In Celebration of International Women’s Day: Showcasing Women in Business at Magnet and The Diversity Institute
Magnet’s mission is to accelerate inclusive economic growth for all in Canada by advancing careers, businesses and communities. Women are a huge part of that- and in celebration of International Women’s Day, we wanted to highlight a few exciting collaborations and activities happening in the Magnet and Diversity Institute ecosystems that support women entrepreneurs in Canada.
Business, Government, Services and You: A Spotlight on Women Entrepreneurs
This past week, the Magnet Export Business Portal team attended “Business, Government, Services and You: A spotlight on Women Entrepreneurs”, presented by FedDev Ontario Small Business Services in partnership with the Diversity Institute, to talk about the variety of women-focused trade missions, as well as learning opportunities and events that are accessible to all women-owned businesses by creating an account in the Magnet Export Business Portal.
During the FedDev event, we heard from Wendy Cukier, Academic Director of the Diversity Institute, who talked about the importance of having systems in place to better match women entrepreneurs to opportunities. “I’ve heard a lot of women entrepreneurs say that they know there’s money out there, but they don’t know which grants to apply for,” she said. “Sometimes we end up with situations where good performances or grant writing are being rewarded rather than good companies or good ideas. We need to really find a good way to deal with those issues. And that’s part of the reason the Women’s Entrepreneur Knowledge Hub is partnering with Magnet.”
The Diversity Institute in the Ted Rogers School of Management is a think-and-do tank which develops evidence-based approaches to address future skills, erode barriers in employment and promote equity, diversity and inclusion, and is a key partner on many Magnet projects, including the Magnet Export Business Portal.
Photo credit: Tracey Nolan
Dr. Wendy Cukier, Founder of Diversity Institute moderating panel at the WEConnect International Power of the Economy Conference in Fall 2018
Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub
Magnet is also using its advanced technology platform to support the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH), funded by the government of Canada. Led by Ryerson University’s Diversity Institute, Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship and the Ted Rogers School of Management, WEKH is building a national network and accessible digital platform for sharing research, resources, and leading strategies. With nine regional hubs and a network of more than 75 partner organizations, WEKH is a nation-wide network of researchers, business support organizations, and key stakeholders aiming to grow women’s entrepreneurship in Canada. Magnet’s matching platform will help WEKH enhance the capacity of women entrepreneurs and the organizations who serve them by linking them to resources and best practices from across the country.
Diversity Declaration Functionality- newly launched in Magnet
Women-owned and women run business will benefit from Magnet’s newest functionality in the Magnet Export Business Portal, the Diversity Declaration. The Diversity Declaration, allows new users signing up to the Magnet Export Business Portal to identify as a diverse-owned business, if your company is owned and managed by an individual who identifies as a woman or with any of the following groups: Immigrants, Indigenous, LBGTQ*, persons with disabilities, veterans, visible minorities. By self-declaring, you can start receiving opportunities that are specifically targeted to support your needs and help you leverage your competitive advantage.
Check out this webinar on Global Opportunities for Women-Owned Business to give women-owned and run businesses insiders tips about exporting, co-hosted by Magnet.