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About the WEB Alliance of Women’s Business Networks………………………………………………….2

The WEB Alliance Founders and Co-Chairs .......................................................................... 2

The WEB Alliance Roundtable Participant Profiles .............................................................. 3

Roundtable Participant Organizations ................................................................................ 6

Other WEB Alliance Member Organizations ...................................................................... 11

Proposed Roundtable Format ........................................................................................... 15

Recent Articles .................................................................................................................. 16

Huffington Post: At Davos Investing in Women Emerges as a Business Strategy ................................................................... 16

Forbes: NYC Encourages Growth of Women-Owned Businesses .......................................................................................... 19

Toronto Star: Women Owned-Businesses: Canada needs more female entrepreneurs ........................................................ 21

Forbes: The Top 6 Reasons Women Are Not Leading In Corporate America As We Need Them To ....................................... 23

Prepared by Women’s Enterprise Centre on behalf of the WEB Alliance of Women’s Business Networks

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Since 2009, members of ‘The WEB Alliance of Women’s Business Networks’ have collaborated to create

change towards better business, stronger communities and an enhanced business culture for women in BC.

Jill Earthy

Representing: Canadian Youth Business Foundation

Affiliations: Co-Founder & Co-Chair, The WEB Alliance of Women's Business

Networks

Regional Director for BC & Yukon, Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) Business Consultant & Accelerator at Spark Accelerator

Board Member, Women's Enterprise Centre

Volunteer Mentor: Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, Canadian Youth Business Foundation, SFU MBA program, Women’s Enterprise Centre

Advisory Board Member, Vancity Foundation Women in Financing project

Judge, RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards

Former CEO, Forum for Women Entrepreneurs (2007 – 2012)

Laurel Douglas

Representing: Women’s Enterprise Centre

Affiliations: Co-Founder, The WEB Alliance of Women's Business Networks

CEO, Women's Enterprise Centre since 2004

Regional Partner Organization Rep., WEConnect Canada

Member, UBC Okanagan External Community Advisory Council

Member, Province of BC Degree Quality Assessment Board

Co-Founder and Secretary/Treasurer, Women’s Enterprise Organizations of Canada

Founding Member, Taskforce for Women’s Business Growth

Advisory Board Member, Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission

Advisory Board Member, Vancity Community Foundation Women Entrepreneurs Financing Project

Judge, RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards

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Dawn McCooey

Representing: Women’s Enterprise Centre

Affiliations: Co-Chair, The WEB Alliance of Women's Business Networks

Skills Development Manager, Women’s Enterprise Centre

Member of Advisory Board, Royal Roads University- Faculty of Management

Former Chair of Communications, Leadership Victoria

President, WAVES (Waterfront Association of View Royal)

Assessor, WEConnect Canada

Member, Certified Management Consultants of Canada

Best-Selling Author of ‘Keeping Good Employees on Board’

Founder, McCooey Consulting Group Inc., and Steps to Employment, winner of ‘Best Employer in Victoria’ Award

Kerrilee Auger

Representing: Women of Whistler

Affiliations: Chair, Women of Whistler womenofwhistler.com

Managing Partner, CEO, InstaPulse Consulting Services, “taking the pulse of your business”, www.instapulse.com

Community Foundation of Whistler: Marketing & Communications and Planning Committee member, “Kathy Barnett Leadership Luncheon”; whistlerfoundation.com

Whistler Health Care Foundation: Marketing & Communications and Planning Committee member, “Indulge Gala Evening & Auction”, whistlerhealthcarefoundation.org

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Nicole Byres

Representing: The CBABC's Women Lawyers Forum

Affiliations: Partner, Miller Thomson LLP

Member, Vancouver Board of Trade, Women's Leadership Circle Advisory Council

Chair, Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch's Women Lawyers Forum

Member, UBC President's Strategic Advisory Council

Member, Human Resources Management Association (HRMA), Leadership Forum

Member, Canadian Bar Association, Corporate Counsel Association

Past Member, UBC Board of Governors (6 years)

Past Director, BC Transmission Corporation (7 years)

Manpreet Dhillon

Representing: Be Your Own Best Friend

Affiliations: Personal Coach and Organizational Consultant, Into Essence

Coaching

Co-Founder, Be Your Own Best Friend

Past Co-Chair, Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration Society

Project Coordinator, Canada India Education Society

Darlene Forst

Representing: Women's Leadership Circle of the VBOT

Affiliations: President and Senior Producer, Skydance Entertainment Inc. of

Vancouver (television and digital media production company)

Co-Founder, Rainkickers.com (online retailer of western rain boots)

Advisory Council Member, Women's Leadership Circle, Vancouver Board of Trade

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Cathy Kuzel

Representing: The Connected Woman Association

Affiliations: Owner, Makel Industries Inc. (Inline sensors utilizing infra-red

technology for the dairy, pharmaceutical and beverage industry)

Owner, The Connected Woman (Professional Mentor and Business Coach to Women Entrepreneurs who want to make a difference.)

Volunteer

o Women’s Enterprise Centre: Mentor

o Canadian Youth Business Foundation: Mentor

o YWCA: workshop facilitator

Barbara Mowat

Representing: Women Presidents' Organization , GroYourBiz

Affiliations: Owner, Impact Communications Ltd., (Business development

and international trade facilitation)

Facilitator, 2 Women President’s Organization (WPO) chapters

Facilitator, 9 GroYourBiz chapters (a division of Impact Communications)

Chair, TEC CEO group

Ambassador in Canada for United Success and on their global Brains Trust

Global Ambassador, TIAW (The International Alliance of Women)

Advisory Board Member, the Global Banking Alliance for Women Entrepreneurs

Global Membership Circle, the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women

Vanessa Noga

Representing: Association of Women in Finance (AWF)

Affiliations: President, Association of Women in Finance

Senior Account Manager, Public Sector/Not For Profit, Commercial Financial Services, RBC Royal Bank

Women’s Market champion within RBC

Volunteer, Variety – The Children’s Charity

Girl Guides Leader

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Michelle Pockey

Representing: Professional Women's Network

Affiliations: Member, The WEB Alliance of Women's Business Networks

Partner, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP

Founder and National Chair, Professional Women's Network

Director and Chair of Governance, WEConnect Canada

Advisory Board Member, Young Women in Business Association

Director, Vice-Chair, and Chair of Governance, Sarah McLachlan School of Music Society

The Association of Women in Finance

The Association of Women in Finance (the “AWF”) is dedicated to supporting the advancement of women in finance.

