MAPLE in 2025 - A Focus on Canada-Southern California Bilateral Economic Ties

Amid this busy season of networking, events, and sharing sector and market insights with our wonderful MAPLE community, we are excited to be looking ahead past the holiday scramble to another year of growth in 2025. 
 
Starting in January under the leadership of incoming President, Kim Walker, MAPLE will pursue our mission with a focus on Southern California where MAPLE began in 2015. 
 
This region alone is a market of over 23 million people in a state with the 5th largest economy in the world and the world’s largest sub-national economy. Canada’s roots are deep here too as the 4th largest investing nation in the state purchasing over $19 billion in goods annually.  Canadian-owned entities directly employ nearly 50k in Southern California with an annual payroll of over $5.4 billion.  And the Canadian diaspora is large and engaged. 
 
There is much room for our community to grow right here in our very fertile backyard as we celebrate Canadian markets, innovation, and expertise and what SoCal and the U.S. offers to Canadian businesses and entrepreneurs.  
 
As a result, we will be transitioning away from operating “chapters” in other markets once our Chapter leaders bring their terms to a close at the end of 2024 to a SoCal region focus. We will of course be maintaining our relationships in other markets; however, it will be on a less formal basis. As in years past, we will look for selected signature event opportunities in these markets in collaboration with our valued partners and members working from our Southern California hub.