Celebrating 25 Years of Empowerment - Championing women entrepreneurs through seasons of global change - Women ...
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WESK ANNUAL REPORT 2020-2021 Celebrating 25 Years of Empowerment Championing women entrepreneurs through seasons of global change
TABLE OF CONTENTS
28,271
entrepreneurs
03 04 05
have attended
WESK workshops
since 1995
MESSAGE FROM MESSAGE FROM ABOUT US
THE BOARD CHAIR THE CEO
07 08 09 12
RESPONSE TO HIGHLIGHTS PROGRAMS WOMEN IN
COVID-19 FROM THE YEAR BUSINESS
14 16 17 18
EVENTS SMALL BUSINESS MEMBERSHIP ADVISING
CONFERENCE
19 20 21 22
FINANCING TRAINING SPONSORS WESK TEAM
A message from
FROM THE BOARD CHAIR
the Chair Board
Like organizations and businesses around growth, the implementation of the stra-
the world, WESK was forced to address the tegic plan has included the update to
challenges and opportunities presented WESK’s membership model.
by the COVID-19 pandemic in this past
• The celebration of WESK’s 25th anniver-
fiscal year. And, like those organizations
sary, including the virtual conference in
and businesses - but especially like the
September 2020. While it wasn’t the
amazing female entrepreneurs we have
in-person celebration that the WESK
right here in Saskatchewan - WESK piv-
team had planned, WESK marked it
oted swiftly to meet those challenges,
by doing what it does best – providing
to support its community, and to seek
opportunities and support for women
opportunities to move forward and further
entrepreneurs to learn, connect, and
its mandate to close the gender entrepre-
move forward.
neurship gap.
It has been an absolute honour to serve as
Women are amazing (which we already
Board Chair again this year, working with
knew), but the examples that we’ve
an incredible group of Directors who are
seen in this last year, of women-owned
as passionate about the work of WESK as
businesses pivoting and finding a path
the WESK team. I want to especially thank
forward, despite everything, is nothing
Marcia Mirasty and Aimee Schulhauser
short of amazing. We’ve created such a
who concluded their Board terms this year
strong community in our province and the
for their contributions, and to welcome
momentum to support women-owned
new Directors Rhonda Spencer and Claire
business as they start, grow, and scale
Belanger-Parker who have jumped right in.
continues to build.
DANIELLE GRAFF
BOARD CHAIR On behalf of the Board, I also really want
WESK continues to play a lead role in
to thank the WESK team again for their
supporting women entrepreneurs and
commitment to WESK over this past year
transforming the Saskatchewan business
– I am constantly impressed by everything
ecosystem. A few highlights from the
that this team has accomplished and am
2020-2021 fiscal year include:
excited by all of the go-forward initia-
“I have every confidence that • The implementation of a new strategic tives they have planned. Stay tuned folks,
plan which will guide WESK’s efforts because this WESK team has so much
WESK will continue to be a over the next few years. Among numer- more in store and I have every confidence
change-maker and will lead the ous other efforts both internally and
with respect to WESK’s programs and
that WESK will continue to be a change-
maker and will lead the path forward to
path forward to close the gap.” services to support both recovery and close the gap.
FROM THE CEO
A message
from the CEO
25 YEARS ADVANCING GENDER EQUALITY AND EQUITY
This year, we lived through unprec- the Saskatchewan Advisory Commit-
edented times, and I am incredibly tee’s final report. This includes a brand
proud of the grit and resilience dis- identity to uniquely identify women
played by the WESK team. Driven by entrepreneurs, a campaign to increase
our goal to enrich the lives of women awareness of the contribution of
entrepreneurs throughout our prov- women entrepreneurs, the Saskatch-
ince, we have demonstrated our ability ewan Women Entrepreneurship Char-
to adapt and adopt a ‘new normal’ in ter, and the Digital Entrepreneurship
response to the global pandemic. Hub. Read on for more details, as this
report covers many of the other initia-
We are honoured to have celebrated
tives embarked on during the course of
WESK’s 25th anniversary. Over the
the year.
course of 25 years, WESK has provided
over $40 million in financing to wom- We want to remind you that WESK is
en-owned businesses and over 7,000 here to support you and your business
women have accessed our business as we navigate through this difficult
PRABHA MITCHELL advising services. The correlation time. Our new membership packages
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
between supporting women in scaling provide support to all women entrepre-
their businesses and economic growth neurs, no matter where you may be in
is irrefutable, as women entrepreneurs your entrepreneurial journey.
contributed $23.1 billion to the GDP
This year has been marked with much
in 2019 and created approximately
reflection and transformation. With
“We have demonstrated 192,000 jobs.
the strength and resilience learned
our ability to adapt and Despite the challenges and con-
straints imposed by the pandemic,
over this past year, we encourage you
to strive for excellence as we continue
adopt a ‘new normal’.” the WESK team resolutely advanced to move forward in the re-opening of
four recommendations outlined in our province.
