system of support, and how technology is being used to make mental-health support more accessible. We’ll also explore what meaningful reconciliation can look like for businesses, the importance of preventing youth homelessness, the power of community partnerships, and why Waterloo Region is such an important part of the work.

Let’s go “Behind the Business” with Stephen Jackson of Anishnabeg Outreach Employment and Training.

Get a look Behind the Business in Waterloo Region with Ian McLean, President & CEO of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.

Faune Lang is the Executive Director of Food4Kids Waterloo Region. With a background in nonprofit and financial services, Faune has found a meaningful way to combine her passion for children with her commitment to serving the community and creating lasting change.

On this episode, she shares what drew her to Food4Kids, what it takes to grow a community-focused organization, and the realities of meeting rising needs across Waterloo Region. She also reflects on leadership, business, mindfulness, and the power of building a stronger community together.

Let’s go “Behind the Business” with Faune Lang of Food4Kids. 

Get a look Behind the Business in Waterloo Region with Ian McLean, President & CEO of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.

On this episode of Behind the Business, Ian is joined by Corey McNair, Executive Vice President, Earth & Environment, WSP in Canada with WSP in Canada. Corey leads more than 4,000 professionals across the country, and his career has taken him through some of the sectors that are critical to how communities grow - from nuclear and construction to transportation and now environmental and earth sciences. We've been asking through our Vision 1 Million series whether Waterloo Region can become a national model for intentional growth. One that balances economic opportunity with environmental sustainability, infrastructure and community well-being. In this episode, Ian and Corey take that conversation a step further: What does sustainable growth actually look like? What do we need to get right before we get to a million people? And can growth, economic opportunity and environmental responsibility really work together? Go “Behind the Business” with Corey McNair.

Get a look Behind the Business in Waterloo Region with Ian McLean, President & CEO of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.

On this episode of Behind the Business, Ian is joined by Aaron Toplician from Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC). Aaron is the Manufacturing Consortium Manager for Southern Ontario.

Aaron brings more than a decade of experience working across advanced robotics, software, AI, and cybersecurity, and now works directly with manufacturers across Southern Ontario to help them navigate growth, workforce pressures, technology adoption, competitiveness, and long-term resilience.

In this conversation, they talk about Aaron’s own career journey into manufacturing and technology, what he’s hearing from

manufacturers right now, where the sector is headed, and why partnerships and collaboration are becoming more important than ever.

They also dive into the new partnership between EMC and the Greater KW Chamber around this year’s Manufacturing Summit, and what that means for manufacturers across Waterloo Region, Guelph, Cambridge, and the broader Innovation Corridor.

Get a look Behind the Business in Waterloo Region with Ian McLean, President & CEO of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.