Economic Club of Canada owner fulfills wish to host Barack Obama in Toronto
January 22, 2020
Hosting America’s first Black President Barack Obama at the Economic Club of Canada (ECC) was on Rhiannon Rosalind’s wish list since the day history was made in 2008.
“I was in an entry level position at the club and we have a special little system on the back end of our computers where we have all of the names of the speakers that we are going to host,” she said. “That day that he was elected, I actually made a folder on my computer that said, ‘Obama’ in hopes that one day I would be able to fill it up with all the material to run an event with him.”
Rosalind’s dream became a reality when Obama accepted an invitation to be the honourary speaker to kick off a four-part series that will explore the future of work and the new economy.
The event takes place today at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on January 23.
The ECC hosted Michelle Obama in 2017.
The idea for the series was conceived by Rosalind who is the ECC’s President, Chief Executive Officer and Owner.
“We are a very divided country right now,” she pointed out. “So many of us are gathering and speaking in our own circles and with all of the changes that are happening around the world, we felt very inspired to create a series of events where all Canadians are able to come together and really re-imagine what our country can look like. The future of the world and what we are calling the new economy is designed to break that status quo and bring generations together to really dream and imagine what Canada could look like if we all came together.”
Rosalind said Obama was an obvious choice to launch the series because his message of change, hope and optimism is inspirational in an era of divisive politics and fluctuating economies.
Nearly 3,000 business leaders from across the country will attend the event. For every ticket purchased, the ECC is offering a free one to a young person to attend the groundbreaking series that is geared mainly to Black and Indigenous youths from challenged communities with limited access to meaningful experiences.
Providing access and opportunities to marginalized young people is essential for Rosalind who grew up in a single parent home and was the first in her family to graduate from high school.
“I struggled a lot as a young person and I really didn’t know where I fit in,” she said. “There was violence in my home and I dabbled in drugs and alcohol at an early age before I was able to turn my life around. I know that no matter where somebody comes from or what obstacles they face, if we can bring people together and allow them to understand that every voice matters and everything they have gone through can actually be used for good, minds can be changed. Young people need to have access, but so too does corporate Canada and business leaders who need to sit down with youths and hear about their experiences.”
The tables that seat 10 will accommodate five youths and business leaders.
The defining moment in Rosalind’s life came at age 15.
“I was in a very bad spot,” she said. “I had failed Grade 10, I was in a really bad relationship, I was heavily involved with drugs and alcohol and I was surrounded by people who were just as broke as I was. I remember waking up one morning and going to wash my hands in the sink and when I caught a glimpse of my eyes in the mirror, I hated what I saw. I knew I was squandering my life, so I went outside of the apartment and started scribbling goals on a piece of paper while crying all the time.”
Completing high school and going to university were on the ‘to-do’ list.
While in Ryerson University Arts & Contemporary Studies program, Rosalind’s interest revolved around learning about the world, studying systems, understanding oppression and policy ideas and solutions.
Three weeks before graduation, she shared her experience with policy makers and business leaders that included an Economic Club of Toronto founder who alerted her to an entry event co-ordinator position at the organization.
“I wasn’t looking for a job as I was planning to pursue my Master’s, but something in my heart told me I should go and meet with them,” she said.
Rhiannon Rosalind
Accepting the position, Rosalind’s first day on the job coincided with the club hosting former American President Bill Clinton.
In the first six months, she made notes about ideas she had for the business that she shared with then CEO Mark Adler.
“I told him I loved working for the organization, but I thought it should be rebranded from the Economic Club of Toronto to the Economic Club of Canada to increase the pool of influential speakers and thought leaders we could attract,” the Ryerson University Board of Governors member said.
Adler, who founded the club in 2003, agreed and Rosalind was promoted to Vice-President and charged with the responsibility of leading the rebrand. When Adler switched to politics and was elected to the federal parliament in 2011, Rosalind became the President & CEO two weeks before she had her first child at age 26 and, a few months later, bought the organization that’s a high-profile and respected platform for non-partisan dialogue, discussion, insight, exchange and opinion among the world’s most notable change makers.
“I knew that if I was trying to create the kind of organization that I wanted this place to be, I had to own it,” the mother of two said.
The same year that Rosalind became the President & CEO, she founded the Jr. Economic Club of Canada that is designed to teach financial literacy to young Canadians and, in 2014, launched Jr. ECTV which is a television program that allows youths to discuss important issues.
The next event in the four-part series will be held in late May or early June followed by one next fall and the last one in the winter of 2021.
“The speakers are absolutely phenomenal globally-recognized figures that are definitely in the same caliber of Obama,” added Rosalind who, in June 2018, was named among Bay Street’s ‘Power 50’ by Bay St. Bull Magazine.
