Vaughan businesses commit to a sustainable future

Better Your Business program supports five organizations making a positive social impact

Through the City of Vaughan’s Better Your Business program, five local businesses have made their processes, practices and policies more socially and environmentally sustainable.

To celebrate this journey of making positive changes and creating a more sustainable city, the following businesses were recognized during a ceremonial presentation at the April 18 Committee of the Whole (2) meeting:

• Convergence Robotics Inc.
• Last20
• Mr. and Mrs. Bao
• Steel Peak Climbing and Ninja
• The Wellness Studio by Cicco Aroma

Mayor Steven Del Duca and Members of Council, the City’s Economic Development team and longtime environmental adviser with the United Nations and acclaimed York University Professor Mark Terry congratulated the 2022 Better Your Business program participants.

These organizations received one-on-one consultations with Professor Terry, who helped guide the development of each business’s new sustainable business model to incorporate the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals. These goals were adopted by the United Nations at the Paris climate summit in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure, by 2030, all people enjoy peace and prosperity. A certificate was provided to each participating business demonstrating their leadership and commitment to embracing these goals and being socially and environmentally sustainable.

The Better Your Business program is designed to increase awareness of the resources available to help Vaughan’s business community improve their processes, practices and policies. The program's social and environmental sustainability edition was the first in the Better Your Business series. In December 2022, the tourism diversity stream of the program was launched, providing up to 24 tourism-related businesses with an opportunity to plan and develop inclusive and diverse tourism products, services and experiences. 

QUOTES

“Vaughan is a green city, with sustainability at the heart of our city-building efforts. The City of Vaughan’s Better Your Business program reflects our commitment to building a better, brighter and greener city for generations to come. Through the program, the Vaughan Business and Entrepreneurship Centre supported five businesses in becoming more socially and environmentally sustainable. I want to congratulate Convergence Robotics Inc., Last20, Mr. and Mrs. Bao, Steel Peak Climbing and Ninja and the Wellness Studio by Cicco Aroma for completing the program. I want to thank York University Professor Dr. Mark Terry for participating and offering his insight, guidance and expertise to these businesses.”

- Mayor Steven Del Duca

“I want to congratulate the participants of the Better Your Business program for taking steps to make their processes, practices and policies more socially and environmentally sustainable. I also want to thank our Economic Development team who work tirelessly to offer innovative and beneficial programs to Vaughan’s businesses and entrepreneurs and highlight the many resources and supports available to grow and advance. Lastly, thank you to Professor Terry for working with Economic Development to facilitate a program that allows businesses to give back to the community.”

- Nick Spensieri, City Manager

“Our team is committed to undertaking projects that create business opportunities, attract talent in Vaughan and allow businesses to give back to the community in a meaningful way. On behalf of the Economic Development team, I want to thank Professor Terry for his collaboration on the Better Your Business program and acknowledge members of our Vaughan Business and Entrepreneurship Centre team for their co-ordination in bringing this program to fruition.”

- Raphael Costa, Director, Economic Development

“I am so pleased to have had the opportunity to work with the City of Vaughan’s Economic Development team and the five dedicated businesses through the Better Your Business program. It was a wonderful experience supporting participants as they developed their new sustainable business models and committed to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The diverse group of businesses, each offering a different service to the community, worked toward a common goal, which was extremely enriching to be a part of.”

- Professor Mark Terry, PhD

QUICK FACTS

• Vaughan Business and Entrepreneurship Centre’s (VBEC’s) Better Your Business program guided businesses on their journey to implement and maintain practices to create a more sustainable city.
• The organizations received one-on-one consultations with acclaimed York University Professor Mark Terry, PhD, who helped guide the development of each business’s new sustainable business model to incorporate the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
• The Better Your Business program is designed to increase awareness of the resources available to help Vaughan’s business community improve their processes, practices and policies.

LEARN MORE

• Better Your Business program webpage
• Public Service Announcement: Better Your Business with the City of Vaughan!
• About Professor Mark Terry, PhD, 2021 Order of Vaughan recipient
• About the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals
• Economic Development’s webpage
• Economic Development department’s eNewsletter
• Economic Development LinkedIn
• The VBEC offers a robust list of services to entrepreneurs. To learn more about starting or growing your business, visit vaughanbusiness.ca