AMPLIFY SPOTLIGHT: CASSIE HERMISTON-BOYD
I am delighted to be a part of the Pacific Council on International Policy’s dynamic Amplify program for young, local leaders who are doing globally-oriented work. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity.
My local-to-global vision is to work with Southern California-based entrepreneurs, with a focus on women, and connect them to Canadian business opportunities in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. In return, this would create jobs, investment, and new market opportunities.
These Canadian cities share similar values and business opportunities as Los Angeles. They are all global cities with a young, educated workforce that are driving vibrant multi-sector economies.
My project came to light in March 2020 when companies were either adapting or shuttering during the Covid lockdown. I saw especially how women were being affected. I couldn’t settle to witness hard-earned gains in female empowerment be diminished.
California is an incubator for the most innovative companies that have changed the way people live. Despite its VC (venture capital) presence, women do not receive the same recognition and venture backing as their male counterparts.
We are now living in a time of disruption, resiliency, and calls for inclusivity. Gender equality, innovation, and inclusivity are embedded in Canada’s social and economic fabric which makes it an attractive country to do business.
I helped over 19 companies expand to London which created over 161 high-valued jobs and $25mil USD in investment. I was very fortunate to work on marketing projects and business development initiatives that successfully supported and celebrated female entrepreneurs to come to London.
Now I am driven to build on my professional experience and help U.S. start-ups expand to Canada and drive more city-to-city initiatives.
Cassie Hermiston-Boyd is a 2022 AMPLIFY Fellow.
Connect with her on LinkedIn.
Cassie works for Evacuate Our Allies: a coalition of human rights, religious, and refugee organizations that provide informational and humanitarian support to Afghans in Afghanistan. She previously worked for London & Partners which is the Mayor of London’s promotional and economic development agency that attracts foreign investment. As the Business Development Associate, she attracted and consulted with Bird, Goop, BigCommerce, The Void (Disney Accelerator), Backstage Capital, Procore Technologies, Revolve, Soylent, Clocktower Ventures, and Hawke Media to London. She led two Mayoral visits: London Mayor Khan’s to SXSW in 2018 and Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti’s to London for the C40. She organized fintech and creative industries trade missions for London- high growth companies to explore the US market.
In 2021, she completed a Leadership Fellowship with the Southern California Leadership Network where Fellows delved into the socio- economic trends in Southern California and are prepared to take on leadership roles in their organization to advance positive change. She served as a Board Member and the Events Chair of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council’s Young Professionals program. She interviewed the Mexican Consul General and is currently interviewing the Canadian Consul General and the CEO of Tala for the Pacific Council’s Magazine. She received her M.A. from the University of Glasgow in the UK and her B.A. from the University of Arizona.
The Pacific Council on International Policy launched AMPLIFY in February 2022 as a leadership development program that provides learning and networking opportunities to early to mid-career professionals who have traditionally been underrepresented in foreign affairs. Through AMPLIFY, the Pacific Council aims to cultivate local-to-global leaders, strengthen diversity in foreign policy, and be an accelerator for local-to-global initiatives from the western United States.
UPDATED: AUGUST 2022