We are executives, bankers, lawyers, accountants, investment professionals, actuaries, venture capitalists, insurers, and entrepreneurs.

Since 1996, we’ve been providing a forum for the discussion of issues, a place to exchange and develop business knowledge, and to honour successes.

By involving, connecting and developing women through our Economic Update, Real Estate Forum and Fireside Chat events.

By hosting the annual AWF PEAK Awards to recognize women who have broken down barriers in the finance industry and achieved excellence.

By encouraging young women to enter the finance field through our scholarship program.

Why do we do it? Women have proven themselves to be successful and dynamic business and finance leaders. But, we are a long way from equal representation. Quite simply, we exist to encourage women finance professionals to claim their seats at boardroom tables.

www.womeninfinance.ca

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Be Your Own Best Friend

Be You Own Best Friend Network supports, encourages, and challenges South Asian women to strive for continued Growth and Strength in every facet of their lives.

The BYOBF Network offers connections, inspirations and resources for South Asian women globally. BYOBF Network facilitates education and skills training through workshops, networking and social events.

BYOBF will be celebrating their one year with a focus on further development and support for South Asian Women Entrepreneurs, the underlying mandate of BYOBF Network is to encourage, inspire and support women to live their passions, dreams while being fully empowered, financially independent and thriving as women.

Currently, we have 550 South Asian women in our network.

www.byobfnetwork.ca

The Canadian Bar Association of BC, Women Lawyers Forum

The CBABC's Women Lawyers Forum, which currently has approximately 500 members located throughout the province. The mandate of the Women Lawyers Forum includes the following:

Develop mechanisms for the promotion and advancement of the stature and influence of women in the legal profession;

Develop programs which enhance the business and professional confidence of women who practice law, including those in private practice, public service, in-house counsel and community leadership;

Provide a forum for networking, education and mentoring opportunities for women in the legal profession; foster acknowledgement and understanding of the special challenges faced by women in law from diverse communities;

Liaise and share resources with legal organisations in other jurisdictions and with women in the judiciary, other professions and organizations;

Monitor model policies and work with the law societies of British Columbia and other jurisdictions on issues and projects of joint concern; identify and provide resources on current issues affecting women in law;

Provide a forum for provincial and national Canadian bar association sections and committees to share and pursue long term solutions to issues, problems and concerns for women in the legal profession; participate in the national Canadian bar association women lawyers forum.

www.cba.org/BC/s_wlaw/main/default.aspx

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The Canadian Youth Business Foundation

The Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to growing Canada’s economy one young entrepreneur at a time. We look at character not collateral, when providing youth, age 18-39, with pre-launch coaching, business resources, start-up financing and mentoring, to help them launch and sustain a successful entrepreneurial business. CYBF is the founder of G20 Young Entrepreneur Summit (G20 YES) and a founding member of the G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance (G20 YEA).

www.cybf.ca/

The Connected Woman® Association

The Connected Woman® Association (TCWA) is a professional community comprised of women entrepreneurs and business professionals from many industries, levels of experience and diverse backgrounds who desire to engage in the reciprocal process of exchanging knowledge, experience and expertise.

TCWA focuses on creating an environment where business occurs via warm, qualified referrals once strong relationships develop based on honesty, integrity and trust.

TCWA is an organization for women who've moved from "it's all about me" to "it's all about us". In addition to what might be expected from an online community for personal and professional growth, TCWA has developed a dynamic networking model that allows women to go "Beyond the Business Card"™ to build strong connections by combining the power of the internet to interact virtually, and monthly 'in person' meetings resulting in even stronger business alliances.

An organization whose members focus on developing business - not sales - and we know the difference. We have 3500+ Subscribers.

www.theconnectedwoman.com/

GroYourBiz

GroYourBiz.com, a division of Impact Communications Ltd., is an initiative that GroYourBiz is an initiative that brings a tactical and proven approach to meeting the needs of women business owners. GroYourBiz provides a monthly peer to peer advisory group of 15 to 20 women per chapter, top experts, business analysts, and presenters, a 'practical approach' training guide, and involvement of an alliance of top private sector organizations (BMO, Fasken Martineau, TELUS and Meyers Norris Penny), working together to foster and support small-medium enterprises (SMEs). GroYourBiz also provides a strategic alliance with Women Presidents' Organization (WPO)-the premier membership organization for over 1400 women presidents and CEOs of privately held, multimillion dollar companies, offering benefits from shared seminars, training, and much more.

www.groyourbiz.com/

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Professional Women's Network

The Professional Women's Network, founded in 1997, is a non-profit organization with Chapters in Vancouver and Calgary consisting of 1300 women (and in Vancouver also men) from all walks of business, including corporate, professional and entrepreneurial life. Our aim is to help raise the stature of women in business, and to facilitate a level playing field for women in business through education about and opportunities for effective business networking, business development and career development. In a variety of ways including by doing business together, our members help each other work through and remove barriers to women's success in business. PWN supports and frequently partners with several other B.C. women's business organizations for events and programs aligned with PWN's aims.

