PETRA LAPTISTE
Petra Laptiste was born and raised in Montreal which is one of the world’s largest French-speaking cities. She was born to a Trinidadian father and a Grenadian mother who had left the Caribbean to seek more diverse educational prospects in Canada. Her mother and father instilled in her the principles of dedication, integrity, cultural awareness and hard work – with lots of love and laughter sprinkled in between.
After graduating from Concordia University with a Specialization in Cell & Molecular Biology, she worked at one of Canada’s largest financial institutions, then moved to Japan for a career change in education. While she had been living in Japan, Petra honed her teaching skills by receiving a Cambridge University CELTA certificate. Spending almost a decade in Japan had planted a deep wanderlust inside her soul. Petra’s years of travel to almost 35 countries on 5 continents have enabled her to experience a wide variety of foods, cultures and enriching philosophies. For instance, on her first African journey, Petra went to Ghana on holiday. Unfortunate news unfolded and tragedy hit her family. In retrospect, she had used that experience and the positive sisterhood energies from FEW Japan to embark upon her first entrepreneurial streak in Tokyo.
She has brought cultural sensitivity and diversity to all facets of her work. From Corporate Training to Trinidadian cooking instruction in Tokyo – it has always been Petra’s mission to broaden the horizons of those around her and allow them to understand that the Caribbean and African Diaspora have a deep richness and history. The gorgeous textiles and symbols of Ghana and Tanzania, the soulful rhythm of Trinidadian tunes, the earthy deep beats of Grenadian music, Afro-Caribbean fashion, diverse and flavorful cuisine and the beauty of English language communication are what Petra Laptiste wants people to savour, experience and return for more.
After leaving Japan, Petra decided to take a break from entrepreneurship. She relocated to and currently lives in the Arabian Gulf region where she teaches ESL and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies.