Webinar
About the Session
This course equips BR&E professionals with the tools, frameworks, and strategies to transform Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems into powerful engines for business intelligence, retention, and expansion.
Participants will learn how to capture, structure, analyze, and activate business data to support proactive outreach, identify risks, uncover expansion opportunities, and align stakeholders across their ecosystem.
Grounded in real-world economic development applications, this course bridges the gap between technology, strategy, and relationship management, enabling practitioners to move from reactive service delivery to predictive and strategic economic development leadership.
About the Speaker
Alia Abbas
As the CEO and Founder of Alia Consulting - Economic Development Firm, Alia leverages her extensive background in disaster and emergency management, as well as business continuity, to drive the success of her firm. Alia Consulting specializes in providing crucial support to economic development organizations, particularly in disaster and emergency preparedness, with a strong focus on business continuity. Alia's firm has played a pivotal role in assisting clients with their investment attraction initiatives, supply chain strategies, and disaster recovery planning. Through collaborations with esteemed organizations including the International Economic Development Council, City of Toronto, City of Brampton, and Toronto Global. Additionally, Alia and her firm offer invaluable expertise in developing comprehensive economic development strategies, encompassing areas such as business retention and expansion (BR&E), foreign direct investment (FDI), and strategic community planning. With ten years of project management experience, collaborating with municipalities across Canada and the United States of America, Alia possesses a deep understanding of the diverse needs and challenges faced by different communities.
Alia's exceptional work and unwavering dedication in economic development have earned her international recognition and prestigious awards. She was honored with the distinguished 2023 Top 40 Under 40 award by DCI and Jorgen Consulting at the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Leadership Summit held in Phoenix, Arizona. Additionally, she received the bright ideas award from the Economic Developers Council of Ontario (2020/2021) for her outstanding performance measurement metrics report, which has proven instrumental in assisting economic developers in their recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, her accomplishments were acknowledged by the Premier of Ontario through a personal letter of recognition.
