Powered by AWE

Powered by AWE is a podcast where women building businesses in Alberta talk honestly about the decisions, trade-offs, and consequences that actually shape growth.

What does it actually cost to lead when the room wasn't built for you?

Adriana Lopez Forero — AI pioneer, EdTech founder, and CEO of Onlea — joins host Michelle Toner for an honest conversation about leadership identity, imposter syndrome, and why you don't have to fit a mold to lead well.

Adriana studied artificial intelligence in the early 2000s before it was mainstream, spent over a decade at one of the world's top game studios, and now leads an Edmonton-based EdTech company changing how people learn. In this episode, she gets candid about teaching yourself confidence, letting go of the leadership styles that don't fit, and why real power comes from your mission.

In this episode:

- Why confidence before competence is a skill you can teach yourself

- The moment someone believed in her before she believed in herself

- What she had to let go of to become a better leader (her answer will surprise you)

- Why your emotions are a signal system, not a liability

- How AI is reshaping education and what it means for the future of human learning

- Her experience with the AWE Strategic Leadership program

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Check out our website for more information: www.awebusiness.com

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Money is the conversation most women entrepreneurs are still having in private, in shame, or not at all. Alicia Fowler, feminist CPA and founder of MOD Accounting, is done with that. In this episode, she gets radically honest about underpricing, paying yourself first, and what it actually means to be in a relationship with your money.

Check out our website for more information: www.awebusiness.com

There's a version of building a business that nobody puts on the highlight reel. The part after the early wins, when momentum dips, decisions pile up, and you're not sure if what you built is going to hold.

Kendall Barber co-founded Poppy Barley from Edmonton, scaled one of Canada's most beloved ethical fashion brands coast to coast, navigated a global pandemic mid-growth with a six-week-old baby, and has never once pretended it was easy. In this episode, she and Michelle Toner go deep on the stretch that doesn't make the Instagram feed and what it really takes to push through it.

Check out our website for more information: www.awebusiness.com

You can have the best idea in the room, but without the right people around you, it stays an idea. Dr. Johanna Pagonis, founder of Sinogap Solutions, joins host Michelle Toner, CEO of AWE to talk about the role community plays at every stage of building a business, from the early days when everything feels uncertain, to the long haul when staying motivated gets hard. This is an honest conversation about what it actually takes to start and sustain something that lasts.

Join us for an insightful conversation with Melanie Harris from Functional Therapy as she shares her unique entrepreneurial journey, particularly through periods of significant growth.

Discover what motivated her to join the Bold Leadership program and the specific challenges she aimed to overcome. Melanie offers valuable perspectives on the power of community and networking for women entrepreneurs in the digital space and provides practical strategies for building meaningful online connections.

She also openly discusses the hurdles faced when integrating digital tools, offering advice on how to push through moments of frustration and avoid common mistakes. Melanie highlights a crucial digital skill for women entrepreneurs today and reflects on the digital achievements she's most proud of at Functional Therapy, sharing how these strategies have shaped her business's success. Finally, she offers a powerful piece of advice to her pre-digital transformation self.

In this episode of the AWE Podcast, we explore the critical issue of digital equity and its impact on Indigenous entrepreneurship in Canada. Host Marcela Mandeville sits down with Cassandra Dorrington, President of the Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council (CAMSC), to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing Indigenous communities in the digital age.

Cassandra sheds light on CAMS's vital role in connecting Indigenous businesses with larger buyers and fostering economic growth. We delve into the meaning of digital equity, its impact on underrepresented communities, and the unique barriers faced by Indigenous entrepreneurs in accessing technology and infrastructure, particularly in rural areas.

Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) is dedicated to supporting women in business, and their Bold Leadership program is making strides in addressing these digital divides. Through mentorship, skills development, and networking opportunities, Bold Leadership gives entrepreneurs the confidence and knowledge to overcome challenges and thrive in the digital era.

The program's asynchronous learning model further enhances accessibility, allowing participants to learn at their own pace and on their own schedules, a crucial factor for women balancing business, family, and community commitments.

Tune in for an insightful conversation that highlights the importance of digital equity in supporting all entrepreneurs to thrive in the modern economy.

Join us for an insightful discussion with Danielle Cherewyk, CEO of The Headroom and a past participant in AWE's Bold Leadership and Strategic Edge programs. Danielle shares her valuable experiences and expertise on leveraging automation to drive business growth and efficiency.

In this episode, we explore:

• The power of automation: Discover how automation can transform your business operations, freeing up time and resources to focus on strategic initiatives.

• Practical applications: Learn about real-world examples of how businesses are using automation to streamline processes, improve productivity, and enhance customer experiences.

• Danielle's journey: Hear firsthand how Danielle successfully implemented automation within her own business, The Headroom, and the positive impact it has had on her growth.

• AWE's role: Learn how AWE's programs, like Bold Leadership and Strategic Edge, can support entrepreneurs in their automation journey and provide the tools and resources needed for success.

Tune in to gain valuable insights from Danielle Cherewyk and discover how automation can help you accelerate your business growth.

In this episode of the AWE Podcast, we dive deep into the world of digital equity and its impact on women entrepreneurs. Join host Marcela Mandeville as she talks with Erin Davis, an expert in inclusive digital literacy, past Strategic Edge and Bold Leadership participant in addition to owning her company, Erin Davis Co., about the evolving digital landscape and the challenges women face in tech.

They explore the systemic biases hindering women in business, the importance of digital literacy for entrepreneurial success, and the technology-fueled initiatives combating these inequalities.

Erin shares her personal journey navigating the digital world, offering insights on how women can support themselves and their teams in overcoming bias. Finally, they discuss the crucial policy changes needed to create a truly inclusive digital economy and how partnerships are driving progress.

Tune in to discover how we can collectively support entrepreneurs to thrive as leaders in the digital age. Is your business ready to take on digital leadership? Are you wondering what tools are available to save time and increase your revenue?

Learn more about our programs at https://www.awebusiness.com/bold-leadership

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Check out our website for more information: www.awebusiness.com