The Canadian art market contributes to thousands of jobs in creative employment annually, bringing millions of dollars into the economy. At the same time, the industry is fraught with stigma and buying art is seen as a luxury few can afford. However, RBC Canadian Entrepreneur Award-winning entrepreneur Geneviève Lévesque noticed a market: those who appreciate […]
Holly Ransom is the CEO of Emergent, a specialized consulting firm focused on building the capacity of organizations to execute change. At just 28 years old, she is one of the world’s most highly regarded thought leaders, asking the tough questions to reveal the emerging trends and challenges affecting businesses and working professionals today. […]
Gemma Sheehan became the #1 ranked Ontario female MMA fighter at the age of 21, after ten years in the sport, attaining a record of 5 -1 and a Pan Am gold medal in Brazilian jiu jitsu. After a change of values and concerns about brain trauma, Gemma changed gears and quit professional fighting to […]
Taryn Herritt and Angela Osborne’s vision for The Atelier, an inaugural conference that celebrates the best women in business, arose from an unofficial and unintentional brainstorming session in early summer 2017. Friends for years, they’d always admired one another’s business successes, in the corporate world and as entrepreneurs. While catching up over lunch that day, […]
Backed with a PhD in maternal-fetal toxicology, Dionne and her husband, a surgeon, researched the extensive advantages of herbal blends, experimented with fresh fruit combinations and in late 2013, launched DeeBee’s Organics delicious line of frozen treats. Their little homemade venture has grown and evolved and now DeeBee’s line of Organic FruitPops and SuperFruit Freezies […]
Chanèle McFarlane Founder, Do Well Dress Well As the founder of Do Well Dress Well, Chanèle McFarlane believes in bridging the gap between competence and confidence for millennial women. Through content, community and opportunities focused on personal branding, networking, style and professional development, her goal is for every woman to live confidently and […]
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 […]
Jessica Yamoah & Sarah Juma Co-founders, Innovate Inclusion Jessica Yamoah and Sarah Juma are the founders of Innovate Inclusion, a non-profit that advocates for the entrepreneurial success of underrepresented communities. Their mission is easily summed up in three words: Engage, Advocate, Educate. They foster awareness around the importance of inclusive community engagement; advocate […]
Sage Paul Fashion Designer Based in Toronto, Sage Paul is a woman of Dene descent, and a member of English River First Nation; she is also an artist, designer and innovative leader for Indigenous fashion, craft and textiles. Inspired by her own inability to find a place to showcase her work, in 2018 […]
Jodi Kovitz Chief Executive Officer & Founder, #MoveTheDial For Jodi Kovitz, fostering a more inclusive and diverse STEM ecosystem is less about talking about the problems, and more about action. That’s why her organization, #MoveTheDial, embodies one simple principle: making a measurable impact on women’s participation — and success — in STEM. Built […]
Jana Girdauskas Entrepreneur A teacher by day, Jana Girdauskas started The Period Purse with one idea: one purse filled with menstrual supplies and other hygiene items to give to someone experiencing homelessness. In the spring of 2018, Girdauskas and a teenage volunteer created Menstruation Nation, a high school program to help highlight menstrual […]
Mylene Tu Founder, FEM in STEM This 18–year-old engineering student from the University of Waterloo is helping to bridge the gender gap within STEM (science, technology, engineering, math). In April of 2018, Mylene Tu founded FEM in STEM, a social enterprise that acts as a hub of resources for young girls to engage […]
Melody Adhami COO of Havas Canada At just 27 years old, Melody Adhami made a move that so many of us only dream of: she left her comfortable corporate job for the entrepreneur-life, starting Plastic, a full-service mobile marketing agency. At the time, the app store didn’t even exist, making the idea of […]
Alexandra Waldman Founder, Universal Standard Universal Standard began as a conversation between Alexandra Waldman and her co-founder, Polina. Alexandra was frustrated and disheartened by the lack of access to fashion being a size 20 meant — not only could she not shop at the same stores as her much smaller friends, she could […]
