Barbara Pasternak is the Vice President of Fluid Hose and Coupling Inc., a leading manufacturer and distributor of engineering and industrial applications company that she co-founded with her husband in 1985. She is also the Founder and Chair of the Diabetes Hope Foundation (DHF), a non-profit established in 1999 after two of her three sons […]
Jayne McCaw Founder, Jayne’s Cottages Finalist, Start-Up Award, Central Jayne took inspiration from her love of cottage living and enjoyment of curating unforgettable family vacations to create Jayne’s Cottages — a full-service, luxury Muskoka cottage rental and concierge company. Starting with just a handful of cottages in 2014, her business has seen rapid […]
Kiely MacLean Founder, RJ MacLean Finalist, Start-Up Award, West A new player in oil and gas, Kiely Maclean is the co-founder of RJ Maclean Tank Services. Her business is a three-year-old innovation company focused on challenging the status quo in the energy sector with unique automated technology — using robotics, instead of people, […]
Nathalie Shtern Founder, DoughNats Bakery Finalist, Start-Up Award, EAST Nathalie is a licensed criminologist who holds three university degrees but feels her true calling has always been in the kitchen. Prior to becoming a chef and entrepreneur, Nathalie devoted 15 years to leadership in her community. She founded and ran the Comfy Cozy Fund […]
President and Founder of Balzac’s Coffee Roasters, Diana Olsen, found her passion quite interestingly — while at university studying French literature. During her course, she discovered a kindred spirit in Monsieur Balzac and his genuine passion for coffee. After graduating, she immersed herself in authentic French culture, spending a year and a half in France. […]
Connie McInnes Founder, RSTUDIOS Finalist, Diversity Institute Micro-Business Award, EAST Connie hails from Halifax, Nova Scotia and is the creator and founder of RIO Halifax, an avant-garde studio specializing in pilates, yoga and movement classes and ROGUE, a kickboxing and circuit training studio. Connie has been an ambassador for Lululemon Athletica, as well […]
Angelica Demetriou & Megan Kalaman Founders, Kalaman + Demetriou (K+D) Finalist, Diversity Institute Micro-Business Award, CENTRAL In 2017, Megan and Angelica joined forces to launch the national, full-service art consulting firm, K+D. Prior to partnering, Megan worked in the visual arts industry for fifteen years and had been running a cataloguing business since […]
Jill White is passionate about uniting people through play and social experiences. As the President of global aquatic play manufacturer, Waterplay Solutions, and two full-service playground and park amenities companies servicing Western Canada, RecTec Industries and Playworks-Parkworks, she feels that play is a right for children throughout the world, in every culture, regardless of background […]
When Mandy and Rebecca Wolfe first opened Mandy’s Salads at the back of a Westmount boutique, they didn’t have culinary or business degrees — but they did have passion and positivity. Fifteen years later, they’re working on their eighth store in Quebec, scouting for their first Toronto location, and finding new ways to use […]
Katie Zeppieri is the founder of GIRL TALK Empowerment, an organization that empowers girls to overcome personal challenges and be inspired to make their mark on the world. Over 10,000 girls have been empowered through GIRL TALK thus far, which has school chapters in Canada, the United States, Uganda and Egypt. Katie is also the […]
This year marks the 27th year of recognizing the top women entrepreneurs in Canada. We are thrilled to be celebrating another influential collection of business owners. Representing diverse industries and business sizes, and hailing from across the country — here are the 2019 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award Finalists. This was a record-breaking […]
Marcela Geer made the leap from an ascending career in finance to start up her passion project in hospitality — a Latin catering and food truck company, El Bosco Catering. Marcela shares her story on how a mashup of experience is fertile ground for a self-made career, and the lessons she’s learned so far as […]
With her startup, The Good Cup Project, Kate Tyshchenko is trying to solve the problem of single-use plastic pollution, developing a travel mug with cutlery seamlessly fitted inside its walls. It’s her third venture; Kate previously founded a startup that connects people over home-cooked meals (think Airbnb for dinners), and she still advises corporations on […]
