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CIBPA Toronto Celebrates Outstanding Leadership and Italian Heritage at 74th President’s Gala

VAUGHAN, ONThe Canadian Italian Business and Professional Association (CIBPA) Toronto Chapter hosted its 74th President’s Gala on Friday, October 2, 2026, bringing together a sold-out event of approximately 900 guests at the Venu Event Space. The event celebrated achievement within the Canadian-Italian business community while raising funds for local community and educational initiatives. His Excellency Alessandro […]

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The Canadian Italian Business and Professional Association (CIBPA) Toronto Chapter hosted its 74th President’s Gala on Friday, October 2, 2026, bringing together a sold-out event of approximately 900 guests at the Venu Event Space. The event celebrated achievement within the Canadian-Italian business community while raising funds for local community and educational initiatives.

CIBPA 74thPresidentSGala2026 555 1 CIBPA Toronto Celebrates Outstanding Leadership and Italian Heritage at 74th President’s Gala
His Excellency Alessandro Cattaneo, Sabrina Marrelli, Tony Staffieri

The milestone evening was made possible thanks to Deloitte; CIBC; Fengate; Masters Insurance; Cristina Ciccolini Memorial Fund; Zanchin Automotive Group; Fero International; Choice Properties; UniversalCare; Montecassino; Lavazza; Cadillac Fairview; Ital Florist; Decor-Rest; DOLCE Magazine; City Life and TLN Media Group.

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Andria Zachin, Sabrina Marrelli, Laura Zachin, Tony Cocuzzo

Led by CIBPA Toronto President Sabrina Marrelli and Honorary Co-Chairs Andria Zanchin and Laura Zanchin, the evening honoured the recipients of the 2026 CIBPA Awards of Excellence. Immediate Past President Tony Cocuzzo served as Master of Ceremonies.

IMG 5448 1 CIBPA Toronto Celebrates Outstanding Leadership and Italian Heritage at 74th President’s Gala
Robert Allegrini, Mario Cortellucci, Sabrina Marrelli, The Honourable Justice Giuseppina D’Agostino

“The 74th President’s Gala is a profound testament to the enduring impact of the Canadian-Italian community,” said Marrelli.“Tonight, we do more than celebrate corporate and professional excellence — we honour a legacy of resilience, entrepreneurship, and community-building that defines our heritage. Seeing our community come together reinforces our commitment to empowering the next generation of leaders through the CIBPA Education Foundation.”

The highlight was the 2026 CIBPA President’s Award to Anthony Staffieri, President and CEO of Rogers Communications, recognizing his corporate and community impact across Canada.

The Awards of Excellence recipients include Sam Ciccolini (Lifetime Contribution Award), Michela Di Mondo (Woman of the Year Award), Jennifer Quaglietta (Professional Excellence Award), Ester Paris Mauro and Italo Paris (Business Excellence Award), Paul Golini (Community Leader Award) and Kira Serafini (NextGen Award).

The gala welcomed His Excellency Alessandro Cattaneo, Ambassador of Italy to Canada; The Honourable Justice Giuseppina D’Agostino, Judge of the Federal Court; The Honourable Justice Frank Iacobucci, Former Supreme Court Justice; The Honourable Stephen Lecce, MPP, Ontario Cabinet Minister; The Honourable Toni Varone, Senator; and Robert Allegrini, President & CEO of the National Italian American Foundation.

Proceeds will support the CIBPA Education Foundation — celebrating its 50th anniversary — and CIBPA Place for adults living with dementia.

Watch the Gala Highlights

To learn more about the evening’s celebrations, click here: CIBPA TORONTO 2026 update – Frame.io

About CIBPA Toronto:

Founded in 1952, the Canadian Italian Business and Professional Association (CIBPA) Toronto Chapter represents Italian Canadians in the Greater Toronto Area, fostering networks and charitable initiatives.

Media Contact Details
Isha Sharma
Dolce Media Group
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Phone: 905.264.6789
Website: dolcemedia.ca

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Sue Schuster Helps Small Businesses Unlock Growth Capital with an 95% Funding Success Rate once pre-approved

Hamilton, MontanaBusiness funding strategist simplifies access to equipment financing and working capital, helping entrepreneurs secure the capital needed to expand with confidence.

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Business funding strategist simplifies access to equipment financing and working capital, helping entrepreneurs secure the capital needed to expand with confidence.