ABOUT US
WHAT IS THE GENDER
ENTREPRENEUR GAP?
There is a significant gender entrepreneurship
gap in Canada. By understanding and address-
Supporting women entrepreneurs
ing the unique barriers that women entrepre-
neurs face, we can enhance opportunities to
scale businesses and boost economic growth
in Saskatchewan for 25 years
in our province.
How much more robust our province and
country could be if we created an environ-
ment that empowered women entrepreneurs?
WHY GOALS It’s more than a social and moral imperative
Saskatchewan depends on entrepreneurs, but WESK offers our members endless possibilities to — it’s an economic issue.
a gender entrepreneur gap holds women back. unite with empowered entrepreneurs of every age,
Without specifically-designed support structures, stage, and culture. We strive to connect women in
social inequalities limit our economic potential as business with a community that is rooting for them.
a province. WESK exists to close the gender entre-
preneurship gap in Saskatchewan.
$148 billion $23.1 billion
ROLE WAYS has been contributed to was contributed by
Canada’s GDP by women women entrepreneurs
As a non-profit, membership-based organization By charting a path to equal opportunity, WESK entrepreneurs to the SK economy
of over 1,200 members, WESK provides programs helps remove the barriers faced by women
and services for entrepreneurs who are starting, entrepreneurs. WESK is here to provide the tools
growing, scaling, or purchasing a business. We help women need to succeed, because when women
build confidence about a future in business. succeed, we all succeed.
$150–$420 180 years
billion would need to pass
in additional economic to close the gender
MISSION activity would result gap at current
Empowering women entrepreneurs in Saskatchewan to start, grow, and scale businesses to drive from closing the gender levels of women
entrepreneur gap entrepreneurship
economic growth.
VISION
To close the gender entrepreneurship gap in Saskatchewan.
$6.3-$17.64 billion
VALUES could be injected into the SK GDP through
WESK is driven by the values of collaboration, diversity, and boldness. gender entrepreneuship parity
METRICS
Since 1995
Snapshot of key metrics
9,307
2020-2021 women have accessed our
business advising program
$40.4 million
1212 1,816 17 has been given to businesses
through our financing program
members reached business advising new loans this year,
this year appointments this year totalling $1.5 million
1,829
jobs have been created through
our financing program
$90,607 9 5 Western Economic Diversification
average loan startup loans expansion loans
amount Canada provided WESK with a
total of $5M, which has grown to
$7.9 million
allowing us to support even more
entrepreneurs
3 144+ 557
businesses
purchased
jobs created/
maintained
jobs saved through
the federally-funded
55,297
Regional Relief and women have contacted the WESK
Recovery Fund offices for information since 1995
COVID-19
PANDEMIC RESPONSES
In March 2020, the gravity and impact of COVID-
19 compelled organizations to rapidly adjust how
they conducted business. WESK shifted practices
to make it easier for women to receive key supports:
Championing women’s
social and economic Waived our annual membership fee for April
justice in a pandemic
and May of 2020
After 25 years of standing with forward to seeing women-owned New payment solutions for our loan clients
women entrepreneurs through businesses reopen as the province
good times and bad, it is hard to achieves herd immunity.
capture what this past year has
meant to us all. We have been The WESK offices shifted to work-
Free weekly webinars, virtual workshops, and
managing the impacts of COVID ing remotely last year, and through virtual networking events
for many months now. At this time our virtual presence, we continued
last year, we were already working to provide support and resources
hard to create high-quality virtual to our members and all Saskatch-
programs and pivoting approaches ewan during this period of uncer- COVID-19 webpage with information,
to deliver great services despite tainty. We’ve been far apart, but resources, and tips for small business owners
the challenges of social distancing. we have also explored new ways
Our hearts go out to those who to connect. This year provided an
have lost loved ones and those opportunity to link up across the
Provided additional financial support up to
who cared for family members in distance, bringing rural and urban $60,000 for women entrepreneurs unable to
need this year. We’re all looking entrepreneurs together. access government support for COVID-19
Looking back at the history of WESK
Highlighting the
achievements of 2020-2021
We have many accomplishments to hasn’t changed. We are still commit-
celebrate from the past year at WESK, ted to empowering women in business
including our 25th year Anniversary! and supporting them to overcome gen-
WESK was founded in 1995 when der-based barriers.
