Laura Furtado is Head of Business Development at the Cadence Financial Group.  With more than 15 years of experience in the marketing and advertising industries, she leads the creative development of the marketing initiatives and client experiences at the group. Laura earned a Bachelor of Commerce and Business Administrative certificate from Ryerson University in Toronto, and was the top marketing student of her graduating year.

After graduating university and back-packing across Europe, Laura entered the advertising world, providing client service for high-profile North American brands. Deciding that agency life was not for her, she ventured into entrepreneurship. She created and ran a membership community for female entrepreneurs and ambitious women, building one of the largest in Toronto. Through this, she planned and hosted a variety of events, conferences and programs, including financial literary seminars for women across Canada and USA. She received various awards that highlighted her efforts, including being titled one of Canada’s Top Young Entrepreneurs. She franchised and then sold her business before moving to North Vancouver in 2016.

Laura has a great appetite for travel, having visited almost 55 countries. To fuel this passion, she has created an international volunteer program that organizes trips to educate and empower women abroad; her efforts have spanned across Belize, Nepal, Ghana, Peru and India.

Laura is also passionate about dance, having been a professional international dancer for 15+ years. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her young daughter, Annika.