www.pwncanada.ca

Women of Whistler

The mission of the Women of Whistler (WOW) is “to enhance and support the personal and professional development of women in the areas of networking, learning and mentorship, through WOW’s access to local, national, and international resources”. WOW is proud to be celebrating our 11th year providing these resources to women in the Sea to Sky Corridor. WOW hosts 5 events throughout the year covering a variety of current and relevant topics. Participants include entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, corporate managers, supervisors, and front line employees. WOW is an organizing committee of the Whistler Chamber of Commerce, and we work closely with our community sponsors, Women’s Enterprise Centre and Community Futures Howe Sound, to provide access to additional resources as outlined in our mission. Although we are not a member based organization, we have a database of over 500 active participants, with average attendance of 70-80 women per event. http://www.womenofwhistler.com

Women’s Enterprise Centre

Women’s Enterprise Centre is the go-to place for BC women who are starting, growing or purchasing a business. Our team of professionals provides business loans, skills training, advice, mentors, resources and a supportive community to help women start, grow and succeed in their business. With offices and business advisors in Vancouver, Victoria and Kelowna, Women’s Enterprise Centre is the Regional Partner Organization for BC for WEConnect Canada and winner of the 2012 Startup Canada ‘Canadian Mentorship Challenge’ contest. Women’s Enterprise Centre works with partners throughout BC and Canada to reach women business owners, including the over 40 women’s business associations in BC, Community Futures partners, Small Business BC and others. Women’s Enterprise Centre is funded in part by Western Economic Diversification Canada and the Province of BC.

www.womensenterprise.ca

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Women's Executive Network

WXN creates and delivers innovative networking, mentoring, professional and personal development to inform, inspire, connect and recognize our community of 18,000 smart women and their organizations in the pursuit of excellence. WXN enables our Partners and Corporate Members to become and to be recognized as employers of choice and leaders in the advancement of women.

Founded in 1997, WXN is Canada’s leading organization dedicated to the advancement and recognition of women in management, executive, professional and board roles. WXN is a Founding Member of the Canadian Board Diversity Council, dedicated to increasing the diversity of Canada’s corporate boards.

www.wxnetwork.com

Women Presidents' Organization

The WPO is the premier membership organization for women presidents & CEOs (and managing directors) of privately held, multi-million dollar companies. Through global, confidential and collaborative peer-learning groups, the WPO accelerates business growth, enhances competitiveness, and promotes economic security. It is the ultimate destination for successful women entrepreneurs.

Who: More than 1,550 accomplished women entrepreneurs at the multimillion-dollar level who aim to increase their business and personal success. WPO members average $13 million in revenue, have a combined 28,000 years in business, and employ over 113,500 employees

www.womenpresidentsorg.com

Vancouver Board Of Trade Women’s Leadership Circle ®

Launched in 2007, the Women’s Leadership Circle® (WLC) is a special program of The Vancouver Board of Trade created to provide a forum for women members to become more engaged in the social, business and political communities in which the Board of Trade operates. The WLC has approximately 2,000 members, almost half of all Board of Trade members.

The mission of the WLC is to connect, support and advocate for women in business. It does this through high-calibre speaker events with business, community and political leaders; exclusive roundtables; hosted WLC tables; and discussions on LinkedIn and Twitter. Members of the WLC have the unique advantage of being directly connected to the full, diverse and far-reaching network of The Vancouver Board of Trade.

Direction for the WLC comes from its Advisory Council comprised of approximately twenty-five female and male leaders from a variety of organizations (e.g. business, government, non-profit and educational.)

www.boardoftrade.com

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BC Women in Energy

The BC Women in Energy Network (BC WEN) is a non-profit society dedicated to supporting the success of women engaged in the BC energy sector. The BC WEN works to provide opportunities for women and men to share information and knowledge, participate in discussions, learn about the energy industry, and engage in events and programs.

Canadian Women in Technology - BC Chapter

Canadian Women in Technology (CanWIT, a Division of CATA Alliance) is a national volunteer organization that encourages young women to consider a career in technology and helps accelerate the careers of women already in the field. Our programs include mentorship initiatives, networking events, professional development and advocacy.

Canadian Women's Foundation

We invest in the power of women and the dreams of girls. The Canadian Women's Foundation raises money to research, fund and share the best approaches to ending violence against women, moving low-income women out of poverty and building strong, resilient girls.

CRAVE

A collection of innovative shops and businesses created by women.

eWomen Network

Through the philosophy of abundance, we consciously and intentionally look for ways to share information, leads, contacts, and business. eWomen Network represents a heart-centered approach which honors how women connect, collaborate and create with each other.

Fabulous Female Network

The Fabulous Female Network™ is providing inspiration, education and information, featuring localized content from various cities to make it easier for women to connect within their own business community, as well as being inspired by women nationwide and globally.

Forum for Women Entrepreneurs (FWE)

The programs at FWE are designed to support and mentor women who are venturing into new business opportunities. From start-up advice to general tips and tricks, FWE leaders, advisors, and business professionals are ready to share their expertise. Since 2002, FWE has been encouraging, educating, and

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mentoring women entrepreneurs. With 140+ e-series program participants, 500 mentees partnered with mentors through the HSBC Mentor program, and a growing list of leadership programs and events offered throughout the year, the team at FWE, along with its members, continues to see success.

Business in Vancouver Influential Women in Business Award

Influential women are honoured annually through Business in Vancouver's Influential Women in Business Awards. Honourees are influential leaders in their industry and the business community at large, committing time and resources to mentor other women in business and contribute their expertise on corporate and not for profit boards.

Ladies Who Launch

Entrepreneurship & creativity as a lifestyle. Resources and community - for business, for life.

Mom Inc Movement

mom inc. MOVEMENT was created to help moms be both successful moms and successful businesswomen. Our goal is to give moms the information and support to start, find, or expand a business or a career, one that fills them with passion, enhances their self-worth, and adds to their piggy bank.