Western Economic Diversification
Canada commissioned a number of This year, we focused on delivering pro-
focus groups across the province. Par- grams and services in a virtual world.
ticipants represented women from dif- Despite the challenges of social dis-
ferent cultural backgrounds, stages of tancing, we hosted two of our signature
business development, and geography. entrepreneurship programs online (The
They were tasked with identifying bar- Exchange and Founders Table) as well
riers faced by women entrepreneurs in as our annual Small Business Confer-
Saskatchewan, as well as services and ence. We also celebrated the release of
programs to assist them in achieving a final report from the WESK-led Sas-
their goals. Much has changed in the katchewan Advisory Committee, and
25 years since WESK began, including we’ve already advanced several key
a significant rebrand. But one thing recommendations.
View our 25th anniversary video
JUL. 27, 2020
SEPT. 29 –
Release of Saskatchewan OCT. 2, 2020 MAR. 8, 2021
Advisory Committee’s final report
of recommendations “Enabling Virtual Small Hosted an online event for
Scale in Saskatchewan” Business Conference International Women’s Day 2021
MAY 17–21, 2020 SEPT. 2020 OCT. 19 2020 MAR. 31, 2021
Women The Exchange: Rebound FHQ Developments Progess made on four of
Entrepreneurs Edition and Founders Table partnership the recommendations from
week in SK 2.0 both launched virtually the Saskatchewan Advisory
Commitee. To launch in April 2021
PROGRAMS
Empowering
women at every
stage of the MATCHSTICK: SPARK FOR INDIGENOUS
entrepreneurial WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS
journey Women across Saskatchewan face
barriers to making their business
advising for entrepreneurs, and
mentoring. Matchstick connects
dreams a reality, and for Indige- women with like-minded entrepre-
WESK has over 1,200 members, and we strive nous women, there are additional neurs to share a wealth of knowl-
to support every woman that comes to us for barriers. WESK is passionate about edge, resources, and opportunities.
assistance. Our core programs support women closing the gender-entrepreneur This year, WESK provided access to
to take the next step in their entrepreneurial gap for all women, and Matchstick small business loans and resources
journey, whether they are starting, growing, is a program specifically for First for Indigenous entrepreneurs. We
scaling or purchasing a business. As our non- Nations, Métis, and Inuit women also developed and released a
profit organization expands, we continue to who are either starting a business final report for Matchstick, and we
find innovative ways to bring women together, or seriously considering bringing created three videos to describe
building up their confidence and capacity, and their ideas to life. the importance of the project and
guiding them along the best path forward. showcase the program and partic-
The Matchstick program provides ipants. This program has created a
In 2020-2021, our programs had great atten- resources for those starting a positive impact in a short time-
dance despite being limited to online engage- business in Saskatchewan, and span. Matchstick will relaunch next
ment tools. It’s easy to feel isolated when you’re includes workshops, business fiscal year.
an entrepreneur, and we believe that women
deserve to know that there are people rooting
for them who understand their business goals.
Over the past year, our programming provided
valuable resources and networking opportuni-
ties, in addition to free one-on-one appoint-
ments with business advisors. We also provided “This program made me think and get
financing and pandemic recovery support,
helping women weather the storm of changes
a clearer idea of my business goals.”
brought on by the pandemic this year. – Year 1 Participant
PROGRAMS
FOUNDERS TABLE 2.0:
CONNECTING WOMEN IN TECH
According to a 2018 WESK report Founders Table is a six-month tech- equity, angel, and venture capi-
on women entrepreneurs, women nology-focused mastermind group talist funders in Saskatchewan,
are highly under-represented in to help women take their technol- all the while developing deep and
Canada’s tech sector, with only six ogy business and management meaningful relationships with like-
percent of founders identifying as skills up a notch. Participants get a minded women. It also includes
women. We know how important it chance to meet and discuss topics a tech symposium, open to all
is to connect women within under- like team-building, design-thinking members of the tech community. supported by:
represented industries, and this and product development, digital This year, we brought close to fifty
program aims to address that gap marketing, and funding pitches. people together for a very power-
by providing support, mentorship, The program is structured around ful online session! Big thanks to our
and networking opportunities for monthly meetings, where partic- program facilitator, Saskatchewan
women tech founders. ipants pitch some of the biggest tech entrepreneur, Katrina German.
