Asper student and alumna lead new vision for Manitoba Filipino Business Council

Earlier this year the Manitoba Filipino Business Council (MFBC) announced their newly elected Board of Directors and for the very first time in the council’s history, the Board reflects a majority female leadership team.

As the first female President of the MFBC, Jackie Wild, a current Asper BComm student, brings a wealth of professional experience as the Senior Community Investment Manager at Telus and appointed Vice-President, Katrina Daaca [BComm(Hons)/14] is a successful entrepreneur and owner of Kanekta, the first and only Filipina-Canadian owned supply chain management consulting company. 

Both Wild and Daaca share their aspirations for the council and their thoughts on Board diversification, gender and racial inequity.

As the first female President and Vice President of the MFBC, what do you hope to accomplish?

Jackie Wild: I feel a responsibility to set an example for other Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) women who also hope to lead at non-profit and corporate tables. Women of colour are hugely underrepresented in leadership roles. There is still a significant amount of work to be done, but I know through our work with the MFBC, we are pushing the needle in the right direction.

Katrina Daaca: The new leadership team at MFBC is radical. I’m looking forward to creating collaborative spaces for Filipin@/x professionals and highlight, celebrate, and uplift Filipin@/x professionals.

Why do you feel female representation on the MFBC is important?

Katrina Daaca: Asian women are stereotypically seen as docile and quiet. In professional settings, I’m often asked if I’m the assistant, the accountant, if I’m “here for the student orientation” – no one ever assumes I’m the one in charge. Representation of Asian women in positions of authority and power is critical to flipping the narrative around what’s possible for Asian women, we exist outside of the supporting roles others expect us to take on.

With the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes, how can the business community become better allies to Asian-Canadians?

Jackie Wild: Witnessing the spike in anti-Asian hate crimes has deeply affected our community, bringing to light the discrimination and injustice many of us have faced, often silently, our entire lives. The model minority myth and seemingly innocent stereotypes are, in fact, incredibly damaging.

The MFBC’s mandate is not only to represent and protect our community, but also offer opportunities for our allies to meet us where we are and work collaboratively to build better policies, frameworks and support systems to ensure all underserved groups have an equitable chance at success. We invite students to engage with us, the business community to learn from us, and allies to support us by not only answering the call, but by also joining us in action.

What role do you hope MFBC will play in shaping the narrative around anti-Asian racism?

Jackie Wild: My hope is for MFBC to be positioned as a resource for the Filipino community and beyond to learn about building stronger anti-racist policies in the workplace. For young people who plan to start their own business, work as a business professional, or simply see themselves in a position where they can improve our local economy, the MFBC is a place for you to be seen and heard.

Katrina Daaca: It’s important to me that as an association, we are not complicit in maintaining systems of white supremacy. The MFBC is actively anti-racist and stands in solidarity with other BIPOC organizations/communities. 

The Manitoba Filipino Business Council (MFBC) was first established in 2011 with the support of over 100 entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals. The council’s main vision is to become a prime community resource hub for Filipino businesses and professionals, and through its mission to build a sustainable future for the next generation of leaders by creating an inclusive community through collaboration.

Michelle Gazze