Women Drive Change

In Conversation with Teresa Spinelli – President, Italian Centre Shop

In-Person Event

Women of Inspiration Women Driving Change Book Contributor

Women Driving Change Event featuring Women of Inspiration Book Contributor – Teresa Spinelli

We embrace inclusivity and value diverse perspectives.

This is an opportunity to build your circle of influence and learn from leaders as they share their challenges and successes.

Build your circle of influence and learn from successful leaders. Join us for this in-person experience.

Connect and learn from inspiring leaders driving change.

Join us for an evening to connect with leaders as Teresa shares her story, the barriers, and the successes of scaling a small family business to a multi-million dollar company.  This is an intimate conversation with an opportunity to as her anything and go behind the scenes with a tour of her stunning shop. Women of Inspiration Books will be available for purchase!

Women of Inspiration – Women Driving Change Book – Available for purchase on-site!

Register below to reserve your ticket. Appetizers and refreshments are included. Limited seating.

• 6:00 pm MST – Networking
• 6:30 pm MST – Interview, Q and A with Teresa Spinelli, Tour, Networking + Book Signing
• 7:30 pm MST – End

Women of Inspiration – Women Driving Change Book Contributor – In Conversation with Teresa Spinelli

Teresa Spinelli – President – Italian Centre  Shop | 2021 Women of Inspiration™ Cultural Ambassador Award | W: italiancentre.ca| T @italianctrYYC | @teresaspinelli | IG @italianctyyc

Founded by Frank Spinelli in 1959, Edmonton-based Italian Centre Shop’s flagship location in Little Italy was a place for the community to gather and as many remember fondly, Frank’s only daughter Teresa, took her first steps in the pasta aisle.

As the company grew, so did Teresa and throughout her teens she continued to be active in the family business working as a cashier and as an extra set of hands during busy times. After graduating from the University of Alberta with a psychology degree in 1983, her plan was to pursue a career in social work but a series of unfortunate events changed the course of Teresa’s life.⠀

The sudden death of her younger brother, Peter followed by the passing of her father Frank – just three years apart – led to Teresa’s path to the helm of the family business and in 2000, she believed the Italian Centre had the potential to be bigger and better.⠀

Her vision of evolving from a local grocery store to a major importer and distributor started to come into fruition. Within a year the shop experienced a double-digit increase in sales under the new business model and Teresa has never looked back.⠀

Italian Centre Shop now employs over 600 Albertans at five store locations in Edmonton, Sherwood Park and Calgary. She is a wife to husband Mike and mother to a teenage boy, Massimo and fur baby, Rocky.

Teresa’s business philosophy comes from her dad, “The more you give, the more you get.” and it shows. Annual fundraising initiatives support Edmonton’s Bissell Centre, Santa’s Anonymous and Ronald McDonald House and Calgary’s Education Matters and BB4CK.

Teresa has been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs as ranked by Profit Magazine; the People’s Choice Businesswoman of the Year; and has received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of her contributions to Canada.

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