The top session this year was a virtual speed networking event in January 2021,
where women in tech had the opportunity to pitch to eight investors.
FOUNDERS
TABLE 1.0
Founders Table 1.0
Our virtual retreat included cohorts from this year as well as from 2019-2020, continued to meet
as the pandemic disrupted plans for last year’s retreat. this year even after
the conclusion of
the educational
components to
stay connected and
deepen relationships
We opened up a tech symposium to the broader tech community and brought with one another.
close to 50 people together for a very powerful online session.PROGRAMS
“The support and ideas
through the women in
The Exchange program
has been invaluable.”
REBOUND AND CONQUER – THE EXCHANGE
Another cornerstone WESK pro- 56 monthly training sessions, and
gram is The Exchange. This program over 200 coaching calls were made
serves as a catalyst for women between women and their Board
entrepreneurs who are ready to
harness their true potential and
Chairs. Seven Board Chairs stepped “Thank you for the
forward to participate from a vari-
take their businesses to the next
ety of sectors, each representing a opportunities and coaching
level of growth and profitability.
The Exchange provides women
wealth of experience as a success-
ful businesswoman combined with
offered by WESK –I would
with dynamic peer learning, coach-
ing calls, retreats, presentations a passion for entrepreneurship. not be where I am today
We held three virtual retreats for
from well-seasoned experts, and
networking opportunities. Each Exchange participants in Septem- in business if not for WESK
part of this program is crafted to ber 2020, January 2021, and May and for The Exchange.”
hone business acumen and entre- 2021. These retreats focused on
preneurial strengths. five pillars of business: Operations,
Those who participate engage in Finance, Human Resources, Lead-
a three-year term, beginning with ership, and Sales and Marketing.
creating a tailor-made Board to Our year-end survey for The
nourish a sense of courage and
capacity. Boards consist of 8-12
Exchange highlights the impact
of this program, and participat-
“I have loved being
women entrepreneurs, who are
carefully selected to exchange
ing women spoke to the value part of The Exchange
of this mentorship opportunity.
knowledge and lessons learned
along their business journey. This The results are clear: meaningful, program, I have met
year, 68 women participated in The
Exchange program, including eight
supportive relationships advance
women entrepreneurs and help
some amazing women.”
Indigenous participants. We held close the gender entrepreneur gap.ADVOCACY RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE REPORT
1 ENHANCING ACCESS TO CAPITAL
• Create incentives for angel investors to provide access to capital and financial support
to women-owned and women-led businesses
2 DEVELOPING SCALE-ENABLING POLICIES
• Develop and monitor measures through a women entrepreneurship economic
scorecard
Advocating • Incentivize job-growth as a mechanism to encourage scale in companies with high
potential for success
for women in • Implement a growth innovation fund and connect recipients to mentors to increase
business at the
potential for success
• Develop and implement mechanisms to enable childcare for women entrepreneurs
provincial level
in scaling phase
TAKING ACTION WITH THE
3 STREAMLINING ACCESS TO DATA, PROGRAMS AND NETWORKS
• Build an entrepreneurship hub for women entrepreneurs
SASKATCHEWAN ADVISORY
COMMITTEE ON THE GENDER • Create partnerships with educational institutions to provide relevant educational
ENTREPRENEURSHIP GAP opportunities for existing and aspiring women entrepreneurs
In 2019, the Government of Saskatchewan
created the WESK-led Saskatchewan Advisory
Committee with a mandate to advise the Gov-
ernment on strategies, policies and activities
to close the gender entrepreneurship gap. The 4 ENHANCING AWARENESS AND SUPPORT BY BUILDING MOMENTUM
twelve members were specifically tasked with • Increase awareness of the contribution of women entrepreneurs to the Saskatchewan
examining gender disparity in business growth. economy and profile the successes of individual women entrepreneurs
In July of 2020, the Committee concluded • Launch a brand that uniquely identifies Saskatchewan women entrepreneurs
it’s work with the launch of a final report of
• Launch a charter to build a pool of champions in support of women entrepreneurs
recommendations entitled “Enabling Scale in
Saskatchewan”.ADVOCACY
What this means for WESK
WESK has been at the frontlines their commitment to advancing relevant programs, services, and
of provincial advocacy for women gender parity and equality through resources based on their stage of
entrepreneurs, and the formation of economic activity. We encouraged business. We launched a new website
the Saskatchewan Advisory Com- Champions to establish targets to to be better geared towards women
mittee was a direct result of calls increase engagement with, and sup- entrepreneurs in all phases of busi-
to action by our organization. June port of, women-owned Saskatche- ness. We developed a one-stop shop
2020 marked the conclusion of the wan businesses that are in align- resource library with webinars, blogs,
Committee’s work, and a report of ment with organizational objectives. custom business plan templates,
recommendations was published in We also developed a new and external resources, as well as
July 2020. WESK worked on execut- 2 brand identity for wom- phase-specific landing pages with
ing four of those recommendations, en-owned businesses in Saskatch- custom-curated content for each
and we are proud of the advance- ewan. Women were invited to self stage of entrepreneurship.
