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Orangeville Prep is thrilled to announce Connie Amartey, Jessica Kemp and Dakota Whyte as the founding members of the Orangeville Prep Women’s Advisory Board. The Advisory Board will provide direction and guidance to the program as well as mentorship to athletes — Women Leading Women. The Advisory Board will play an influential role in the development of these young women who aspire to utilize basketball to further their post-secondary goals and ultimately lead them to incredible and fulfilling professional careers, whether they be in basketball or not.
CONNIE AMARTEY has been an event marketing and branding specialist for 20 years, working with notable luxury automotive brands, corporations and startups. From curating world class golf tournaments to galas early on in her career, Connie noticed the lack of BIPOC representation in the event and marketing space and decided to create her own pathway to success. Her sister Carol Hamilton Goodale, was a huge influence in her life and still is her source of inspiration. She was a pioneer in Canadian Basketball history, playing for the Canadian National team for many years, professionally overseas, and was the first Canadian drafted in the WNBA. Carol taught Connie to "never give up, never give in!" which is the philosophy she lives by that inspired her to create a not-for-profit organization called Collective Society 360. Through this organization, Connie utilizes her networks and allies to foster a safe space and learning environment for marginalized youth. Youth are provided an opportunity to discover their inner passions with hands-on mentorship and training programs, without any barriers or associated biases. Collective Society 360 also focuses on women empowerment and has started a branch called LeadHer TeacHer focusing on entrepreneurial growth and self-empowerment for women.
“The board is a positive step in the right direction for Women's basketball,” said Connie Amartey. “Taking a complete holistic approach and truly embracing the "ball is life" mantra is crucial for all-around player development and success after basketball. I am excited to assist in the growth and development of young women and hope that an impact will be made in their lives that will inspire them to pay it forward for many years to come.”
JESSICA KEMP grew up playing club basketball with Niagara Rangers and for Team Ontario in the summers. She received a full Division I scholarship to Niagara University, where she obtained her MBA and started in every game since freshman year. Jessica was inducted into the City of Niagara Falls Hall of Fame, the A.N. Myer Secondary School Hall of Fame, The Niagara University Hall of Fame, and most recently was recognized at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA. 11 years ago, Jessica founded Kemp Financial Group Inc. and currently serves as President. Alongside her brother, Michael Kemp, she runs a team of five and helps families build and transition their wealth down to the next generation.
“Being a mentor to young women has always been a passion of mine,” said Jessica Kemp. “To be able to share my story and encourage them to succeed on the same path is something that gives me motivation in my own life. I can't tell you how excited I am to be joining a first-class organization such as Orangeville Prep, and to be doing it alongside some powerful women in the basketball community. I am honoured to be a part of this, and cannot wait to help it grow.”
DAKOTA WHYTE is a Retail Brand Manager at Nike Canada, and she is currently pursuing an MBA at Ryerson University, with a focus in Sport Business. Dakota is a former 7-year Canadian National Team member and played professional women’s basketball in Europe, specifically in Greece in the A1 Ethniki Women’s tier and Sweden in the European Cup League. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on a Division I basketball scholarship. Dakota has an extreme passion for community and serving marginalized groups and has been a women’s basketball mentor in the City of Toronto since 2010. Through this passion, she currently serves as interim Executive Director for Pascal Siakam’s PS43 Foundation Canada.
“It’s an honour to be on the board for this new addition to the Orangeville Prep program, and to be joined by incredible female leaders,” said Dakota Whyte. “I’m excited to provide thought-leadership to empower and impact the lives of female athletes and further the progression of women in sport.”
For more details please visit: https://www.gobears.ca/wbb
