Finance & impact planning to take charge of your strategy

Accelerate Her Future is a career accelerator providing tailored programs for self-identifying BIWOC to launch their careers in business and STEM while building networks of solidarity, allyship and action. We have been working with Optinum since February 2021 on financial management, impact reporting, and accounting systems management. Zahra and her team have helped us develop our financial management competencies, establish financial KPI’s and reports, and create efficient technology enabled processes for our day-to-day accounting needs. Zahra is responsive to our questions and a strategic advisor whose contributions have helped us replace overwhelm with confidence, enhanced our financial knowledge and internal capacity, enabled us to make more informed decisions, and established processes that have created greater efficiencies.

LevelUp Planning is a consulting collaborative providing high-quality research and planning supports for the creation of stronger, healthier and more equitable communities. As our business grew, we recognized the need for guidance about ways to strategically focus our work, gain tools, and create processes to increase our productivity and sustainability. Zahra has been instrumental in guiding us and our business in a direction that will continue to support LevelUp’s growth and our well-being as business owners. Zahra was able to quickly learn about our niche services and highlighted opportunities and strategies to support our goals. She is action-oriented and provides a wealth of knowledge and expertise that aligns with our vision for the company. Zahra is an attentive listener and has a warm, calm presence that has helped to build a safe environment and partnership where we feel comfortable asking her anything. We value her advice and are so grateful for her mentorship as we move through the growth stage of our business journey.

Violence against women disproportionately impacts Black and Brown women. At Cupid's Sting, we believe all women are worthy of their safety. Our mission is to teach women and girls live-saving skills to protect themselves inside and outside the home so that we can reduce violence against women. I know that it sounds cliche to say but Zahra truly is a life-saver. My business was growing and I needed an expert to assist me in organizing the finances. Zahra organized my business finances in expert fashion but it was her professionalism and quiet attention to detail that showed me that I made the right selection. She is patient, takes the time to explain concepts and processes, and is able to see the big picture and forecast for future growth. I can already see improvements based on her suggestions. Zahra, you are a gem and I cannot thank you enough!

At ICUBE, our core mission is to empower innovators, creators, and change-makers to explore their ideas and make them happen. As we work to support entrepreneurs, especially those leading social enterprises, we cannot stress enough how instrumental the support from Optinum has been! Zahra Qureshi has provided ongoing mentorship to our members, who are trying to navigate the complicated waters of both finance and understanding the intersection between their business and social impact. As a workshop facilitator, Zahra is incredibly dynamic and engaging. Participants from her sessions always leave incredible feedback and request follow-up meetings with her, which is so often gracious enough to support. Finally, both Zahra and Optinum, have proved to be excellent collaborators with the whole ICUBE team and our ongoing programming. I would highly recommend that any start-up venture or organization in need of a great workshop or strategic support consult with Optinum around social impact planning and financial management.

The Centre for Entrepreneurship (CfE) is for everyone who wants to explore the world of entrepreneurship. We support Humber students, alumni and faculty/staff at their earliest stages of entrepreneurship: when they learn to recognize opportunities; develop, analyze and refine ideas; create plans; form teams; and pitch ideas. Optinum is our go-to financial education resource. The CfE relies on Optinum’s expertise to advise our clients, teach workshops, and provide entrepreneurs with ongoing support as they start and grow their businesses. Working with Optinum is a pleasure! Our experience has always been positive, and we can trust that our students and partners are in good hands. We know that when we hire Optinum to deliver a workshop, the students will be thoughtfully led through critical financial literacy material that is vital to the foundation of their entrepreneurial journey. Our teams always provide great feedback about any workshops or sessions they attend with Zahra. They comment on the friendly and relaxed relationship, the way their anxieties are alleviated, and they self-assess themselves as more competent and confident when it comes to the financial aspects of their business.

The My Start-Up Program at Elizabeth Fry Toronto is a self-employment training and support program for women who want to run their own businesses and create meaningful change in their lives. Zahra developed and facilitated a number of customized workshops for Elizabeth Fry Toronto on a variety of topics related to financial literacy and well-being. Participants who attended her workshops received practical information about navigating the complex financial landscape, existing and forecasted economic trends, and more. Zahra has worked with diverse groups of people as part of her involvement with our organization, and has created applicable and responsive content with the goal of providing our clients with the tools of financial empowerment.