Pink Tank

A fresh new business group connecting urban woman professionals.

Society for Canadian Women in Science & Technology

To encourage women into science, engineering and technology. We support and promote the education of girls and women through programs and activities that we develop in partnership with the community, and to keep them there…

We boost the numbers, retention and status of women in the workplace by facilitating networking, mentoring and advocating woman-friendly policies, whilst raising awareness…

We highlight opportunities, achievements and positive messages for and about women in the field. We do this by raising public awareness and guiding policy implementation.

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SWAN Network

SWAN serves as an organization that unites, supports and promotes entrepreneurs, managers and professional women to work together, share resources and build relationships on both a personal and business level. We provide an opportunity for those women who want to take command of their personal and professional futures by developing contacts through networking.

Valley Women's Network

The Valley Women’s Network is dedicated to bringing together women from all walks of life so that they may share and support each other’s goals and interests, exchange ideas, and encourage both learning from their peers and set a good example for others. We provide a platform to members for business networking and informative discussions on promoting a positive self image, health, safety, well-being and successful business practices.

Wired Women

Wired Woman is a Canadian registered non-profit society with a mission to encourage women to explore opportunities, build successful careers, and become a driving force in science, technology and new media.

Women in Biz Network

WIBN connects, educates and empowers over 10,000 professional women to grow within their business lives. We meet online (via social media and webinars) and also nationally, at in-person events across the country in: Toronto, Vancouver and Ottawa. We use social media and networking to connect women with business and job opportunities; resulting in a “community” dedicated to meeting the needs of professional women, both online and in-person.

Women On Board

Women On Board promotes the appointment of women to Canadian corporate boards. We support a more competitive corporate Canada by linking companies with our valuable network of skilled and experienced women to serve on boards, and foster growth in the number of experienced, board-ready potential female directors.

Y.E.S. - Young Executives for Success

Y.E.S. is a group of over 350 women from every corner of Vancouver’s working world with a passion for Dress for Success Vancouver, and a desire to create a fun networking forum where business and philanthropy can meet in style.

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Young Women in Business (YWiB).

The Young Women in Business [YWiB] network is a non-profit society for emerging female leaders in Canada. The network acts as the central forum to connect ambitious young women from a variety of careers, industries, and backgrounds. YWiB hosts a variety of events that provide our members with opportunities to develop relevant skills and knowledge, so that they have the insight, support, and capability to reach their fullest personal and professional potential. YWiB connects young women with the skills and support to achieve success on their own terms and to become engaged members within their communities.

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Overview and Introductions (Jill Earthy)

WEB Alliance model of collaboration, meeting for 3 years

represents over 10,000 women in business

helps to utilize existing resources and services and not re-create the wheel

Davos article reflects how investing in women is an important economic strategy

Need for Advisory Board to help Province of BC with its policies and programs

Key Topics:

1. Board Diversity (Vanessa Noga & Nicole Byres)

2. Developing Leadership (Darlene Forst & Dawn McCooey)

3. Access to capital and business resources throughout BC (Laurel Douglas & Cathy Kuzel)

4. Supplier Diversity (Michelle Pockey & Manpreet Dhillon)

Desired Outcome:

Creation of an Advisory Board to represent the interests of women in business in BC in collaboration with the WEB

Alliance of Women’s Business Networks to move these topics forward and keep BC in the best competitive position

using its female assets to the fullest.

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Huffington Post: At Davos Investing in Women Emerges as a Business Strategy

by Melanne Verveer & Kim Azzarelli, Jan 25, 2013 The Daily Beast

Companies are learning that when they support women—as customers, employees, leaders, future investors, and

partners—both their businesses and communities win.

Here in Davos, Switzerland, at the World Economic Forum, much of the discussion is about economic growth. The

International Monetary Fund’s Christine Lagarde inspired those attending to focus on the power of what she termed

“inclusive growth”: “the evidence is clear, as is the message: when women do better, economies do better.” Today,

visionary companies that initially embraced this notion through corporate philanthropy are now making investments

in women a pillar of their business strategies.

Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, speaks Wednesday at the

World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. (Laurent Gillieron/EPA, via Landov)

In recent years, investing in women has become more than inspiring rhetoric or good PR for a company. It’s now

becoming a core business strategy yielding quantifiable returns. As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton explained at an

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in 2011, to “achieve the economic expansion we all seek, we need to

unlock a vital source of growth that can power our economies in the decades to come.” By “increasing women’s

participation in the economy and enhancing their efficiency and productivity,” the secretary said, “we can have a

dramatic impact on the competitiveness and growth of our economies.”

These dividends come in part as a result of the growing economic influence wielded by women. In the United States,

women control or influence more than 80 percent of purchasing decisions. Globally they are responsible for $20

trillion in spending, a figure expected to rise to $28 trillion by 2014. Goldman Sachs has found that it is women who

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are redefining markets and creating growth by focusing their spending power on purchases such as food, health care,

education, clothing, consumer durables, and financial services. And, according to a Deloitte study, women’s earning

power is growing faster than men’s in the developing world, where their earned incomes have increased by 8.1

percent compared with men’s 5.8 percent. As Muhtar Kent, the CEO of Coca-Cola, recently stated, “The truth is that

women are already the most dynamic and fastest-growing economic force in the world today.”

More and more companies are doing the math and investing in what Booz & Co. has dubbed the Third Billion—

women globally—a market segment large enough to rival China or India. The early corporate leaders focused on

philanthropic and corporate social-responsibility (CSR) initiatives and have been in industries that market specifically

to women: consumer packaged goods and retail and fashion-related companies. The Body Shop and Aveda created

significant philanthropies for women and girls, and the Nike Foundation launched its Girl Effect movement, while Liz

Claiborne focused on violence-prevention efforts. Many companies donated heavily to breast-cancer research and

prevention.

