TORONTO, NOVEMBER 20th, 2019 – The 27th annual RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards, presented by Women of Influence, announces six winners of the 2019 awards. These award winners join the five recipients of the up-and-coming entrepreneur ‘Ones to Watch’ award category, which was announced in September of this year. This year’s winners and recipients span sectors that include finance, hospitality, technology, paralysis recovery, cannabis, packaging, fine spirits, and much more.
“Entrepreneurial trailblazers are defined by their relentless pursuit of innovation and excellence, and their perseverance and courage to challenge the status quo,” said Greg Grice, Executive Vice-President, Business Financial Services, RBC. “There are countless women entrepreneurs who have made their mark in Canadian business by exemplifying these qualities, and their journey serves as an inspiration to the next generation of entrepreneurs. Today, we’re proud to showcase and celebrate their stories and achievements as we recognize the winners of this year’s RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards.” Now in its 27th year, the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards program recognizes the country’s leading female entrepreneurs who have made impressive and substantial contributions to the local, Canadian or global economy. The judging panel of the awards program is comprised of 12 judges who are notably some of Canada’s top business leaders, including: Françoise Lyon, President & Managing Partner, DGC Capital; Karen Brookman, Partner and Chief Innovation Office West Canadian Digital Imaging; Karen Greve Young, CEO Futurpreneur and Paulette Senior, President & CEO, Canadian Women’s Foundation.
The official announcement of the 2019 award recipients was made at the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur
Awards gala, which was held on November 20th and hosted by Marcia MacMillan, Anchor, CTV News Channel.
Following yet another record-breaking year of over 9,000 nominations, the 2019 award winners are:
● Kelly Ann Woods, Gillespie’s Fine Spirits Ltd, Boozewitch Beverage Company, Switch Beverage Co., Squamish, BC, Diversity Institute / Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub Micro-Business Award
● Jayne McCaw, Jayne’s Cottages, Port Carling, ON, Start-Up Award
● Janet LePage, Western Wealth Capital, Vancouver, BC, RBC Momentum Award
● Geetha Moorthy, SAAAC Autism Centre, Scarborough, ON, Social Change Award
● Carinne Chambers-Saini, Diva International Inc., Kitchener, ON, TELUS Trailblazer Award
● Brigitte Jalbert, Les Emballages Carrousel Inc., Boucherville, QC, Syntax Strategic Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award
The Gala also honoured the recipients of the Ones to Watch Award: Bean Gill, ReYu Paralysis Recovery Centre;
Melissa Kargiannakis, skritswap; Melinda Rombouts, Eve & Co Cannabis; Dr. Dina Kulik, Kidcrew and
Lisa Ali Learning, AtlanTick Repellent Products Inc. “We are proud and honoured to recognize the incredible achievements of this year’s award recipients,” says Alicia Skalin, Co-CEO & Head of Events, Women of Influence. “As we embark on the start of a new decade in 2020, the success that has been achieved by this group of innovators and change makers is a strong testament to the bright future of Canadian business.”
The RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards are the pre-eminent national business awards recognizing the country’s leading female entrepreneurs. The awards are an initiative of Women of Influence, an award-winning organization dedicated to advancing women globally. Women of Influence, now in its 25th year, is one of North America’s leading organization offering solutions to further women’s career advancement. With courses in executive leadership, global events, and print and digital content, Women of Influence annually reaches over 300,000 professional women and men across Canada and internationally. Signature events include the Women of Influence Luncheon Series and the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards. For more information, please visit www.womenofinfluence.com
