Celebrating women entrepreneurs – inspiring leaders in small business and drivers of innovation

This article was contributed by Faaria Deeba Wali , Small Business Advisor, Vaughan Economic Development

Earlier this month, the Vaughan Business and Entrepreneurship Centre (VBEC) had the pleasure of spending the day at the 14th Annual Women to Women Symposium hosted by the Vaughan Chamber of Commerce . The theme of the day was Inspire. Empower. Connect. – and we did just that!

The day included women-led networking and workshops with thought leaders in our community on topics like Business Relationships for Business Success and Building Leaders - 'The Imposter Syndrome.' Keynote speaker Diane Lee Clemons delivered a powerful address, inspiring the more than 600 women in attendance through her speech about overcoming challenges and resiliency.

VBEC had the honour of hosting some of our Starter Company Plus program participants as guests for the day. Five women founders from Plan B Media Inc. , Freshly Picked Pixels , Parties Made Simple, Inner Health Nutrition Consulting and Aesthetics College of Canada joined us for a program full of motivational speakers, empowering messages and plenty of opportunities to connect and celebrate women in business.

According to a recent report titled, The State of Women’s Entrepreneurship in Canada 2023 from the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH) , about 18 per cent of all businesses in Canada are majority-owned by women, with more than 99 per cent of them falling into the category of small and medium-sized enterprises. In 2022, nearly 1 million women in Canada were self-employed and driving innovation.

Women bring unique and diverse perspectives to entrepreneurship that drive business success and have become an integral part of economic growth. Many of our VBEC business advisors consult with entrepreneurs by offering hands-on, lived experience as women founders – myself included!

The City of Vaughan recently marked Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, and here at VBEC, we are proud to support numerous women-led businesses in Vaughan through our programs, services and events each and every day.

The Vaughan Economic Development department offers support for local businesses and entrepreneurs at all stages. In Vaughan, small businesses account for more than 87 per cent of all businesses in the city.

The VBEC provides a one-stop-shop for aspiring entrepreneurs and existing business owners looking to start, grow or expand their business. Access business information, resources, training and hands-on assistance through VBEC today!

Learn more at vaughanbusiness.ca.