Now, even industries traditionally considered men’s—automotive, oil, investment banking—are finding common

cause with women and girls. Encouraged in part by the microfinance movement, their efforts often focus on women’s

empowerment through entrepreneurship. For instance, Goldman Sachs’s 10,000 Women initiative has given more

than 7,000 women across the globe economic opportunity through training and mentoring, resulting in growth for a

significant number of women-owned businesses. ExxonMobil’s Women’s Economic Opportunity Initiative also

supports female entrepreneurs by helping to facilitate the networks they need to grow their businesses.

The rewards are becoming demonstrable. Significant research from the World Bank to the public and private sectors

has shown how investments in women yield a “double dividend”: women are more likely than men to invest their

incomes in their families and communities, driving GDP up and illiteracy and mortality rates down. This double

benefit, combined with pure market forces, now presents Wall Street and women with a unique and mutually

beneficial opportunity.

So how can more of the world’s global economic leaders take advantage of this convergence of trends and harness

the power of women for business growth and progress?

“Women are already the most dynamic and fastest-growing economic force in

the world today.”

First, embrace a broader definition of corporate citizenship, one that goes beyond traditional notions of CSR. Instead

of treating women solely as recipients of philanthropy, companies should see them as partners critical to every part

of the value chain—marketing, sales, distribution, research and development, and management. For example, Coca-

Cola recently launched a program to include 5 million women across its entire business structure, or corporate value

chain, by 2020. Funded by the for-profit business, not the foundation, the program aims to include more women in

every area of operations, including training them as business owners to market and sell products. Direct-selling

companies such as Avon, Mary Kay, and Tupperware have long understood the value of women entrepreneurs as a

distribution channel—and drivers of the bottom line. The direct-selling model gives women the training, credit, and

support to start their own businesses by selling company products. It has been particularly successful in developing

world markets with infrastructure challenges. Indeed, women have been known to paddle down the Amazon to sell

products in remote communities.

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Second, commit to greater diversity in management and corporate governance. There is no question that too many

executive women today are still only tapping at that proverbial glass ceiling. As a result, corporations continue to

deprive themselves of the very talents, energies, and insights that can propel growth and market opportunities. A

recent Catalyst survey found a strong correlation between gender diversity in the leadership ranks of a business and

that company’s performance. For instance, according to a Deloitte report, when women were given a significant role

in product development at Campbell Soup, they came up with a new line that became a $200 million business almost

overnight.

Third, aggressively integrate women-run small and medium-size businesses into the supply chain. By seeking out and

working with women-owned firms, companies can not only diversify their supply chains and mitigate risk, but also

support women entrepreneurs and expand small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs), which are known engines of

GDP growth. Walmart is one example of a company using its enormous scale to drive business to women-owned

sources. And organizations such as WEConnect that focus on the value of women in the supply chain are linking large

companies like Pfizer, Microsoft, and Marriott with women vendors.

Fourth, eliminate the barriers women face in accessing finance and credit. Around the world, women face greater

hurdles than their male counterparts in receiving financial services. As a result, women are less able to make the

investments that can maximize profits and ensure their businesses reach their full potential. More financial

institutions should recognize that women are a proven low-risk, high-yield investment and create products to better

serve women as a market segment. Companies working to integrate women entrepreneurs into their supply chains

could establish relationships with banks to encourage them to use purchase order agreements with their companies

as collateral. Companies can also invest in women’s entrepreneurship funds or venture capital firms that specifically

serve women-owned businesses.

Finally, take the lead in making the evidence-based case to governments that women are valuable—crucial—

economic actors. In an era when governments around the world are trying to make do with less, it is essential that

businesses and potential investors make national and local governments understand that investments in women’s

education, health, and economic security and are important factors in big businesses’ decisions to expand into local

markets are also investments that will create new jobs and lift economies.

Clearly, women are good for business, but is business good for women? Aligning the bottom line with women’s

advancement is not a panacea for the plight of women worldwide. Critical human-rights issues must be addressed

before women can truly advance. In many parts of the world, laws and customs still stand in the way of women’s

empowerment—and we all must support efforts to reform these systems. At the same time, we must acknowledge

that economic independence is critical to advancing those rights. The two are inseparable.

Ultimately, converting women’s fast-growing economic influence into real social, economic, and political power will

take time and perseverance. But the momentum of the global marketplace, should we choose to sustain it, can

provide us a way forward. As corporate leaders look for resilient dynamism and growth in 2013, there are no better

partners poised to deliver profits and progress across geographies than the Third Billion.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/01/25/at-davos-investing-in-women-emerges-as-a-business-

strategy.html

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Geri Stengel, Contributor (I write about socially responsible business.) FORBESWOMAN 1/16/2013

Photo by Walter Karling

Do my eyes deceive me? The government will grow my small business. How?

By becoming your customer and if the government is your customer, chances are it’s spending big with you. If the

federal government is a customer, women-owned businesses are 23 times more likely to be million-dollar

businesses, according to American Express OPEN research about government small business contracting.

Until recently, minority- and women-owned firms have only been able to compete for small contracts. Last year, the

federal government removed that limitation and now New York City has, too. Legislation just passed means that

contracts greater than $1 million will count towards the Minority and Women Business Enterprises (M/WBE)

procurement goals for city agencies. M/WBEs will now be in demand on larger contracts, creating more opportunities

for them.

All kinds of women-owned businesses now have a tremendous opportunity to enter into major contracts with the

government. Federal, state, and local governments buy everything, from office supplies to construction services, from

catering to janitorial services.

