Ricardo's earliest memories of business are of him
at the age of 7, in his grandfather's store; McLean
& Co. Watch and Jewellery repair, founded in
1845. Later he apprenticed in the family business
as a teenager. This experience was the spark that
ignited his entrepreneurial passions.
He was born in Guyana, grew up in Trinidad, and immigrated to Canada in 1986. Within 12 months of his arrival in Canada, he started his first company, RHR Student Painters; in less than 3 months had 16 employees. He accomplished all of this before his 19th birthday.
He dominated the corporate world as an account executive and project manager for the largest internet provider in the world. He led teams that designed solutions for BayCrest Hospital, Beer.com, and Ethan Allen. Ricardo was consistently ranked as one of the Top 10 account managers in Canada.
Ricardo holds an honors BFA from the University of Windsor, is a certified sales professional (CSP), and is a trained project manager (PM) from the PMP Toronto institute. His passion is art and creativity. His training is corporate and business; he is blessed to have found a way to combine the best of both worlds.
In 2003, Ricardo was having a conversation with his best friend, who was losing his battle against cancer. This conversation led to the turning point in Ricardo's life, where he resigned from the coroporate world and a six figure income to pursue his creative passions. Everyone thought he was crazy!
Ricardo is presently the founder and creative director of Ricardo McRae.com, a web design and branding company in Toronto. Today, he publishes several blogs, and writes articles for local magazines and newspapers. He is a frequently sought after speaker for conferences, Universities and Colleges; his topics include business branding, entrepreneurship, project management, and the future of the internet.
Most recently, Ricardo has spoken at the Visa Small Business Conference, Ryerson University, and Guelph/Humber University.
His creative designs are recognized internationally, and he has received various awards for his work.
He has been a founding member of many community organizations and initiatives, such as Creating For The Cure.ca, BitePro, Toronto Leadership Forum, and Helping People Live.
In his free time, Ricardo enjoys teaching after school art programs for children, with the Avenue Road Art School. Volunteering his time is also close to his heart. He has been an event manager for CANFAR'S annual Bloor Street Entertains gala fundraiser, and founding director for Creating For The Cure.ca, and The Community Leadership Forum, to name a few. He has also produced a band for Caribana since 2005, known as The Blue Devils.
Ricardo loves soccer, swimming and is always up for a good laugh. He enjoyed riding his mountain bike through the streets of Toronto, before it was stolen.
He lives life to the fullest and will always be a die-hard Trini!
He was born in Guyana, grew up in Trinidad, and immigrated to Canada in 1986. Within 12 months of his arrival in Canada, he started his first company, RHR Student Painters; in less than 3 months had 16 employees. He accomplished all of this before his 19th birthday.
He dominated the corporate world as an account executive and project manager for the largest internet provider in the world. He led teams that designed solutions for BayCrest Hospital, Beer.com, and Ethan Allen. Ricardo was consistently ranked as one of the Top 10 account managers in Canada.
Ricardo holds an honors BFA from the University of Windsor, is a certified sales professional (CSP), and is a trained project manager (PM) from the PMP Toronto institute. His passion is art and creativity. His training is corporate and business; he is blessed to have found a way to combine the best of both worlds.
In 2003, Ricardo was having a conversation with his best friend, who was losing his battle against cancer. This conversation led to the turning point in Ricardo's life, where he resigned from the coroporate world and a six figure income to pursue his creative passions. Everyone thought he was crazy!
Ricardo is presently the founder and creative director of Ricardo McRae.com, a web design and branding company in Toronto. Today, he publishes several blogs, and writes articles for local magazines and newspapers. He is a frequently sought after speaker for conferences, Universities and Colleges; his topics include business branding, entrepreneurship, project management, and the future of the internet.
Most recently, Ricardo has spoken at the Visa Small Business Conference, Ryerson University, and Guelph/Humber University.
His creative designs are recognized internationally, and he has received various awards for his work.
He has been a founding member of many community organizations and initiatives, such as Creating For The Cure.ca, BitePro, Toronto Leadership Forum, and Helping People Live.
In his free time, Ricardo enjoys teaching after school art programs for children, with the Avenue Road Art School. Volunteering his time is also close to his heart. He has been an event manager for CANFAR'S annual Bloor Street Entertains gala fundraiser, and founding director for Creating For The Cure.ca, and The Community Leadership Forum, to name a few. He has also produced a band for Caribana since 2005, known as The Blue Devils.
Ricardo loves soccer, swimming and is always up for a good laugh. He enjoyed riding his mountain bike through the streets of Toronto, before it was stolen.
He lives life to the fullest and will always be a die-hard Trini!