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Tisi, who is the former president of the RW&CO brand for Reitmans Canada, American Eagle Outfitters and the Northern Group, will address students as part of a new virtual speaker series on entrepreneurship hosted by Niagara College’s schools of Business and Management, Hospitality, Tourism and Sport, and Environment and Horticulture. It will be her first College event since graduating four decades ago. “I was well supported, during my education and career, by so many beautiful people and I am quite certain I would not be where I am today without each of them,” said Tisi. “It is my goal in the next phase of my career to find ways to give back and my alma mater was a natural place to connect.” Since graduating from Fashion Merchandising in 1979, Tisi has gone the distance from her hometown of St. Catharines and built a successful career as the go-to expert for branding and expanding many of the retail companies popular with Canadians. She helped build Northern Reflections from scratch and ushered American Eagle Outfitters into the Great White North. She was the past president of both companies and a key player in the successes of many more. As president and board director of the Northern Group from 1995 to 2000, she led profit growth which exceeded any other in the Canadian apparel industry, and grew the number of stores to 940 in North America under four banners: Northern Reflections, Northern Traditions, Northern Getaway and Northern Elements – and introduced the former to the U.S. During the virtual NC event, Tisi plans to convey stories about experiences that helped to shape her career. She hopes to encourage students to dream big, surround themselves with great people, and start with a solid educational foundation. “It’s so important to find others who believe in you because there will always be times when you will have doubts about whether you have what it takes; it’s natural while you are learning new things and getting to places you’ve never been,” said Tisi. “Those are the moments when you need cheerleaders to let you know you can and will. It’s amazing how far you get with the right support.” Tisi, who is based in Oakville and New York, recently moved on from her role as RW&CO. president, to reduce travel and focus on retail and Indigenous boards. The shift also enables her to dedicate more of her time to mentoring, including Indigenous companies – a personal passion and part of her life where she has wanted to spend more time. While much has changed in the industry and the world since she graduated from NC and entered the industry, Tisi is inspired by the qualities she sees in today’s youth as they tackle challenges before them at this unique time in history. “I have always felt that times of great change bring about great opportunities. Especially with youth; they know what is especially interesting and important to people like them,” she said. “I am blown away by their ideas, their courage and determination, especially in this historic time.” Dean of Business, Tourism and Environment Alan Unwin looks forward to welcoming Tisi to the event. “Having the opportunity to hear first-hand from a member of our alumni community with decades of success and leadership in the Canadian retail industry promises to be a truly inspiring experience for our current students,” said Unwin. “We are excited to welcome Lora back to our College community for this online event and are sincerely grateful to her for providing this valuable learning opportunity to our students.” The virtual event will begin at 9:30 a.m. on March 24. While it is geared to NC students, the public is also welcome to attend. Registration is available through Eventbrite.