“For too long, minorities and women have been effectively shut out of City contracts. With today’s bill, we level the

playing field to give these businesses the access that they deserve, said Christine C. Quinn, speaker of the New York

City Council. “This legislation is important, not only because it provides fairness and equal opportunity to MWBEs, but

because it will help grow businesses that will provide jobs, spur economic growth and diversify our economy, and

because it will increase competition for City contracts, which will translate into lower costs and increased quality,”

said Quinn.

“Mayor Bloomberg passed monumental legislation in 2005 to help increase opportunities for minority and women-

owned small businesses. The new legislation goes even further to strengthen the program and expand opportunity.

Removing the $1 million cap gives greater flexibility to City agencies to do business with M/WBEs, creating more

demand for M/WBEs on larger contracts, and expanding opportunities available to M/WBE firms from $400 million to

over $2.2 billion,” said Rob Walsh, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. “We encourage

minority and women-owned firms to certify with the City, and learn more about free City services that can help

M/WBEs compete and grow.”

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It’s not just the minority- and women-owned businesses that benefit. When minority- and women-owned businesses

grow, they’re more likely to hire locally, according to Sandra Wilkin, president of Bradford Companies, a construction

project management company. She is Co-Chair of The New Agenda, a coalition that identifies opportunities for

M/WBEs and small businesses to fuel economic growth.

“Why should small businesses explore government contracting? Our [American Express OPEN] research shows that

government contracting can help boost a small business to become a high-growth company; 47% of small businesses

active in government contracting reach the $1M revenue mark, compared to just 5% of small business overall, and

1.8% of women-owned businesses” said Ben Stone, Director of Small Business and Start Up Development at American

Express OPEN.

I’m not going to lie to you: Getting a government contract is hard work and, with budgets shrinking, it’s getting more

competitive, but the reward is great. Here are five tips from Lourdes Martin-Rosa, American Express OPEN Advisor on

Government Contracting, to help put you in the fast lane.

1) Register your business to get your business noticed by government agencies whether it’s for federal, state

or city contracts. For example, register your company on System for Award Management (SAM) for federal

contracts, the Office of General Services (OGS) Online Bidder Notification Service and for New York

City Vendor Enrollment Center. There are more than 5,000 purchasing sites nationwide.

2) Certify your business to get greater access to and information about contracting opportunities. Check out

these links for information about certification at the federal level, New York state and New York City Minority

& Women-Owned Business Enterprise Program.

3) Learn which government agencies buy your type of products and services so you know where to look for

contracts. For information on federal spending, visit USAspending, where you can find out who the federal

government buys from and how much it spends, by agency.

4) Use all available resources to find information that will save you time and money, including how-to

articles, guides, videos, and tips on how to do business with the government on American Express OPEN

Forum. You’ll also find free monthly webinars at Give Me 5, a website for women-owned businesses seeking

federal contracts. The site was created by Women Impacting Public Policy and American Express OPEN. New

York City providesfree seminars to assist you through the process.

5) Team with another small business owner to improve your chances of winning contracts.

A study by American Express OPEN found that business owners who team with another business win 50% more

contracts. Teaming can also help novice business owners gain the experience and credibility they need to win

contracts on their own. To find teaming partners, visitUSAspending and Federal Procurement Data System. These two

websites offer a wealth of past-performance information that lets you see both buyers and competitors. Those

competitors could become your teammate.

On second thought, it might not be as hard as starting and building your business in the first place. Much of the work

boils down to filing the right papers and networking. We all know how to do both. Given the potential rewards, let’s

start filling out those forms.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/geristengel/2013/01/16/nyc-encourages-growth-of-women-owned-businesses/

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Toronto Star: Women Owned-Businesses: Canada needs more female entrepreneurs

By: Hadaf Zubi Special to The Star, The Star - Jan 30, 2013

Of the 2.4 million businesses registered in Canada at the end of 2011, 1.1 million were small businesses, and they

employed 48% of Canadians in the private sector.

Hadaf Zubi is a business funding specialist and can be reached at hzubi@liquidcapitalcorp.com

Of the 2.4 million businesses registered in Canada at the end of 2011, 1.1 million were small businesses, and they

employed 48% of Canadians in the private sector.

Industry Canada’s most recent estimates put the proportion of women-owned small businesses at 17%, which would

represent about 187,000 firms. Since 2001 the proportion of Canadian women employed in senior management

positions has risen 5%, and the proportion employed in natural and applied sciences has risen 10%.

The proportion in women in the workforce stayed virtually the same, so it is surprising that even though the number

of professional women employed in Canada has risen since 2001, the ratio of self-employed women to men has

hovered around a 35-65 split. With more and more women working in professional occupations, what are the major

obstacles holding them back from starting businesses of their own, and what can be changed?

The University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management’s “Taskforce for Women’s Business Growth” 2011 report

discusses some of the challenges faced by women-owned businesses, such as the absence of a national women’s

entrepreneurial strategy, a lack of supplier diversity initiatives, and a shortage of commercial lending. The resolution

of these issues would enable more women to form small businesses, so what is being done to fix these problems?

Canada lacks a coordinated national women’s economic development strategy. As the Telfer report suggests, “(A)

national strategy would support increased funding to existing women-focused small business training programs and

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program expansion in those regions that do not currently support such programs, including Quebec, Southern

Ontario and Northern Canada.”

Although it is the centre of the Canadian economy, the GTA has no women-specific government-sponsored funding

program analogous the Government of Canada-sponsored Women’s Enterprise Initiative Loan Program. The Program,

funded through Western Economic Diversification Canada, provides loans of up to $150,000, along with advisory

services and networking opportunities for women-owned businesses west of Ontario.

