Women of Influence+ Announces Finalists for 2025 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards

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September 11, 2025, TORONTO, ON – Women of Influence+ (WOI+) is proud to announce the finalists for the 2025 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards. Now in its 33rd year, the awards are among Canada’s most distinguished recognitions of entrepreneurial excellence.

This year’s cohort features 21 finalists across seven categories, selected from a wide-ranging pool of nominees that reflect the breadth and diversity of Canada’s business landscape. In addition, five entrepreneurs will receive the Ones to Watch Award, which shines a light on standout founders in the early stages of their ventures.

Together, the finalists present a compelling portrait of Canadian entrepreneurship that showcases the power of women leaders. The finalists are not just founders and CEOs, but also community-builders, advocates, technologists, and cultural stewards. Their companies span several industries, including AI, sustainable manufacturing, environmental management solutions, Indigenous-led economic reconciliation, fertility advocacy, and financial technology, demonstrating both sectoral breadth and a clear commitment to social impact.

“This year’s women entrepreneurs are leading profitable businesses that drive innovation and create measurable social value,” says Linda Kuga Pikulin, President of Women of Influence+ and ROOM Women’s Network. “They understand that long-term value comes from combining strategy, people, and purpose. We’re proud to provide a platform that recognizes and amplifies that leadership.”

The 2025 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards Finalists:

The RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards recognize women business owners and nonprofit leaders who make substantial contributions to the local, national, and/or global economy. Honourees are celebrated across three regions: East, Central, and West.

Micro-Business Award
West:  Nancy Wingham, Nuez Acres
Central: Aminder Mangat, AKM Law Professional Organization
East: Nicole Piggott, Synclusiv Inc.

Start-Up Award
West: Alexa Suter, Huha
Central: Jayme Jenkins and Jessica Stevenson, Everist
East: Sarah Herscheid, Signé Sarah

RBC Momentum Award
West: Tiffany Petite and Melissa Petite, Virtuous Circle Counselling
Central: Rasha Katabi, Brim Financial
East: Joy Cluett, Dr. Joy Cluett (2022) PMC

Social Change Award: Regional Impact
West: Erin Seeley, YWCA Metro Vancouver
Central: Effat Ghassemi, Newcomer Centre of Peel
East: Marie-Astrid Dubant, CyberCap

Social Change Award: National Impact
West: Lesley Kelley, Do More Agriculture Foundation
Central: Catherine Grenier, The Nature Conservancy of Canada
East: Julie Carrière, INREST

Innovation Award
West: Carole Herder, Cavallo Inc.
Central: Sherry Larjani, Spotlight Development Inc.
East: Chantal Michel, Librairie Raffin Inc.

Excellence Award
West: Florence Luo, Twinklebelle Design Inc, DBA Jan & Jul
Central: Julie Zulich, TESC Contracting Company Ltd.
West: Fatima Ebrahim Jivraj, Family Braces

Ones to Watch
Inga Avedyan, TEMPÊTE
Paige Cey, Benny
Karla Congson, Agentiiv
Rashmi Prakash, Aruna Revolution Health Inc.
Woganee Filate, Amy Louis Bayliss, Sarah Shaw, and Lindsay Jephcott, Lume Women + Health Inc.

The winners will be announced and celebrated at the 33rd Annual Awards Gala on Friday, November 14, 2025 at the Ritz-Carlton, Toronto. This inspiring red-carpet event will host nominees, executives, dignitaries, and notable industry guests as they connect with business and nonprofit leaders from across the country.

“We are honoured to celebrate the finalists of this year’s RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards, which recognize the innovation, resilience, and leadership of women entrepreneurs across Canada,” says Niranjan Vivekanandan, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Commercial Banking at RBC. “These women entrepreneurs are breaking barriers and building businesses that strengthen our economy, enrich our communities, and inspire a more inclusive future – and we are proud to spotlight their achievements on this national stage.”

Note: All nominees are required to submit thorough applications, which are reviewed and judged by a panel of prominent business leaders, and subject to a due diligence review conducted by EY.

Sponsors

RBC is the title sponsor for this event. Presenting sponsors include TELUS Health and Sam McDadi Real Estate Brokerage. Gifting sponsors include Bulova and Dean Davidson.

About the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards

The RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards are the pre-eminent national business awards recognizing the country’s leading women entrepreneurs. The awards are an initiative of Women of Influence+, an award-winning global organization dedicated to advancing women in the workplace.

About RBC

Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 100,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada’s biggest bank and one of the largest in the world, based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our more than 18 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 27 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com.

We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at rbc.com/community-social-impact.

About Women of Influence+

At Women of Influence+ (WOI+), our ethos is rooted in making meaningful and impactful change. We do this by placing ourselves and our community in positions of influence and power — places where we can drive transformation. We are dedicated to sharing and elevating the unfiltered success stories of a diverse group of role models. We know that when done right, from the podium or the page, these stories not only inspire, educate, and connect — they start to redefine our perceptions of gender roles and abilities. We are changing the narrative.

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Adrienne Harry, Head of PR, Silver Lining Marketing, aharry@silverliningmarketing.com