In the spring of 2017 at the age of 27, Maria Fernanda Lossada arrived in Canada from Venezuela. When she first thought of leaving her home country, she knew she was interested in coming to Canada. Her dream was to start her own business and her notion of Canada was that it was the ideal place to pursue such a dream. Reflecting on her decision to come to Canada she explains,

“Canada is a place that has all of the right conditions to establish a new business; it is a multicultural country where equality is important, where there is opportunity and where its residents receive entrepreneurial support.”

Maria first joined ACCES in the Youth Job Connections program, which quickly gave her a sense of the labour market in Canada. The program taught her how to not only raise her own profile by using tools like social media and networking, but also gave her valuable insights on how employers approached the recruiting and hiring process. From there, Maria continued her learning in the Entrepreneurship Connections program. She credits the program with helping her to create a viable business plan, how to present her business plan and how to execute on entrepreneurial ideas. Now, Maria is the Founder and Director of Mussanda, a successful, international online fashion accessories business that is always on trend.

Maria values the detailed and specific advice she received as a budding entrepreneur at ACCES.

“In my case, taxes and finance were my weakness and the Entrepreneurship program at ACCES gave me quality tools and resources to solve those particular issues.”

Having traversed the path from youth newcomer in Canada to a successful international entrepreneur, Maria is now in a position to express her gratitude and give back to other newcomers.  She’s made a point of staying connected to the programs at ACCES, representing the organization as an active alumni member. She is eager to share her story and, when asked about the advice she would give to other newcomers, she confidently exclaims,

“Not everything will go as expected. The important thing is to learn, find quick solutions, and continue to move forward and improve. It is constant learning, but a very rewarding experience.”

Maria Fernanda Lossada
Founder and Director, Mussanda
ACCES Employment Alum