Startup Women Podcast

It’s no secret that Canada is home to many incredible women entrepreneurs. As BDC’s new leader, Isabelle Hudon is on a mission to foster ambition and generate growth for these disruptive founders.

Isabelle Hudon is President and CEO of BDC, the bank for Canadian entrepreneurs.

As BDC’s first woman CEO, Ms. Hudon brings a deep business background and a clear vision for an inclusive economy to support growth for Canadian entrepreneurs. She is a champion of diversity, gender equality and the green economy, leading BDC’s 2,500-person team in their efforts to help Canadian entrepreneurs grow resilient, sustainable businesses.

From 2017 to 2021, Ms. Hudon served as Ambassador of Canada to France and Monaco, and the Personal Representative of the Prime Minister of Canada for La Francophonie. Previously, she was President and CEO (Quebec) and Senior Vice President of Sun Life Financial Canada, overseeing impressive growth across all business lines. She has held seats on numerous boards of directors including those of Hydro-Québec, Groupe Marcelle, Holt Renfrew and the Canada Council for the Arts, and is co-founder of The A Effect program to empower ambitious women.

Ms. Hudon received the Medal of the National Assembly of Quebec for her commitment to women’s ambition, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for raising awareness of culture in Canada and was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Law from Concordia University in 2017.

“Little girls look to be ballerinas whereas little boys are taught to look at hockey players. While hockey players are excellent, ballerinas are perfect. In business, you will never have a perfect product or service. Aim for excellence.”

On this week’s Startup Women Podcast, sponsored by the Business Development Bank of Canada and Scotiabank, Isabelle shares her goals for BDC and women founders, the importance of ambition, and aiming for excellence over perfection.

The post Excellence Over Perfection with Isabelle Hudon first appeared on Startup Canada.

Years ago, Evelyne found herself doing fieldwork among beautiful wild mango trees in Chad. She was introduced to a family where the mother and kids proceeded to expertly climb the trees in the hot sun to harvest mangoes for her to eat. Towards the end, Evelyne was told to pay the husband when it was the wife that had picked the mangoes. She felt a knot of anger in her heart as she customarily handed the money over to the man. Evelyne thought to herself, “This happens everywhere around the world, and it’s wrong,” and was motivated to help improve the lives of the women there. That’s when she decided to start Ellie Bianca, a natural skincare line built on the pillars ‘Kind to Your Skin, Kind to the Earth, Kind to Women.’

Evelyne moved to Canada from Kenya at the age of 16 and put herself through a Bachelors and a Masters of Science while being a single mom. She built Ellie Bianca to be an example to her daughter of what women are capable of, and to empower other women to succeed. She sources ingredients from women in Africa, mentors other women entrepreneurs, and runs the Ellie Bianca Woman Scholarship for single mothers. 

Now in its sixth year of operation, Ellie Bianca boasts thirty-four all-natural products. With Evelyne’s background as a chemist, all of their products are scientifically formulated with natural ingredients and are environmentally friendly, organic and non-GMO. Recently, as a result of the pandemic, they have pivoted and are manufacturing organic sanitizers and liquid hand soaps to keep customers safe. 

“I want others to know that I was here. I want them to know there was a girl from Kisii, Kenya and she left a footprint.” 

In this week’s #StartupWomenPodcast, sponsored by the Business Development Bank of Canada and Scotiabank, Evelyne shares the three pillars of her business, the efforts she makes to include women in the supply chain of her business and why she encourages women to move forward – even before they feel ready.

The post Passion, Purpose and Profit with Evelyne Nyairo first appeared on Startup Canada.

Shelby is the Founder and CEO of Chickapea, a chickpea pasta made from organic ingredients. As a mom of two, Shelby quickly learned the challenge of getting a quick and nutritious meal on the table. Shelby refuses to compromise on ingredients and impact. Chickapea operates under clear guiding principles such as protecting the planet, making nutrition more accessible and always working to be better through continuous innovation.  

In 2016, Shelby launched Chickapea in the Canadian marketplace and only a year later, Chickapea entered US markets. As a certified women-owned business and Certified B Corporation, she is passionate about helping other women entrepreneurs build businesses that operate with social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. 

“That impact piece kept me going, and kept my team going. When we sit down in a team meeting and we talk about the impact we have, it is more exciting to most people than how much revenue we have generated.”

 In this week’s #StartupWomenPodcast, sponsored by Business Development Bank of Canada and Scotiabank, Shelby shares her purpose for creating Chickapea and how her business grew globally. Shelby also tells us why you can never compromise on your business values and how to approach partnerships with impact in mind. 

The post Baking Impact into Your Business with Shelby Taylor first appeared on Startup Canada.

