Mauricio Ospina came to Canada in 1991 with no English. His first job: cleaning restaurants. Today, he is as an International Marketing Consultant helping companies export into the competitive U.S. market.
In addition and in only ten years, Ospina became a respected results-oriented leader who has made significant contributions to his Hispanic community while helping thousands. In 2010, the Prime Minister of Canada asked him to meet and discuss issues of importance to Hispanics. Ospina’s work and achievements focus on four areas: Community promotion, Policy (2015 Pan-American Games and Census), Settlement information and Investments in real estate. Ospina's bi-monthly newsletter with jobs and information is likely the largest database of Hispanics, especially in the GTA. Ospina has been a Toronto real estate investor since 2001 and in 2010 passed all real estate exams (90% grade).
Ospina is a Fellow at York University’s Stong College, was a finalist to the prestigious ‘Ontario Premier's Award’, and is a member of Ryerson University’s Golden Key and of Seneca’s ‘Most Distinguished Alumni’. He wrote for the University of Toronto's book about the political participation of Latin Americans in Canada and was interviewed for Andrea Mandel-Campbell’s book “Why Mexicans Don’t Drink Molson”. He has discussed Hispanic issues with federal ministers and has been interviewed by Canada's most important media including The Globe & Mail, Toronto Star and CBC, and is frequently quoted or interviewed by most Hispanic media. He and his programs have also been profiled by international media – partial list at the end.
1) COMMUNITY PROMOTION:
Hispanics: Canada’s Creative Class: Ospina’ created in 2007 the only national annual awards program “10 most influential Hispanic Canadians” to help position Hispanics as “Canada’s Creative Class” while motivating Hispanics to achieve excellence. To date, the program has forty winners from six provinces representing thirteen countries of origin. The judges include past winners, and executives and journalists from Canada’s mainstream. In 2011, Quebec welcomes Ospina to launch the 2011 awards ceremony.
- Results: In 2010, the Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, asked Ospina to bring to Ottawa, for the first time, a delegation of award-winning influential Hispanics to discuss Hispanic issues; the group was also formally recognized at Canada’s Parliament as guests of the Prime Minister. In addition, national and international media have covered the event – partial list at the end.
2) POLICY:
Census and Hispanic Heritage Month: In 2005, Ospina joined the five-people committee that led to Statistics Canada’s “Profile of the Hispanic Community in Canada”. Provincial and municipal politicians asked Ospina to play a role and support the designation of April as Hispanic Heritage Month in both Toronto (2009) and Ontario (2010).
- Results: The Stats Canada profile demonstrated the presence of 741,760 Hispanics (initial Census 2006 count: 350,000) and found, among other things, that Hispanics are more likely to be university educated and five years younger than other Canadians. Ospina is currently working on a declaration of April as Heritage Month at the Federal level.
2015 Pan-American Games: When Toronto won as the official site for the 2015 Pan-American Games, Ospina along with the heads of the Diversity Network and the Canadian Aboriginal Minority & Diversity Supplier Council held several meetings (summer 2010) with Ian Troop - CEO of the 2015 Pan-American Games - to discuss procurement, employment and volunteering opportunities for Hispanics. The Pan-American Games is a huge sports celebration twice larger than the Vancouver Olympics with athletes and visitors from 42 countries, mostly from Spanish-speaking countries, that will provide over 15,000 jobs.
- Results: In September 2010 at a forum organized by Ospina, Ian Troop – the Games' CEO - announced that major suppliers would win points when including a diversity component in their bids. On March 2011, Mr. Troop issued a formal press release announcing a diversity program as part of the Games. Ospina’s work will benefit Hispanic and ethnic entrepreneurs who approach the Games' suppliers. The work continues.
3) SETLEMENT INFORMATION:
CCPA, Factor Hispano, HispanoTech: In 2001, Ospina founded and led until 2004 the still active Canadian Colombian Professional Association. In 2007, he launched and led until 2009 the first magazine for professionals and businesspeople Factor Hispano. In 2009, he co-founded Hispanotech.ca, the first association of Hispanics in Canada’s IT sector. He currently sits on several committees and has led several successful fundraising campaigns.
- Results: Personally or through his seminars and campaigns, thousands of Hispanic immigrants have benefited from Ospina's settlement, business information and activities.
4) INVESTMENTS – REAL ESTATE
Pan-American Village: Ospina’s latest initiative is to have Hispanics ‘own” the Pan-American Village (home of the athletes for the Pan-Am games) by purchasing ten percent of the 2,000 residential units that will be sold to the public. There have been five major Hispanic waves to Canada with the largest (‘professionals’) since the 1990s. However, there is no single area in Toronto that can be called Hispanic or Latin. Hispanics are more likely to rent (47.5% vs. 31.5%) or have higher mortgage dependency (28.9% vs 12.1%) that other Canadians. In 2009, Ospina negotiated discounts for people at the unique and historic Distillery District where several people purchased condos at the site, which is located in front of the official Games' site and the Pan-American Village in downtown Toronto.
- Results (pending): Ospina acquired his real estate license in 2010 to ensure 10% Hispanic ownership of the Pan-Am Village. He currently is in discussions with potential developers and more information will be available soon.