Women-owned businesses in the GTA have access to several networking and support groups, though. Organizations

like The Toronto Business and Professional Women’s Club, the toronto chapter of the Women’s Entrepreneurs’s

Meetup.com group, or the Hamilton Immigrant Women’s Centre all provide training and advisory services for women

who want to start or grow their business. The availability of mentorship is essential to the formation of Women-

owned businesses. According to recent research by BMO, 83% of potential female entrepreneurs surveyed said

having access to mentors would be important if they were to start their own business.

A second important element to supporting women’s business growth is a focus on leveraging supplier diversity.

In the USA the Small Business Administration has set aside small business funding for Women-owned small

businesses (WOSBs) bidding on government contracts that are under $5 million for manufacturing, or under $3

million otherwise.

In addition to providing loans or loan guarantees, the SBA maintains Women’s Business Centers in major population

centers in every state. These funding programs were established to help the US Government fulfill its stated goal of

5% Women-owned procurement.

WEConnect Canada, an organization that certifies businesses as Women-owned, states that the 5% goal has never

been met because of a lack of consequences. But they still think the program is beneficial, and that the Canadian

government should “establish procurement targets for SMEs and in particular, women-owned enterprises.“

They go on to suggest that “strategic SME procurement policy is an under-utilized mechanism to enhance supplier

diversity and hence, Canadian competitiveness.”

Government procurement targets are essential to encourage supplier diversity on Canadian government contracts,

which the Canadian Federation of Independent Business has consistently pointed out are perceived by their members

as being opaque, if not outright unfair.

A third element that would clear the path for more Women-owned businesses would be increased access to

commercial capital and dedicated financial resources. Although overall loan volume is growing in Canada, much of

that growth is occurring in Quebec and Alberta. Ontario loan volumes are declining, especially in the sub-$500,000

space.

Government sponsored women-focused lending programs, such as those offered in the USA or other parts of Canada,

would certainly alleviate the cash crunch for Women-owned businesses in the GTA.

http://www.thestar.com/business/small_business/people/2013/01/30/women-owned-businesses--canada-needs-

more-female-entrepreneurs.html

Page 23 of 27

Forbes: The Top 6 Reasons Women Are Not Leading In Corporate America As We Need

Them To

Kathy Caprino, Contributor Women’s career and work-life success strategies, solutions and tips LEADERSHIP 2/12/2013 @

Part of Kathy Caprino‘s new series on Women, Leadership, and Vision

As a trainer and leadership developer of women, I’ve had the opportunity to speak with hundreds of HR and senior

executive leaders the past 10 years, about women, growth, and paving the way for women’s ascension to leadership

in corporate America. Yet what remains so disappointing and in fact, shocking, is that despite the irrefutable business

case for the need to balance corporate leadership ranks with more women, we’re making very little headway – very

little progress in the way of effective corporate change is occurring. Yes there are winners of Catalyst and other

awards – and great, progressive organizations doing their part – but in the whole of corporate America, we’re not

seeing the substantive change that’s necessary. Further, recent studies show that senior women are hit three times

harder than their male counterparts in these tough economic times.

I believe there are 6 core reasons why women aren’t advancing to the leadership ranks to the degree we need them

to in corporate America. One of the most important factors is that organizations are not digging deep enough to

uncover EXACTLY why their organization isn’t fostering women leaders successfully. Leaders and HR directors

attempt to address the issue every day, and they commit diversity dollars, initiatives, training programs and

networking events to moving the needle, but rarely have the hard data, research and findings from men and

women in the organization as to why women are leaving before they reach leadership levels, why they are plateauing

or not being promoting effectively into leadership. Thus, their programs and initiatives don’t make a lasting

difference.

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Before I share what I believe are the 6 reasons why women aren’t leading in sufficient numbers, I’d like to ask HR staff and senior leaders this question:

Do you know (based on sound research and data and frank and open conversations at your company) EXACTLY why

women are not sitting at your leadership tables in your organization? Do you have a handle on the specific part of the

pipeline where you lose women, and why? If not, what step can you take this month to investigate as thoroughly as

possible the barriers to women’s leadership success at your company?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions, the very first thing you must do is begin a research and data

gathering initiative – conduct a thorough, candid, and probing exploration of what isn’t happening that needs to be,

and determine the barriers to women’s growth that are specific to your organization, culture, and enterprise.

To get you started in your thinking, below are the top 6 reasons I’ve found for why women aren’t leading as we need

them to in corporate business, based on my 10 years of work in the field, my year-long research study, my

book Breakdown, Breakthrough, my Career Success training programs and my leadership consulting.

The top six reasons why women aren’t leading in sufficient numbers are:

1) The differences between men and women are not fully understood or valued.

It’s an indisputable fact – women and men are different in many core ways, grounded in their neurobiology and their

cultural training. (Read Dr. Louann Brizendine’s books The Female Brain and The Male Brain for more info). So much

of men and women’s behavior is programmed, hard-wired in our brains, and also culturally influenced. I’ve found,

however, that in corporate America (which remains male-dominated at the leadership levels), the differences in

women’s style, approach, communication, decision making, leadership values, focus and “energy,” are not at all

understood or valued. Many organizations still make women “wrong” (consciously or subconsciously) for their

priorities and styles that clash with the dominant culture. Further, the emphasis many women leaders place on

connection, empathy, emotional cue-taking, consensus-building, risk-taking, mutuality, and questioning are often

misconstrued as a “less-than” leadership style. More multicultural and diversity training must occur for women and

men to wholly embrace their differences, and understand that it is diversity and difference that makes us stronger

and more competitive.

2) Whole-self authenticity is a must-have for many women, yet impossible still in many corporate environments.

During a class I taught at New York University last summer on managing inclusion and cultural diversity, my students

and I discussed the idea of bringing our whole hearts and spirits to our work and our careers – the idea that

authenticity and transparency, and being who we really are – and being recognized and appreciated for that — is a

vitally important criterion for our career success. A fascinating finding emerged – literally every woman in the class

was in complete accord – that authenticity and being able to bring our whole selves to our work is essential to our

fulfillment and success. (Check out Brené Brown’s great work on authenticity and vulnerability for more on that.)