ments made over a short, challeng- declare and gain access to the Wom- WESK is currently working on
ing time period. en-Owned Businesses brand iden- 4 a campaign to raise aware-
One key action was the launch tity. They will also receive invitations ness about the accomplishments
1 of the Saskatchewan Women to exclusive events and appear in our and economic contributions of Sas-
Women-Owned Saskatchewan Busi-
Entrepreneurship Charter in April katchewan women entrepreneurs.
ness Database.
2021, with four principles to pro- You may have noticed our recent
vide guidance for supporting local We worked hard this year #WomenEntrepreneurshipWednes-
women-owned businesses. WESK 3 to create a Digital Entrepre- day posts on social media. Stay con-
invited influential organizations to neurship Hub on our WESK site to nected as we work to expand this
sign on as Champions to express allow entrepreneurs to easily access campaign throughout the year.
View more information about the Committee recommendationsEVENTS
Virtual events from
the last year MONIQUE SIMAIR
MAVEN WATER AND
DEBBIE ROSS
SASKATOON AGRI-
CHRISTIE PETERS
PRIMAL; THE HOLLOWS
ENVIRONMENT AUTO PARTS
This year required a new approach to events, but the pandemic
didn’t slow us down or keep us from gathering virtually for learn-
ing and networking. In 2020-2021, WESK hosted 25 events with
a total of 1754 attendees.
Shaken with a TWIST
JANNA DUTTON KARRI HOWLETT MACKENZIE KILSHAW
DUTTON GROUP TIM KARRI HOWLETT (FIRBY)
HORTONS CONSULTING TWO FIFTY TWO BOUTIQUE
SHAKEN
Each month, WESK brings forward a respected entrepreneur or
business professional to be interviewed by moderator Shawna
Nelson. Shaken is Saskatoon-based and the season this year
included nine virtual events, each with an average attendance of
approximately 60 people. This event series provides an opportu-
nity to hear candid advice, reflections, and tips for entrepreneurs
based on the wisdom of experienced entrepreneurs. We’re so
grateful to all our sponsors this year, and all of the speakers who
shared their stories. WESK welcomes members and non-members
alike to these events, and it’s a great way to get involved with MELANIE MORRISON TINA BEAUDRY-MELLOR VERONIQUE LOEWEN
WESK and see what our organization has to offer. BETTERCART FORMER MINISTER VEROLINGO
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COMMUNICATIONS
STATUS OF WOMENEVENTS
uncorked
unpredictable & unfiltered
UNCORKED
Uncorked is a Regina-based networking event where local
JANETT LEE DARCI-LANG TINA BEAUDRY-MELLOR
THE STORY CO. MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER FORMER MINISTER entrepreneurs are invited to relax, listen, and learn from local
AND TRAINER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE business experts. Uncorked aims to inspire through storytelling
APRIL 2020
MAY 2020
STATUS OF WOMEN and casual couch conversation as we ask some of the bold-
JUNE 2020 est businesswomen and leaders of the community the most
unpredictable and unfiltered questions about business, life,
and community. This year, we hosted nine virtual Uncorked
events. Sessions are live, and each event saw great engage-
ment from the local community and our network of members.
We couldn’t have done it without the generous contributions
of our sponsors and speakers. Here’s to another year of events
filled with laughter and inspiration. We are hopeful that in the
year ahead, we’ll be able to bring people together in person for
these conversations!