MEDIA COVERAGE
In addition to the list below (national and international media at the end), twenty five media outlets from four provinces have supported Ospina's activities including Radio Canada International, national TV outlet TLN; Quebec's NuevoMundoTV and Toronto's Now What TV; Alberta's HolaCalgary.com and Canadianlatinonewspaper.com; newspapers Correo Canadiense, El Centroamericano, El Popular and Latin Life; radio stations Ondas Hispanas-CIRV and Montreal's Radio Latina; magazines Abanico, Debate, Football International, La Guia de Toronto, Latidos, Mercado News, Sports Astros, Comercio Latino, Magazine Latino and Lulu; portals TorontoHispano.com and HispanosenCanada.ca; Ottawa's EcoLatino and Alberta's La Prensa.
USA Today (2010): http://content.usatoday.com/topics/article/Events and Awards/Sports/2010 Winter Olympics/09WrdJngmkf6T/1
FloridaToday (2010) http://sec.floridatoday.com/article/09WrdJngmkf6T?q=Colombia
US Hispanic Trend (2010): http://www.hispanictrend.com/
FOCAL (2010): www.focal.ca/en/events/359-10-most-influential-hispanic-canadians
Vancouver Sun (2010): www.vancouversun.com/sports/graphic designer named influential Hispanic Canadians/3884550/story.html
Winnipeg Free Press (2010): www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/souwester/Leading-light-in-Spanish-community-makes-top-10--------111869399.html
Canadian Parliament (2010): http://openparliament.ca/hansards/2269/13/only/
Vancouver Metro (2010): www.vancouvermetro.com/vancouver-business/b-c-graphic-designer-named-one-of-10-influential-hispanic-canadians/
Hon. Peter Kent, Canada's Minister for the Americas (2010): www.peterkent.ca/view/news/97
Vancouver Olympics (2010): www.vancouver2010.com/more-2010-information/cultural-festivals-and-events/news/cuban-jazz-on-canadian-soil_312392by.html
Brain Repair (2010): www.brainrepair.ca/pdf/2010-01-Hispanic-Cdn.pdf
Centre for International Governance Innovation (2010)
www.cigionline.org/articles/2010/11/cigi-distinguished-fellow-named-among-most-influential-hispanic-canadians
Canada.com (2010): www.canada.com/story_print.html?id=01d5b97f-18b5-4824-bfae-e1a4c4ff99cc&sponsor=
Source News (2010): www.sourcews.com/laurier-prof-named-one-most-influential
TD Waterhouse (2010): https://research.tdwaterhouse.ca/research/public/Markets/NewsArticle/100-328c9816-1
Immigration Canada (2010): www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/backgrounders/2010/2010-10-19.asp
Radio Canada International (2010): www.rcinet.ca/espagnol/cronica/cartelera/los-diez-hispanos-mas-influyentes/
Wikipedia (2010): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alejandro_R._Jadad_Bechara
NewsWire (2010): www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/November2010/24/c7344.html
MarketWire (2010): www.marketwire.com/press-release/BoardSuite-Corp-President-CEO-Oscar-A-Jofre-Jr-Recognized-Rt-Hon-Stephen-Harper-1272320.htm
Latin Jazz (2010): www.latinjazznet.com/2010/10/03/reviews/concerts/hilario-duran-celebrates-his-35-years-of-musical-career/
FOCAL (2010): www.focal.ca/events/150-a-reception-to-honour-the-recipients-of-the-q10-most-influential-hispanicsq-awards-on-the-occasion-of-their-visit-to-ottawa-may-27-2010
BusinessWeek (2009): http://bx.businessweek.com/entrepreneurship/boardsuiter-ceo-oscar-a-jofre-jr-recognized-as-one-of-scotiabanks-10-most-influential-hispanic-canadians/2346637327301678221-41e2b778bc4d422e05f0d3c783e45d07/
Globe and Mail (2009): www.theglobeandmail.com/life/article975997.ece
eHealth Innovation (2009): www.ehealthinnovation.org/ajadad
University of Toronto (2009): www.anesthesia.utoronto.ca/people/faculty/jadadar.htm
Canada IT (2009): www.canadait.ca/cfm/index.cfm?It=106&Id=27224&Se=2&Sv=&Lo=2
NewsWise (2009): www.newswise.com/articles/dal-neurosurgeon-named-one-of-the-most-influential-hispanic-canadians2?ret=/articles/list&channel=&category=medicine&page=31&search[status]=3&search[sort]=date desc&search[section]=10&search[has_multimedia]=
Dialogos (2010): http://dialogos.ca/revistablog/2010/07/10-most-influential-hispanics-in-canada/
Wilfrid University (2010): www.wlu.ca/news_detail.php?grp_id=0&nws_id=7156
MetroActive (2010): http://metroactive.org/wordpress/
Dalhousie University (2009): http://news.medicine.dal.ca/hispanic.htm
York University (2008 and 2009): www.yorku.ca/yfile/archive/index.asp?Article=13836 and www.yorku.ca/yfile/archive/index.asp?Article=11575
Canadian immigrant 2009: www.canadianimmigrant.ca/learn/newsitems/article/5833
McMaster University (2009): http://fhs.mcmaster.ca/medicine/docs/Hispanic Canadians.pdf
http://fhs.mcmaster.ca/main/news/news_2009/morillo_influential_canadian.html
Diversity Network (2008): www.diversityintheworkplace.ca/newsletters/jan_08/diversity_online_mvp_jan08.html
Ontario Chamber of Commerce (2007): http://occ.on.ca/2007/11/10-most-influential-hispanic-canadians/
Toronto Star (2007): http://www.thestar.com/article/243033
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