Candace Lauren serves humanity as a multi-faceted creative. She is an accomplished brand strategist, award winning speaker, and best selling author. She currently serves as the Director of Communications and Mentorship for the Black Entrepreneurs and Businesses of Canada Society. 

With over 10 years of experience as a marketing professional, Candace has designed for six-figure to multi-million dollar, award-winning brands and clients. Having worked with the Think and Grow Rich Institute and CBS syndicated show, “The Talk,” her team creates avenues of possibility for clients to achieve their goals of creating global impact. Her mission is to give 10,000 Black youth and women entrepreneurs an opportunity to be seen, heard, and make an authentic impact. 

“Our goal at the end of the day is to help Black businesses grow, help them scale and be sustainable.” 

 In this week’s #StartupWomenPodcast, sponsored by Business Development Bank of Canada and Scotiabank, we cover everything from building a brand for your business, to how Candace advocates for and builds the support that communities need through her work at the Black Entrepreneurs and Businesses of Canada.

The post Building the Supports Our Communities Need with Candace Lauren first appeared on Startup Canada.

Around the world, the collective entrepreneurial experience is surprisingly similar – hurdles and opportunities for women founders are no exception. Adi Paz and Natasha Morano agree that in order for women around the globe to succeed in the startup space, impactful and tailored programs are a must.  

Adi Paz is the co-founder CEO of OnTime, a social delivery network platform. Adi  has more than 17 years of highly diverse business experience, spanning from highly technical roles and all the way through to venture creation and funding. These days Adi is looking for a technical co-founder and for pre-seed investment for her start-up. Adi has B.Sc. in math and computer science and an executive MBA from the Technion,  94th on a list of the world’s top 100 universities. Some of her noteworthy roles include: Senior associate at Quantum China Israel Investment as well as co-instructor in Israeli top ranked MBAs programs.

Natasha Hope Morano is the President of NHM Connect, an Ottawa based consultancy company specializing in strategic partnerships, and corporate and government relations. As former Vice President of the Economic Club of Canada and having opened the first satellite chapter of the Club in Ottawa, she has had the privilege of hosting some of the world’s most notable influencers and thought leaders. Natasha has a passion for supporting causes that advance children’s rights and the well-being of those underserved. In 2019 she was selected by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs to attend the first Canadian Women Leaders’ Mission to Israel, and continues to have an interest in the MENA region.

“Women founders face similar challenges, regardless of nationality. Women support networks help us to tell these stories, and not feel as alone.” – Adi Paz.

“Consolidated, simplified funding processes can let women founders realize their dreams and continue to innovate. It’s a game changer.” – Natasha Morano. 

On this week’s StartupWomen Podcast, sponsored by the Business Development Bank of Canada and Scotiabank, Adi and Natasha discuss improving funding models for women, the importance of connecting with government officials, and the collective experience of starting up around the world.

The post International Perspectives: Supporting Women Founders with Adi Paz and Natasha Morano first appeared on Startup Canada.

Tracy Bell is a career-long television reporter, turned corporate exec, turned startup CEO of Millennia Tea.  

She believes the story we tell ourselves and others is a potent tool for success in business, and satisfaction in life. As a career communicator, including being a journalist for one of Canada’s most-watched newscasts, Tracy knows first-hand the powerful impact of a story.  

  Tracy has received national and international awards in communications and community relations and also presents globally on the topics of innovation and pitching. She had a successful pitch on the television show Dragons’ Den and recently closed a funding round that includes private, institutional, and venture capital investors. Tracy spent three months in New York City last fall as one of eight founders selected from around the world as part of the #1 innovation accelerator globally for companies that use “food-as-medicine”. 

“I don’t walk around and say to other entrepreneurs “This is hard, business is tough”. I walk around and pretend business is easy, and that satisfaction comes every day, not only at the end.” 

In this week’s #StartupWomenPodcast, sponsored by Business Development Bank of Canada and Scotiabank, Tracy encourages entrepreneurs to get clear with themselves and their business and dream big. We also talk about entering and building relationships with investors, retail partners and how food entrepreneurs can get their products on bigger shelves. 

The post Securing and Strengthening Retail Partnerships with Tracy Bell first appeared on Startup Canada.

Sarah Barnes-Humphrey is a logistician turned supply chain mogul; passionate about collaboration, transparency, diversity – and doing better business.

As the host of the popular podcast, Let’s Talk Supply Chain, Sarah puts people right at the forefront of an industry that’s traditionally been about stats and numbers. From thought-provoking questions and lively discussions to championing diversity and real people’s industry success, Let’s Talk Supply Chain and its sister shows “Women in Supply Chain” and “Blended” bring a breath of fresh air to logistics.