Sage Franch is the Co-Founder and CTO of Crescendo Inclusive Workplaces, and the creator of TrendyTechie.ca. She specializes in emerging technologies including blockchain, augmented reality, and cognitive computing, and is passionate about leveraging new tech to build a better future. Previously, Sage worked as a Technical Evangelist at Microsoft, where she focused on global developer […]
Lalli Marrato began her career in journalism at Publicis Blueprint in London, UK and later worked at a boutique PR firm in Toronto. She then transferred her experience into investor relations and merchant banking, and is now a senior partner & COO at Frontier Flex Marketing in Toronto, helping businesses increase their exposure. Expressing her […]
Janet Zuccarini already welcomes a million customers annually to her seven award-winning restaurants — and there’s plenty more expansion to come. With over twenty years in the food service industry, Janet shares the story of how she got started, and the hard work, grit, and confidence that propelled her to the top. By […]
In efforts to bring a sustainable, eco-friendly, premium denim clothing brand for kids, Aaina Jain-Malik founded Blu & Blue New York in 2015. A marketing executive-turned-entrepreneur, Jain combines her corporate branding experience from Estée Lauder, Jo Malone, La Mer, GAP and Banana Republic with her family’s 35-year heritage in manufacturing premium denim clothing for private […]
Elaine started LadyBossBlogger.com during a particularly trying time in her life to connect with women online. She took her future into her own hands and created this platform to help female entrepreneurs learn how to start, grow and scale their own online businesses and blogs. Since it’s conception, LadyBossBlogger has garnered a massive audience of […]
Sonia is a self-proclaimed media junkie, a champion of improved metrics, an award-winning mentor to the next generation of PR pros, and a results generator who has 20+ years in the PR industry. She founded spPR, an award winning full-service public relations agency, in 2013. Since then, Sonia’s media relations expertise has continued to be […]
Beverly Shwarzer is the President of SureTraxx Cash Management Systems Inc., a fast-growing company of cash management experts. She is the driving force behind operations, strategy, business development, and customer relations. She is a major advocate of applying technology to all aspects of today’s ever-growing business environment – specifically how it can make operations simpler […]
Zem founded the Near Future Summit, a visionary event that seeks to scale solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. It is driven by leading tech founders, investors, inventors, and influencers. Prior to Near Future, she founded ecofabulous.com which became part of Huffington Post in 2015 and remains the reigning authority on stylish sustainability. Zem […]
by Rebecca Heaton Amy is a journalist, an entrepreneur, and a long-time cultural worker with a powerful ability to see the next big trend. She founded Gender Fair in 2016 to showcase companies that serve women well and promote gender equality through market-based solutions. Through one purchase at a time, Amy believes you […]
By Stephania Varalli Co-CEO, Women of Influence Hiring exceptional talent can be one of the toughest tasks as a small business owner. When you only have a few employees — and 54% of private employers in Canada have less than five — there is no room for underperformers. So how do you […]
NJ Goldston is an LA based venture capitalist in emerging fashion and technology brands. She is also the Founder and Editor in Chief of the Webby award-winning fashion blog The Blonde and The Brunette and the Managing Partner of leading activewear line, Athletic Propulsion Labs (APL). She has been named a “Style Icon” by Louis […]
With a unique heritage from both Latin America and Europe, Claudia and Flavia Giardinella were exposed to international art and culture at an early age. Art museums, art galleries and the theater played an important role in their lives growing up, carrying an influence into their career choices in arts management and fundraising. As two […]
After beginning her career in the financial industry in the UK, Mary Aitken moved to Canada — and became a serial entrepreneur. Over two decades she launched several successful start-ups and investment companies. In 2004, she opened the doors on her sixth start-up and current venture: a private women’s club named Verity. Her goal? To […]
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