About Tammy Hwang, Ward 4 candidate for city council

Meet Tammy Hwang

My name is Tammy Hwang and I’m running to be your ward 4 city councillor. I am the candidate that ward 4 needs right now. I am well entrenched in the community, with deep experience working at City Hall. I have the knowledge, skills and connections to find resources to move our city forward.

My family immigrated from Taiwan and set roots here. Growing up, I got to know the community from behind the till of my family business, Babe’s Jubilee store, at the corner of King and Province.

Ward 4 is where I pay taxes, spend my time and money in this neighborhood I love – both as a community member, and a proud Delta grad!

Professionally, I’m a city staffer by day and a small business owner at night. Before taking a leave of absence to run for office, I worked in Economic Development. My focus was to attract new investments and to enable immigrants and newcomers to start companies here in Hamilton. I am also a co-founder of CoMotion on King, a coworking space in downtown Hamilton.

I’ve guided new businesses, started community organizations, and mentored youth and women on entrepreneurism, career pathways and more. I am passionate about community vibrancy, small business resiliency, and advancing Hamilton’s infrastructure in a fiscally responsible way. I have been recognized as a YWCA Woman of Distinction and McMaster Alumni Arch Award for my service in the community.

Ward 4 residents and businesses have opened their doors to me and shared their concerns. I’ve been listening and learning – and I have lots of ideas. It’s an exciting time for ward 4!

I am the best candidate for Ward 4! I have the experience, knowledge, and community connections to affect change and represent our ward best. Our ward needs someone who can hit the ground running. I can deliver and help build Hamilton to be the best place to raise a child and age successfully.

Marta-Hewson-Tammy-Hwang-Branding-Portraits -4538

City builder.

Small business owner.

Community activator.

I’m a city builder, small business owner, startup cheerleader, and community organizer. I believe in creating a safe and vibrant community for our children and elderly to thrive. Collaboration is important to me; everyone has a hand in creating the community and future that we want. Thank you for dropping by and I look forward to sharing how I will work for you at City Hall.

Click on the arrows below to see Tammy’s career and personal highlights!

Tammy's Hamilton history and career highlights

YWCA Woman of Distinction, 2019

Illuminessence Fem-Leader award, 2018

2014-present: City of Hamilton in Economic Development, supporting the Global Hamilton program

Business Link Top 40 Under Forty, 2017

Married long-term partner, Mike, in 2018

McMaster Alumni Arch Awards, 2016

Innovation Factory’s DiFizen of the Year, 2016

Original team member @ Innovation Factory

Founded Strive Consulting, connecting non-profits to MBA and business students

Startup Weekend Global Facilitator at events in Texas, Brazil, Malaysia and Ontario

Business Model Canvas practitioner at Strategyzer AG

Teaching and consulting in Hong Kong and Dongguan, China

Bachelor of Commerce degree, McMaster University (class of 2004) and Project Manager for the McMaster Solar Car Project

Grew up in Ward 4's Delta East neighborhood

ACTION. ADVOCATE. AMPLIFY.

These three words are how I plan on showing up and working for Ward 4.

I will take action and ensure that our community has the resources and amenities we need to build for the future.

I will advocate at council and at higher levels of government to ensure everyone is heard and that we are fighting for our fair share of assets to grow our neighborhoods and communities.

I will amplify your voice to council and to the greater community. Amplifying also means that I will share and be transparent about the issues affecting our community and ensure that your concerns are heard at all levels of government.

Career highlights

Business builder

I am a founding member of CoMotion Group Inc Hamilton’s largest coworking space in downtown Hamilton. Prior to that, I became a Business Model Canvas practitioner to help others grow their businesses and founded Strive Consulting to connect non-profits to MBA and business students interested in solving business challenges.

Community leader

I have been recognized by community organizations for my leadership and community activism including Innovation Factory DiFizen of the Year, Business Link Top 40 Under Forty, YWCA Woman of Distinction, and the Illuminessence Fem-Leader award. I am proud to be an active community member and entrepreneur cheerleader for small businesses and startups in Hamilton.

Project manager and advocate

Working for the City of Hamilton since 2014, I have led projects, contributed to task forces, and showcased growth opportunities within our city. I have a track record of bringing people and resources together to move forward while highlighting the best our community has to offer. These include: helping immigrants and newcomers invest in Hamilton by starting businesses and community connections with Global Hamilton, connecting local businesses to business resources and organizations to help them grow and scale, and leading programs like Trade Accelerator Program, Startup Bootcamps, Friendly Ambassadors, and Intelligent Community bids.

Mentor and advisor

As a board member and advisor to several groups in Hamilton including BLK Owned HamOnt, Social Planning Research Council, Global Hamilton Connect, Hamilton HIVE, and formerly Board Member for McMaster Alumni Association, I am proud to give back to my community by sharing my time and expertise.

International business consultant

In this role, I worked with Chinese companies to negotiate and connect with Western (English-speaking) companies. I built business development opportunities in Hong Kong and South China while connecting with international trade organizations and associations. During my time in China, I also mentored grade 10 students applying to international colleges and universities.

Startup champion

I was part of the organizing team to bring hackathons to our community with Startup Weekend Hamilton. As part of the international innovation ecosystem, I created new opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs and was a Global Startup Weekend facilitator in Texas, Brazil, Malaysia and more). I continued to support startup events in Ontario.

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