Today@Dal

From the May 8 edition of Metro Halifax:

The fervour that infuses Akram Al-otumi’s words as he talks about his many, many projects focused on helping develop young entrepreneurs is authentic, intoxicating, and infectious.

“Do whatever you love, do it well,” says the Dalhousie graduate, leaning forward eagerly in his chair as though he’s about to blast off on yet another enterprise. “I measure success by the positive impact. Making money is good, but also changing other people’s life, helping them, also counts.”

Al-otumi is one of 75 finalists for the RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards, an annual honour given to new Canadians making significant contributions to their adopted home.

He came to Dalhousie from Yemen in 2007, drawn by the school’s reputation for business excellence. Now the coordinator of the Entrepreneurial Skills Program at the Norman Newman Centre for Entrepreneurship, Al-otumi established his first business – Azal Student Agency  – to help international students navigate the “settling in” barriers that confounded him.

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The winners of the RBC contest will be decided in part by a popular vote, and Al-otumi is hoping Nova Scotians will rally behind him as they have for other local businesses in voter-based contests.

In light of the recent Ivany report, which emphasized the need to attract and retain young professionals and immigrants, Al-otumi says he hopes the community that has never made him feel like an outsider will make the important symbolic gesture of voting as often as possible before May 15.

Read the rest of this article online and vote for Al-otumi at the Canadian Immigrant website.