CEO Messages

April 2012 - Spring Into Connections
I am feeling spring fever – it’s time to get out and connect! With so many great events going on at this time of year, it is the perfect opportunity to build on relationships, new and old.

March 2012 - Recognizing the Achievements of Women
As we embark upon International Women’s Day on Thursday March 8th, I think about all the exceptional women that I meet through my role at AWE and feel so fortunate that I work for an organization that celebrates women every day of the year. This year’s theme of ‘Connecting Girls. Inspiring Futures’ really speaks to me, about the importance of providing opportunities for girls and women to be connected to those that have achieved greatness and to in-turn be inspired to dream big, take risks, and

March 2011 - Celebrating Women
With over 110,000 women owned businesses in Alberta, women entrepreneurs are significant contributors to our economy. On March 8th, AWE recognized International Women's Day by celebrating the over $450M of economic impact generated by our clients over the past 16 years.

February 2011 - Year of the Entrepreneur
Did you know that 2011 is the “Year of the Entrepreneur”? At AWE we are thrilled to see entrepreneurs recognized for their contributions and their importance in leading Canada into economic recovery.

January 2011 - Make 2011 the Year for Your Business
With the hustle and bustle of the holidays now behind us, it is time to reflect on what you can do in 2011 to move your business forward! This time of year people contemplate resolutions for themselves, but why not make this the year to set resolutions for your business?

December 2010 - A Year in Review
It is that time of year again when we say goodbye to the year past and welcome a time for change, resolution, and prosperity. For AWE it has been a year full of change and new initiatives.

November 2010 - Connections to Contracts
Did you know that less than 1% of the money major corporations spend in North America is for goods and services provided by female owned businesses? I know you are thinking, I am just a small regional service provider or manufacturer – how on earth could I even think about selling to companies like Walmart or Accenture?

October 2010 - Women as Entrepreneurs: the New Face of Feminism
Have you ever stopped to think of the impact of rights we take for granted as women in Canada: The right to vote; The right to ownership of property; The recognition of women as persons?

September 2010 - 15 Years of AWE Impact
Did you know that over the past 15 years, AWE has loaned over $12.5M, creating an estimated economic impact of $390 million. 75% of our clients have businesses in operation with average additional revenue per client of $1.9M over 5 years!

August 2010 - Looking Back and Moving Forward
Did you know it is our 15th anniversary this year? Recently, I had the opportunity to share our story at the Diana International Conference on Women's Entrepreneurship Research 2010, an event that brought together a global network of researchers committed to advancing knowledge about women's entrepreneurship and high-growth ventures. It was a tremendous opportunity to highlight our organization’s significant track record of strong economic impact and relevance to women entrepreneurs in Western Canada.

June/July 2010 - Access Granted
On June 5th the Access to Supply Chains Program, which aims to help women entrepreneurs grow their businesses was launched by the Women’s Enterprise Initiative (WEI) partners - Women's Enterprise Centre British Columbia, Alberta Women Entrepreneurs, Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan, and Women's Enterprise Centre Manitoba. Special launch guests included the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government services and Minister for Status of Women who announced a federal invest

May 2010 - Are successful female entrepreneurs really different than male entrepreneurs?
A recent study released by the Kauffman Foundation[1] provides some insights about the differences, in addition to some interesting findings about the similarities.

April 2010 - Is Your Voice Being Heard?
Did you know that women are majority owners of 480,000 of the 1.6M small businesses in Canada? And nearly 1 Million of the 2.6 Million self employed workers in Canada are female? Women own a significant proportion of the small and medium sized businesses that fuel Canada’s economy. Your businesses are the foundations of our communities and provide us with the goods and services that are fueling the economic recovery across Canada.

March 2010 - Grow Forth and Profit!
What stereotypes about growth and profit aspirations by women entrepreneurs do you believe? I just came across a recent report based on a survey of women business owners that may challenge your perceptions. (www.makemineamillion.org)

February 2010 - Go for Gold
Olympic fever is roaring! Are you as inspired as I am by the stories of the incredible athletes? In many cases these men and women have overcome significant barriers to achieve their success and when you think about it, their journey is much like that of a business owner.

January 2008 - Reflection
Happy New Year! I love this time of year – it is time to reflect on the successes and challenges of the past year and to put plans in place for the upcoming year.