Top 25 Women of Influence 2018: Mandy Rennehan

Mandy Rennehan

Founder & CEO, Freshco

Hailing from the tiny fishing town of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Mandy Rennehan’s career journey took off when, at 18, she packed her hockey bag and moved to Halifax. Since then, she has self-built her boutique retail construction firm, Freshco, from the ground up, earning millions of dollars in revenue and an impressive client roster. But it’s not Mandy’s business savvy or rags-to-riches story that compels us — it’s her commitment to bridging the divide between white and blue-collars, elevating the value that society places on the skilled trades, and encouraging more women to pursue what are often highly lucrative, yet overwhelmingly male-dominated, industries. In the last year, Mandy partnered with Barbie’s You Can Be Anything Mentorship Program to give Canadian girls with big hopes real-life, hands-on career experience, as well as the Conestoga College Women in Skilled Trades (WIST) program to encourage women in the trade program by providing both financial support and mentorship opportunities.

Who else are we honouring? See the full Women of Influence Top 25 list for 2018.