Sarah is also the co-founder and CEO of innovative bid-and-ship freight platform Shipz Inc. Ensuring she practices what she preaches, Sarah is on a mission to redefine International shipping by bringing collaboration and diversity to the supply chain. Sarah has been voted ‘Top 100 Most Influential Women Leaders in Supply Chain’ and ‘Top 100 Most Influential Women in Canadian Supply Chain’ and is a regular contributor in thought- leadership at leading industry events.

“Building a supply chain for your business starts with your ethos, it starts with your target market.”

On this week’s Startup Women Podcast, sponsored by the Business Development Bank of Canada and Scotiabank, Sarah covers the small important decisions entrepreneurs need to make when it comes to inventory and supply chain and the mindsets entrepreneurs need to overcome disruptions and challenges.

The post Supply Chain Disruptions and Decisions with Sarah Barnes-Humphrey first appeared on Startup Canada.

Since 2003, Monica James has focused her commercial banking career on helping Indigenous entrepreneurs realize their dreams and being a voice of reconciliation. During this time she has held a variety of progressive positions in Indigenous Banking, including Senior Manager and Business Centre Manager.

In her current role as Regional Manager, Client Diversity, she leads BDC’s national strategy to support Indigenous entrepreneurs in accessing capital and advisory services to scale and optimize their business. She is also the Indigenous Lead for BDC’s internal strategy to honour the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action #92.

As a proud Cree woman from the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation and being raised in northern Manitoba, she understands the unique challenges many rural and remote Indigenous entrepreneurs face. She values giving back to the community and serves on the Board of Mother Earth Recycling, an Indigenous social enterprise focused on creating meaningful jobs and opportunities for at-risk individuals.

“The biggest way we can support Indigenous entrepreneurs is purchasing their products and services and creating visibility by promoting their brand to others.” 

On this week’s Startup Women Podcast, sponsored by the Business Development Bank of Canada and Scotiabank, Monica shares resources that are available for Indigenous entrepreneurs in Canada and the best ways we can support Indigenous entrepreneurs and their businesses. 

The post Support for Indigenous Entrepreneurs with Monica James first appeared on Startup Canada.

Chau Lui is the co-owner, along with her sister Trang, of Paris Jewellers, a proudly Canadian -Vietnamese women-owned and operated jewellery company focused on community partnerships, customer experience and supporting women. The company has a 90% women workforce.

Paris Jewellers started in a 400 sq. ft. space in St. Albert, Alberta and with Chau’s leadership has grown to 23 stores across 4 Canadian provinces with over 200 employees.

Paris Jewellers aims to spread joy while making a difference in the community. During the pandemic, they have raised over 100,000 meals for Food Banks Canada, $30,000 for Make-A-Wish® Canada, over $31,000 for The Matriarch Movement, and $10,000 for Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Chau is on the Board of Directors for The Canadian Jewellers Association, was Global’s Women of Vision in 2018, one of Edify’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2020 and was a featured speaker at this year’s Women + Wealth virtual Gala on International Women’s Day.

“I never dreamed that I could sell my products outside of Canada. Now, with being online, you can reach so many people and that is a huge opportunity.” 

On this week’s Startup Women Podcast, sponsored by the Business Development Bank of Canada and Scotiabank, Chau shares why making data-driven decisions as a creative entrepreneur is so important, and why community give back is a pillar of her business.

The post Staying True to Your Core Values with Chau Lui first appeared on Startup Canada.

Ruvimbo Chimutsa is the founder of The Grace & Nelly Project and G&N, Healthier Happier Periods. Born and raised in Zimbabwe, she moved to Canada at the age of 19 to continue her tertiary education and discovered she could still make an impact on the lives of those in her home country thousands of miles away. She obtained her Juris Doctor in 2012 and was called to the Bar in the province of Manitoba in October 2013. She recently completed a Masters of Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program (MMIE) with the Smith School of Business at Queens University.  

Ruvimbo is a passionate advocate for women’s rights and, in particular, menstrual rights. In 2016, having seen some of the struggles of girls and women in Zimbabwe, she and a group of friends started The Grace & Nelly Project. She named the organization after her grandmothers who taught her that financial independence for women was freedom and the opportunity to pursue one’s dreams. They also taught her the importance of community and uplifting others, especially those who are often forgotten. The Grace & Nelly Project’s aim is to create opportunities and platforms for girls and women living in rural communities in Zimbabwe to help them achieve financial independence and access opportunities that are otherwise out of their reach.

“There were young girls like me, women like me and they had nothing. So, we asked what they needed and how much they could afford.” 

On this week’s Startup Women Podcast, sponsored by the Business Development Bank of Canada and Scotiabank, Ruvimbo talks about how her company is committed to sustainable impact, how menstrual rights must continue to be talked about, and the freedom that women feel when they can make their own purchases. 

The post Creating Sustainable Social Impact with Ruvimbo Chimutsa first appeared on Startup Canada.