Peter Corio first heard about BDC and their mandate to support entrepreneurs at the 2014 Enactus Canada National Exposition. The following year, he approached one of their representatives at the Donor Information and Career Opportunity Fair and their story began.
Peter was asked to meet the team for a couple of interviews, where his Enactus involvement was discussed at length. He was then asked for coffee with the Vice President for Southwestern Ontario before being offered the role of Account Manager. Because fit and culture are extremely important at BDC, Peter met many team members prior to starting his career with the organization.
“The interest that every member of the team took in me, and how warm and welcoming everyone stood out as a very important part of the interview process,” says Peter. “And although there was a steep learning curve at the beginning, I felt supported every step of the way.”
“Two of my biggest mentors are Scott Defoe, my Business Center Manager at BDC, and Jim Marsh, our Enactus Windsor Faculty Advisor. From the first day, Scott encouraged and empowered me to make this position my own. Not a lot of people would give a 21-year-old the autonomy he has given me, but because he is always there to support and guide me, it has worked out very well.”
BDC’s mandate is to put “Entrepreneurs First” and the team lives this mandate every day. Coming from a small business background and serving as co-president of Enactus Windsor, Peter is very passionate about entrepreneurship and supporting the success of small business owners. His favorite part of the role is meeting new clients to discuss their goals, enabling them to make their dreams a reality.
Peter is adamant that he would not have had this opportunity if it was not for Enactus:
“Building our Enactus projects allowed me to gain experience and build a network of professionals in the community,” he says. “It fostered my passion for entrepreneurship, and helped me develop soft skills like time management, work ethic, presentation skills and leadership.”
Peter is excited to have taken a passion for entrepreneurship that was cultivated at Enactus Windsor and find a career with a company like BDC that shares his passion.