JEANNE MARTINSON SANDRA MASTERS AIMEE SCHULHAUSER
WOOD DRAGON BOOKS RICHARDSON PIONEER LTD. SERIAL ENTREPRENEUR
SEPTEMBER 2020 OCTOBER 2020 NOVEMBER 2020
LEANNE BELLEGARDE THOMAS BENJOE JENNIFER DENOUDEN DANIELA MINTENKO
AKAWE TECHNOLOGIES FHQ DEVELOPMENTS AVANA DANDY’S ARTISAN ICE CREAM
& LUXE ARTISAN CHOCOLATES
JANUARY 2021 JANUARY 2021 FEBRUARY 2021
MARCH 2021EVENTS
SMALL BUSINESS CONFERENCE
Our Small Business Conference is a long-standing tradition at WESK, where typically we bring members, CELEBRATION OF
entrepreneurs, business professionals, and community leaders together in person for a full-day event. ACHEIVEMENT AWARD
This year, due to the pandemic, we pivoted to a virtual conference and hosted a week of workshops
and panels.
Extraordinary women deserve
WESK hosted three panel discussions and three workshops, each of which engaged a wide range of to be celebrated. In May 2020,
participants. We are grateful to all our speakers for sharing their expertise with 476 attendees. We are we recognized Katherine Reg-
especially grateful to to Conexus Credit Union, our Presenting Sponsor. nier, CEO of Coconut Software,
In February 2021, WESK announced the rebrand of the gala and conference to the WESK Summit and as the winner of the 3rd annual
Gala. Our next annual report will include a recap of our first ever WESK Summit! Stay tuned. Celebration of Achievement
award! This award pays trib-
ute to an exceptional woman
entrepreneur who has built
Jewels of Saskatchewan Panel Champions for Change Panel a business in Saskatchewan
with a significant impact on
the economy and the commu-
Devon Fiddler, SheNative Goods Eric Dillon, Conexus Credit Union nity. Coconut Software aims
Jess Tetu, Serial Entrepreneur Murad Al-Katib, AGT Foods to modernize how banks and
Krista Moe, Shellbrook Pharmacy Thomas Benjoe, FHQ Developments credit unions engage, and Kath-
Rachel Mielke, Hillberg & Berk erine is a passionate advocate
for women in tech. Thank you,
Moderated by: Prabha Mitchell, CEO of WESK Moderated by: Pam Klein, Phoenix Group Katherine, for all of the ways
you are helping women over-
come barriers to business.
Venture Capital Panel Website UX Workshop
Eric Clark, PFM Capital Katie Osborne, Bravo Tango
Jason Drummond, Broad Street Bulls
Laurie Dmytryshyn, PIC Investment Group
Brand Storytelling Workshop
Moderated by: Christine Hrudka,
Pharmacy First Nykea Behiel, Rock & Bloom
A Taste of Bene Brown Workshop
Presented by
Kellie Garrett, Kellie Garrett EnterprisesNETWORK MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS
MEMBERSHIP SPOTLIGHT THE PIONEER
($25+ GST)
Building KATRINA WHYTE
She is the first.
our network Owner, Taste Patisserie by Katrina
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
The Pioneer package is ideal if you
have an idea, or are thinking about
entrepreneurship. If you want to
be in WESK’s sphere of influence,
Q: What motivates you to be an entrepreneur? but don’t know where to start, The
MEMBERSHIP GROWTH A: I want to build and create something wonderful for my Pioneer package is perfect for you.
community, and I want it to operate well so that it will be
WESK was founded 25 years ago
here for years to come. I was also raised in a generation
with six members. Since then, our
where I was told a girl could only go so far, that I could
organization has grown to more than
1200 members, each of whom are
only reach so high. I refuse to believe that. In fact, I think THE TRAILBLAZER
women are what is missing from the business world. ($125+ GST)
making an impact on the Saskatch-
ewan economy. Our membership
is diverse, with members located Q: What supports have meant the most along the way? She is providing it’s possible.
all over our province in a variety of A: It’s so important to surround yourself with people
The Trailblazer package is ideal if
industries and stages of business. who believe in you and want to help you achieve your you are starting a business and
Diversity is one of our core values as dreams. The support of my husband and children have want continual support from
an organization, and we aim to be as been absolutely invaluable to me. I was also blessed WESK throughout your journey.
inclusive as possible. The pandemic early on to be introduced to the best bunch of women We will connect you to resources
presented unprecedented financial entrepreneurs ever! Nobody can do this alone. for Saskatchewan entrepreneurs,
strains on women in business, and and the people you need to get
we offered free memberships for established.
Q: How has WESK made an impact on your journey?
