Twenty years of regulatory authority. A network that spans Prime Ministers, Premiers, and trade corridors from West Africa to the Caribbean. I don't manage tasks — I design the systems, strategies, and relationships that make growth inevitable.
I spent nearly two decades inside the Canadian federal government — earning two President's Awards, leading national food safety policy, and coordinating trade compliance across Western Canada. Then I walked away from a guaranteed pension to build what Western Canada's Black business community had never had.
What I built at BBABC wasn't just a nonprofit. It was a proof of concept — that you can take a community that has been systematically denied access to capital, networks, and government, and move them into rooms that change the trajectory of their businesses. That same capability is what I bring to every advisory engagement.
Growth without structure creates risk. Strategy without execution creates stagnation. Compliance without understanding creates barriers. I align all three — so you can scale with precision.
Influence is built over years, not weeks. The relationships I've cultivated across government, trade, and community are not a feature of my advisory work — they are the foundation of it.
Relationships at the highest level of Canadian federal government — built through two decades of public service and community leadership, not proximity.
Trusted voice in BC's economic development and trade ecosystem. Advisor and advocate at the provincial level across multiple portfolios.
Active relationships across diplomatic and trade corridors in Ghana, Barbados, Trinidad, Jamaica, and beyond — built on-the-ground, not from a distance.
20 years navigating the most complex food safety and regulatory environments in Canada. The expertise that most consultants pay lawyers to approximate.
National roundtable participant, program advisor, and trusted ecosystem builder across Canada's formal trade and business development infrastructure.
Founder of proprietary tools and platforms that have generated real revenue and real market access for businesses that the traditional system overlooked.
I work with a small number of organizations at any one time. This is intentional. Every client gets the full weight of two decades of expertise — not a junior team running a template. If you're ready to move with precision, this is where we start.
A focused 90-minute private strategy session designed to assess your current position and map your next moves with precision. This is not a discovery call — it's a working session that produces a written output you can execute immediately.
A 30-day deep engagement for organizations preparing to enter a new market, access government procurement, or restructure their compliance framework. You walk away with a strategy you can take to your board — and the relationships to execute it.
Nerissa as your embedded strategic advisor. Access to real-time regulatory intelligence, government and stakeholder navigation, network activation, and quarterly market intelligence reports — powered by WTC's AI Command Centre. Available to a maximum of six organizations at any time.
Reserved for government ministries, development finance institutions, trade agencies, and corporations requiring a full market access strategy, stakeholder engagement plan, and implementation support. Delivered in partnership with World Trade Commission.
All engagements are by application only. I accept a small number of clients to ensure every organization receives the full depth of what I bring.
Apply NowTell me where you are, where you want to go, and what's blocking you. I review every application personally. If we're the right fit, you'll hear back within 5 business days.
A focused 45-minute assessment call where I listen first. I need to understand your regulatory environment, your market targets, and the complexity of what you're actually navigating before I advise on anything.
I propose the right engagement for your situation — not a menu of services, but a precise recommendation based on where you are and what you need to get where you're going.
Strategy meets execution. Every engagement produces documented outputs, measurable milestones, and — where possible — real introductions to real people who can accelerate your trajectory.
The traditional nonprofit model — 100% dependent on grants, government funding, and donor cycles — is structurally fragile. One budget cut, one failed grant, one change in government priorities, and a decade of mission-critical work is at risk. There is a better way.
A focused diagnostic of your nonprofit's current revenue structure, mission alignment, and commercial potential. You receive a written assessment identifying your top 3 hybrid revenue opportunities — with a ranked recommendation and 90-day action plan.
A full organizational redesign built around the 50/50 model. This is not a standard strategic plan — it is a complete restructuring of how your organization generates resources, delivers programs, and sustains its mission for the next decade. Board-ready. Funder-ready. Execution-ready.
A half or full-day working session for nonprofit boards and executive leadership teams. Covers the case for hybrid models, the AI governance imperative, practical revenue generation frameworks, and how to bring a resistant board along on the journey. Participants leave with a shared language and a concrete first step.
For nonprofits in active implementation of their hybrid model. Monthly strategic advisory as you build your commercial arm, navigate board and stakeholder dynamics, integrate AI tools, and establish the revenue streams that will fund your mission for the next decade.
I've spoken at government roundtables, international trade conferences, and executive leadership programs across Canada, the US, Ghana, and the Caribbean. My sessions don't deliver inspiration — they deliver frameworks that participants use the following Monday.
Available for conferences, executive teams, corporate programs, and institutional events.
A curated leadership ecosystem for women building influence, presence, and legacy. Not a program. Not a mastermind. A room — with the right people in it — where you develop the authority, clarity, and relationships to move at a different level.
Access to a curated network of women operating at the highest levels of business, government, and global trade.
Real strategic guidance on positioning, market access, and building a personal brand that commands the rooms you want to be in.
Frameworks, introductions, and accountability designed to move you from where you are to where your work demands you be.
Membership is by invitation and application only. Next cohort forming now.
Every engagement begins with an application. I work with a limited number of clients to ensure every organization receives the full depth of my expertise, network, and attention. If you're ready to stop navigating complexity alone — apply below.
+1 604-227-1681