Senay Yemane

Senay Yemane

Age: 31

Senay Yemane’s Fort McMurray focus is to inspire and foster residents in becoming innovative entrepreneurs in small businesses and knowledgeable in finance management.

Yemane learned the importance of maintaining strong work-ethic when he was in elementary school while doing door-to-door deliveries.

“My first job was being a flyer boy in Grade 7,” he said. “I learned resilience from this as my parents didn’t let me quit, even though I was making twenty dollars a week for almost six to nine hours a week.”

Being a Bachelor of Commerce graduate at MacEwan University, his day job keeps him working the books at Wood Buffalo Housing as the Senior Accountant and Project Coordinator, where he was helpful team project management during the Wood Buffalo Housing Yardi 7s ERP implementations.

He started his position at Wood Buffalo Housing in 2016 and has worked up an extensive portfolio of projects in assisting others with their finances.

In the community, Yemane volunteers as a board member and treasurer for Community Futures Wood Buffalo (CFWB). The social profit agency offers a wide range of small business services and business management tools for people who want to start, expand, franchise or sell a business.

Yemane is also passionate about the local BrainSTEM Alliance program and is an ambassador and mentor to children and youth.

BrainSTEM is a network of ambassadors that create customized curricula for workshops and programs for social profit and educational institutions to promote the education of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). He also supports the annual Community Code Day.

As for Fort McMurray, Yemane believes he is living in a place that offers opportunities for all.

“Don’t believe the stereotypes, as they are far from the truth,” he said. “There are a ton of opportunities and neat experiences to those who are open to it. There’s something for everyone, especially families and children. Our strong sense of community forms quickly.”