As rising interest rates, tighter lending standards, and economic uncertainty continue to challenge entrepreneurs, business funding strategist Sue Schuster is helping small business owners gain access to the capital they need to grow. Through BizFi.io, Sue has become a trusted resource for business owners seeking equipment financing beginning at $10,000 for equipment funding and growth capital ranging from $50,000 to $350,000.

photo 008 copy 2 page 0001 Sue Schuster Helps Small Businesses Unlock Growth Capital with an 95% Funding Success Rate once pre-approved

With an approximately 95% funding success rate once pre-approved, Sue works with businesses across a wide range of industries, guiding owners through financing options that can help purchase machinery, acquire equipment, improve cash flow, and fuel expansion. Her straightforward approach and commitment to personalized service have earned her a reputation for making what is often a confusing process remarkably simple.

Screenshot 2026 06 09 at 8.37.41 AM Sue Schuster Helps Small Businesses Unlock Growth Capital with an 95% Funding Success Rate once pre-approved

“Too many business owners assume they’ll be turned down before they even apply,” said Schuster. “My goal is to help entrepreneurs understand what’s possible, identify the right funding strategy, and connect them with lending solutions that position their businesses for long-term success.”

Unlike traditional lending experiences that often involve lengthy delays and complex paperwork, Sue helps clients navigate a streamlined process designed to deliver faster decisions and practical financing solutions. Whether a company is purchasing new manufacturing equipment, upgrading technology, adding vehicles to a fleet, or seeking working capital to meet growing demand, she focuses on matching each client with funding options that fit their business objectives.

Drawing upon more than two decades of entrepreneurial experience, Sue understands the challenges facing today’s business owners because she has experienced many of them herself. Her expertise extends beyond financing into helping entrepreneurs strengthen their businesses through corporate credit strategies and improved access to capital.

Clients consistently praise Sue for her responsiveness, transparency, and ability to simplify complex financial decisions. Many describe her as one of the most trusted business funding advisors they have worked with, citing her ability to deliver successful outcomes while making the financing process far less intimidating than expected.

Business owners frequently seek Sue’s guidance when they need to:

  • Finance machinery and equipment starting at $10,000
  • Secure growth capital between $50,000 and $350,000
  • Improve cash flow with working capital solutions
  • Explore SBA loans and term loans
  • Build stronger business credit profiles for future financing opportunities

 

As small businesses continue to drive innovation and job creation throughout the United States, access to capital remains one of the greatest barriers to growth. Sue believes every qualified entrepreneur deserves an advocate who understands both the funding landscape and the realities of running a business.

“Capital shouldn’t be the reason a great business stays small,” she added. “When business owners have access to the right funding at the right time, they’re able to hire, invest, innovate, and strengthen their communities.”

Through BizFi.io’s technology-driven platform, business owners can explore financing options through a simplified application process designed to reduce paperwork while increasing access to competitive funding solutions. The platform offers equipment financing, working capital, invoice factoring, merchant cash advances, term loans, and SBA lending solutions tailored to the unique needs of growing businesses.

For more information about Sue Schuster or to explore business funding options, visit BizFi.io.

Podcast Features and Upcoming Appearance

Sue Schuster has shared her insights on business financing, growth strategies, and the challenges entrepreneurs face through several podcast appearances, including:

  • Blue Collar BS: “Borrow Smart or Stay Small with Sue Schuster,” hosted by Brad Herda. Listen to the episode
  • Strategy Shift Podcast: “Funding Your Business the Smart Way,” hosted by Adam Levin and Tom Freedman. Listen to the episode
  • Deals with Heels: “When Financial Pressure Stops Being About Money with Sue Schuster,” hosted by Debra Bowers. Listen to the episode

 

Sue is also scheduled to appear on the Start, Scale & Succeed Podcast with Scott Ritzheimer on October 26, 2026.

About Sue Schuster

Sue Schuster is a business funding strategist with BizFi.io, where she helps entrepreneurs secure equipment financing, working capital, and business growth funding. Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she specializes in connecting small business owners with financing solutions that support expansion, improve cash flow, and accelerate long-term business success through a client-first, consultative approach.

Website: https://biz-fi.io/sue-schuster-pennsylvania

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Sue Schuster
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ThriveCart Academy Introduces Major Upgrades for Course and Community Creators, and Their Students

NEW YORK, NYNew student experiences, stronger course tools, improved fulfillment, and expanded learning capabilities support the next phase of online education and community businesses.

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New student experiences, stronger course tools, improved fulfillment, and expanded learning capabilities support the next phase of online education and community businesses.

ThriveCart, an all-in-one creator commerce, course, and community platform used by more than 75,000 businesses worldwide, today announced substantial planned upgrades to ThriveCart Academy, its course and community platform for creators, educators, and membership businesses.

Since launching in May 2026, Academy has evolved significantly. A new student homepage gives learners a personalized, branded starting point where they can see their courses and communities, track progress, and jump back into their next lesson. Creators can customize the experience with welcome content, video, text, course lists, community lists, progress displays, and calls to action.

