In December 2018, The Scotiabank Women Initiative™ was launched to advance women-led businesses through funding, mentorship, and education. The program provides access to financing for women-led businesses, gives women entrepreneurs the opportunity to interact with senior business leaders, and provides access to educational sessions about issues of importance. The Un-Mentorship Boot Camps are the central element of the education pillar: two have already been held in Montreal (May 3) and Vancouver (May 15), and in September, Toronto will host the final half-day Un-Mentorship Boot Camp of 2019. In addition, mini-boot camps are being held across Canada. More than 500 women have participated in all sessions, and feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and constructive.
At the Waterloo event, participants heard Elaine Kunda, Founder and Managing Partner of Disruption Ventures discuss the theme of innovation. Barbara Orser, Professor at University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management, spoke about managing social capital, and the session closed with a panel featuring Joan Fisk, CEO United Way Waterloo Region Communities, Caitlin MacGregor, Co-Founder and CEO at Plum, and Linda Knight, Founder and CEO of CarePartners.