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The Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission (COEDC) is the primary regional economic development agency for the Central Okanagan, covering areas like Kelowna, West Kelowna, Peachland, and Lake Country. Established to drive economic growth, the COEDC provides a wide range of resources and services to local businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs. It supports various sectors, including agriculture, technology, manufacturing, health, and aerospace​ COEDC ​ COEDC . One of COEDC’s key roles is to facilitate business development by offering personalized support and strategic connections. Through initiatives like their Connector Program, the COEDC helps businesses access talent and grow by linking them with key partners, customers, and resources in the Okanagan. They also provide tailored guidance for new and established businesses, helping them overcome challenges such as navigating government regulations and accessing capital​ COEDC . The COEDC is proactive in building a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem, organizing events like the annual Business Walks during Small Business Month, where they gather feedback from local entrepreneurs and provide direct support to address concerns. This data-driven approach informs their year-round efforts to enhance the local business climate​ COEDC . Additionally, the COEDC offers sector-specific support, especially for industries like agriculture and digital technology, which are integral to the region’s economy. For instance, the COEDC provides expert advice to farmers and agri-tourism businesses to help them innovate and grow​
The Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission (COEDC) is the primary regional economic development agency for the Central Okanagan, covering areas like Kelowna, West Kelowna, Peachland, and Lake Country. Established to drive economic growth, the COEDC provides a wide range of resources and services to local businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs. It supports various sectors, including agriculture, technology, manufacturing, health, and aerospace​ COEDC ​ COEDC . One of COEDC’s key roles is to facilitate business development by offering personalized support and strategic connections. Through initiatives like their Connector Program, the COEDC helps businesses access talent and grow by linking them with key partners, customers, and resources in the Okanagan. They also provide tailored guidance for new and established businesses, helping them overcome challenges such as navigating government regulations and accessing capital​ COEDC . The COEDC is proactive in building a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem, organizing events like the annual Business Walks during Small Business Month, where they gather feedback from local entrepreneurs and provide direct support to address concerns. This data-driven approach informs their year-round efforts to enhance the local business climate​ COEDC . Additionally, the COEDC offers sector-specific support, especially for industries like agriculture and digital technology, which are integral to the region’s economy. For instance, the COEDC provides expert advice to farmers and agri-tourism businesses to help them innovate and grow​

About Sabrina Fiorellino

Sabrina Fiorellino grew up in Toronto, Canada, in a family that valued education and hard work. After high school, she studied law at the University of Toronto and began her career as legal counsel on Bay Street, working with large firms for nearly a decade. The analytical discipline of law shaped her ability to navigate complex regulations and contracts, but her curiosity extended beyond the legal framework. Early in her career, she showed a strong drive for entrepreneurship and often explored how business structure, risk, and opportunity interacted in the real world.

Her first entrepreneurial step came when she founded a private road-building company in 2017. It was her entry into the construction and infrastructure field, and it grew rapidly to reach tens of millions in annual revenue. The experience confirmed her inner drive to build and create, and she decided to continue pursuing business ventures that addressed real needs. The company’s growth also revealed to her how traditional industries could benefit from greater innovation and efficiency.

The turning point came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she saw how urgently healthcare systems required flexible, rapidly deployable infrastructure. With experience in large-scale construction and business management, she recognized that modular and prefabricated building systems could respond to such challenges faster than conventional methods. This realization led her to establish Fero International in 2020. The company’s work began with healthcare facilities and later expanded into housing, education, and commercial projects.

Today, as CEO of Fero International, she leads operations at a 300,000-square-foot plant in Stoney Creek, Ontario, developing modular structures that reduce construction time and cost while improving sustainability. Her approach combines legal precision, operational discipline, and entrepreneurial determination. Each project reflects a focus on practicality—building solutions that serve communities and institutions that need them most.

For Sabrina, entrepreneurship is not about scale alone but about creating systems that work better. She often notes that construction has changed little in decades and sees her work as part of a necessary modernization. Her path from law to manufacturing shows how expertise can evolve when guided by purpose and initiative.

Sabrina Fiorellino is the CEO and Co-Founder of Fero International, a Canadian company specializing in modular and prefabricated building systems for healthcare, housing, and infrastructure. Based in Stoney Creek, Ontario, Fero operates one of Canada’s largest modular construction facilities. Before founding Fero in 2020, she worked for nearly a decade as legal counsel on Bay Street and later established a private road-building company that reached over $80 million in annual revenue. Fiorellino studied law at the University of Toronto and has built her career around applying business and legal expertise to practical innovation in construction and infrastructure.

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