*Marcela and her beloved companion, Callie.*

Spring has officially sprung and it’s such an exciting time of year! I love those first few warm days when the sun is shining and people start to emerge from their winter hibernation. Patios start to fill up, the dog parks are abuzz (my personal happy place) and the anticipation for fun days ahead is almost palpable.

For me, spring represents a time of hope – hope for the opportunities the future holds. This spring our team is working with some incredible entrepreneurs and women-owned businesses to turn opportunities into growth. Here in Alberta, our PeerSpark accelerator program spring cohort is kicking off soon (space is limited!) and will provide support and resources for women who are ready to take their business to the next level.

But, we’re also on the move! Our team is hitting The Strip in June for a Canadian Trade Mission at The 2017 WBENC National Conference and Business Fair with Business Women in International Trade and an enthusiastic group of women who are looking to expand into new markets. Though the saying is, “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” we’ll make an exception for all of you and will be sharing success stories and learnings from both of these programs over the next few months.

As much as there is to look forward to, we can’t forget to reflect on how far we’ve come, which is why we’re celebrating some exceptional female business owners who have made significant achievements in the last year. We hope to see you all at this year’s AWE Awards on May 18th where we’ll recognize four outstanding women for their contributions to the business community.

So, as we help women entrepreneurs in Alberta “spring ahead” – so to speak – we want to thank our funders, sponsors and partners for your support and look forward to seeing you at all the Awards ceremony next month!