Nicole Bach was born out of witnessing a gap in the market for suiting and wanting to change that with a service tailored to women. The founders Jasmine Janowski (pictured left), Oksana Ringsma (pictured right) and John Chao (not pictured) came together while working for a luxury retail banner, after discovering they shared similar experiences […]
Elaine Kunda is the founder and managing partner of Disruption Ventures, Canada’s first private venture fund focused solely on women entrepreneurs. It has been a long — and strategically planned — journey for Elaine; here’s how (and why) she did it. By Sarah Kelsey If you were to ask most entrepreneurs […]
Leadership is a complex ideology, with so many different forms and approaches. It’s common to worry about whether or not you are an effective leader — however, with an array of tools and resources at our fingertips, we can lay those anxieties to rest, and be the leaders we were born to be. Stephania Varalli […]
As a professor of organizational behaviour at Smith School of Business, Jana Raver looks at how people overcome the challenges of starting a business. Jana has identified three factors that predict the likelihood a business owner will excel or fail. She explains why these matter, and what entrepreneurs can do to succeed. By Hailey Eisen […]
A serial entrepreneur Elaine has successfully built teams and realigned business strategies for over 15 years. She recently launched Disruption Ventures, a Venture Capital fund that invests in female-founded and managed companies. This was a natural progression for Elaine as she has spent the past 6 years consulting and advising start-ups and early-stage companies, helping […]
Nikki Csek, CEO and co-founder of Csek Creative and NowMedia, is passionate about people. She has cultivated and encouraged a community of diverse people, with various expertise, that has enabled her to thrive in business. She is the current president of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, and has served on boards for many local businesses […]
When she first launched Abeego, Toni Desrosiers was met with skepticism — people couldn’t imagine giving up plastic wrap. She persevered through the challenge of creating a new market, and now the award-winning entrepreneur can boast years of explosive growth, and her reusable beeswax wrap can be found in more than 1,500 stores, 40 countries […]
As a woman constantly travelling for work, Kristi Soomer struggled to find versatile clothing that would allow her to pack less on trips. So she launched Encircled. The clothing line began with just one product — a cardigan that can be worn eight different ways. Now, Kristi’s company offers over 40 different designs, employs more […]
A busy career in finance might not seem ideal for taking on extra-curricular activities, and yet Allison Grafton somehow found the time to manage 15 home builds and renovations while working as an investment banker. The passion that inspired this “hobby” eventually led her to change her path completely, and at the age of 40, […]
The idea of predicting the future might sound like a sci-fi plot but Keren Moynihan, Co-founder and CEO of Boss Insights, is helping private companies predict performance in real-time using AI. She is an advocate for data privacy, creating AI that unites rather than divides society and collaborative approaches to democratizing access to capital. We […]
At a time when the next best option is just a few simple clicks away, building a successful online profile is critical for companies and the entrepreneurs behind them. Jess Hunichen and Emily Ward, co-founders of Shine PR and Shine Influencers, share their proven advice for creating a brand image. By Jess […]
An entrepreneur at heart, Daphne De Groot was driven to create an alternative to Toronto’s outdated real estate model. Today, Daphne is the CEO of Justo — a new type of real estate brokerage. She is responsible for bringing this client-centric real estate brokerage to fruition and providing strategic oversight across the organization. Determined to […]
Do you see the value of charitable giving as a tax receipt? Businesses that give back through community involvement rather than just signing a cheque greatly benefit their charitable partners — and themselves. Here’s how to pick the right one, and make a positive impact. By Monica Gomez Charitable contributions aren’t a […]
After completing an Executive MBA from Smith School of Business, while working full time and making partner at an executive search firm, Catherine Bell knew she had the capacity for a big undertaking. It would take a few more years of experience, but she eventually launched The Awakened Company — a management consulting firm that […]
Like what you’re reading? SIGN UP now to join the Women of Influence Community and get access to engaging, relevant content and more!
JOIN OUR COMMUNITY