April and May 2020. WESK has also
worked hard to revamp our member- A: They believed in me! And when I needed more capital
ship options, and we launched a new to handle some unforeseen expenses during start-up,
model in April 2021. they encouraged me and provided what was needed to THE
help me succeed. They keep up to date with me offering
assistance and support. It helps me to not feel alone.
CHANGEMAKER
($375+ GST)
Q: What do you have to say to other women entrepreneurs? She is making the difference.
A: Be brave and dare to dream. Small businesses are the The Changemaker package is ideal
backbone of any community. My business is not just a if you are already established and
bakery. It’s a place where people come to celebrate and are looking to take your business
1212 to mourn - it’s become an important part of the com-
munity. So dream. Plant your seed and watch it grow and
to the next level. WESK will help
you scale your company and make
members across stretch and change. In the end, it will grow into some- meaningful connections to other
the province thing beautiful! entrepreneurs and corporate execs.
1
7ADVISING
Supporting
women through 9,307 55,297
entrepreneurial women have accessed
our Business Advising
women have contacted
the WESK offices for
advising
Program since 1995 information since 1995
SERVICE IMPACT 1,816 1,629
business advising information requests
Confidence matters in business, and WESK is here to help appointments this year were received this year
women step into bold leadership as entrepreneurs. No matter
what stage of the journey an entrepreneur finds herself in, our
business advisors are here to lend an ear, provide guidance, and “Don’t be afraid to reach
out and ask for help.
point to the right resources. Members are quick to tell us about
245
There are lots of WESK
the impact of having someone take the time to understand resources available!”
their business goals and challenges, support them in creating
– Dr. Monique Simair
a business plan, or help them take the next step toward their new clients this year Founder of Saskatoon-based
vision. These supports are invaluable, especially in light of the Maven Water & Environment
gender-based barriers that exist for women.
ALL ACCESS EXPERT ADVICE
The All Access Expert Advice Program is an exclusive opportu-
nity to connect with professionals in Saskatchewan. The WESK
roster of experts includes those in marketing, legal, accounting, 75 appointments
and human resources industries! This high-impact, low-barrier
service provides tailored support for women, whether they are
3 10 26 36
starting, growing, or scaling a business. The All Access Expert
Advice Program has been running for three years now, and we
owe it all to our partners and specialized experts. Your gener- human resources marketing accounting legal
ous support to this program helps to fill in the gaps for women
running small businesses across the province.FINANCING
Kick-starting
women-owned businesses JOHN AND BERNICE WILLIAMS AND
NORTH PRAIRIE DEVELOPMENTS
FINANCIAL SUPPORT EQUITY INVESTMENT FUND
A key finding of the Saskatchewan Advisory Committee on the Gender Entre-
preneurship Gap was that women are less likely to secure capital than men. Managed by WESK, this fund has disbursed a total
WESK understands how hard business capital can be to access - particularly for of 13 Equity Investment Loans – totalling $87,641 –
women - and our WESK Financing Fund aims to address this gap with loans of up since its inception in 2012.
to $150,000 (or more through our partnerships).
We are thrilled to continue the legacy of financial support for women entrepre-
neurs, and this year we funded a number of new loans through the WESK Financing
Fund and helped protect many Saskatchewan jobs through the Regional Relief and REGIONAL RELIEF
Recovery Fund (RRRF). If your business is majority woman-owned and controlled AND RECOVERY FUND
(51%), come talk to our friendly business advisors to see how a loan could help you
grow your business. Interest paid from your loan goes back into our financing fund,
which helps us provide even more loans to women entrepreneurs. The Regional Relief and Recovery Fund was
announced by the Government of Canada to pro-
We’ve been supporting women entrepreneurs for 25 years! vide financial support directly to small and medi-
Since 1995: um-sized women-owned businesses. Loans of up
to $60,000 are available through WESK to address
766 loans have been disbursed for women COVID-19 impacts on short-term stability.
Businesses have received a total of $40.4 million through our financing program This access to financing will support small enter-
prises that are unable to access larger federal relief
Over $3.4 million has been leveraged as a result of our financing funding programs, or unable to obtain a loan/credit
from traditional financial institutions, and that are
Western Economic Diversification Canada provided WESK with a total of $5 million,
struggling with working capital needs.
which WESK has grown to $7.9 million
Between April 1, 2020 – March 31, 2021 WESK
1,829 jobs have been created through our financing program approved:
In 2020–2021: 98 RRRF loans
17 new loans, totalling $1.5 million and 98 current loans, totalling $6 million $3,153,175 in RRRF loans
Our loan fund created/maintained 144 FTE jobs in our province this year $32,175 RRRF loan average
Our average loan this year was $90,607 557 jobs saved
9 new business start-ups, 5 expansions, 3 existing businesses purchasedSKILLS AND TRAINING
Enhancing entrepreneurial
capacity and skills
2,652
TRAINING PROGRAMS
Learning never stops for an entrepreneur. WESK’s signature workshop, Business
Plan Basics, provides an in-depth step-by-step for developing a business plan.
entrepreneurs
This 1.5-hour virtual workshop teaches first-time entrepreneurs the strategies
for moving their business idea out of their heads and into a plan. participated in...
