GenNext Mini meet up

by Kirsti Ridsdale

Young professional students gathered at the Overseas Motor Mini dealership Sept. 27 to meet some of Windsor’s prominent leaders.

GenNext is a United Way committee of young professionals in their 20s and 30s who organized the event. GenNext MINI Networking Event is designed to help people find ways to get involved in the community. The United Way has connections with the business community and access groups that need volunteers and GenNext has the volunteers.

Nicole Adan is co-chair of the GenNext event committee. She said she chooses community drivers young people would want to meet.

“We also hope that as GenNext grows as a committee and as people in the community get to know who we are and what we want to do, that more community leaders will want to support us and come to our events,” said Adan.

Each community driver who attended the event took a seat behind the wheel of a Mini Cooper and attendees had an opportunity to sit shotgun to have a one-on-one conversation. Business professionals involved included Marty Beneteau, publisher and editor-in-chief at The Windsor Star, Beverly Becker, director of digital products and marketing also at The Windsor Star, Dartis Willis, president and CEO of the Windsor Express, Chris Mendes, general manager of the Express and Chantal Vallee, head coach of University of Windsor Lancers women’s basketball team. They said they were hoping to inspire the young adults who took part in the event.

Mendes said he wanted to talk to the upcoming young leaders in Windsor. As a Windsorite, Mendes said he’d walked in their shoes and wants to see everyone else excel.

“Far too many people are leaving Windsor to pursue other opportunities elsewhere when we’re in a re-birth, forming a number of different opportunities for young leaders,” said Mendes.

Julia Lee, a chartered accountant at Gordon B. Lee Licensed Public Accountants, found out about this event from an e-mail sent by GenNext because she attended last year’s networking event. Lee said volunteering and networking in the community is very important. She is new to volunteering but she said she is enjoying it very much. Like many others at the event, Lee said it’s important for young people to network in professional environments.

“It’s a great event, and a great venue. Something different than a typical bar downtown,” Lee said.