When I learned that nominations were being accepted for the first annual Newcomer Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, (NEYA) I knew I had to nominate Wajid and Maysoon, of First Impressions Hair Design here in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Wajid, Maysoon, and their first three children moved to Canada from Iraq in 2002, with no money, and no understanding of our language or culture, having spent 28 months in limbo, in Turkey, waiting for, what turned out to be lost paperwork. By 2007, they purchased First Impressions Design Studios and they have been breathing love, life, and energy into the business, ever since.
I would like to congratulate Square One and SREDA for offering the NEYA awards. This initiative will encourage other newcomers to embrace the possibility of owning their own businesses, and it will also help Canadian born citizens to understand some of the obstacles that newcomers must overcome, in order to become successful Canadians.
Please view nomination video.
