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	FRANK O'DEA The Power of Hope, Vision & Action The Spirit of the Entrepreneur Blue Ocean Strategy The Move to Good Governance

Biography

From the Bowery to the Boardroom.

In his early teens, Frank O’Dea’s life went off the rails into a downward spiral. Within a few years, he was living in 50-cent-a-night flop houses in Toronto’s bowery district where just surviving was about all one could do in a day.

At 23 years of age, with the courage to hope for a better life, and the spirit to forge ahead, Frank began the long road back. Fighting all of those obstacles that hold back the homeless, the impoverished and the destitute, he overcame and rejoined society.

Then, if that were not enough, he turned that same determination to the obstacles of life that challenges all of us. Within a few short years, he co-founded The Second Cup, which soon became the largest chain of gourmet coffees and teas in the country. Building on that success, he went on to co-found Proshred Security, a company that pioneered the entire industry of on-site document destruction. This company soon became an international organization with franchised operations in Canada, Europe and the United States.

As a successful businessperson, Frank took steps to give back to the community. He began by serving on the boards of directors of charities and not-for-profit organizations. But the entrepreneur’s desire to innovate and build was not to be denied. In 1985 he co-founded Street Kids International, an organization developed to help homeless children in third world countries, through education and self-reliance programs. A few years later, he became the founding Chair of War Child (Canada), an organization that provides assistance against suffering and abuse of children in war affected countries. In the same year, Frank co-founded the Canadian Landmine Foundation, an organization that raises funds for the dismantling on minefields around the world. He went on the initiate that organization’s most successful fund raising program, "Night of a Thousand Dinners", with participation of some 30,000 thousand people in 29 countries.

In the business world, Frank’s success, along with his service to NGOs and his international exposure created a demand for his services in the boardrooms of organizations across the country. He now serves on the boards of private companies, public companies and not-for-profit organizations. In this capacity, he has become an authority on the transitions of boards to the much-talked-about good governance model.

Frank’s achievements are, of course, a work in progress. Recently, amid the pageantry of a state occasion, Frank attended Government House in Ottawa to be invested as an Officer of the Order of Canada by the Governor General.

Client Comments

"In my ten years here, Frank O'Dea's convocation speech is the only one that ever received a standing ovation"
R. Skinner, President Royal Roads University

"I really enjoyed Frank's presentation...it kept me motivated...! And I am sure the [audience] felt the same way..."
K. Franklin, Bell Canada Toronto

"... Frank took the audience on his inspiring journey from living on the streets of Toronto to becoming one of this country's most celebrated entrepreneurs..."
Insurance Conference Planners Association newsletter, Montreal

"He surpassed the members' expectations... It was wonderful."
K. Gupta, Impact 2004 Waterloo ON

"Frank's talk and his example have changed the way we approach our business here."
J. St. Croix,  CIBC Wood Gundy, London

"I got so much excellent feedback [about] your talk. You really had a deep impact on us."
L. Daniel, Bristol Meyers Squibb, Phoenix

Travelling From
Toronto, Canada

Fee Range
$5,000 - $10,000