But the males in the class vehemently disagreed. They shared their feelings that full transparency at work, and

“exposing” all parts of themselves (personal and otherwise) was not at all desirable. They confirmed this with

numerous male friends and colleagues, who all agreed that it’s not safe or accepted (or wanted) to be fully

transparent and bring their whole selves to the workplace. I’ve seen this as a commonly held difference between

men and women in the workplace, again impacted by cultural training and neurobiology. (Again, I am fully aware

that many men do indeed bring their full, authentic selves to work.) But what’s vital to remember is that, for

thousands of women, if they can’t be real, true, transparent, honest and authentic at work – and can’t be recognized,

valued and appreciated for what they bring to the table — they won’t want to follow the leadership at the helm or do

what it takes to succeed in their organizations or roles. If the political environment is so crushing, and the competitive

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terrain so negative that work feels like “theatre” and women have to pretend to be something they are not (which it

did for me for numbers of years in my corporate life), then it’s not sustainable, and not worth it. Thousands of

women are fleeing corporate America and starting their own businesses to escape what isn’t working for them, and

also to create new models of business success and leadership that fit their style, preference, values and priorities.

3) Life, family and work priorities clash fiercely.

Women are still performing the majority of domestic and child care responsibility in the home, even when there are

two spouses working full-time. As such, and as long as women are bearing the children in our species, women will

not view child rearing and child care in the same way as men do, and will prioritize the responsibilities around it

differently. The best article I’ve read recently on this dilemma – as a woman, the challenges around how to be the

caregiver you want to be while being the contributive professional you long to be – is Anne-Marie Slaughter’s piece in

The Atlantic, Why Women Still Can’t Have It All. For me, every word resonated. Slaughter covered every key

dimension represented of the challenges women face today in their quest to become business and political leaders

while also balancing what they want to be as parents and care-givers, and what has to change in our work policies to

allow these dual priorities to be met. If you’re outdated and closed-minded and believe that work-life balance or

integration is a pipedream only for fools, then you’re contributing to the problem.

4) Extreme work demands can drum women out.

The extreme demands of many 24/7 work corporate environments today represent an impasse to many women who

wish to prioritize life outside of work more highly. I’ve written before and believe this wholeheartedly –women are

not less ambitious than men. It is the COST of ambition – and the struggle women face in pursuing their professional

ambitions — that is at the heart of why we have so few women leaders today, and why women are achieving less and

not reaching as high as men in corporate America. As Betsy Myers, President Clinton’s senior adviser on women’s

issues shared with me recently, women tend to view their work as only one piece of the pie that represents their

total life experience. If they’re forced to focus 24/7 on work for a majority of their professional lives, most women

will choose not to pay that price.

5) Marginalizing of women is more common than we want to admit.

As much as we don’t want to admit it, women are still being diminished, sidelined, suppressed, and thought less of

because of being women and because they are different from the leadership norm (here’s an example). Further,

women are pushed aside regularly when they make their family priorities known or demand time off after having a

child (and don’t kid yourself – this is a form discrimination to be sidelined for prioritizing time off for child bearing).

We can deny this all we want, but it is happening all across corporate America – women are still considered “less

than” in terms of leadership capability in many organizations. This will change in 50 or 100 years, and is changing

radically now in the entrepreneurial world (where I’m very excited to be supporting women’s leadership growth), but

not fast enough in corporate America.

If your organization still has insufficient representation of women at senior levels, do what is necessary to bring about

true change. Conduct primary research at your workplace to uncover what is not working for women in the

organization, and follow it up by implementing new policies, procedures, and effective training, education, and

programs for men and women. Measure the efficacy of these programs and initiatives, and communicate effectively

and authoritatively the mandate that diversity and inclusion must become a way of life at your organization. Finally,

support your successful and empowering female leaders today as true role models who “walk the talk” and can give

other women a powerful visual model for success.

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6) Personal accountability needs to be expanded.

I’ve read scores of comments by women (top writers on leadership, for instance) that if we talk about how women

are holding themselves back from leadership, we’re again blaming women for how they blew it, instead of

understanding that it’s a faulty model they’re trying to overcome.

I disagree with this line of thinking. Yes, the model needs revision most certainly, but this is a complex problem with

many contributing factors. Within this construct, individuals have the power to take accountability, step up to what

has to be done, and have the courage to make change, both on the individual level, and the organizational level.

Women are today (and can become) great leaders and inspire other women to follow in their footsteps. I see it every

day.

It is not all about the environment or men not doing their part. There are plenty of strong male advocates and

supporters of women, and great male leaders who know how to pave the way for the high growth and engagement

of both women and men (for an inspiring example, check out Chairman and Senior Partner of

PricewaterhouseCoopers Robert Moritz’s keynote speech at Bentley University’s Center for Women and

Business Forum). For true change to occur, we need the support of men, and to walk in partnership with our best

male leaders. But to bring about real and lasting change, women must also learn to understand better the terrain

they’re operating in — the ecosystem they’re engaged in — and power up their skills and accountability in order to

navigate it successfully. (No, I’m not saying “Be more like a man.”) I’m suggesting that women understand what’s

needed to succeed, and embrace their authentic personal brand, build their confidence and self-worth, enhance their

communication, leadership and decision-making skills, forge vital partnerships, and step up to their fullest potential

to claim the leadership authority they want.

In the end, creating a pathway for more women in corporate leadership will require change on all levels — individual,

organizational and global. But we must start with you and me, today. What one step can YOU take – either as a

female committed to achieving more leadership authority, or as a female or male leader with the power and

influence to bring about true change in your organization. What will YOU do?