Virtual Workshop with Mark Shriner, Co-Founder & CEO of Breeze Docs
In partnership with the Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council (CAMSC)

We’re excited to launch a brand-new joint webinar series in partnership with the Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council (CAMSC)—created specifically to support refugee small business owners in Canada. This series is designed to equip refugee entrepreneurs with the practical tools and insights they need to grow and thrive in the Canadian marketplace.

Our first session dives into a critical business skill: responding to Requests for Proposals (RFPs). If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by RFPs—or unsure how to stand out—this session is for you. A well-written proposal can open the door to new contracts, partnerships, and business growth.

In this interactive session, participants will learn how to:

• Understand and analyze RFP requirements.
• Structure responses that are clear, strategic, and aligned with client needs.
• Highlight your unique strengths and competitive advantages.
• Avoid common pitfalls that weaken proposals.
• Use data and storytelling to create a compelling narrative.

We are pleased to welcome three speakers who will share real-world tips and practical guidance to help you write winning proposals—whether you’re new to RFPs or looking to improve your results.

Meet the Speakers

Melina Cardenas 

Proposal Development Manager for PPN 

Melina Cardenas, PMP, is a proposal management expert who has secured hundreds of millions in contract awards across federal, state, local, and international governments. Melina’s portfolio covers diverse sectors such as construction, IT, engineering, and scientific research. She specializes in RFP requirement analysis and strategic response development to craft compelling value propositions that align with client needs.
 
As a proposal writer with a project management and graphic design background, Melina streamlines the proposal development lifecycle using data-driven metrics for opportunity identification, competitor analysis, and content optimization.
 
She aims to make government contracting more accessible by empowering others with strategies to effectively access wealth-building opportunities in the public sector. 

Caryn Kent Dean 

CEO & Founder of Once Upon an RFP 

Founded in 2018, Once Upon an RFP, is a proposal services consultancy based in Chicago. Caryn enjoys supporting Once Upon an RFP clients with their Request for Proposal-based proposals, diverse certification applications, vendor registrations, and related marketing and business development activities. Caryn holds Practitioner Certification from the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP). Major accomplishments include delivering proposals that are 100% compliant and 100% on time and helping clients win over $450M in new contracts. Once Upon an RFP is certified as a Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) by WBENC, as a Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) by the Small Business Administration, and as a Disabled-Owned Business Enterprise (DOBE) by Disability:IN.   When Caryn is not working with clients, she enjoys quilting, gardening, and spending time with her husband, kids, and rescue puppy, Scout. https://www.linkedin.com/in/caryn-kent-dean/ 

Mark Shriner 

Co-Founder and CEO of Breeze Docs 

Mark is the Co-founder and CEO of Breeze Docs, an AI-powered RFP response platform that is used by companies to quickly and easily respond to RFP, RFI, security questionnaires, and other important business documents. 

Prior to founding Breeze Docs, Mark worked in several leadership roles in the localization industry, including CEO Asia Pacific for CLS Communication, Managing Director APAC for thebigword, and Strategic Sales Director for memoQ. Find out more about Breeze Docs here.

What You’ll Learn:

• Strategic approaches to the RFP process.
• Frameworks for writing effective proposals.
• How to communicate your value clearly and persuasively.
• Ways to compete successfully in a crowded field.

Agenda:

• Welcome & Introductions
• Expert Presentation by three speakers (30–40 min)
• Interactive Q&A and Reflections

This event marks the first session in our new webinar series with CAMSC—built to support refugee entrepreneurs access new business opportunities and build capacity through community and collaboration.