About

Tiiu Poder

Tiiu Poder completed her Masters in Fine Arts in 1976 and since then has been applying her creative problem solving skills to numerous organizations including her own manufacturing company in Toronto. Drawn by the allure of independent business she left her job as Director of Marketing for a large multinational firm to form her own company that was a private label manufacturer for cosmetic and fragrance companies and drug and department stores across Canada and into the U.S. Her company began in the basement of her house and five years later was producing over $2 million dollars of product annually. After ten years she sold her business and returned to Nova Scotia where she designed and began teaching the Art and Entrepreneurship course at her alma mater, NSCAD University. During her tenure she started the NSCAD Student Art Store which exists to this day.

In 1997 Tiiu joined St Francis Xavier University as the founding executive director of the StFX Enterprise Development Centre (XEDC). Starting with only a small office and a phone, she created what was referred to by the John Dobson Foundation as one of the most vibrant university business development centres in the country. In that capacity she initiated the first Business of Music course in Canada.

In 2005 Tiiu once again became an independent business person, starting BASE Atlantic, Business Advisory Services and Entrepreneurship. She is recognized as a regional expert in marketing and business development by many sectors in Atlantic Canada including the cultural sector which she has relentlessly promoted and advanced with her courses and workshops.