Connie Stacey is the Founder and CEO of Grengine (formerly Growing Greener Innovations), a company that develops advanced battery technology to combat global energy poverty. Her entrepreneurial journey began when she recognized the potential of battery technology to create better opportunities and greater equity for people worldwide. "I saw an opportunity to reinvent myself and help others who face similar employment barriers. I recognized a gap in the marketplace for virtual assistants and set out to create a platform that not only provides jobs, but also empowers individuals from underrepresented communities."

As a woman in tech and manufacturing, Connie faced significant barriers. "People would ask me, 'Who really invented your technology?' or if there was a man around, so they could talk to them about the technical details." Securing funding proved especially challenging. When the pandemic hit, a promising multi-million-dollar deal collapsed, leaving her scrambling to keep Grengine afloat.

The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch provided a turning point. "The mentorship part of the program blew me away," she says. "Most pitch competitions are focused on perfecting a 60-second pitch, but they don't teach you how to actually scale a business." As a winner, Connie received crucial funding that served as a lifeline, but the exposure was equally valuable, helping her secure $3.5 million in financing to build a new facility. Since then, Grengine has expanded from a 3,000 sq. ft. facility to a 26,000 sq. ft. manufacturing plant, developed advanced cybersecurity for battery packs, and deployed clean energy solutions in the Arctic Circle.

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Bobbie Racette is the Founder and CEO of Virtual Gurus, a talent marketplace that supports businesses by connecting them with skilled virtual assistants from Canada and the U.S. Offering a wide range of services including specialized virtual assistant roles, workflow optimization, and on-demand customer support to meet the diverse needs of businesses, Virtual Gurus is powered by advanced algorithms, machine learning, AI, and expert human insights to efficiently and effectively match assistants with clients. At the same time, the company maintains its commitment to social responsibility by creating meaningful employment opportunities for marginalized groups such as single mothers, Indigenous peoples, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and those with alternate abilities.

Bobbie was motivated to start Virtual Gurus after going through her own experience with job loss and facing the many challenges marginalized communities are confronted with in the workplace. As Bobbie puts it, “I saw an opportunity to reinvent myself and help others who face similar employment barriers. I recognized a gap in the marketplace for virtual assistants and set out to create a platform that not only provides jobs, but also empowers individuals from underrepresented communities. This drive to support others and create equitable employment opportunities led to the founding of Virtual Gurus in 2016.”

While Virtual Gurus fills a key gap in the market, starting and growing the company has come with a series of challenges.

“One of the most significant barriers was securing funding. I faced 170 rejections before finally securing the necessary investment. This experience taught me resilience and strengthened my determination to support others facing similar obstacles. Additionally, breaking into the technology sector as an Indigenous, Métis-Cree, 2SLGBTQIA+ woman presented its own set of challenges, including overcoming systemic barriers and biases.

However, these experiences fueled my commitment to creating a more inclusive and equitable future, both through the services offered by Virtual Gurus and my broader advocacy efforts, including sitting on the board for the TELUS Pollinator Fund and serving as Chair of the Indigenous Prosperity Foundation.” 

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Kathryn Chong, Tracey Monette and Gloria Chong are sisters and Co-Founders of The Willows Box & Co. They became aware of The Scotiabank Women Initiative Mentor Program, Powered by The Forum just six months into starting their business, and immediately knew it would be a valuable opportunity for them.

Ready to create efficiencies for their business, develop effective marketing plans, and zero in on their target audience, they were ready to seek out different perspectives that would help them gain clarity and take the next step. 

They say “It’s reassuring to have the support of this program and our mentor, who’s been encouraging, helpful, and a great coach. The exercises, best practices, and templates are clearly and thoughtfully designed to empower businesses for success. The material and guidance will help us navigate challenges and make strategic, informed decisions.” 

With the confidence to grow their business from a place of strength, the sisters say that after just one year, they’ve “Created a foundation, entered into a collaboration with one of Alberta’s largest employers, and have moved into our first warehouse. The future is exciting!”

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Jennie Ding grew up in Canada as a first-generation Chinese immigrant, and was determined to always “do better.” She found herself constantly striving to reach an even more impressive goal than her last. After finishing her Master’s degree, she went to medical school, where she found herself working 30+ hour overnight hospital shifts during her residency. 

She was working exceptionally hard, but realized she didn’t really know who she was or what she truly wanted to accomplish. Eventually, she found the inspirational books of author Brene Brown, and says that she “Discovered that I had so much to learn about myself, and it started with letting go of who I think I'm supposed to be and truly embracing who I really am: a person who values family, creativity, and community.”

She started Kale Health as a way to combine her interests in preventative medicine, nutrition, holistic wellness, and her desire to empower individuals in achieving their health goals.

A physician-led, data-driven health and wellness coaching company that focuses on blood sugar control to guide behavior change, Kale Health’s programming helps treat chronic conditions like obesity, digestive issues, sleep disorders, high blood pressure, hormone imbalances, and chronic fatigue. To do this, all of its programming is backed by the latest medical research–using state-of-the-art continuous blood sugar sensors and microbiome gut health testing to create personalized health plans for each client. 

Ironically, Jennie became one of her own clients after launching Kale Health:

“I did some blood tests and was shocked to find out that I have pre-diabetes, even though there's no one else in my family with diabetes. I thought I was doing all the right things but it seemed the stress from working in medicine finally caught up to me. My body was telling me I was burnt out. I slowed down my work schedule, took some time off to visit my grandparents in China, and focused on healing my body. I dug into the research on blood sugar control and created a program for myself to successfully reverse my pre-diabetes in under 60 days. Not only are the numbers on my lab tests much better, but I feel the best I have in years. Having taken the time to look after myself first, I’m in a much better position to care for others.”

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