ThriveCart Academy’s recent upgrades also include a revamped course builder, improved lesson organization and editing, stronger autosave and preview workflows, enhanced video and audio uploads and playback, and smoother student access. New and improved learning features also include quizzes, video assessments, certificates, completion reporting, and flexible drip conditions.

Additional upgrades help creators manage and grow their businesses. Academy now supports account-, course-, and community-level custom domains, course collections, course and community bundles, and automated fulfillment through ThriveCart checkout flows, including main products, order bumps, upsells, and downsells.

“ThrieCart Academy has changed substantially since launch, and we’re continuing to invest in making it the number-one home for learning, community, and commerce,” said Ismael Wrixen, ThriveCart’s CEO. “We’re focused on giving creators and coaches better revenue-generating tools to deliver exceptional experiences while making it easier for their students to learn, connect, and take the next step.”

ThriveCart is also providing existing customers on its legacy course platform, Learn, with a clear, extended multi-year path to join Academy. Learn and its advanced version, Learn+, will remain open for new course creation through 2026, support course editing and new student enrollment during 2027, and become read-only in 2028. Existing customers will receive equivalent Academy course access at no additional charge, plus access new features such as quizzes and certificates for free. Community features are available through an advantageous Academy upgrade for customers who want them.

 

A timeline of the migration from Learn/Learn+ to Academy over 2026 to 2028.

 

Looking ahead through Q4 and beyond, ThriveCart plans to expand Academy with connected subscription and billing management, including clearer upgrades, downgrades, payment plans, retention offers, and student self-service tools. Planned community enhancements include in-community purchasing, richer feeds, email notifications and messaging, reward points, live and hybrid events, livestreaming, improved moderation and member management, and analytics across revenue, engagement, learning, and retention. 

About ThriveCart

ThriveCart is a creator commerce and community management platform designed for course creators, coaches, membership businesses, and digital entrepreneurs. The platform combines high-conversion checkout and funnel technology, subscription management, affiliate programs, and a community-first course platform with membership delivery, gamification, and lifecycle tools in one unified system. ThriveCart powers more than 75,000 businesses worldwide, has processed over $8 billion in sales across more than 70 million transactions, supports more than 13 million student enrollments, and includes an affiliate network of over 900,000 affiliates. ThriveCart’s mission is to replace fragmented creator tech stacks with a unified commerce and course platform. Visit thrivecart.com for more.

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Jared Orlin
ThriveCart
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Website: thrivecart.com

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Lize Donovan Releases Children’s Book The Shepherd & The Cowboy: Zona & The Mountain Rescue

Payson, AZA heartwarming tale of teamwork, courage, and a hero in disguise

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A heartwarming tale of teamwork, courage, and a hero in disguise

Lize Donovan announces the release of The Shepherd & The Cowboy: Zona & The Mountain Rescue, a new addition to the Zona Adventure series. Written to inspire children, this engaging story follows a hardworking German Shepherd named Zona, a real cowboy named Wyman, and his trusty, calm horse, Charlie Boy, on a search-and-rescue mission.

lize donovan releases childrens book the shepherd the cowboy zona the mountain rescue z1iNeA Lize Donovan Releases Children’s Book The Shepherd & The Cowboy: Zona & The Mountain Rescue

Told from the perspective of Zona, a highly energetic hero-in-training, the adventure begins when a hiker goes missing on a mountain trail that is too steep for trucks. Wyman saddles up Charlie Boy, and Zona dons her special working harness equipped with a bell to begin the search. After getting the scent from the missing hiker’s hat provided by a ranger, the brave canine leads the team higher and higher into the mountains.

Following the scent step by step, Zona hears a faint cry for help and discovers the stranded hiker with an injured leg. The team offers comfort and water until rescuers arrive to carry the hiker safely down the mountain. Through this rescue, young readers learn a valuable lesson: heroes can be big or small, covered in fur, or even a horse. The book emphasizes that true heroism isn’t just about bravery; it is about kindness, courage, teamwork, and stepping up when others need it most.

This heartfelt book features a special dedication to all working dogs whose courage, loyalty, and heart make them true heroes. The author also includes a touching tribute to Zona for mending her heart after the loss of her sweet dog Lilly, as well as a dedication to the man who shares Zona with her, describing him as the “hero behind the hero”.

About the Author

Lize Donovan is the storyteller behind Zona’s adventures. She believes that every dog has a purpose and that every child deserves an inspiring story. Through her writing, she is on a mission to show readers that heroes come in all shapes and sizes, especially the furry kind.

Author Name: Lize Donovan Book Title: The Shepherd & The Cowboy: Zona & The Mountain Rescue Published By: City Light Publishers

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Elizabeth Donovan
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