Kimesha Walters, CEO of Oasis Integrated Communications and a Jamaican-Canadian businesswoman, won the Mantella Corporation BIPOC Entrepreneur Grant Award, which comes with CA $10,000 to help her expand her company. She was recognized as a winner at the recent Women Empowerment Awards.
The nationwide Award honors accomplished Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) business leaders who have surmounted significant obstacles and cleared hurdles to build their reputations and careers in their fields.
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A record-breaking 243 applications made up the pool, and Walters is one of three Jamaican-Canadians who made it to the finals. Two additional notable Jamaican-Canadian businesswomen are Judy Stewart (Founder of Trèsolz) and Natasha Ferguson (Founder and President of Ethelfox Construct Group), who have achieved remarkable success in their chosen fields.
In a recent news release, Walters noted, “It’s an honor to be selected as the winner among the powerhouse entrepreneurs and trailblazers who are doing incredible work and making a positive impact across Canada.”
She added, “As entrepreneurs, we challenge ourselves, we fight countless unseen battles, and we push boundaries to chase a dream that sometimes only we can see. There’s a feeling of relief and exhilaration knowing that others are seeing the work I’ve been putting in.”
She further noted, “Starting a business that serves other brands was like second nature for me. Since 2010, I’ve been running my Amazing Prospects charity, providing resources for children in the rural community in Prospect, Clarendon, where I grew up in Jamaica. Here in Canada, I recently served as the President of the Clarendon College Alumni Association, Toronto Chapter, because I’m always scouting opportunities to make a positive difference, even as I grow my business.”
Despite having worked for prestigious companies including Grace, Hyundai, Microsoft, Pepsi, and Scotiabank for more than ten years, Walters moved to Canada in 2018, and she saidthat finding employment there felt unachievable.
She said that her dissatisfaction led her to start Oasis Integrated Communications, a strategic communications company with operations in Jamaica and Canada that she uses to make company names, business owners, and C-suite executives visible, audible, and memorable. Through PR, social and digital media marketing campaigns, brand storytelling, and engaging content creation, Oasis Integrated Communications increases the number of people who see brands and enterprises.
With relationships with AV Communications, a preeminent multicultural marketing firm in Toronto that serves well-known brands like Western Union (US and Canada), BMO Financial, L’Oréal, and T&T Supermarket, the biggest Asian grocery store chain in Canada, Walters has amassed an impressive clientele across a variety of industries in North America. She has collaborated with companies such as Charles Chocolates, IGL, the Ignite IGL Foundation, the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) Jamaica, and others since returning to Jamaica.
The Mantella Corporation’s vice president of marketing, sponsorship, and philanthropy, Sylvia Mantella, stated, “I am thrilled to present Kimesha Walters, CEO of Oasis Integrated Communications as this year’s winner of the Mantella Corporation Entrepreneur BIPOC Grant Award with $10,000 to further her success, recognizing her unwavering perseverance, leadership, and outstanding achievements.”
She continued, “Mantella Corporation is a strong supporter of the advancement of business owners and entrepreneurs across Canada returning for a third year to the Women Empowerment Awards.”
Throughout the past four years, Walters has collaborated with and spoken at over a dozen organizations in Canada and Jamaica, including The Canadian Small Business Women (CSBW), where she has served as a mentor, advisor, and partner; the esteemed Scotiabank Women Initiative, Canada, where she was featured as a Masterclass presenter in May 2024; HEART College of Beauty Services, where she was a panelist for Global Entrepreneurship Week; The Honeybun Foundation, where she was an integral part of their marketing committee; Startup Canada, as an ecosystem partner; and the YWCA Hamilton, where she has conducted workshops, participated in panel discussions and been acknowledged as a YWCA Hamilton Women of Distinction Nominee.
To learn more about Kimesha’s story and Oasis Integrated Communications visit her website at www.oasisintegrated.com. Her company can also be found on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Social Media Handles:
Instagram: @oasisintegrated | Facebook: @oasisintegrated | LinkedIn: Oasis Integrated Communications
(This story was updated on Monday 30, September, 2024)
