Our Leader Spotlight | Mahnoor Anjum
Women in Niagara Leadership Niagara Bursary Recipient.
Owner, Mahnoor Portrait Art Inc.
This series is dedicated to introducing and celebrating the participants of the ACL+ 2021/22 program. Each week, we will focus on one of our leaders, sharing a little bit about them and what motivates them to explore community leadership in Niagara.
Mahnoor Anjum is a Personal Branding Image Designer that focuses on Designing and Creating Images through Photography.
Mahnoor arrived in Canada from Pakistan and made Beamsville her home along with her husband and two sons. Coming from a different culture, having an outside perspective while being a local is Mahnoor’s true strength, allowing her to make a difference for her clients and community.
Mahnoor loves hearing personal and professional stories of people and turning them into their brand identity images. In the 8 years that she has called Beamsville her home, Mahnoor has had the privilege to work with Entrepreneurs, Speakers, Coaches, Realtors, Professionals and Consultants within the community.
Why are you personally motivated to explore civic leadership?
As a woman of colour, an immigrant and an entrepreneur, I have had to lean heavily on my leadership skills to establish myself in a new country and a new community. I hope to inspire other women of colour and be the face of diversity, equity and inclusion in Niagara.
This program will help me refine my leadership skills and learn from other leaders within the community as well as grow my leadership network.
What, in your view, is the most significant issue/opportunity facing our community? Why?
Women of colour, especially the new residents in our community are often hesitant to explore their true potential and pursue their goals as a result of social isolation. This isolation limits their imagination and hurts their personal and professional growth. I am intimately aware of this journey, having gone through it myself.
What individual attributes do you hope to develop or expand upon?
Growth for women and small businesses really motivates me and is a core aspect of my work. I hope to learn more and better ways to empower all the people that I work with both through my work and through my community engagements.
What Is ACL+?
Accelerate Civic Leadership+ is our answer to adapting our flagship Accelerate Civic Leadership (ACL) program for virtual learning.
Designed as a tool to expand the number of individuals who accept leadership roles in business, government, and social organizations to meet future challenges in the region, ACL+ strengthens the bonds within the region. It serves as a retention and engagement tool for our Niagara businesses and non-profits.