“I see The Chamber as a leader in recognizing where business and community are going and what they are needing and then jumping in full force to drive the change that is going to be best for business and community combined.”
As we celebrate our 150th birthday, The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce is excited to celebrate our rich history by sharing stories of our members. We hope that by sharing these stories, we can inspire and engage current and future members to continue building a strong and vibrant business community in Winnipeg.
We sat down with our 150 Co-Chairs to learn more about them and how they got involved with The Chamber! Check out our Q&A with Jessica Dumas from Jessica Dumas Coaching and Training below ⬇️
Photography by Mike Sudoma
Winnipeg Chamber (WCC): Tell us a bit about yourself!
Jessica Dumas (JD): Hi, I am the host of the Confidence and Communication Podcast and a certified coach with 10 years of experience in coaching and more than 10+ years in training and facilitating. I have had the exciting opportunity to niche in speaker coaching, which started off at the chamber! I was chairperson, coming off stage, when a woman came up to me and said, “I want you to coach me to do what you just did.”
I am a mom of three sons, whom I raised on my own. I am a band member of Keeseekoowenin First Nation in Treaty 2 but have called Winnipeg my home since I was born. My goal in business is to coach women to use their voice to take up space to ultimately bring the change that they want to see, in the environments that they are leading and aspiring to lead.
WCC: How did you get involved with The Winnipeg Chamber, and why?
JD: I got involved with The Winnipeg Chamber when I was chairperson of the Indigenous Chamber of Commerce (Formerly the Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce), I was really interested in ways to support our city and local businesses, as well as connecting the Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, and The Winnipeg Chamber exposed me to so much more than that. The luncheons, events, speakers, and the overall network gave me plenty of opportunities to learn about business and leadership in so many ways.
Credit: Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce
WCC: What has been your most memorable Winnipeg Chamber moment? This could be a connection you made, an event you attended- anything that impacted you in a memorable way.
JD: Without a doubt, the opportunity to introduce Michelle Obama in 2019 to our Winnipeg audience could not have happened without The Chamber, and was one of my life’s most memorable moments! But I could not go without saying that The Winnipeg Chamber has shown me the best of what Winnipeg has to offer. I grew up in the poorest neighbourhoods in our city, so to go from growing up in such an impoverished environment and then being welcomed to sit at tables with some of the most influential people in our city, guests from across the world, and lead the meetings as Chairperson has made the chamber a very important part of my professional career.
WCC: What would you say to someone who is on the fence about joining The Winnipeg Chamber? Give us your elevator pitch!
JD: The Winnipeg Chamber is not what it used to be! If you want to grow your business and connect with other professionals in the city, you need to be part of the chamber. If your fear is that you don’t think ‘just joining’ is going to do it for you, I encourage you to recognize that you will get – what you put in. There are opportunities to meet new people, expand your business and have direct introductions and made-easy-ways for you to network. Why wouldn’t you want that for your business?
Jessica Dumas hosting the State of the Province event in 2019. Credit: Mike Sudoma
WCC: As a Co-Chair of the Chamber 150 planning committee, what do the next 150 years of The Winnipeg Chamber look like to you?
JD: I think The Chamber has already started its expansion of ‘out with the old ways of thinking and on with the new,’ and I would like to imagine that for the next 150 years. I see The Chamber as a leader in recognizing where business and community are going and what they are needing and then jumping in full force to drive the change that is going to be best for business and community combined.
At the end of the day, it’s all about your business. You want to see your business succeed and grow, and that’s why we’re here.
Providing a platform to help local businesses in Winnipeg thrive is what we stand for – whether it’s advocating for you, connecting you with the right people at the right time or setting you up with the support and programs you need to grow.
CLICK HERE to join The Chamber today!