This year, WESK connected over 2,500 entrepreneurs to training through more
than 100 workshops. Each week, we offered different webinars on a variety of
business topics. In addition, we took our three annual full-day workshops and
111
convereted them each into the following webinar series:
Learning Month with Deloitte series on accounting for entrepreneurs workships
this year
Marketing Madness series to support focused, consistent, efficient
and cost-effective online marketing efforts
Legal Tips for Entrepreneurs series on small business legal
considerations
28,271
entrepreneurs have
We are proud of the diversity of topics and focus areas we covered this year, attended WESK
and we look forward to continuing these webinar series into the coming year. workshops since 1995SPONSORS Depending on our community Thank you to all of our generous funders! We couldn’t do it without you. SHAKEN WITH A TWIST UNCORKED SMALL BUSINESS CONFERENCE
OUR TEAM
OUR BOARD
Celebrating
the WESK
team DANIELLE GRAFF
CHAIR
JILL POULTON
PAST CHAIR
CLAIRE
BÉLANGER-PARKER
DIRECTOR
SHOUT OUT TO OUR
AMAZING BOARD AND
STAFF MEMBERS
The 2020-2021 fiscal year was not
without challenges, but it brought out
our strengths and helped us refocus
on what matters most. We appreciate COLLEEN DIXON RHONDA SPENCER KELLY BANNISTER
all the energy our team poured into DIRECTOR DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
adapting WESK’s work this year, and we
want to thank our members and partners
for building strong relationships with
us. The trust placed in us to help meet
business goals is not taken lightly, and
we will continue to strive for excellence
by every measure.
Thank you to the board members for
their wisdom and guidance, and to all our
staff, members, and partners for making
our 25th year one to celebrate. LEIGH KAUFMANN LEANNE JOHNSON
DIRECTOR DIRECTOROUR TEAM
SASKATOON
PRABHA MITCHELL LORI JESTIN-KNAUS DANIELLE GRIMES CARA COTE NICK KOCHAR
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER REGIONAL MANAGER BUSINESS ADVISOR BUSINESS ADVISOR PROGRAM ADVISOR
NORTH
KAURIE MAY JODI MACMILLAN OLU FATOYINBO JEANINE ARMILLOTTA JOSIE FRIES
MANAGER OF FINANCE FINANCIAL ANALYST LENDING ADVISOR LENDING AND MARKETING ADVISOR
AND ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTRATIVE
COORDINATOR
REGINA
NO PHOTO NO PHOTO
AVAILABLE AVAILABLE
HEATHER BLOUIN AMANDA PARKINSON BRITTANY SCOTT LOLA ADEBOGUN BRONWEN MALLOY
REGIONAL MANAGER BUSINESS ADVISOR PROJECT COORDINATOR MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
SOUTH ADMINISTRATIVE INTERN
ASSISTANTFrom start up to scale up, your success is our only goal. Since 1995, WESK has helped thousands
of women start, purchase and expand their businesses through access to business support,
financing, training, and networks.
WESK is proud to be affiliated with the Women’s Enterprise Organizations of Canada
(WEOC). Committed to the growth of women’s entrepreneurship, WEOC works with women’s
enterprise support organizations, like WESK, to champion innovation, broaden expertise, and
enhance collaboration.
WESK is proudly supported by Western Economic Diversification Canada.
SASKATOON OFFICE REGINA OFFICE FOLLOW US ONLINE
108 - 502 Cope Way 200 – 1965 Broad Street
Saskatoon, SK S7T 0G3 Regina, SK S4P 1Y1 @wesk306
(located in Path Co-work)
Phone: 306-477-7173
Toll-Free: 1-844-900-WESK (9375) Phone: 306-359-9732 LinkedIn WESK – Women
Toll-Free: 1-844-901-WESK (9375) Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan
www.wesk.ca info@wesk.caYou can also read
